[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 4, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1293-S1295]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CLIMATE CHANGE
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I am back now for the 91st consecutive
week the Senate has been in session to urge my colleagues to wake up
and pay attention to the threat of climate change. I am delighted and
proud to be joined today by my colleague and friend Senator Baldwin
from Wisconsin to consider the effects of carbon pollution in her
State.
According to scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison,
weather stations around the State show that average temperatures in
Wisconsin increased by about 1.1 degrees Fahrenheit between 1950 and
2006. During the same period Wisconsin got wetter. Annual average
precipitation increased by almost 3 inches. These changes are likely to
continue and intensify as carbon pollution continues to pile up in the
atmosphere. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison estimate
that by midcentury the State could warm by 4 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit.
By the end of the century the climate in Wisconsin may look more like
that of present-day Missouri or Oklahoma, raising the possibility of a
dramatic shift in the Wisconsin economy and way of life.
This winter has been pretty cold in the Eastern United States and in
Wisconsin. So was last year. Cold arctic air dipping down over North
America drops the mercury. As we continue into a time of what has been
called global weirding, scientists say that climate change may make
these cold blasts more common as it alters patterns in the atmosphere.
In a nutshell, on top of the long-term warming trend lies weather
disorder. But the long-term warming trend is apparent. New research
from UW-Madison's Professor Jonathan Martin shows that last year the
so-called cold pool of frigid air that accumulates in the Northern
Hemisphere each winter was the smallest since records began in the
winter of 1948 to 1949. This year it is on track to be even smaller.
Sadly, some of our colleagues just can't face up to the role that
human activity--such as our carbon pollution from burning fossil fuel--
plays in the changes we are seeing around us. One colleague--indeed,
the senior Senator from Wisconsin--is among this group. In January he
voted against amendments to the Keystone XL bill stating that climate
change is real and that humans contribute to it. Well, in 2013 the
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel--his State's largest paper--noted that this
type of denial was at odds with both Wisconsin opinion and Wisconsin
scientific evidence. The senior Senator from Wisconsin, wrote the
paper's editorial board, ``is just flat-out wrong.'' The paper went on
to say, ``We elect politicians to make tough decisions and find
solutions, not to shut their eyes and cover their ears, as Johnson
repeatedly has done on this issue.'' The article continued:
``[S]tubbornly denying the facts on climate change may be akin to
denying the facts on evolution or whether the Earth is flat.''
Professor John Kutzbach of the University of Wisconsin--an elected
member of the National Academy of Sciences--was among a group of
climate scientists who in 2011 wrote to us in Congress imploring us to
take action on climate change. Here is what the letter said:
Congress needs to understand that scientists have
concluded, based on a systematic review of all of the
evidence, that climate change caused by human activities
raises serious risks to our national and economic security
and our health both here and around the world. It is time for
Congress to move on to the policy debate.
Well, I welcome that debate. Indeed, the chairman of the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources, Senator Murkowski, recently said on the
floor of the Senate that she hopes we can ``get beyond the discussion
as to whether or not climate change is real and talk about . . . what
do we do.'' So where is that debate? Where are the other Republicans?
Let's finally talk about the cost of action and the cost of inaction.
The Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts was formed in 2007
by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the University of
Wisconsin Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. The scientists
and public officials in this program are doing important work to help
the State of Wisconsin understand and prepare for climate change. They
are studying how it will affect wildlife, water resources, public
health, and important Wisconsin industries such as forestry,
agriculture, and shipping and tourism on the Great Lakes.
Climate change threatens iconic aspects of the Wisconsin environment
and economy. The Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts
Agriculture Working Group reports that higher summer temperatures and
increasing drought will create significant stress on livestock, even
touching--dare I say it--Wisconsin's famed cheese industry. Victor
Cabrera, an assistant professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dairy Science Department--they have one--says heat stress
[[Page S1294]]
interferes with fertility and milk production. Dairy cows could give as
much as 10 percent less milk. The U.S. Department of Agriculture
predicts that by 2030 climate change will cost the U.S. dairy sector
between $79 and $199 million a year in lost production. When opponents
say reducing carbon pollution will cost too much, they conveniently
leave out the cost of doing nothing, such as these costs.
Well, the dairy State is not waiting for Congress to take action. The
University of Wisconsin is leading a USDA-funded effort to identify
dairy practices that minimize the emission of greenhouse gases and make
dairies more resilient to the effects of a changing climate. Some
Wisconsin dairy farmers are burning excess methane in enormous manure
digesters--that is a frightening concept--to generate their own
renewable electricity.
Wisconsin sportsmen know that Wisconsin has more than 10,000 miles of
trout streams--some of the best trout fishing in the country. Cold-
water fish, such as the brook trout, are there, but they are highly
sensitive to temperature increases in streams. Under the worst cases
analyzed by the researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and
the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, ``brook trout are
projected to be completely lost from Wisconsin's streams.'' Even the
best-case scenarios see losses of as much as 44 percent of the
brookies' current range by midcentury. Other cold-water species, such
as the brown trout, are not much better off.
Trout Unlimited--sportsmen and conservationists working to protect
trout streams in the Driftless Area in southwest Wisconsin and parts of
Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa--did a 2009 study showing fishing in the
Driftless Area adds over $1 billion per year to the surrounding
economies.
We have heard of loggers having trouble getting to the timber because
the ground is thawed and too soggy to hold up logging equipment. For
Wisconsin's loggers, the hard, frozen winter ground is what lets them
move logging equipment. According to a study out of the University of
Wisconsin, that period of frozen ground has decreased by 2 to 3 weeks
since 1948, shortening the working window for loggers before their gear
bogs down.
And then there is the badger. The Upper Midwest and Great Lakes
Landscape Conservation Cooperative even lists the great Wisconsin
badger as one of the species at risk from regional climate change.
Senator Baldwin knows that, done right, action on climate change
saves Americans money, spurs American innovation, and creates new
American industry and jobs. Focus on Energy, Wisconsin's statewide
energy efficiency program, has been helping Wisconsin families and
businesses save money and reduce energy use since 2001. The Wisconsin
Public Service Commission expects this program to inject over $900
million into the State's economy, and net over 6,000 new Wisconsin jobs
over the next decade.
I am very grateful to my friend Senator Baldwin for her strong
leadership on behalf of the people of Wisconsin to stave off the worst
effects of climate change in her home State.
I yield to her now.
Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I thank Senator Whitehouse for his
commitment to addressing the threats that climate change poses
globally, to our country, and to our States. I thank him for
highlighting some of those threats to my home State of Wisconsin.
Let there be no doubt that global climate change is real. It is a
fact. The question is not whether it is happening, but rather how we
are going to address it. Are we going to do all we can to leave the
next generation a safer and healthier world?
As my friend from Rhode Island just noted, climate change will be
costly to our economy and to our very way of life, and the longer we
wait to act, the more costly these impacts will be.
Throughout our history, the State of Wisconsin has been a proud home
to environmental leaders who have worked to pass on a stronger
environment to future generations--Aldo Leopold, John Muir, and Senator
Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth Day and the namesake for the Nelson
Institute at the University of Wisconsin, which my colleague from Rhode
Island just mentioned in his remarks. As a representative of our great
State, it is one of my top priorities to follow in this legacy and to
preserve our natural resources and quality of life for future
generations.
It is not hard to see why Wisconsinites have always deeply valued
environmental protection. Looking out at the crystal clear waters of
Lake Superior from its south shore, or standing atop Rib Mountain
gazing at the forests and farmlands of central Wisconsin, to casting
your fishing rod in the world-class trout streams of the Driftless
region in southwestern Wisconsin, there is no question that we are
blessed by the natural beauty of our State.
But even now, the impact of climate change can be seen on each of
these landscapes and in the economies they support. We see it in our
agriculture--growing seasons are shifting, and extreme weather harms
our crops, and we have increasing concerns about drought and our
groundwater.
In fact, NASA recently warned that within a few decades--within our
lifetimes--the United States may enter a megadrought that could last 30
years.
In my home State, the resulting decreased soil moisture will put
additional stress on farmers, on private wells, and on municipal
drinking water systems. These prolonged droughts, combined with
increased intensity of storm events and changing temperature patterns,
will force farmers to make changes to how and what they grow. This is
extremely troubling, as agriculture is an $88 billion industry in my
home State of Wisconsin.
We also see the negative effects of climate change on our Great
Lakes. In Lake Michigan, for example, lake levels are largely driven by
precipitation. Changes in precipitation patterns due to climate change
may cause more dramatic fluctuations or prolonged changes in lake
levels.
In addition, data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration shows that summertime surface water temperatures have
increased 8 degrees Fahrenheit since 1980. Warmer surface water
temperatures disrupt the food chain, which threatens our fish
population. As these adverse effects are expected to worsen in the
coming decades, they will inevitably lead to more wildlife disease, and
warmer waters that will drive out native fish.
Changing water levels also create new challenges for property owners
and communities along the Great Lakes. Infrastructure may need to be
redesigned, insurance demands may change, and new health risks may
emerge or be exacerbated as additional stress is imposed on our sewer
systems. Each of these will hurt our local economies.
Tourism is also a major part of Wisconsin's economy, and the
Northwoods is a favorite destination to fish, camp, hunt, and
snowmobile. But projections show that by midcentury, the climate of
areas such as Bayfield and Vilas County in the Northwoods will be more
similar to what we have known in the southeastern part of the State of
Wisconsin in counties such as Waukesha County.
Meanwhile, Waukesha County's climate could be more similar to what we
used to expect hundreds of miles south in the neighboring State of
Illinois. The impacts on tourism, recreation, and the landscapes we
hold near and dear may be dramatic, and the threats may be daunting.
But we cannot continue to let the challenges overwhelm us and cause
inaction on our part.
Wisconsin's State motto is ``Forward.'' The people of Wisconsin have
never been afraid of the challenges we face or what the future holds.
We have a strong progressive tradition of confronting our challenges
and working together to shape our future for the next generation.
In fact, analysis by the World Resources Institute in 2013 found that
Wisconsin is well positioned to meet national goals for carbon
pollution reduction. By extending existing clean energy policies,
Wisconsin could reduce its emissions substantially in coming years.
In addition, many of Wisconsin's most successful companies are
leaders in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean technology.
They are vital sources of innovation and will provide opportunities for
the workers of today and tomorrow.
[[Page S1295]]
I believe smart investments by government, by companies and
institutions, and by citizens will help us confront the challenge of
climate change, while positioning Wisconsin for 21st century economic
and ecological resiliency.
This opportunity is great. We must meet the challenge head on--going
forward the Wisconsin way.
I once again thank Senator Whitehouse for his laser focus on this
issue that is so critical to all of our home States, as well as,
frankly, the entire global community.
I yield the floor.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I thank Senator Baldwin for sharing
this time with me this evening, and for all the wonderful work she does
on behalf of her home State.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that it be in
order to proceed to S. 625.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________