The Health Concerns stemming from Climate Change. And what congress should do to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions. This is 90 minutes. As we get in, we are joined by a select committee on Climate Crisis and an esteemed panel of witnesses. The voices leading to the next generation. On the global Climate Crisis. Know if you were witnesses have a hard stop at 11 30 to get to their next event advocating on these issues. I ask all members keep their questioning to five minutes. Or less. So we can fit in as many members as possible. Without objection, all the members may have five days to submit statements, questions, extra his materials for the record. Subject to length, limitation and the roles. I would like to call on the chairman of the full committee who has a few words to offer, chairman engel. Good morning everyone. I just want to invite everyone to come to the Foreign Affairs committee, i want to welcome everybody. On Climate Change. It is certainly something that is so important. In the aggravating thing about it is, there are so many who still deny it. I look forward to listening to what our young people are saying today. Because the world is their future. And we owe it to them to do what we can now cut to make sure the world is saved and Climate Change is certainly something that is happening. If we dont do anything about it, it will certainly imperil future generations, i am happy to welcome everyone to the Foreign Affairs committee room. And would like to thank the chairman. I would like to recognize myself five minutes for an opening statement. Our panel represents the next generation of leaders and so naturally, we are speaking to the future. However let us be clear. We are also speaking to the present. We are witnessing the effects of Climate Change daily whether it is storms, forest fires, floods, and other disasters occurring with increasing intensity and frequency. Increased migration, Sea Level Rise, stretching food and water safety, this is the reality we are facing right now. Because of Climate Change. Regardless of where we live, we all see it when we go home. I see it every time i go home, i was in southeastern massachusetts that have one of the longest coastlines in the country and includes island communities. Cape cod we anticipate a Sea Level Rise of 1 to 2 meters by 2100. And 3 to 12 meters in the next few hundred years. Erosion, storm damage, it cost families and businesses trying to live with more than they can afford, as every storm approaches. And with each storm we are worried about the cost of lives as well. The stork fishing and lobster industries are threatened by increasing Ocean Temperatures are state and local governments, under immense pressure to address not only Sea Level Rise but quality issues. In spite of having some of the best scientists and researchers in that area, at the university of massachusetts, its an incredible challenge. Efforts many generations now, to diversify our energy supply, wind, solar power, bringing in new jobs. If there are major gaps in access for our communities, and a struggle to overcome the political and bureaucratic obstacles that go with making necessary changes to how things are currently. There must be leadership in addressing Climate Change because we and especially your generation cannot afford the things not to change. This is a global issue. And the biggest polluters are going to be needed to make big changes to do their parts. But we need to be honest with ourselves. As leaders. So far our generation has failed to adequately address a Climate Crisis. This failure is not fatal, and our failure to change will be. Change happens through leadership, we would not be in the situation right now, it would be safely and happily in school pursuing their dreams, or witnesses would, not protesting, if everyone was doing their parts. America knows how to lead in a crisis and it is high time we took ourselves up and got back to this fight to bring the rest of the world with this because waiting for other countries to do the right thing, is making a bad bet on her future. There so much we could and should do right now. In our country. We have right minds to engage solutions for the future. America has shape revolutions time and time again, and it has made our country better off every time. Now the stakes are so much higher. And in spite of all our resources and ingenuity, the one thing we do not have, is time. The report warns us Carbon Emissions, average Sea Level Rise of 62 centimeters over the course of a lifetime of people who are like today, that is over two feet. Scientists are gravely concerned that Sea Level Rise in the next hundred years could be even faster. I would like to thank our witnesses, extraordinary young leaders, fortified with scientific research. For being here. Is regrettable they have to be. This shouldve been reached decades ago when we shouldve been well underway by now to a far more aggressive target in communities and industries, with time to adapt. And given you a much more hopeful outlook on the future. But here we are, and i hope your testimony today will galvanize us to act now, before we are truly out of time. Ranking member for his opening statement. Thank you thank you all for being here, we appreciate it. Given the high level of interest, the late start, and the people of questions i will be brief. Climate change is real, the best way to combat it is by reducing our nations Carbon Emissions and that of the rest of the world. The changes we are seeing, post both short and longterm challenges and i believe they can be addressed in two major ways. We need diversity in our Energy Sources. Energy diversity is energy security. Similar to ones own personal investment strategies, the station cannot afford to put all his eggs in one basket. If you look to invest you dont put all your savings into one stock and let it ride. You diversify your investments in mutual funds, bonds, real estate etc. Second we need to support marketdriven innovations to develop new Clean Energy Technologies opened the United States at the forefront of environmental technologies. The 16th Congressional District is a great example of why, what this marketdriven strategy would look like. And illinois. We are home to four Nuclear Reactors which serve eight reactors, four plants which serve as the most abundant clean and Stable Energy source on the planet. As well as hundreds of wind turbines, solar panels and geothermal sources. Each of those sources provide yearround for libel clean energy and also have produced highpaying jobs for my constituents. Around the world many nations are implement the strategies to combat Climate Change and nuclear must be part of that strategy. And virtually some of our closest allies are taking their Nuclear Reactors offline at a time when we need low Carbon Energy sources. Meanwhile as the west looks at options to combat Climate Change we know chinas global emissions continue to rise. For every ton of Carbon Dioxide reduced by the United States, china and nearly 4 times as much. Today the chinese account for nearly 30 of global emissions. Also my say the u. S. Needs to be the leader of combating Climate Change, i would say that we already are. Since 2005 global emissions have increased by 20 , but the u. S. Admissions have decreased by more than the next 12 emissions producing countries combined. Will reducing global emissions is vital, it is also important to note that there is over 1 billion People Living without access to electricity. That is 1 billion people burning coal and wood for heat. 1 billion People Living with increased risk of foodborne pathogens, living without access to basic sources of information like the radio. For Foreign Policy standpoint the should not be overlooked. The next Global Health crisis or conflict could easily come from these communities living in poverty. We must encourage other developed nations to reduce emissions while understanding that the economy just getting off the ground, it is not entirely possible, not without substantial help from the u. S. And our allies. It is going to take major innovation and breakthroughs to not only reduce our emissions here at home, but also provide clean and reliable power to those currently living without it. All americans want to be good stewards of their environments. People dont put solar panels on the roof because they look like. Consumers, especially young people, like we have today on our panel, want to note that policymakers share their values. I believe we do. And we will continue to see marketdriven solutions that combat Climate Change and provide clean energy to the world. With that i yield back the balance of my time. Thank you gentlemen. The chair recognizes the chair of the select committee on Climate Crisis ms. Castor. Thank you chairman for hosting this hearing. Thank you for including the members of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. We are thrilled to be here. The Youth Climate Movement has grabbed the attention of the world. It is due to the hard work of many of the students in this room. And many young people all across the planet. You all know that congresss first major hearing on the Climate Crisis was in 1988. Congress has had plenty of opportunity to understand that burning fossil fuels warms the planet, and alters the earth climate. Get scientist tell us that more than half of the Carbon Pollution that has been emitted into the atmosphere has occurred since that hearing in 1988. I have been in Congress Since 2007. And we have done some good thing since then. We have raised auto efficiency standards, we have supported the dramatic expansion of wind and solar power, we have started to fund the kind of Climate Resilience to protect the places that we know and love. But it is not enough. Not by a longshot. This year under speaker pelosis leadership we passed our first major piece of climate legislation in 10 years. A bipartisan vote sent hr nine Climate Action now to the senate where it awaits action. That bill takes the common sense approach of keeping the u. S. In the paris climate agreement. Because the u. S. , we should not back down. We should not surrender. Not in the face of the Climate Crisis. We need to take bold action now. 70 of young people in america say they worry about Climate Change. I dont blame them. They are doing more than paying attention in science class. This generation is the most wellinformed and connected generation in history. And everything they are learning has driven them to a new level of engagement. And students are asking policymakers a very powerful question. What is a point of going to school to learn about the Climate Crisis, when your elected officials are not doing enough to act on it . The Climate Strike Movement has united young people in all countries, all across the globe. There cooperating, to demand Climate Action, and they are asking us to cooperate with allies to cut Carbon Pollution and protect our communities. It is not lost on us that the u. S. Is responsible for the biggest share of Carbon Pollution, accumulated in the atmosphere today. We have a very serious responsibility to lead. But we are also the worlds greatest engine of innovation. And we can do this, we have the solution. Local communities and states have acted boldly, but a Strong NationalClimate Action plan has been missing. We have heard from scientists in the select committee hearings, as we will hear from these young people here today. That we must do more. And that we do not have time to waste. Our answer has to be more than a promise to do better. Our Solutions Must equal the challenge before us. And i bet that 10 or 20 years from now, young people marching and striking today will be serving in the congress. And we need to take bold action now because we cant leave it up to them to clean up the mess that congress has made. People say this next generation gives us hope. That is not quite right is it . This generation is giving us a job to do. The job is addressing the Climate Crisis. If we do our job, then we will be worthy of their hope. Because that means we will have started to create the future they are fighting for. The select committee has a mandate to come up with an action plan for congress. And we need your ideas. We want the ideas to come from all corners of this country and beyond. You can go to Climate Crisis. House. Gov info request and tell us what your ideas are to solve the Climate Crisis. Not all good ideas emanate from washington these days. I think you know that. It is only through cooperation after coming together, in a democracy that we can address the Climate Crisis. These young people are rising to the challenge and we need to rise with them. Thank you and i yield back. Thank you. The chair now recognizes Ranking Member. Is back and want to thank you for being here today. I want to thank you for engaging in the government. Most young folks choose not to do that. So many years later, i have three kids and we often talk about some of the impacts that we have seen from Climate Change and sea rise in louisiana. For some of the sea rise impacts have exacerbated the loss of 2000 square miles of our coastline. 2000 square miles. Of our coast. To put that in perspective, if that was the state of rhode island, we would have 49 states in the United States today. Meaning the size of entire state would be gone. I agree that we need to take aggressive action. I agree that we need to ensure that we move forward in a sustainable, rational manner. But i think it is also important that we ensure that we are moving forward based on facts. Contrary to popular belief, the United States is the country that has led the world in Greenhouse Gas reductions. As stated. We have reduced Greenhouse Gases more than the next 12 countries combined. We produce them more than the next 12 countries combined. Just last year, we stepped in and made more progress on adaptation and mitigation strategies that i believe any other year in this nations history. More dollars, moving toward, establishing a resiliency standard. Ensuring, as we rebuild after disasters, that we are building to a newer, higher standard, truly thinking about the future. Ensuring that we are putting record dollars toward proactive efforts to ensure that our coastal communities and our river base communities can be resilient. And continuing to move in this direction of Greenhouse Gas reductions. But i also think that we have to stop this ridiculousness of operating topically, or operating as though the u. S. Is in a vacuum. It is important to keep in mind that the Energy Information administration projects that by 2030, 80 of Global Energy demands, 80 , are going to be addressed using fossil fuels. This is the Energy Information administration, not some type of partisan hack a group. 80 . It just last week, we had to three bills designed to stop Energy Production in the west over the weekend we have attacks on saudi arabia, all that does is increase our reliance on Energy Sources from other countries that have a lower safety standard and have a lower environmental standard. Records show it is Crystal Clear that when we import energy from other places, we actually increase the risk to the environment. Increase the risk of spills. That when we have domestic Energy Production. I hear people talking about how we need to stop all fossil fuel utilization and stop all these admissions right now, as was stated for every one ton of Carbon Emissions, china ha