On the recordNovember 1, 2017
I thank Congressman Lipinski, my friend from Illinois, for holding this Special Order this evening, to highlight the important work being done by the Climate Solutions Caucus, to develop economically viable solutions to address climate change. Mr. Speaker, changing weather patterns and extreme weather events threaten nearly every aspect of New York State's economy, including our agricultural and outdoor recreational sectors. The recreational economy alone generates $42 billion in consumer spending each year, while supporting over 300,000 Empire State jobs. As we work to address climate change in a bipartisan manner, we must employ a variety of techniques that both mitigate impacts and support economic growth. I am currently working with my Agriculture Committee colleagues on conservation legislation for the next farm bill that will provide important data points on conservation programs and outcomes, allowing legislators and regulators to most efficiently use taxpayer dollars to achieve real conservation results for our farms. These incentive programs support farming practices that, among other benefits, like increasing yield, lowering the amount of fertilizers that are employed, pull carbon from the air and sequester it in the soil. In addition to sequestering carbon in the soil. We can also work to reduce emissions through greater efficiency in the transportation sector.…
