Issue Position: Climate Change

Issue Position

Issue Position: Climate Change

Experts from across the globe and throughout the United States have come to consensus: Global climate change is real. It is our most pressing environmental issue today, and without action, we put at risk the health of our families, the well-being of our coastal areas, the productivity of our farms, forests, and fisheries, and our homeland security.

Climate change cannot be overcome by any one nation; the United States must return to international negotiations to limit greenhouse gas emissions. With active leadership, we can ensure that the costs and benefits of stopping global warming are shared by developed and developing nations alike.

But there is no doubt that confronting climate change will require adjustments here at home. We must find ways to increase energy efficiency in our everyday lives - from improving household appliances to making our homes more energy efficient.

Ohio can be a leader in the fight to reduce consumption of foreign oil and decrease our carbon emissions if we invest in alternative energy development. We can bolster our economy and stimulate our manufacturing industry by developing and utilizing alternative energy sources. Ohio's skilled workers should be building the solar panels, the fuel cells and the wind turbines that go into the production of alternative energy.

For far too long, energy policy in the United States has been written by big oil companies with their profits in mind. As a result, gas prices are soaring and global warming continues unchecked. It's a ticket to disaster.

In our efforts to solve the climate change puzzle, we can simultaneously protect our health and environment, stabilize our nation's energy supply and bolster Ohio's economy. With the right investments, the right partnerships with private business and government, and with the support of Congress, we can turn Ohio into the Silicon Valley of alternative energy manufacturing, bring the nation closer to energy independence, and begin a real and substantive effort to address global climate change.

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