Andre Carson: “certainly I am very grateful to my dear friend from the State of Florida (Mr. Hastings). Mr. Speaker, I rise in…”

“certainly I am very grateful to my dear friend from the State of Florida (Mr. Hastings). Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this rule, which does not protect the language added in committee regarding global climate change. Global climate change is one of the most serious environmental threats of our time. Yet, this House has failed repeatedly to act on this issue or even acknowledge the bleak outlook voiced by many scientists. Global temperatures are rising. This fact is indisputable. As we speak, sea levels are rising, glaciers are melting, and polar bears are drowning in the Arctic. There is a growing scientific consensus that human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, have contributed to greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere. The effects of global warming are devastating. Approximately 160,000 people die each year from the side effects of global warming, which range from malaria to malnutrition to heat exhaustion in our seniors. If temperatures continue to rise, coastal flooding and drought could occur, and the intensity of hurricanes could increase. In my neighborhood alone in Indianapolis, Indiana, we have finally got the EPA to look at the fact that it is the environment that is snapping away people's lives prematurely. We have seen that voluntary limits on greenhouse gas emissions simply do not work.…”