My oral statement delivered to the Natural Resources Committee hearing on "Climate Change: Impacts and the Need to Act", Feb 6, 2019.
The full hearing can be viewed here, with my testimony beginning at 1:58:20.
I thank Chairman Grijalva and Ranking Member Bishop for allowing
me to contribute to this important conversation about our nation’s climate
future. My message today is simple: the
data and the science could not be more clear -- it’s time to act. There are many
no-regrets, win-win actions to reduce the growing costs of climate change, but
we’re going to have to come together to form new alliances, in our home
communities, across our states, and yes, even in Washington. I know I speak for
thousands of my colleagues when I say that scientists all over the country are willing
and eager to assist policymakers in the design of data-driven defenses against both
current and future climate impacts.
As a Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology for
the last 15 years, my research uses samples from the remote Pacific islands to
reconstruct past climate variations. Our records are consistent with countless
other climate records in illustrating that the rate and magnitude of recent
climate change dwarf natural climate variability over the last millennium.
I love my work. But three years ago, I witnessed something
that would change my life forever.
In 2015, we received funding from the National Science
Foundation for a series of field expeditions to document the evolution of a strong
El Niño event projected that winter. I had waited 15 years for this opportunity.
However, little did I know that ocean temperatures, 6 degrees Fahrenheit warmer
than usual, would kill up to 90% of the coral at our study site. And I had a
front-row seat to the carnage. 2016 would go on to become the worst global-scale
coral bleaching and mortality event on record, and the warmest year on our
planet since records began. Personally, 2016 was my wakeup call.
Unfortunately, the last years brought a number of devastating
wake-up calls much closer to home. Hurricanes Harvey, Lane, and Florence
delivered record-breaking rainfall while Hurricanes Maria and Michael decimated
entire communities with their force, including many in my home state of Georgia.
The National Climate Assessment – released this last November by a consortium
of 13 federal agencies – documents how climate change loads the dice in favor
of extreme precipitation events, and how warmer oceans fuel larger tropical storms.
On the other side of the country, record-breaking wildfires raged across
California, linked to prolonged drought and warmer temperatures. The economic
toll of these disasters can be measured in the hundreds of billions of dollars.
However, their real toll - the vast
human suffering left in their wake - is immeasurable.
And beyond these deadly extremes, a host of additional climate
change impacts represent a growing threat to ecosystems and communities alike.
Sea levels are rising, with up to 6ft of global sea level rise projected this
century. Drought threatens water supplies across the western US, with no end in
sight. The oceans are becoming more acidic as excess atmospheric carbon dioxide
reacts with seawater.
And as of today, 2018 will officially take its place as the
4th warmest year on record, behind 2016, 2017, and 2015.
Climate change impacts are now detectable all across
America. And they will get worse. That’s the bad news. I’m sure you’re ready
for some good news, and there is plenty to go around.
The good news is that science can help inform measures to
protect communities, as well as our oceans, forests, parks, waterways, and
wildlife, from the most devastating impacts of climate change. Here, early
action is essential to the success of these approaches, delivering vast returns
on investment.
Many jurisdictions – from the local to the federal level -
have developed a range of climate adaptation measures informed by rigorous science,
stakeholder engagement, and cost-benefit analyses. But we must accelerate these
efforts. Towards that end, The National Climate Assessment provides an
actionable blueprint for such adaptive measures, including an in-depth analysis
of climate impacts on ecosystem structure, function, and services.
The other good news is that it’s not too late to avoid the
most damaging impacts of future climate change. We have the tools we need to
dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And in doing so, we will enjoy cleaner
water, cleaner air, and healthier communities.
The rapid expansion of renewable energy across the nation demonstrates
a strong appetite for carbon-free, clean power. Even so, US greenhouse gas emissions
were up 3% last year. The bottom line is that we are running out of time. Comprehensive
federal policies are needed to speed the transition to low-carbon energy
sources. Top on the list must be a price on carbon, to reflect the true costs
of continued fossil fuel emissions, and to incentivize consumers, companies,
and the market to find the cheapest, most effective means of reducing
emissions. With or without a price on carbon, increased energy efficiency is a
win-win strategy that can deliver energy cost savings, while reducing harmful
air pollution.
Lastly, there is a strong case to be made that we can deploy
our vast forests, grasslands, and coastal marshes in service to natural carbon
sequestration. At its most basic level, this means designing strategies to safeguard
these environments, with their rich carbon reserves, in the face of continued
climate change.
As a climate scientist, I have to wonder: How bad will it have to get for us to
recognize that climate change represents a clear and present threat, and to act
decisively to protect ourselves?
I’m heartened by recent polls showing that nearly 3 in 4 Americans
are concerned about global warming, and support a range of policy options to
address it.
And as a mother to four young children, I’m inspired by the
sea of young people demanding that we not squander their chances for climate
stability.
I urge this committee to capitalize on the vast trove of
climate science findings by:
1) protecting our natural resources, and the communities
that depend on them, from known climate change impacts, and
2) using federal lands to advance climate solutions, rather
than expanding the scope of the climate change problem.
References and additional
resources can be found at the end of my written testimony, linked here.
