[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6953]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1800
                       ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE

  (Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, the news that carbon 
dioxide in the atmosphere passed 400 parts per million for the first 
time in human history should serve as a wake-up call that we can no 
longer ignore the threat of climate change. Now, I know there are some 
that still don't believe in science and still believe that climate 
change isn't real, but we should all agree that this is a problem that 
we have to confront.
  Addressing climate change is not only important for our environment, 
but also for our economy. Creating a clean energy economy powered by 
solar, wind, and other renewable resources will spur new jobs, new 
technological advancements, and grow our economy.
  In order to ensure that we can compete and win in the global market 
to develop clean energy technologies, it is vital that we have a 
trained workforce ready to work. That's why this week I reintroduced 
the Community College Energy Training Act, legislation to support clean 
energy job-training programs in our community colleges. Community 
colleges play an integral role in training and retraining Americans who 
want to get ahead and learn the skills that will open up new 
opportunities.
  By investing in training programs in the clean energy sector, we can 
lay the foundation for success in a field that holds such great 
potential and prepare our students for the good jobs of tomorrow.

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