[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 129 (Thursday, September 26, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H5864]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SAFE CLIMATE CAUCUS
(Mr. HUFFMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, we are seeing significant natural disasters
this month, from the historic floods that are wreaking havoc across
Colorado to the third-largest wildfire in California's history--the Rim
fire in and around Yosemite National Park.
These disasters have taken lives, they have driven families from
their homes, and it will take years--and many, many millions of
dollars--to clean up and repair all of the damage. Yes, these are
``natural'' disasters, but that doesn't mean that we aren't culpable.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as well as the
British meteorological office found in a recent study that for at least
half of last year's worst weather events, human activities made them
more likely and more severe. Specifically, human-influenced climate
change had an effect on Superstorm Sandy, heat waves in the United
States, and drought in Europe.
But the climate deniers in Congress continue to ignore what's
happening right in front of our eyes. We must get beyond extreme
politics and start addressing the extreme damage of climate change.
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