[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6428-6432]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             CLIMATE CHANGE

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, the last two weekends have surged with 
political activism. Around the world, millions of people took to the 
streets to stand up for science and to call attention to the global 
crisis of climate change. This past weekend, my wife and I marched here 
in Washington, alongside 200,000 people from across our country in the 
People's Climate March.
  I joined faculty and students from Rhode Island's Greene School, an 
environmental charter school named after the great Nathanael Greene. 
The Presiding Officer may well know that Nathanael Greene worked his 
way

[[Page 6429]]

through the Presiding Officer's State during the course of fighting the 
Southern Revolutionary campaign and that General Cornwallis wrote to 
his wife that ``that damn Greene is more dangerous than Washington.'' 
So we are very proud of Nathanael Greene in Rhode Island and of the 
school that bears his name.
  The kids who came down traveled overnight, through the night, to 
participate in that march. Joined by 375 sister marches worldwide, we 
came together with one voice to demand leadership in the fight against 
climate change. The Science March in Washington over Earth Day weekend, 
led by a nonpartisan group of scientists, was joined by people in 600 
satellite marches around the world.
  I went to Earth Day Texas, a truly impressive event, with 150,000 
people, making it the largest Earth Day event in the world. It is the 
passion of businessman and philanthropist Trammell Crow, who has been 
bringing Republicans and Democrats together to combat climate change 
since 2011. So for my 165th ``Time to Wake Up'' speech, I want to thank 
all of those folks who made their voices heard these past few weeks in 
the streets or online.
  With the Trump administration locked into tone-deaf climate denial, 
these marches mattered. And how tone-deaf this administration is. Data 
from Yale's program on Climate Change Communication shows national 
support for climate action across a broad range of questions. 
Nationally, 71 percent trust scientists about climate change--right 
here; trust climate science about global warming, 71 percent. So many 
folks came out to the Science March to show that.
  A majority of Americans, 53 percent, believe climate change is caused 
mostly by human activity. That compares to 9 percent--9 percent of the 
Republican caucus here in a vote taken just last Congress. History will 
have to look back and explain why 53 percent of the American people say 
that is the case and only 9 percent of our Republican caucus was able 
to recognize that.
  Eighty-two percent of Americans want research into clean and 
renewable energy sources. Seventy-five percent want us to regulate 
carbon dioxide as a pollutant, and 69 percent--right here--want strict 
CO2 limits on existing coal-fired powerplants.
  The President is disparaging the Paris climate agreement, but 7 out 
of 10 registered voters say the United States should stay in. 
Republicans favor staying in the Paris agreement by 2 to 1. This chart 
shows that support for research into renewables is strong across the 
country, even in coal country: 79 percent in Kentucky, 81 percent in 
West Virginia, and 82 percent in Wyoming.
  It is the same in the oil patch. Seventy-nine percent of Texans 
support research into renewables. Despite this overwhelming public 
support, even in the reddest and most fossil fuel States, President 
Trump is proposing massive cuts to this research--clearly, tone-deaf. 
It is the same for emissions limits on coal plants. In all 50 States, 
in all 435 red, blue, and purple congressional districts, there is 
majority support for emissions limits.
  Every single congressional district in the country has majority 
support for emissions limits. Of course, in some, it goes up into huge 
numbers like over 75 percent here in Vermont, but the baseline is that 
every single congressional district, a majority want emissions limits, 
but of course tone-deaf President Trump has directed his EPA 
Administrator to look at dismantling the Clean Power Plan.
  A majority of Americans in every single State and in every single 
congressional district, which obviously includes every Republican 
congressional district, agree that climate change is happening. Whether 
you break it down by State or break it down by congressional district, 
the results are the same. From here--50 percent and down--are various 
shades of blue. From here--50 percent and up--are various shades of 
orange. As you can see, there is not a remaining speck of blue on this 
map. The American people have settled this question in their minds.
  Here is what, by the way, the next generation of Republicans think. 
The Thomson Reuters Foundation surveyed 21 college Republican clubs, of 
whom half said their members believe human activities are changing the 
climate. ``The people that are in power right now, for whatever reason, 
don't have that same global view,'' said Grace Woodward, the president 
of the Davidson College Republicans.
  She continued: ``When our generation is in power, we will take 
climate change much more seriously.'' I am not sure we have the time 
for that, but I appreciate Grace's sentiment.
  Kent Haeffner, president of the Harvard University Republican Club, 
said he, too, believes it will eventually become politically unviable 
for Republicans to keep dismissing climate change. He said: ``I think 
that the folks that are our age are going to have to reshape the party 
and take it in a different direction.'' It sounds like these future 
leaders of the Republican Party are putting their elders on notice.
  It is not just a majority of the American people and it is not just 
young leaders of the Republican Party who don't buy President Trump's 
tone-deaf climate agenda; corporate America is not buying it either. In 
the lead-up to the inauguration, more than 630 companies and investors, 
representing nearly 2 million employees and more than $1 trillion in 
annual revenue, wrote to Donald Trump, counseling him to follow through 
on U.S. commitments to combat climate change.
  Food giants Kellogg's, Campbell's, and Mars, clothing brands Nike and 
Levi's, and other corporate heavyweights like Monsanto and Johnson & 
Johnson urged the incoming President to maintain national efforts to 
reduce emissions, invest in the low-carbon economy at home and abroad, 
and keep the United States in the Paris Agreement.
  Just last week, 13 of the largest and most successful companies in 
America wrote to the President to, and I quote them here, ``urge that 
the United States remain a party to the Paris Agreement, work 
constructively with other nations to implement the agreement, and work 
to strengthen international support for broad ranges of innovation 
technology.''
  I don't know how the business community could state its position much 
more clearly. That group included BP, DuPont, General Mills, Google, 
Intel, Microsoft, National Grid, Novartis, PG&E, Schneider Electric, 
Shell, Unilever, and Walmart.
  As former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg put it, ``Washington 
won't determine the fate of our ability to meet our Paris commitment.''
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have both of these letters 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                   April 26, 2017.
     Hon. Donald J. Trump,
     President of the United States, The White House, 1600 
         Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: We write to express our support for 
     continued participation by the United States in the Paris 
     climate change agreement.
       Climate change presents U.S. companies with both business 
     risks and business opportunities. U.S. business interests are 
     best served by a stable and practical framework facilitating 
     an effective and balanced global response. We believe the 
     Paris Agreement provides such a framework.
       Companies based or operating in the United States benefit 
     from U.S. participation in the agreement in many ways:
       Strengthening competitiveness--By requiring action by all 
     parties, developed and developing countries alike, the 
     agreement ensures a more balanced global effort, reducing the 
     risk of competitive imbalances for U.S. companies.
       Supporting sound investment--By setting clearer long-term 
     objectives, and by improving transparency, the agreement 
     provides greater clarity on policy direction, enabling better 
     long-term planning and investment.
       Creating jobs, markets and growth--By committing all 
     countries to action, the agreement expands markets for 
     innovative clean technologies, generating jobs and economic 
     growth. U.S. companies are well positioned to lead, and lack 
     of U.S. participation could put their access to these growing 
     markets at risk.
       Minimizing costs--By encouraging market-based 
     implementation, the agreement helps companies innovate to 
     achieve environmental objectives at the lowest possible cost.

[[Page 6430]]

       Reducing business risks--By strengthening global action 
     over time, the agreement will reduce future climate damages, 
     including physical harm to business facilities and 
     operations, declining agricultural productivity and water 
     supplies, and disruption of global supply chains.
       As businesses concerned with the well-being of our 
     customers, our investors, our communities, and our suppliers, 
     we are strengthening our climate resilience, and we are 
     investing in renewables, efficiency, nuclear, biofuels, 
     carbon capture, sequestration, and other innovative 
     technologies that can help achieve a clean energy transition. 
     For this transition to succeed, however, governments must 
     lead as well. We urge that the United States remain a party 
     to the Paris Agreement, work constructively with other 
     nations to implement the agreement, and work to strengthen 
     international support for a broad range of innovative 
     technologies.
       We believe that as other countries invest in advanced 
     technologies and move forward with the Paris Agreement, the 
     United States can best exercise global leadership and advance 
     U.S. interests by remaining a full partner in this vital 
     global effort.
       We appreciate the opportunity to share our views and would 
     welcome the opportunity to provide further input as the 
     Administration continues to shape its climate policies.
           Sincerely,
       Apple, BHP Billiton, BP, DuPont, General Mills, Google, 
     Intel, Microsoft, National Grid, Novartis Corporation, PG&E, 
     Rio Tinto, Schneider Electric, Shell, Unilever, Walmart.
                                  ____

       Dear President Trump, Members of the US Congress, and 
     Global Leaders: We, the undersigned members in the business 
     and investor community of the United States, re-affirm our 
     deep commitment to addressing climate change through the 
     implementation of the historic Paris Climate Agreement.
       We want the US economy to be energy efficient and powered 
     by low-carbon energy. Cost-effective and innovative solutions 
     can help us achieve these objectives. Failure to build a low-
     carbon economy puts American prosperity at risk. But the 
     right action now will create jobs and boost US 
     competitiveness. We pledge to do our part, in our own 
     operations and beyond, to realize the Paris Agreement's 
     commitment of a global economy that limits global temperature 
     rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius.
       We call on our elected US leaders to strongly support:
       1. Continuation of low-carbon policies to allow the US to 
     meet or exceed our promised national commitment and to 
     increase our nation's future ambition.
       2. Investment in the low carbon economy at home and abroad 
     in order to give financial decision-makers clarity and boost 
     the confidence of investors worldwide.
       3. Continued US participation in the Paris Agreement, in 
     order to provide the long-term direction needed to keep 
     global temperature rise below 2 deg.C.
       Implementing the Paris Agreement will enable and encourage 
     businesses and investors to turn the billions of dollars in 
     existing low-carbon investments into the trillions of dollars 
     the world needs to bring clean energy and prosperity to all.
       We support leaders around the world as they seek to 
     implement the Paris Agreement and leverage this historic 
     opportunity to tackle climate change.
       18 Rabbits, Inc.; 22 Designs; 2pp; 3P Partners; 3rd Rock 
     Data; 3Sisters Sustainable Management, LLC; 475 High 
     Performance Building Supply; 900 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria; 
     Adobe Home Furnishings; Abt Electronics; Abundance Food Coop; 
     Acer America Corporation; Active Minds LLC; Addenda Capital; 
     Adidas Group; Adobe, Inc; Adopt-A-watt; AdventureCORPS, Inc.; 
     Aegis Renewable Energy; AGF Investments Inc.; Agrarian Ales; 
     AjO; Akamai Technologies, Inc.; Aker Wade Power Technologies; 
     Allagash Brewing Company; Allianz; Allumia; AlphaFlow, Inc.; 
     Alta Ski Area; Altiz Orchard; Amalgamated Bank; Amber 
     Kinetics; AMD; Ameresco, Inc.
       American Licorice Co.; American Outdoor Products, Inc.; 
     Amherst College; Amicus GBC, LLC; Anchor; Ankrom Moisan; 
     Architects; Annie Card Creative Services; Annie's, Inc.; 
     Anthesis Group; Anthropocene Institute; Applied Sustanability 
     Group.
       Appraccel; Appropriate Technology Group, LLC; Apricus Inc.; 
     Aradia's Temple; Arapahoe Basin; Archer Capital Advisors; 
     Agryle Brewing Company; Arjuna Capital; ARTEMIA 
     Communications.
       Artemis Water Strategy; ArtforScience; As You Sow; Aslan 
     Brewing Company LLC; Aspen Brewing Company; Aspen Skiing 
     Company; Assured Medical Billing, Inc.; Astra Women's 
     Business Alliance; Athena Sustainable Materials Institute; 
     Athens Impact Investing.
       Athens Impact LLC: Socially Responsible Financial Services; 
     Athens' Own; Auralites Inc.; Aurental Consulting; Autodesk, 
     Inc.; Aveda; Avery and Sun;  Avery Dennison; Axialent USA; 
     Azzad Asset Management.
       B2B4ME; Baker Office Supply; Baldwin Brothers Inc.; 
     Bambeco; Banan; Baroco Corporation; Barrett International 
     Technology; Basic Solar & Renewables; Bath Natural Market; 
     Bean Capers Inc.; Beanfields PBC; Beautycounter; Belay 
     Technologies, Inc.; BELKIS Consulting, LLC; BELT; Ben & 
     Jerry's Homemade, Inc.; Bent Paddle Brewing Co.
       Bergsund DeLaney Architecture & Planning; Bespoken 
     Corporate Communications; Big Dipper Wax Works Inc.; Big Kid 
     Science; Big Path Capital; Biodico; Biogen, Inc.; 
     Biohabitats, Inc.; BioJam Industrial Research & Development 
     Global, Inc.; Bioroot Energy, Inc.; Biositu, LLC; 
     Biosynthetic Technologies.
       Bisbee Food Co-op; BKW III, LLC; Black Oak Wind Farm; 
     Blacklin Associates; Blacktorne S&D Consulting; Blogs for 
     Brands; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts; Blue Moon 
     Wellness; Blue Mountain Solar Inc.; Blue Phoenix Media, Inc.; 
     Blue Star Integrative Studio; Blueprint Public Affairs; 
     Boardwalk Capital Management; Bonnaire Enterprises LLC; Bora 
     Architects; Boreal Mountain Tahoe/Soda Springs Ski Resort.
       Borst Enginerring & Construction LLC; Boston Common Asset 
     Management; Boston Organics; Bowling Green LLC; Box Digital 
     Media; Box Latch Products; BR+A Consulting Engineers; Breathe 
     Deep; Brendshann Construction Co Inc.; Brewery Vivant; Bright 
     Common Architecture; Brit + Co; Broadside Bookshop; Brooks 
     Sports; Buglet Solar Electric Installation; Bumbleride; 
     Bump'n Grind; Bunk House at ZION; Bed & Breakfast; Buoy Beer 
     Company; Burness; Burton Snowboards; Burtt & Associates; 
     Business Climate Leaders; Business Wisdom; ByFusion.
       C+C; CA Healthy Nail Salon Cooperative; CA Technologies; 
     Cali Green Life; Califia Farms; California Clean Energy Fund; 
     California Public Employees' Retirement System; California 
     State Teachers Retirement System; Calvert Investments; 
     Calypso Communications LLC; Cambridge Energy Advisors; Camp 
     Encore/Coda; Campbell Soup Company; Cantabrigian Mechanics; 
     Canyon Market; Cappello's; Captus Group LLC; Carbon 
     Lighthouse; Care2.
       Carlsbad Feed Store; Carolina Biodiesel, LLC; Case Medical; 
     Catalyst Paper Corporation; Catalyze Partners; CDI Meters, 
     Inc.; CEO Pipe Organs/Golden Ponds Farm; Cerego; CEVG; 
     Chambong Industries; Charge Across Town; Che Qualita 
     Enterprises, Inc.; ChekFaxx Corporation; Cherly Heinrichs 
     Architecture; ChicoEco, Inc DBA; ChicoBag Company; Choices 
     Natural Market; Chosen Futures; Christopher Reynolds 
     Foundation; Church Investment Group; City Brewery; Clarion 
     Group Live, Inc.; Clean Agency; Clean Edge, Inc.; Clean 
     Energy Collective; Clean Energy Investment Management; Clean 
     Technology Partners, LLC; Clean Yield Asset Management; 
     CleanCapital.
       Clear Blue Commercial; Clif Bar & Company; Climate Clean, 
     Inc.; Climate Coach International, LLC; Climate First!; 
     Climate Ready Solutions; Cloudability; Coelius Consulting; 
     Coerver Analytics, LLC; Columbia Green Technologies; Columbia 
     Sportswear Company; Communitas Financial Planning; Community 
     Capital Management, Inc.; Compass Natural LLC; Compass(x) 
     Strategy; Compression Institute; Comunicaciones Kokopele; 
     Comverge; Confluence Sustainability; Congregation of Sisters 
     of St. Agnes; Congregation of St. Joseph.
       Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds; CONTEMPL8 T-
     SHIRTS LLC; Content Creation Services; Continuum Industries, 
     Inc.; Convex Technologies Inc.; Cool Energy, Inc.; Cooper 
     Spur Mountain Resort; Copper Mountain Ski Resort; Copyrose 
     Marketing & Communications; Corn Board Manufacturing, Inc.; 
     Cornerstone Capital Group; Cornucopia Community Advocates; 
     COULSON; Craft Brew Alliance; Creative Facilitating and 
     Coaching; Creekwood Energy Partners; Crossbow Strategies; 
     Crystal Mountain; CTA Architects Engineers; Curren Media 
     Group; Cyclone Energy Group.
       Dahlman Ranch, Inc.; Dana Investment Advisors; Dana Lund 
     Landscaping; Dannon Company, Inc.; Dansko Inc; Daughters of 
     Charity, Province of St. Louise; DayQuest Life Counseling & 
     Healthy-Mind Services; DBL Partners; Debra's Natural Gourmet; 
     Decoding Sustainability with Matthew Yamatin; Deep Green Inc; 
     Deer Valley Resort; Della's LLC; Deschutes Brewery; Detour; 
     DIESEL, A Bookstore; Dignity Health; Distance Learning 
     Consulting; Do Good Investing, LLC; Domini Impact Investments 
     LLC; Dominican Sisters of Hope; Dominican Sisters of Mission 
     San Jose; Dominican Sisters of Peace; Dominican Sisters of 
     San Rafael; Dominican Sisters of Sparkill; DoneGood; Donna M. 
     Carr, M.D.; Dorothea Leicher NCpsyA; Douglas Elliman; Drew 
     Maran Construction, Inc.; Ducoterra LLC; DuPage Psychological 
     Associates; DuPont; Durange Compost Company; DynoForms.
       Eaglecrest Ski Area; Earth - Bread + Brewery LLC; Earth 
     Essence; Earth Friendly Products (ECOS); EarthKind Energy; 
     Earthprints; Earthshade NAtural Window Fashions; Ebates; 
     eBay; Ecco Bella; Echo Credits; Echo Mountain; Eco Latch 
     Systems, LLC; Eco-Products; Ecodeo; Ecogate; EcoPlum; 
     ecoShuttle; Ecosystems Group, Inc; EcoTienda La Chiwinha; 
     Ecotone Services, Inc; Edgewood Garden LLC; Eighty2degrees 
     LLC; EILEEN FISHER; EKI Energy Services Limited; Eleek, Inc.; 
     Elephants Delicatessen; Ellenzweig; Elloian Law; Emerge 
     Interactive; Emerger Strategies; Emmy's Organics, Inc.; 
     Empowerment

[[Page 6431]]

     Solar LLC; Endosys; Energy Optimizers, USA; EnergyWorks.
       Entercom Communications Corp.; Environment & Enterprise 
     Strategies; EOS Climate; Epic Capital Wealth Management; 
     Equal Exchange Inc; Equinox Consultancy LLC; Erin Austin Law; 
     Eskew+Dumez+Ripple; Espresso Parts LLC; Essex Timber Co. LLC; 
     ETG book cafe; Ethical Bean Coffee; Ethical Markets Media 
     Certified B Corp.; Etho Capital; ETM Solar Works; Eva Realty, 
     LLC; Evari GIS Consulting; Everence & the Praxis Mutual 
     Funds; Evolution Marketing; Exact Solar.
       Fairhaven Runners, Inc.; Faller Real Estate; Farmers Union, 
     Inc.; Feel Good Salsa LLC; Felician Sisters of North America 
     Inc., Leadership Team; Fetzer Vineyards; Fiberactive 
     Organics; Filtrine Mfg. Co.; First Affirmative Financial 
     Network; Flink Energy Consulting; FOG Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; 
     Fort George Brewery and Public House; Four Twenty Seven; 
     Framework LLC; Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, NY; Franciscan 
     Sisters of Perpetual Adoration; Fred Thomas Resort; Fremont 
     Brewing; Friends Fidicuary Corporation; Future Made.
       Gaia Herbs; Gale River Motel, LLC; Gap Inc.; Gara 
     Landscapes, LLC; Garmentory Inc.; Gauthereau Group; CGI 
     General Contractors; Geek Werks; Genentech, Inc.; General 
     Mills, Inc.; Gerding Edlen Development; Gerry Fortin Rare 
     Coins; Ginkgo Leaf Consulting; Gladstein, Neandross & 
     Associates; Global Energy Inc.; Global Organics; Globetrans 
     EC; GloryBee; GO Box; Going Beyond Sustainability; Good 
     Company; Good Energy Guild; Good Neighbor Health Clinic; 
     Goodmeetsworld; GPM Global; Grady Britton; Granlibakken 
     Management Company; Great Green Content; Green Alliance; 
     Green Canyon Apothecary; Green Century Capital Management; 
     Green Concierge Travel; Green Faith; Green Hammer; Green 
     Heron Tools, LLC; Green Ideals; Green Knight Environmental 
     Inc.; Green Media Ventures; Green Pod LLC; Green Retirement; 
     Green Star; Greenability; Greenbank Associates; GreenBeams, 
     LLC; GREENPLAN Inc.; Greentown Labs; Greenvest/FWG.
       Hackensack Meridian Health; Hammerschlag & Co. LLC; Hanging 
     Rock Animal Hospital, Inc.; Hannon Armstrong; Happy Family 
     Brands; HarborWest Design; Harmony Acupuncture, LLC; Harvest 
     Power LLC; Hasty Hickock, LICSW private practice; HeartPath 
     Acupuncture, LLC; Hello!Lucky; Hemp Ace International LLC; 
     Hempy's American Made Fine Hemp Goods; Henry and Marty 
     Restaurant; Hewlett Packard Enterprise; Hey and Associates, 
     Inc.; High Plains Architects, PC; Hilary's; Hilton; Historic 
     Properties LLC; HJKessler Associates; Holiday Valley Resort;
       Hollender Sustainable Brands, LLC; Home Green Home; Horse & 
     Dragon Brewing Company; House Kombucha; HP Inc.; Humanity, 
     Inc; Hummingbird Wholesale; HydroCycle Engineering; 
     HydroQuest.
       iBark; ICCR (Interfaith Center on Corporate 
     Responsibility); Ideal Energy Inc; IDEAS For Us; IKEA North 
     America Services, LLC; Impact Bioenergy, Inc.; Impact 
     Infrastructure, Inc.; Impact Investors; Impax Asset 
     Management; Independence Solar; Independent Natural Food 
     Retailers; Indigo Natural Marketing and Sales; Indosole; 
     Indow; Infer Energy; Information Technology Industry Council; 
     Innovative Power Systems; Inntopia; Inovateus Solar; INTEGRAL 
     GROUP; Integrated Choices, LLC; Intel Corporation; 
     IntelliparkUS, Inc.; Interdependent Web LLC; Interface; 
     Interfaith Power and Light; Intersection; Intex Solutions, 
     Inc.; iPlay; ISOS Group; iSpring; Itty Bitty Inn.
       J. Ottman Consulting; J&B Importers, Inc.; Jackson Hole 
     EcoTour Adventures; Jackson Hole Mountain Resort; Jacoby 
     Architects; Janji; Jantz Management LLC; Jazzie Beans LLC; 
     Jefferson Veterinary Center; JF Pontzer, LLC; JGE Global LLC; 
     Jilbert Winery; Jimbo's...Naturally!; Jiminy Peak Mountain 
     Resort, LLC; JJ McNeil Commercial; JLens Investor Network; 
     JLL; JMJ Construction Group; Johnson & Johnson; Jonathan Rose 
     Companies; Joule Energy; JoyWorks Communications; JSA 
     Financial Group; JTN Energy; Jupiter Aluminum; Just Business; 
     Just in Time Direction; Justice Commission of the Sisters of 
     the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Aberdeen, SD.
       K2 Sports; Karen Beall, Inc.; Kayak Media; Keene Advisors; 
     Keinomari Consulting; Kellogg Company; Kelly Services; 
     KERBspace; Kimberton Whole Foods; King Arthur Flour; Kirksey 
     Architecture; KL Felicitas Foundation; Klean Kanteen; 
     Kleynimals; KLW Consulting Inc; Kostis Kosmos Inc.; Krull & 
     Company; Kuity Corp.; KW Botanicals Inc.
       L'Oreal USA; Lamey-Wellehan; Lancaster General Health; Law 
     Office of Nancy D. Israel; Lawrence R. Jensen & Associates; 
     Lazarus Financial Planning, LLC; Le Pain Quotidien; 
     Leadership Team Sisters of St. Francis of Tiffin, OH; 
     Leadership Momentum; LEEDerGroup.com; Leisure Wheels 
     Quadracycles; Leslie Lawton Connected Communications; Levi 
     Strauss & Co.; Lex Machina; LifeSource Natural Foods; 
     LifeWise Community; Liftopia, Inc.; LightWave Solar; Lin 
     Industries, Inc.; Linear City Concepts; LiveNeighborly; 
     Livingston Energy Innovations; LM Holder III FAIA; Locksley, 
     Inc.; Long Wind Farm; Longhorn Solar; Lookout Pass Ski & 
     Recreation Area; Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator; Lotus 
     Foods, Inc.; Louis Berger; Lumenomics, Inc.; Luna & Larry's 
     Coconut Bliss; Lutsen Mountains Corporation; Lyft; Lynne 
     Rudie Graphic Design.
       M.A. Mortenson Company; M&E Engineers; Macomb Food 
     Cooperative; MacroclimateR; Magnetic Threads; 
     Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain; Manhattan Holistic 
     Chamber of Commerce; ManpowerGroup; marianne ieone llc; Mars 
     Incorporated; Martha's; Martin 4 Investments, LLC; Martin 
     Rehearsal Studios; Maryknoll Sisters; Mazzetti + GBA; Melina/
     Hyland design group; Mennonite Education Agency; Mercatus, 
     Inc.; Mercer Road Farm; Merck Family Fund; Mercury Press 
     International; Mercy Health; Mercy Investment Services; 
     Meridian Ecosystems, Inc.; Metropolitan Group; Metrus Energy; 
     Michael W. Grainey Consulting LLC; Microgrid Systems 
     Laboratory; Midwest Capuchin Franciscans; Midwest Coalition 
     for Responsible Investment; Mightybytes; migration.mobi; 
     MilkCrate; MILLC; Millennium Microgrid; Miller/Howard 
     Investments; MindEase Billing; Minerva Consulting; Mirova; 
     Mission Cheese; MissionCTRL Communications (m2c); 
     Mithun; Mobile Data Labs; Modavanti; Monadnock Food Coop; 
     Mondelez International; Monsanto Company; Montanus Energy; 
     Moore Capital Management; MooreBetterFood; Mount Bohemia; 
     Mountain Gear, Inc.; Mountain High Resort; Mountain Mel's 
     Essential Goods; Mountain Rider's Alliance, LLC; Mountain 
     Rose Herbs; mphph design; mphpm design; Mrs. Green's World; 
     Mt. Hood Meadows; Mulago Foundation; mvWiFi, LLC; 
     MyFlightbook.
       Namaste Solar; Nancy Deren Financial Counciling; National 
     Co+op Grocers; National Foundry; National Latino Farmers & 
     Ranchers Trade Assn; National Ski Areas Association; National 
     Small Business Network; Native American Natural Foods; 
     Natixis Asset Management; Natural Habitat Adventures; Natural 
     Habitats; Natural Investments; Natural Logic; NEI 
     Investments; Neighborhood Sun; Neil Kelly; Nettleton 
     Strategies; New Belgium Brewing; New Century Productions, 
     Inc.; New Horizon Financial Strategies; New Summit 
     Investments; New York City Comptroller's Office; New York 
     State Common Retirement Fund; Nia Global Solutions; 
     Nightshade Fine Gardening; NIKE; Nomadix; North Highland 
     Worldwide Consulting; North Ridge Investment Management; 
     North Sound Energy Remodel, LLC; North Star Coaching; 
     NorthFork Financial, LLC; NorthStar Asset Management, Inc.; 
     Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment; NRG Energy, 
     Inc.; Numi Organic Tea; nurx; Nutiva.
       Oasis Montana Inc.; Octagon Builders; Office of the General 
     Treasurer of Rhode Island; OgreOgress productions; 
     OhmConnect; OLAVIE; Old Bust Head Brewing Company; OM 
     Properties, LLc; Omnidian, Inc.; On Belay Business Advisors 
     Inc; Oregon State Treasurer; Organic India USA; Organic 
     Valley; Organically Grown Company; Orion Renewable Energy 
     Group; Orly Zeewy Brand Architect; Oroeco; Our Earth Music, 
     Inc.; Outdoor Industry Association; Outdoor Project; 
     Outerknown; Outpost Natural Foods Co-op; Owens Business & 
     Cnsltg., LLC.
       Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Page Paladino and 
     Company; PaleoBOSS Lady; Papertide Publishing; Parenting 
     Journey; Parnassus Investments; Patagonia; Pax World Funds; 
     Payette; Pearson; PeopleSense Consulting; Pepper Sisters, 
     Inc.; Perkins+Will; Personal Beast Inc.; Peter L Villa Fine 
     Art; Pick My Solar; Pilotwear & Diecast Airplane; Pitchfork 
     Communications; Planet Cents; PlanGreen; PLC Repair; Plum 
     Organics; Portfolio Advisory Board, Adrian Dominican Sisters; 
     Portland Consulting Group; Prairie Ventures, LLC; 
     Presbyterian Church U.S.A.; Preserve; Priests of the Sacred 
     Heart; Principled Investing LLC; Priority Veterinary 
     Management Consultants; Prisere LLC; Product World USA; 
     Professional Building Consultant Group; Projector.is, Inc.; 
     PromptWorks, LLC; Proterra, Inc.; PTI Global Solutions; Pulp 
     Pantry; Pure Strategies, Inc.
       Queridomundo Creative; Quest; Quri.
       RADAR, Inc.; Re-Nuble, Inc.; ReachScale; REBBL, Inc.; Rebel 
     Writer; Recreational Equipment, Inc.; Region VI Coalition for 
     Responsible Investment and Sisters of the Humility of Mary; 
     ReGrained, Inc; ReGreen Inc.; RenewWest; Replenishing the 
     Earth; RetroFuture; Remodeling; Reynders, McVeigh Capital 
     Management, LLC; Reynolds Foundation; Rio Grande Renewables, 
     LLC; Riverina Natural Oils; Rivermoor Energy; RL Investments; 
     Roanoke Mountain Adventures, LLC; Robert Bates Company; 
     Rockford Brewing Company; Room & Board INC; Roots Realty; 
     Royal DSM; RPM Bank; Ruffwear; Rune's Furniture and Carpet; 
     Russian River Vineyards; Rutherford + Chekene.
       S CAP Consultancy; s2 Sustainability Consultants; Safari 
     Energy; Salesforce.com; Sarah Mae Brown Consulting LLC; Saris 
     Cycling Group; Sasaki Associates; Saunders Hotel Group; 
     Savenia; Savii Group; Scentsational Scrubs; Schneider 
     Electric; School Sisters of Notre Dame Cooperative Investment 
     Fund; School Sisters of St. Francis; SCIEFrameworks, LLC; 
     Scoville Public Relations; Scrivo Communications; SEA 
     Builders LLC; Sealed Air Corporation; Seamans Capital 
     Management; Seattle City Light; Sefte Living; Seismic Brewing 
     Company.

[[Page 6432]]

       SEIU Staff Fund; Sequent Management, Inc.; Servants of 
     Mary; Seventh Generation; Seventh Generation CRI; Severn 
     Consulting SFMG; SharePower Responsible Investing, Inc.; 
     SheerWind; Sheng Ai International, LLC; Shift Advantage; 
     Sidel Global Environmental; Sidel Systems USA Inc.; Siegel & 
     Strain Architects; Sierra Club Foundation; Sierra Energy; 
     Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.; Sierra Real Estate; Sigma Capital; 
     Silicon Ranch Corporation; Simply Perfect Beauty; Sisters of 
     Bon Secours USA; Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth; Sisters 
     of Charity of New York; Sisters of Charity, BVM; Sisters of 
     Saint Francis, Rochester, Minnesota; Sisters of Saint Joseph 
     of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA; Sisters of St. Dominic of 
     Caldwell; Sisters of St. Dominic, Racine, Wisconsin; Sisters 
     of St. Francis of Philadelphia; Sisters of St. Joseph; 
     Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston; Sisters of the Humility of 
     Mary; Sisters of the Precious Blood; Sisters of the 
     Presentation of the BVM; Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary 
     WAP; Skanska USA Inc.; Skibutlers; Smarter Shift Inc.; SMMA.
       For the full list of signatories, please see: http://
lowcarbonusa.org/business. Signatories in bold >$100 million 
     in annual revenues or >$5 billion in assets under management.
  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. These companies know that climate change could 
disrupt their supply chains, make water or commodities more costly, or 
even roil international markets. So they are moving ahead whether the 
President and congressional Republicans are with them or not.
  Mars, the maker of M&Ms and Snickers bars, has pledged to eliminate 
greenhouse gas emissions from its facilities by 2040. When asked by the 
New York Times if President Trump's threats to leave the Paris accord 
had any effect on Mars' plans, global sustainability director Kevin 
Rabinovitch replied: ``This doesn't change our commitments. . . . We're 
doing this because we see a real business risk.''
  Walmart, which already has set a goal of deriving half its energy 
from renewable sources by 2025, recently announced Project Gigaton, an 
initiative to eliminate 1 gigaton of carbon emissions by 2030 from its 
entire supply chain.
  Big league sports is engaged too. Major League Baseball stadiums and 
National Basketball Association arenas have installed wind turbines to 
generate their own low-carbon energy, or solar panels, like the Red 
Sox's Fenway Park.
  The National Hockey League has partnered with ENERGY STAR and the 
Natural Resources Defense Council to make its facilities more energy 
efficient. Salt Lake City's Major League Soccer stadium built one of 
Utah's largest solar panel arrays, providing more than 70 percent of 
that facility's energy.
  The National Football League has a program to reduce overall 
greenhouse gas emissions during every Super Bowl, which has resulted in 
the planting of over 50,000 trees in Super Bowl host communities.
  In 2016, outdoor retailer REI hit 100 percent renewable energy for 
the fourth consecutive year, and they just opened a new net-zero energy 
distribution center in the Arizona desert. Starbucks announced plans to 
power 116 stores in Washington State on renewable energy. Patagonia 
created an incentive program for employees who commute to work without 
driving, saving more than 25,000 gallons of fuel last year, and it 
invested more than $50 million to purchase 2,500 residential solar 
units.
  And it is not just the business community that makes things; 
financial firms are urging their clients to factor climate change into 
their investment decisions.
  Last year, the investment firm BlackRock, with more than $1 trillion 
in assets under management, issued a report titled ``Adapting 
Portfolios to Climate Change,'' which describes ``how investors can 
incorporate climate factors to reduce risk and seize opportunities.''
  The Asset Owners Disclosure Project last week reported that ``[s]ixty 
percent of the world's 500 biggest asset owners, with funds worth $27 
trillion''--hold your breath on that--``now recognized the financial 
risks of climate change and opportunities in the low carbon transition 
and are taking action.''
  Bill Gates, along with more than 20 of the world's most successful 
businesspeople, launched a $1 billion investment fund in late 2016, 
Breakthrough Energy Ventures, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 
financing clean energy technology.
  These clear-eyed assessments of the business effects of climate 
change are not entirely new. Back in 2009, Donald Trump joined business 
leaders to warn us about the ``catastrophic and irreversible effects of 
climate change.'' There advertisement read: ``There will be 
catastrophic and irreversible consequences for humanity and our 
planet.'' That was then, I guess.
  The country is moving on without President Trump and without the 
Republican Party. State and local officials are on the march, leading 
their communities on a path to reduced carbon emissions. Companies are 
on the march, greening their operations and supply chains. And on 
campuses across the country, young Republicans and young Democrats are 
on the march, coming together to prepare for a cleaner future. As the 
marches and events of the past 2 weekends demonstrated, there is no 
going back.
  I realize it is hard for my Republican colleagues to go against the 
fossil fuel cartel, but it is not too late for them to finally say 
enough is enough, to wake up and to join the march.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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