[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 144 (Thursday, September 8, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4501-S4503]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Climate Change
Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I rise this morning to express my strong
opposition to the so-called side deal that the fossil fuel industry is
pushing to make it easier for them to pollute the environment and
destroy our planet.
But, before I do, let me put my opposition to this disastrous side
deal into a broader context.
As the father of four kids and the grandfather of seven, I very much
wish that I did not have to say what I am going to say, but the most
serious challenge facing our country and the entire world, far and
away, is, in fact, the existential threat of climate change. That is
not the opinion of Bernie Sanders, who failed physics in college. That
is what the scientific community is telling us in a virtually unanimous
voice.
The latest report from the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change, the IPCC, is very clear, and it is very foreboding. If
the United States, China, Russia, and the rest of the world do not act
extremely aggressively in cutting carbon emissions, our planet will
face enormous and irreversible damage. In fact, the world that we will
be leaving to our kids and to future generations will become
increasingly unhealthy and uninhabitable. That is not Bernie Sanders.
That is the virtually unanimous conclusion of the scientists who study
this issue.
The truth is that we don't need the scientists or another study to
tell us what is happening. We see it with our own eyes here in the
United States and all over the world. The American people, today, and
people throughout the globe are seeing the devastating impact climate
change is having on their communities and their families--with their
own eyes. That is what they are seeing right now as I speak.
Please understand--and this may be the most important point I want to
make this morning--that, with everything being equal, what is happening
right now will become worse and worse and worse. This is not, ``Oh,
boy, we have torrential rain,'' or, ``Oh, boy, ain't it hot?'' With
everything being equal, everything we are seeing today will become
worse in the years to come. Let's just take a brief look at what is
happening right now in the United States and around the world.
The past 8 years have been the hottest years in recorded history.
Right now, the western half of the United States is experiencing its
worst drought in over 1,200 years. Right now, in California, Nevada,
and Utah, they are experiencing recordbreaking heat waves.
Historic rainfall and devastating floods took place over a 5-week
stretch this summer in eastern Kentucky; eastern Illinois; St. Louis,
MO; Death Valley, CA; and Dallas, TX. These are supposed to be once-in-
1,000-years torrential rainfalls, and we are seeing them coming all
together within a few weeks.
Right now, Europe is experiencing its worst drought in over 500
years. And let's remember that when we talk about drought, it is not
only, ``Boy, isn't it hot?'' it impacts agricultural production and the
quantity and quality of food that we eat.
A massive heat wave in Spain and Portugal killed more than 2,000
people in July. Historically hot weather in London and China literally
melted bridges, airplane runways, and rooftops. Let me repeat that. The
extremely hot weather in London and in China this summer literally
melted bridges, rooftops, and airplane runways, with all of the
consequences that that has.
Recordbreaking forest fires in Europe have already burned 1.6 million
acres of land--56 percent more than the previous record set in 2017.
That is a size that is over eight times bigger than New York City.
Recordbreaking drought in China has caused parts of the Yangtze River
to completely dry up. The Yangtze River is the third largest river in
the world. It is the source of drinking water for 400 million people.
Catastrophic rainfall and massive floods have been going on for weeks
in Pakistan, killing at least 1,200 people and displacing another 10
million as one-third of Pakistan is now underwater.
If all of this is not sobering enough and if it is not frightening
enough, a glacier in Antarctica that the scientists have dubbed the
``doomsday glacier'' has been in ``rapid retreat'' and is melting much
faster than previous predictions. Without this glacier and its
supporting ice shelves, sea levels could rise by 3 to 10 feet, which
could cause entire coastal communities to flood and go underwater
forever. We are talking about major cities here in the United States
and across the world that could be underwater in the coming decades.
Just think for a moment about the massive dislocation, turmoil, and
international tensions that will occur when millions and millions of
people migrate from where they have lived into new areas. The tragedies
and disturbances and destruction goes on and on and on.
In the past, a series of climate disasters like these might have
seemed like a silly plot in a bad movie about the apocalypse.
Unfortunately, however, what we are living through now is not a movie.
It is reality. This is what we are experiencing right now in front of
us. Again, this entire scenario--what we are seeing now--will almost
definitely become worse in the years to come if the United States,
China, and the rest of the world do not get our act together and break
our dependency on fossil fuels.
One of the strange ironies about this moment is that, if the United
States did all of the right things tomorrow, it would not be enough. We
need the cooperation of China and of countries throughout the world. We
as a planet are in this together, and we are going to have to act
decisively. In my view, the largest economy in the world, which is the
United States of America, must lead this effort. If we retreat, it
sends a terrible message to countries all over the world. If we
retreat, clearly, what we will be seeing are more floods, more rising
sea levels, more extreme weather disturbances, more ocean
acidification, more drought, more famine, more disease, and more human
suffering.
Today, to all of my colleagues here in the Senate who have kids and
grandchildren--I think that is almost everybody--I just ask you to
think ahead 10, 15, 20 years. Think about the discussions you will be
having with your kids or your grandchildren when that young person
looks you in the eye and says: Dad, Grandma, what did you do to save
the planet?
I want you to think about that.
We all know that climate change is real. We know that climate change
is caused by carbon emissions. No one disagrees with that. We know that
climate change is already causing devastating destruction throughout
the world. We know that, if we don't rapidly transform our energy
system away from fossil fuels and toward energy efficiency and
renewable energy, the situation will only become much worse, and our
planet will face irreparable and irreversible harm. That is the simple
reality.
Yet, given all that we know and given all that the scientists are
telling us, what is the U.S. Congress about to do? Well, the U.S.
Congress is seriously considering legislation to provide a huge
giveaway to the fossil fuel industry to drill, produce, and sell more
oil and gas.
Really? At a time when climate change is threatening the very
existence of our planet, why would anybody be talking about
substantially increasing carbon emissions and expanding fossil fuel
production in the United States? What kind of message does this
[[Page S4502]]
send to the people of our own country, to the young people, and to
suffering people all over the world? It is that, in the midst of this
horrific crisis caused by fossil fuel emissions, we are about to pass
legislation to increase fossil fuel production.
Like every other Member of the Senate, I have a pretty good
understanding of how politics works in our corrupt political system.
Like every other Senator, I understand what campaign contributions are
about. I understand what the thousands of lobbyists all over Capitol
Hill do, and I surely understand the extraordinary power of the fossil
fuel industry to push the legislation that they want. In fact, they
were successful for decades in lying to the American people about the
reality of climate change. So I know about the power of the fossil fuel
industry.
But, today, I beg of my colleagues that, at this moment, when the
future of the world is literally at stake, that we have the courage to
stand up to the fossil fuel industry and to tell them and the
politicians whom they sponsor that the future of the planet is more
important than their short-term profits.
In the coming weeks and months, the Senate has a fundamental choice
to make. We can listen to the fossil fuel industry and the politicians
they pay, who are spending huge amounts of money on lobbying and
campaign contributions to pass this dirty side deal, or we can listen
to the scientists and the environmental community that are telling us
loudly and clearly to reject this side deal and eliminate the $15
billion in tax breaks and subsidies Congress is already providing to
big oil and gas companies each and every year.
While the legislative text of the side deal has not been made public,
according to a one-page summary that was released last month, this bill
would make it easier for the fossil fuel industry to receive permits to
complete some of the dirtiest and most polluting oil and gas projects
in America.
Specifically, this deal would approve the $6.6 billion Mountain
Valley Pipeline--a 303-mile fracked gas pipeline spanning from West
Virginia to Virginia and potentially on to North Carolina. We are
talking about a pipeline that would generate emissions equivalent to 37
coal plants or over 27 million cars each and every year.
It is hard for me to understand why anyone--anyone who is concerned
about climate change--would consider for one second voting to approve a
pipeline that would be equivalent to putting 27 million more cars on
the road each and every year, especially at a time when we are trying
to transition into electric vehicles.
On August 24, over 650 environmental and civil rights organizations
wrote a letter to Majority Leader Schumer and Speaker Pelosi urging
them to reject this side deal. This letter was signed by the Sierra
Club, the Sunrise Movement, Friends of the Earth, Physicians for Social
Responsibility, 350.org, Greenpeace, Public Citizen, People's Action,
and the NAACP.
Here is a summary of what the letter says. This is a letter signed by
650 environmental and civil rights groups:
On behalf of 653 frontline communities and environmental .
. . organizations representing millions of members and
supporters nationwide, we are writing to express our
strenuous opposition to any additional fossil fuel giveaways.
Alarming proposals have been referenced by Senator Manchin,
in a short memo, and in legislative language that was clearly
drafted in consultation with the American Petroleum
Institute. . . . It has been reported that Manchin has
demanded these handouts to the fossil fuel industry as a
further price for his vote on the Inflation Reduction Act,
which already included large giveaways to polluters.
We call on you to unequivocally reject any effort to
promote fossil fuels, advance unproven technologies, and
weaken our core environmental laws. . . . This fossil fuel
wish list is a cruel and direct attack on environmental
justice communities and the climate. This legislation would
truncate and hallow-out the environmental review process,
weaken Tribal consultations, and make it far harder for
frontline communities to have their voices heard by gutting
bedrock protections in the National Environmental Policy Act
and Clean Water Act. . . . Supporting this legislation would
represent a profound betrayal of frontline communities and
constituents across the country would have called on you to .
. . advance a just, renewable energy future.
That is from 650 environmental organizations. I could not agree more.
The entire letter can be found online at https://
peoplevsfossilfuels.org/dirty-deal-letter/.
I should also add that at least 59 of our colleagues in the House of
Representatives will soon be releasing a letter expressing strong
opposition to this side deal. Let me briefly quote from that letter:
According to media reports, there is agreement to advance a
series of anti-environmental and anti-environmental justice
provisions through the House, at the behest of the American
Petroleum Institute. . . . These destructive provisions will
allow polluting manufacturing and energy development projects
to be rushed through before the families who are forced to
live near them are even aware of the plans. . . . We remain
deeply concerned that these serious and detrimental
permitting provisions will significantly and
disproportionately impact low-income communities, indigenous
communities, and communities of color. The inclusion of these
provisions in a continuing resolution, or any other must-pass
legislation, would silence the voices of frontline and
environmental justice communities by insulating them from
scrutiny. Such a move would force Members to choose between
protecting environmental justice communities from further
pollution or funding the government.
We urge you to ensure that these provisions are kept out of
a continuing resolution or any other must-pass legislation
this year.
That is a letter that comes from over 50 of our colleagues in the
House of Representatives.
I ask unanimous consent to have that letter printed in the
Congressional Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Cosigners (59): Rep. Grijalva, Rep. Khanna, Rep. Ocasio-
Cortez, Rep. Schakowsky, Rep. Stansbury, Rep. Huffman, Rep.
McEachin, Rep. Takano, Rep. Bowman, Rep. Bush, Rep. Doggett,
Rep. Velazquez, Rep. Espaillat, Rep. Norton, Rep. Tlaib, Rep.
Scott, Rep. Gwen Moore, Rep. Case, Rep. Raskin, Rep. Andy
Levin, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Rep. Lowenthal, Rep. DeSaulnier,
Rep. Bass, Rep. Watson Coleman, Rep. Nadler, Rep. McNerney,
Rep. Clarke, Rep. S. Brown, Rep. McCollum, Rep. Waters, Rep.
H. Johnson, Rep. Barbara Lee, Rep. Neguse, Rep. Carson, Rep.
Omar, Rep. Evans, Rep. Meng, Rep. Pressley, Rep. Barragan,
Rep. Chuy Garcia, Rep. Jayapal, Rep. Danny K. Davis, Rep.
Federica Wilson, Rep. Dean, Rep. Adams, Rep. Porter, Rep.
Clarke, Rep. Blumenauer, Rep. Roybal-Allard, Rep. Napolitano,
Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Rep. Cardenas, Rep. Crow, Rep.
Cohen, Rep. Cicilline
Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader Hoyer: The permitting and
public notice and comment provisions mandated by the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) are among the only tools
local communities have to force careful review of federal
projects that may have serious, long-term, environmental, and
public health consequences in those communities. Congress
should continue to provide increased funding to assist
federal agencies in completing the NEPA process but attempts
to short-circuit or undermine the law in the name of
``reform'' must be opposed.
According to media reports, there is agreement to advance a
series of anti-environmental and anti-environmental justice
provisions through the House, at the behest of the American
Petroleum Institute (API). These destructive provisions will
allow polluting manufacturing and energy development projects
to be rushed through before the families who are forced to
live near them are even aware of the plans.
The proposed legislation would restrict public access to
the courts to seek remedies against illegal project
development; place arbitrary limits on the amount of time the
public is given to comment on polluting projects; and curtail
public input, environmental review, and government
accountability. Additionally, the API plan would require a
certain number of harmful fossil fuel projects to be
designated as ``projects of strategic national importance''
to receive priority federal support, assistance, and
expedited environmental review. These permitting ``reforms''
would weaken other important public health protections,
including the Clean Water Act and more.
We remain deeply concerned that these serious and
detrimental permitting provisions will significantly and
disproportionately impact low-income communities, indigenous
communities, and communities of color. The inclusion of these
provisions in a continuing resolution, or any other must-pass
legislation, would silence the voices of frontline and
environmental justice communities by insulating them from
scrutiny. Such a move would force Members to choose between
protecting EJ communities from further pollution or funding
the government.
We urge you to ensure that these provisions are kept out of
a continuing resolution or any other must-pass legislation
this year.
Mr. SANDERS. So there we are. We have got 650 environmental and
social justice organizations, representing millions of people, and we
have got the entire scientific community saying we have got to cut
carbon emissions. And then on the other side, we have the fossil fuel
industry and all of their campaign contributions. So that is what it
is.
[[Page S4503]]
Today, I ask my colleagues to stand up for our kids, for our
grandchildren, and for future generations. We have got to have the
courage to finally tell the fossil fuel industry that the future of
this planet is more important than their short-term profits.
I yield the floor.