Devastation as Far as the Eye Could See

08/24/2005

Dear DFL Member and Supporter,

Hillary went to Alaska last week with a bipartisan congressional delegation to see the effects of climate change first hand, and to speak out about the need for action to limit greenhouse gas emissions. She has some strong words for what she found:

“The signal from Alaska and the Yukon is clear,” Hillary said. “Climate change is happening; it will impact all of us; and its time that we took meaningful steps to address it...we can’t afford to live in an evidence-free zone where science takes a back seat to ideology.”

The delegation, including Senators Collins (R-ME), Graham (R-SC) and McCain (R-AZ), met with scientists and Inupiaq Eskimo residents who spoke of rising sea levels, melting permafrost and shrinking glaciers. They flew over forests ravaged by spruce beetles, who were moving north as the climate changes. “We saw devastation as far as the eye could see. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that this is related to warming,” Hillary said.

The Anchorage Daily News reported Hillary “was struck by the account of a 93 year old woman she met at a fish camp...The woman told her she’d been fishing there her whole life but that lately the fish have strange bumps on them, growths Clinton said sounded like some sort of tumor.”

And these concerns aren’t limited to Alaska. “The changes are signs of things coming elsewhere in the globe,” Hillary said.

A rise in sea level would increase the risk of flooding to natural systems like beaches and wetlands, and structures such as buildings and transportation, damaging agriculture, ecosystems and water resources. As the New York Sun reported in an article on Hillary’s trip, “Dr Cynthia Rosenzweig of Columbia [University] said climate change could also lead to more severe periods of drought in New York, added energy costs and worsening public health.”

“I don’t think there is any doubt for anyone who actually looks at the science,” Hillary said. “Unfortunately there are still many in Washington who refuse to acknowledge the science because it does not fit their agendas.”

“We need to take concrete steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Hillary said, “and I will work in the Senate to pass legislation that will achieve this goal.” Hillary was a strong supporter of a resolution passed by the Senate calling for legislation to enact a mandatory emissions reduction program, and she is a cosponsor of “The Climate Stewardship and Innovation Bill,” sponsored by Senators McCain (R-AZ) and Lieberman (D-CT) which would limit and eventually cap emissions from utilities and industries.

Climate change is just one of the issues Hillary will be working on this fall as the Senate gets back to work, and we’ll continue to keep you informed.

Sincerely,
Ann Lewis