(Washington, DC)—Today, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II announced that he has been asked to join Speaker Pelosi on a bipartisan Congressional Delegation trip to Greenland, Germany, Great Britain and Belgium to meet with leading scientists and political leaders working on solutions to combat global warming.

“This trip is vital to furthering Congress’ understanding of how the climate change is affecting our planet,” said Cleaver. “I am honored to be asked by Speaker Pelosi to travel with her to represent Congress abroad. Further, I am excited to have the opportunity to see first-hand the grave effects that global warming has had on that ecosystem and consequently our planet.” 

Greenland has been a lightning rod for how man’s actions and energy uses have drastically altered our globe’s environment. There are few places where the impact of global warming can be seen so startlingly. Currently, ninety-eight percent of the world’s glaciers, which were growing until the mid-1990s, are melting. Eighty-one percent of the island of Greenland is covered by ice and glaciers.

“Scientific evidence and real-world examples tell us that global warming is an international crisis that must be solved with international cooperation and innovative solutions,” said Speaker Pelosi.  “As we begin to craft legislative solutions to address this international crisis, Members of Congress will see firsthand the economic and environmental impact of global warming, as well as the actions our allies are already taking to address this global challenge.”

“Protecting and preserving our global environment is something I have been passionate about for years. I am proud not only to be asked to travel with the Speaker, but also to serve on the Select Committee for Energy Independence and Global Warming. For decades, we have created and relied on energy sources which have made our nation close to becoming absolutely dependent on foreign oil and have put our planet in real danger. There are hard choices that need to be made, and the United States is very late to the table,” said Cleaver.

“Every opportunity has a cost. Memorial Day is a very special day for me, and I look forward each year to spending it with true heroes, our nation’s veterans. I regret that this travel will take me away from the District at a time when we have lost another young man from Independence to the war in Iraq,” said Cleaver.

“Also, for the first time in a year and a half, I am going to have to cancel today’s ‘Coffee with Cleaver.’ It would have been the 19th month in a row of coming to neighborhoods to talk through the issues of the day. It was a tough decision, but I hope this trip can help find real answers to our growing environmental issues,” said Cleaver.

The Congressional Delegation is made up of members of the Select Committee, including Chairman Ed Markey of Massachusetts; Congresswoman Hilda Solis of California; Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin of South Dakota; Congressman Earl Blumenauer of Oregon; Congressman John Larson of Connecticut; and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri. Congressman David Hobson of Ohio, Ranking Member of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee is also traveling.
 

The bipartisan delegation will be traveling to Greenland and is scheduled to meet with Dr. Konrad Steffen, who is the lead scientist at Swiss Camp located on the Jakobshavn Glacier.  In Europe, the delegation is scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, foreign and environmental ministers, members of parliament and leading environmentalists and scientists.

Because of the significance of this trip, the air travel will be carbon offset through the Pacific Forest Trust - a forest conservation and stewardship project that will permanently reduce approximately 500,000 tons of CO2 emissions over a 100-year period.  The Speaker will personally pay for this effort.

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Belton, Raymore and Peculiar, Missouri. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and the Speaker’s Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Congressman Cleaver also serves as a Regional Whip of the Democratic Caucus and Second Vice-Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.