Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from New Jersey and thank him for drawing attention to the important issue of climate change.

Last week, the National Academy of Sciences published one of the most comprehensive assessments of climate change in the scientific community.  It assessed various measurements of surface temperatures and concluded – with a high level of confidence – that “the last few decades of the 20th century were warmer than any comparable period in the last 400 years.”  We can no longer ignore the fact that human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, have increased carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and contributed to changes in the earth’s climate. 

The Pallone Amendment is an important recognition of the impact that climate change will have on our nation, especially our coastal communities.  Numerous organizations, including the Pew Center for Climate Change, have produced studies estimating the impact of increased sea levels on our coastal communities, and the forecasts are bleak.  In states like Rhode Island, which has about 400 miles of coastline and where a significant portion of the population lives along the coast, the impact of rising sea levels would be downright disastrous.  Beach erosion would make our communities more prone to flooding and endanger our tourism-based economy, while the destruction of wetlands would eradicate wildlife habitat – particularly for migratory birds – and reduce the natural buffer against storm surges.  By passing the Pallone Amendment, we can study the impacts of climate change so that we can take the necessary steps to protect our communities and our citizens. 

At the same time, we must fight the problem at its source and reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases.  I have joined Mr. Pallone and more than 100 other Members of Congress as a cosponsor of H.R. 759, the Climate Stewardship Act, which would limit global warming emissions from the U.S. and authorize scientific research to examine abrupt climate change.  Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will not only benefit our nation's economy through the development and use of new technologies, it will also reduce our dependence upon foreign oil. 

We can no longer ignore the fact that global warming threatens to have a devastating impact on our nation’s environment and economy, and Congress must take swift action.  We can start by funding important research into climate change’s impacts on our coastal communities, and I urge my colleagues to support the Pallone Amendment.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.