Governor Christine Todd whitman under governors bush. Rightly isle william an epa administrator under the president george h. W. Bush and worked to amend the clean air. Ct to control acid rain dr. Daniel botkin. The honorable louvre strange Luther Strange is alabamas attorney general. I welcome a colleague here. And dr. Joseph mason is a junior louisiana bancorps association in doubt professor of banking at Louisiana State university and senior fellow at the wharton school. I welcome our panel. We will begin with the honorable dr. Thank you, senator whitehouse and other members of the subcommittee for convening this panel on the matter of enormous importance. I am pleased to be here and reassure some of you i am still alive. It is several months ago after speaking to former epa administrator sitting in front of you, we were convinced by the overwhelming verdict of scientists the earth was warming. And we humans are the only controllable contributors. Given those facts, we all signed an op ed piece that america gets serious about reducing our contribution rather than simply sitting back and accepting. If anything, new reports have made that needed to act even more urgent. It is hard to believe theres any question of that. The ipcc report validates to the strongest terms of the science of Climate Change and projected impacts. The National Climate assessment documents impacts occurring in this country right now. And a report from the Cna Corporation made up of retired high military officers note the readiness concern due to Climate Change. We have as epa administrators served 4 president s and we have successfully rustled with a number of Public Health and environmental problems all contingent including severe automobile and industrial dilution of a widespread Water Pollution and the unacceptable effects of pesticides like ddt. We made progress. We cut automobile emissions by 95 and improved air quality while the number of cars have doubled. The hole in the ozone layer and acid rain are under control. Inherent in all of these problems was uncertain science and powerful economic interest resisting controls. The same is true of Climate Change. In all cases, cited, the solution did not result in the predicted social calamity for the scientific uncertainty are the inevitable resistance does not mean that nothing should be done unless we are willing to suffer the consequences of inaction. We believe there is legitimate scientific debate over the pace and effects of Climate Change but no legitimate debate of the effect of the earths warming or mans contribution. The models of the leading scientists predict wildfires and more severe and frequent storms. Those are the projections of these models. We are seeing the impacts already. Since the ocean absorbs 25 percent30 of carbon from stationary or mobile sources we , thought the ocean was our friend. It was, keeping significant amounts of carbon from the atmosphere. Our friend is paying a penalty. The carbon from the burning of fossil fuels is causing the of oceans to rise and is already threatening to shellfish and coral reef and other species. The culprit is the same a carbon that originated from fossil fuels that is contributing to planetary warming. As cochairman of the committee in my home state of washington appointed by the governor to look at the impacts of ocean on puget sound, it is directly threatening shellfish industry in puget sound that contributes 275 million to the states economy. Finding out what the nature of the problem was and taking steps to adapt and try to reduce the amount of carbon in puget sound has begun to have some beneficial effects. We also know that if america does not get serious about our responsibility to deal with this problem, nothing will happen in the rest of the world. No action is a choice. It is a choice that means we leave to chance the kind of future we want to often out of the solution to a problem that we are a big problem. We like to speak of american exceptionalism, we should begin leading the world away from our unacceptable effects of our increasing appetite for fossil fuels before it is too late. It is an extremely complex problem whose solutions are not straightforward. We believe this is no excuse for the complacency or not stepping up to our responsibility. Thank you very much. Governor whitman. Could you turn your microphone on . I think you need to hit the button. I did. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you for holding this hearing and allowing us the opportunity. I have to begin by expressing my frustration on the discussion of whether the epa has to be legal has the Legal Authority to reggae carbon omissions that are still taking place in some quarters. The issue has been settled. The epa does have the authority. The law says so and the Supreme Court has said so and that should be put to rest. Given that fact, the agency has decided, properly in my view, that it should act now to reduce Carbon Emissions to improve the quality of our air and as part of an International Effort to address change. For the United States climate , change is not just an environmental issue or economic issue. Climate change has very real implications or our national security. Those concerns must be an important part of any discussion that takes place. We all know the earths climate is changing and human activity although not solely responsible , and we should freely , acknowledge that is what , contributing to the change and increasing the risk will push the environment beyond the point of which we can repair it. And we should know that once one is contributing, one has an obligation to be part of the solution. That is what the epa is trying to do. There is honest disagreement about aspects of the agencys powerplant proposal. Whether it is stretching its authority to far. I am sure the epa will be made aware during the comment period. My hope is that the primary focus will be on the substance. It is clear that the Clean Air Act is an imperfect tool. Congressional action and leadership would be a preferable approach. Since congress has declined to act, the epa must and that is the law. Action will not come without cost. Since president nixon created the epa in 1970, it has sought to carry out its mandate in a balanced way. Environmental protection and Economic Prosperity are not mutually exclusive goals. The epa has not been able to reach a state of perfect equilibrium. A balance that protects the health of the environment and the economy. From 19802012, the total omissions in the United States of six common pollutants have dropped 67 . At the same time our population , grew by 38 . Our Energy Consumption grew by 27 and our gdp more than doubled in constant dollars. More people consuming more energy emitted much less pollution without sacrificing Economic Growth. That is clear evidence of the balance that epa has been able to strike in the past. If the past is prologue further , reductions are achievable and affordable. Mr. Chairman, my hope is that congress will at long last acknowledge Climate Change is real, that humans are contributing to it and the , potential consequences of inaction are far greater than the projected cost of action. We have specific and Scientific Consensus on this issue and what we need is political consensus. The two parties were able to rally around a common purpose in the early days of policymaking and it is urgent that they do so again. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, governor whitman. We now turn to mr. William riley. Welcome. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you for convening this session. One of the critical challenges our country faces. It is a privilege to appear with two of my predecessors. After i was nominated in 1988, my first briefing was on climate. It was followed by briefings on epas reports on climate effects and options commissioned. Incidentally, 11 National Academies of science have formally reflected upon study science and concluded that humans are affecting the climate and Greenhouse Gases are changing it. At that time, Climate Science was a matter of computer modeling. It was coupled with theory notably the greenhouse effect. Explains why the earths atmosphere is hospitable to life. The concern prompted jim baker to signal a policy of no regrets. We will consider those measures, he said, that address current priorities that also help reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions. In 1987 montreal protocol which thomas helped negotiate and that negotiate was an example of that thinking and that was 25 years ago. The models are far more reliable and buttressed by thousands of credible scientific studies documenting changes underway. I listened to senator boozman, and there are still many outstanding chest ands outstanding questions. The pace of change, tipping point, methane emissions and more. The caught the climate is a complex system and we do not have a complete picture. We welcome serious critiques to examine gaps and anomalies and uncertainties. That is how science advances our understanding of complex issues. Change is underway. We can expect to see many more disruptions or intense storms and more wildfires and diseases. Dengue fever will arrive in america. Storm surges can overwhelm coastal communities. Heat waves and another impacts on our health and water resources. Food production. The longer we delay, the more be in the impacts will the more expensive it will be to address them. Reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions can help fend off off more draconian impacts later this century. Increasingly i believe we have a sector on an agenda and our federal agencies to begin to adapt likely changes and build up resiliency. Dealing with flooding and meeting future projections will be costly. It will add to growing demands on federal and local budgets. I chaired a task force for governor schwarzenegger and we concluded the 1100 levees and the sacramento basin will not survive anticipated sealevel rise. Climate change and the disruptions as pointed out our a global problem. Absent action by china, brazil, india, and other economies, what we do alone will not suffice. Action by the United States is not sufficient. It is nonetheless necessary if we have any credibility to negotiate with other countries who worry that carbon constraints will towards their needs for legitimate growth. The debate on focus countries has been focused on Financial Aid rather than the substance of how much and how to reduce emissions in those nations. I participated for number of years in the china Sustainable Energy forum. At first, any mention of Climate Change triggered a lecture about how those who caused the problem should pay for fixing it globally. As china has begun to them back experience serious impacts it , is a matter of selfinterest. That they need to respond and join constructively. China announced one day after the announcement by epa of its new carbon rule that they intend to build a cap on Carbon Dioxide. This is a response to the United States. It is a significant one and is further demonstration of u. S. Leadership. Markets the world over Seek Clean Energy technology. Well over one billion people dont have electricity. For many, it will be smallscale Renewable Technologies that help improve their lives and offer new economic opportunities. Technology and innovation are a comparative advantage for our country. It will control what we can help find ways to replace the most serious contributors to climate challenge. This is an enormous opportunity for u. S. Entrepreneurs even as we deploy more clean energy at home. While the president has taken many important steps, full response is needed from congress. I have little doubt that the planet will endure major disruptions. There have and many in the past due to natural causes. You would have to reject the greenhouse effect out right to conclude human activities, pumping millions of tons of co2 and other Greenhouse Gases into the atmosphere every year are , not having any impact on the earths climate. That is simply not a tenable position. For me to question is how hospitable will the earth remain for future generations and for civilizations as we know it. Thank you. Now we turn to former administrator thomas. I think you may need to turn your microphone. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you for holding the hearing and giving me an opportunity to offer perspective on Climate Change based upon my experience at epa dealing with many complex Environmental Issues during the reagan years. I have approached the issue using a riskmanagement process. This is the approach we used during my time at epa as we addressed a range of environmental problems. Whether it was assessing the impact of stratospheric ozone letion caused by cscs cfcs or the impact of lead in gasoline on childrens health, Scientific Data and analysis were the first step in evaluating the risk posed by the problem. In my six years at epa i dealt with many contentious issues. I cant remember any other matter that i have dealt with ofing that sixyear period time a that were not controversial. Some more than others. The issue of Climate Change is one that the epa and the Global Scientific Community have studied and analyzed for decades. Whether it is the panel on Climate Change or the latest scientific evaluation on climate assessment, it is clear. We know that Carbon Dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have increased by 40 . We know that Carbon Dioxide and other Greenhouse Gases are warming the atmosphere. We know they have contributed to more than a 1. 5 degree fahrenheit rise in Global Temperatures since the 1880s. We know global sea levels have risen 80 inches since 1870 primarily by thermal expansion caused by melting of glaciers. We know that Ocean Acidification is occurring. This is harming our coral reefs and marine ecosystem. We know the communities in our country are dealing today with the effects of changing climate. In florida, we see increasing salt water intrusion in our Drinking Water supply along the coast due to Sea Level Rise. We see coastal communities dealing with Sea Level Rise on their drainage systems. Major parts of the systems in south florida are being impacted. The Economic Impact is undeniable. The local governments struggle to address todays impacts of Climate Change while trying to anticipate the increased risk in the future is real. On a broader scale, widespread impact is across the country. It will range from the depleted shellfish harvest in the Pacific Northwest due to Ocean Acidification or the increased route and wildfires in the southwest. Given this assessment of the impacts and risks posed by Global Warming, epa has the responsibility given to it by congress and affirmed by the courts to address the Risk Management challenge. We know there are many approaches that can be taken. We know that all of them are controversial. We know the gases we have committed will remain in the atmosphere for decades to centuries. A solution will require a longterm commitment. We also know what many of the solutions are. Some of which have been mentioned. Improving Energy Efficiency and increasing low Emission Energy production. Widespread adoption of strategies like these can supplement an International Agreement. A coordinated national and international approach is needed to assist states and countries implement adaptation measures dealing with impacts of Climate Change already taking place today. More action is needed to address the impacts today while addressing the larger issue of committing ourselves to avoiding Dangerous Levels of future warming. The recent steps taken by the epa to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions are significant mitigation measures. Once again, it positions the u. S. To demonstrate International Leadership on an issue of global significance and consequence. I would suggest that if the United States is not taking the leadership position, an International Agreement will never come to fruition. Thank you for the opportunity to give my views to the subcommittee on what i consider a critically important issue. Thank you very mu