Global Climate Change

I believe that it is time for universal acknowledgment of what is already the scientific and public consensus-global climate change is occurring and human activity is a primary contributor to that change. The problem presents a major environmental challenge that requires an immediate response from our state and national government.

Overview

• We must develop a national strategy to confront the environmental challenges posed by global climate change, including policies that reduce our dependence on foreign oil, initiate a national program of energy efficiency, step up efforts to capture and store carbon, and invest in enhanced scientific understanding of the climate system.
• Colorado is poised to lead the national response to global climate change. We instituted one of the first-ever state Renewable Electricity Standards, and we are the home for many world class institutions with the capacity to make major advancements in global climate change.
• The United States also must lead international efforts to negotiate a comprehensive new treaty for stabilizing and then reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. 

The scientific and physical evidence of global climate change is overwhelming. The 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that "warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global sea level."

Colorado is poised to lead the nation in our response to global climate change. Our state has much to gain from taking a leadership role on this issue, and much to lose if we do not take immediate action to mitigate its effects. Precipitation patterns are likely to change, impacting our ski industry and agriculture. Snowpack is expected to melt earlier and faster, with implications for the availability of precious water resources. Our forests are vulnerable to increased fire risks; and Colorado's second leading industry, recreation and tourism, will have to adapt to the changing conditions and new challenges associated with climate change.

Our state has a longstanding legacy of leadership on this issue. Senators Tim Wirth and Gary Hart have been calling attention to the climate challenge for more than 20 years. In addition, Governor Ritter recently set a statewide goal of reducing Colorado's greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020 and 80% by 2050.

I have also long been for reducing our energy emissions dating back to my early efforts at the state legislature to pass Colorado's first renewable energy efficiency standard. In 2004, the Republican Speaker of Colorado's House of Representatives, Lola Spradley and I barnstormed Colorado in favor of passing Amendment 37. This was the state-based constitutional amendment that required energy producers to meet a 10% mandate for renewable energy, one of the first renewable energy portfolio standards in the country.

Moreover, Colorado's world class research institutions have the capacity to make major advancements in our response to climate change. In fact, the Center for Atmospheric Research at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Colorado contributed to the IPCC research on this subject. The National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) in Golden is also in constant pursuit of the development and deployment of new energy sources like solar, wind, and biomass. I have been a consistent supporter of expanded funding for both institutions and their essential work towards mitigating global climate change.

Steps also must be taken at the federal level. First and foremost, the United States must create a new energy economy that is more efficient and harnesses clean and sustainable energy sources. We can start by reducing our dependence on foreign oil through the adoption of a federal Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), and by changing transportation technology so that it is more efficient, makes greater use of alternative fuels, and moves toward widespread adoption of clean technologies.

Second, we have to initiate a new national program of energy efficiency. The United States uses twice the energy of Europe and Japan to produce the same amount of economic growth. Energy efficiency is the cheapest and fastest resource we have for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing our economic productivity. In addition to more efficient cars and trucks, significant opportunities exist for improving the efficiency of residential and commercial buildings and industrial processes.

Third, recognizing that Colorado and the nation are home to significant coal deposits, we have to step up national efforts to capture and store carbon. Carbon "sequestration" could enable the continued use of coal resources without contaminating the atmosphere. That's why I introduced the Department of Energy Carbon Capture and Storage Research Development and Demonstration Act of 2007 (H.R. 1933), which would enable capture and underground storage of carbon.

Fourth, we must continue investing in enhanced scientific understanding of the climate system. To help advance our science agenda, I introduced the Global Change Research and Data Act of 2007 (H.R. 906), which would revise the goals of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) by adding a goal to improve federal strategies for mitigating and adapting the impacts of global change.

Fifth, we must focus our research and resources on adaptation to the change that is already occurring. Melting ice caps, drought, and wildfires are all impacting Americans as we speak.

Finally, there is a significant international diplomatic agenda to pursue. Climate change is a global problem and requires a global solution. The United States must lead international efforts to negotiate a comprehensive new treaty for stabilizing and then reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. All countries have a role to play in reducing emissions and should participate in a global agreement that addresses climate change mitigation, adaptation, technology, and finance.

Colorado has an opportunity to lead the world in address the greatest environmental challenge in history. By making wise choices, we can create the products and services that the world will need to avoid catastrophic climate change. Colorado has a proud history of leading scientific research, technological development, and national and international policy. As your senator, I will continue to work hard to find ways the government can encourage adaptation, mitigation, and prevention of this problem.