[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 14807]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                OUR CLEAN AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FUTURE

  (Ms. TSONGAS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. TSONGAS. Madam Speaker, global warming is no longer an academic 
question for scientists to ponder. It's a very real crisis that 
requires our leadership. This is not a political issue. This is a 
critical generational responsibility that will take a commitment from 
Congress and from every person in our society. We have a real 
opportunity this year to prove our commitment by voting for H.R. 2454, 
the American Energy and Security Act.
  The renewable technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions exist. 
The societal will and desire to go clean have been demonstrated, and 
the political climate to finally create sound public policy is now 
present. The cost of inaction on this critical challenge is 
unacceptable and the price too high. A recent study concluded that 
unchecked effects of climate change could result in a cost of $271 
billion per year by 2025. Failure to act is intolerable when 
considering the economic and job creation opportunities a clean energy 
economy presents. The American Energy and Security Act provides a path 
that leads us to a clean, sustainable energy future.

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