Political Quotes

“last Friday marked the 46th annual Earth Day, and we cannot ignore that we are at a crossroads in time. Human- caused climate change is accelerating with each passing year and is now taking a severe toll on our planet. We see it in our scorched farmlands and burnt forests in the West and in the flood ravaged river valleys and superstorm battered coastlines in the East. Climate change is not a hoax, and we must act now to protect our future and our future generations. Earth Day is an opportunity to recognize that climate change is not only the greatest threat to our environment today, but it also poses a threat to public health and to our national and economic security. In coming years, the economy of Vermont, the United States, and every country on Earth will be altered. We must guide that economic transformation to protect future generations. We are really just beginning to grapple with the serious economic consequences of climate change across the country. In Vermont, we saw the warmest winter on record this year, with mean temperatures 5 to 10 degrees above normal and snowfall several feet below normal. On Christmas Eve, the mercury hit 68 degrees in the State capital of Montpelier, beating the previous record by 17 degrees. The abnormally high temperatures and lack of snow hurt our ski and tourism industries. Many ski areas saw business down 20 percent, and some saw a drop of as much as 40 percent.…”