[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 8248-8249]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    THE GLOBAL WARMING EDUCATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 28, 2007

  Mr. HONDA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to announce the legislation I 
am introducing, the Global Warming Education Act.
  Scientific concepts, whether simple or complex, can take a 
significant amount of time to become widely known and understood. 
Hundreds of years ago, Galileo and Sir Isaac Newton made remarkable 
discoveries about gravity and the behavior of falling objects, but to 
this day, most people cannot explain the Law of Gravity, what 
determines the speed of a falling object, or why an astronaut in orbit 
appears to be weightless. Many adults have difficulty explaining the 
cause of the seasons, the phases of the Moon, or the composition of the 
atmosphere.
  People can go on with their everyday lives without most scientific 
knowledge, suffering no ill effects. You don't need to understand 
gravity for things to keep falling. You don't need to understand how 
your lungs work in order to breathe.
  Global warming, however, presents a new kind of problem. The 
widespread understanding of global warming will play a significant role 
in our ability to actually address the problem. If we do nothing, 
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions will continue to 
rise, and global warming will continue. We don't have much time.
  It is well established that global warming may cause significant 
negative impacts, including drought, rising sea levels, retreating 
glaciers, changes to wildlife migration patterns, and increased storm 
strength. These threats are real. They are the natural consequences of 
a worldwide over-reliance on fossil fuels, an insatiable appetite for 
energy, and inefficient use of resources.
  There are things that people can do, right now, to help fight global 
warming. People need to be armed with the knowledge that will help them 
in this fight. I believe that by expanding knowledge, we can maximize 
the impact of carbon-reducing measures.
  My new legislation, the Global Warming Education Act, will create a 
Global Warming Education Program in the National Science Foundation, to 
broaden the understanding of human-induced global warming, possible 
long and short-term consequences, and potential solutions. This program 
will provide formal and informal learning opportunities to people of 
all ages, including those of diverse cultural and linguistic 
backgrounds. The program will provide actionable information to enhance 
the implementation of new technologies, programs, and incentives 
related to energy conservation, renewable energy, and greenhouse gas 
reduction. Maximum understanding will ensure maximum impact.
  The activities in the Global Warming Education Program will include a 
public information campaign to help people understand global warming, 
and grants for innovative projects to expand climate science education. 
These grants can be used to develop new climate science education 
materials including print, electronic, and audiovisual materials.
  With the increased knowledge provided by this act, people will be 
able to make choices in their lives and in their communities to fight 
global warming. People will learn about home improvements, tax 
incentives, and other measures that can benefit the environment. They 
will learn about alternative energy sources and new technologies. They 
will learn about transportation and consumer choices that can also 
benefit their pocketbooks. They will learn how their own actions and 
their own informed choices can make a difference.
  The Global Warming Education Act is one part of the solution to 
global warming. In addition to improvements in climate science 
education, this Congress will need to pass measures to reduce carbon 
dioxide emissions, promote clean, renewable energy, and increase energy 
efficiency.
  I thank the cosponsors of this bill for their support, and I urge the 
rest of my colleagues in the House to support the Global Warming 
Education Act.

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