On the recordMarch 10, 2014
Mr. President, the science proves there is a danger, the economics prove there is a solution, and the politics tonight begin the process of saying there is a way to deal with this issue. The planet is running a fever, but there are no emergency rooms for planets. We have to engage in the preventive care so that we deploy the strategies which make it possible for our planet to avoid the worst, most catastrophic effects of climate change. We can do it and do it in a way that helps our economy. There are now 80,000 people working in the wind industry in the United States. There are 142,000 people in the solar industry. That is 220,000 people. There are 80,000 people in the coal industry. Most of the wind and solar jobs have been created in the last 5 years. This is a job-creating revolution which is taking off. Tonight we are going to stay up all night to talk about this climate change issue in the hopes that tomorrow will be the dawn of a new era where the Congress begins to do something about this issue and where it responds to its historic duty to the next generation to end this crisis. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York.
