[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6209]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          SAFE CLIMATE CAUCUS

  (Mr. WAXMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to continue the work of the 
Safe Climate Caucus in focusing on the threats posed to our Nation by 
climate change.
  The world's top scientific institutions are all telling us that we 
have a rapidly closing window to reduce our carbon pollution before the 
catastrophic impacts of climate change cannot be avoided. The World 
Bank recently answered the question of why we should address climate 
change. Their report described what the world will look like if we 
continue on our current path.
  According to the World Bank, a world that warms by 4 degrees Celsius 
would suffer from unprecedented heat waves, the flooding of coastal 
cities, increased risks of food and water scarcity, severe droughts, 
and irreversible damage to ecosystems. Coral reefs would dissolve due 
to ocean acidification unmatched in the Earth's history. Extreme heat 
waves would likely become the new normal for summertime.
  With impacts like these, it is clear that we cannot allow 4 degrees 
of warming to occur. There is widespread agreement that we must act. 
Members of the House must take action.

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