Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The sum of the harmful consequences of global climate change is the existential crisis of our generation and, perhaps, of our century. Global temperature changes are already causing prolonged droughts, extreme weather events, and rising sea levels. Tens of millions of people, especially the poorest and the most vulnerable among us, are at risk unless we act to reverse the disastrous effects of climate change. Our best scientists and our Pope are warning us that unless carbon emissions are dramatically cut, we will see ever rising sea levels, ever more extreme weather, and ever worsening public health, poor air quality, the spread of tropical diseases, lung and heart and heat stress illnesses, and death. Several weeks ago, the EPA issued a comprehensive report quantifying the economic costs of a changing climate across 20 sectors of the American economy. Among the findings, the report found that, by 2100, mitigating greenhouse global gas emissions could avoid 12,000 deaths per year that are associated with extreme temperatures in just 49 U.S. cities compared to a future with no emission reductions. The estimated damages to coastal property from sea level rise and storm surge in the contiguous U.S. are $5 trillion through the year 2100 in a future without carbon emissions.…”