[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 43 (Thursday, March 17, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S1589]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING GARY BRAASCH

 Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, Gary Braasch, a gifted photographer 
of the natural world, died on March 7, 2016. Gary dedicated his career 
to capturing visually striking portrayals of the devastating effects of 
climate change. His work has been published in Time, LIFE, the New York 
Times, National Geographic, and Discover and featured in the Boston 
Museum of Science, the Chicago Field Museum, and the California Academy 
of Sciences. Some of Gary's most well-known photos depict the retreat 
of glaciers. The juxtaposition of old photos from the turn of the 20th 
century with Gary's modern photos dramatically demonstrated large 
amounts of glacial melting. Some of these photos were featured in Al 
Gore's ``An Inconvenient Truth.''
  Gary also documented the environmental effects of the fossil fuel 
industry. He famously captured the first images of Shell's ill-fated 
Kulluk oil rig, as it prepared to drill an exploratory oil well in the 
Arctic Ocean. The Kulluk is now regarded as a symbol of the 
recklessness and dangers of Arctic oil drilling and has become a 
powerful image of our need to transition to low-carbon, renewable 
energy.
  Gary's photographs were also influential in the scientific and policy 
communities. He worked with scientists to determine how to use 
photography to accurately portray the science of climate change. He 
also visited Capitol Hill on numerous occasions, providing visual 
evidence of our changing environment to me and my colleagues in the 
House and Senate. His 2007 book ``Earth Under Fire'' graced my office 
for many years.
  Gary died capturing breathtaking photos on Australia's Great Barrier 
Reef, a region particular vulnerable to the effects of climate change. 
His images resonated in a way words and data could never do alone and 
will stand on as a key component of our planet's record of climate 
change. Gary may no longer be with us but his work will continue to 
inspire the next generation of photographers and all of us who want to 
protect our planet and its people.

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