Political Quotes

“from the beaches of Rhode Island to the glaciers of Montana, natural ecosystems provide us with life's essentials: clean air and water, crops and timber, recreation and lots of local pride. Rhode Island's oceans and coasts, for example, are spawning grounds, nurseries, and shelters for nutritious and profitable fish and shellfish. Their natural buffers protect our coastal communities from storms and filter our water. They even provide clean, renewable energy. And, of course, the coastline of the Ocean State boasts world-class beaches. But climate change threatens to rob us of these essentials. The Government Accountability Office confirms what Americans see with their own eyes: our Nation's ecosystems are at risk from ongoing changes, including--and I will quote GAO: ``increases in air and water temperatures, wildfires, and drought; forests stressed by drought becoming more vulnerable to insect infestations; rising sea levels; and reduced snow cover and retreating glaciers.'' This warning comes from a report released last week on climate change adaptation efforts in Federal agencies. Senator Baucus and I requested this report because of the risk climate change poses to our natural resources and our national economy. Climate change is not something we can fix later, and it is not something that only will happen to future generations, although our children and grandchildren will surely pay a heavier price.…”