[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8783]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          SAFE CLIMATE CAUCUS

  (Mr. TONKO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, State governments, institutions, businesses 
and private individuals are organizing to meet the challenges and 
opportunities of climate change.
  For example, experts from New York State's land-grant college, 
Cornell University, have partnered with others at McGill University in 
Montreal and the private sector to define the needs of the region's 
agricultural sector in a warmer climate. Farmers will need new plant 
varieties. The longer growing season will open possibilities for 
growing new crops. The timing of planting and fertilizing will change.
  Pest management will, indeed, be different. Climate change can be 
approached with a positive perspective for agriculture, but only if we 
plan now to take advantage of new opportunities and prepare for the 
transition.
  So where are we, as a body, on this issue? We should be talking 
climate change and taking it into account as we move a new 5-year farm 
bill forward. We should be taking action to adapt our infrastructure 
and economy to these changes. But there is no discussion or action on 
this crucial issue.
  Change is underway. We have little time to lose. We can meet this 
challenge, slow down the rate of change, adapt to the new conditions 
and take advantage of new opportunities, but only if we begin today.

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