[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16535-16536]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             CLIMATE CHANGE

  (Mr. HONDA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, last week's historic storm, Hurricane 
Patricia, was the strongest hurricane on record. My thoughts are with 
those who lost their loved ones, their homes, and their livelihoods.
  We must ensure that the thousands affected have access to food, 
shelter, clean water, services, and the resources to rebuild their 
lives to limit the impact of Patricia's devastation. But we should not 
limit the storm's impact on our consciousness. Hurricane Patricia 
should be a wake-up call that our planet's climate is changing.
  September was the warmest month ever recorded. As our planet warms, 
we expect more extreme weather: lengthier droughts, higher floods, and 
stronger storms.
  Our Nation must invest in understanding and better preparing for the 
effects of climate change. Deprioritizing earth science and capping 
spending for research programs is irresponsible and shortsighted.

[[Page 16536]]

  Hurricane Patricia showed how being informed and prepared about 
coming storms can save lives. Investment in earth science research is 
vital to improving our understanding of our planet and building 
resiliency to a shifting climate.

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