[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 74 (Thursday, May 23, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H2940]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       IRREVERSIBLE DOES NOT MEAN UNAVOIDABLE--REJECT KEYSTONE XL

  (Mr. HOLT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a member of the Safe Climate 
Caucus to say that we have now passed 400 parts per million of carbon 
dioxide in the atmosphere for the first time in human history--in fact, 
for the first time in several million years.
  This is, indeed, a milestone, but it should not be a breaking point. 
We have done damage to our climate through human activities. If we 
continue to fill our atmosphere with carbon and other greenhouse gases, 
then, yes, we will begin to experience irreversible changes to the 
planet.
  Over the last century, we have demonstrated how human actions--
especially the unregulated consumption of fossil fuels--can harm our 
planet and upset human welfare, as we've seen with historic droughts, 
fires, floods, and superstorms more and more.
  Yesterday, the House again voted to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, 
a project that represents a long-term reliance on fossil energy and 
would commit us to the path toward irreversible global warming and 
climate change.
  The political decisions we make today will decide the future. We must 
reduce our dependence on conventional fuels and redirect our policies.

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