On the recordJuly 12, 2016
I rise today to join my colleagues to expose those who continue to deny the science of climate change and try to deceive the American people. This is important because climate change is an existential threat to our planet and to future generations. By denying climate science and lobbying against efforts to address climate change, these deniers are subjecting the planet and everybody on it to great risk. Climate change will have significant adverse impacts on all of our States, including my State of Minnesota. Just look at our agriculture sector, which is responsible for one out of every five jobs in Minnesota. Warmer temperatures and more intensive droughts are going to negatively impact this important rural economic engine. In fact, a recent study estimates that with no adaptation efforts against climate change, Midwest crop production could decrease by more than 60 percent by the end of the century. Climate change will also impact our waters, and that is important to my State--the Land of 10,000 Lakes--which includes Lake Superior. Lake Superior alone contains about 10 percent of the world's fresh surface water, and it is warming by two degrees per decade. Because of this warming, we are seeing more evaporation and lower water levels in the lake. Plus, rising temperatures allow for more favorable conditions for invasive species and hazardous algal blooms.…
