Ranking Members Johnson, Bonamici, and Beyer Respond to Draft Climate Science Report
Following President Trump’s formal communication to the United Nations last Friday of the United States’ intent to withdraw from the Paris Climate Change Agreement, the New York Times yesterday released a draft of the Climate Science Special Report, an authoritative assessment of the science of climate change, which provides the scientific foundation for the Fourth National Climate Assessment. This special report, due for final publication this fall, is a stand-alone report from the congressionally mandated National Climate Assessment, which evaluates the current and future impacts of climate change on the United States, due out in late 2018.
Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said, “I was disappointed to hear President Trump formally noticing his intent to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement. As more evidence mounts that manmade climate change is a threat to our nation, it is the height of shortsightedness to surrender leadership on addressing this global challenge. That is why my Democratic colleagues on the Committee and I have been holding a series of roundtables on climate change. It is paramount for our country’s leaders to protect our citizens by looking for ways to resolve intensifying issues like climate change. For us to be successful at finding solutions for these challenges, we need the best science to inform our decisions. I look forward to the official release of the Fourth National Climate Assessment next year, and hope that we as a nation can act on its findings.”
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Environment said, “The draft report confirms the stark reality that our planet is warming at an alarming rate and human activity is a contributing factor. The Trump Administration’s refusal to accept the reality of climate change is shortsighted and sets back the our country’s global leadership. By pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement and rolling back EPA protections, this Administration is doing lasting damage that could result in economic harm and potentially cause greater loss of life or property from extreme weather events. As the Democratic leader of the Environment Subcommittee, I take seriously our responsibility as policymakers to mitigate the dire consequences of climate change. I urge the release of the final Climate Science Special Report when it’s completed, and look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to save our planet.”
Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr. (D-VA), Vice-Ranking Member and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight said, “This draft report highlights the undeniable scientific evidence of the dangerous implications of climate change. The Administration and this Congress must take these issues seriously. We should embrace this report, learn from it and respond to it, rather than hide it or ignore it and the underlying climate science that supports it.”
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