Cantwell on Alarming NOAA, NASA Climate Reports: "The Science is Undeniable"

Statement

Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, Chair of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, underscored the need for the critical investments in mitigating and adapting to climate change that are included in the Build Back Better bill following release of separate analyses by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The analyses found that Earth's global average surface temperature in 2021 was the sixth warmest on record (NASA analysis found 2021 tied for sixth with 2018) and collectively, the past eight years were the eight warmest since modern record keeping began in 1880.

"The science is undeniable. The Earth is warmer and the climate has changed; NOAA and NASA have documented that, globally, the past eight years were the hottest in modern record keeping, continuing a trend that began 45 years ago," said Sen. Cantwell. "Before things get worse, we must double down on both slowing climate change and ensuring that our people and economies have the tools needed to adapt to its impacts, including more frequent and intense weather disasters. Build Back Better would be the largest investment in mitigating and adapting to climate change in our nation's history, providing funds for game-changing actions to slash our nation's greenhouse gas emissions in half over the next decade, spur construction of more resilient infrastructure, and speed the transition to a clean energy future."

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