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Garamendi Calls for Congress to Address Climate Change

April 16, 2015

Click to watch video: Congressman Garamendi sounds the alarm on the need to tackle the climate crisis.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield, CA), the former Deputy Secretary of the Interior, went to the House Floor to call for action on climate change:

“Earth Day 2015 is rapidly approaching. I’d like to draw the attention of the House and American citizens to the reality of climate change.

“Global warming is real. Take a look at California. We are in the midst of the fourth year of a very severe drought. You can debate whether this drought is or is not the result of climate change, but you cannot debate the fact that CO2 in our atmosphere is approaching 400 parts per million – highest it’s ever been in over 800,000 years. You cannot debate the fact that it’s a heck of a lot warmer in California in the last decade than it’s ever been in recorded time. You cannot debate the fact the snow level in California is rapidly rising up the Sierra Nevada and the Siskiyou Mountains leaving us with an ever smaller snow reservoir.

“This is a real problem. We need to address it with very strong, powerful legislation here in Congress, most of which has not been done. We have a challenge out ahead of us. I hope and pray that we’ll meet that challenge.”

Click here to watch video of these remarks. The Congressman delivered this speech as a Member of the House Safe Climate Caucus, which raises awareness of climate change and the need to address it. Earth Day is held on April 22nd.