This morning at 10:00 a.m., the Natural Resources Committee will hold its first hearing in 8 years to discuss the importance of taking action to combat climate change on American communities, resources, and economic well-being.
"As members of the Natural Resources Committee, it is our responsibility to face these issues head on," said Representative Joe Neguse. "Our duty to the rest of humanity is to do everything in our power to leave this world better than how we found it and to ensure that our next generation, my daughter's generation receive a planet better than the one we received. Climate change is an existential threat facing our society, and demands bold immediate action."
In addition to his role on the Natural Resources Committee, Representative Joe Neguse was also one of the first freshman members to champion the Green New Deal and is now an original co sponsor on the resolution to be released this month.
"The Green New Deal outlines a much-needed transition to renewable energy and ensures that we invest in a green workforce," Representative Joe Neguse continued. "This should be our next step in ensuring we work to achieve a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions future."
In Colorado, recorded annual average temperatures have risen by 2 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 30 years. Rising temperatures increase the speed of snowmelt in the Rocky Mountains, bringing more flooding and erosion, followed by extended summer droughts. The impacts of climate change on Colorado snowpack are also severely detrimental, impacting skiing and the 70% of Colorado's fresh water supply which comes from snow. Rising temperatures also account for significant changes to Colorado's ecosystems that show the lasting impact climate change will have on our parks and wildlife. 3.7 million acres of forest have been destroyed by pine beetles, followed by 1.7 million acres infested with spruce beetles. A recent analysis of all 417 national parks found that from 1895 to 2010, the average annual temperature across the park system increased at double the rate of the U.S. as a whole.