REP. MARKEY TESTIFIES BEFORE MASS. STATE HOUSE ON GLOBAL WARMING

Boston, MA - Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chairman of the new House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, testified today before the Massachusetts Senate Committee on Climate Change and Global Warming, calling on the Green Generation to demand action from elected leaders across America to deal forcefully with the threat of global warming pollution The hearing caps an impressive month for global warming action in Massachusetts and demonstrates an increase in Congressional action in Washington.

Over the past month, Massachusetts has been at the center of action on global warming, including Rep. Markey’s appointment as the Chair of the Select Committee. Three weeks ago, the Supreme Court conferred upon Massachusetts a special place in the eyes of the law – the first place that the highest court of the land has formally declared to have suffered actual and imminent harm from global warming, and instructed the Environmental Protection Agency that it had the authority to clean up global warming emissions from vehicles. Two weeks ago Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announced a new ambitious global warming initiative with Rep. Markey at his side.

“Home to the American Revolution, Massachusetts is now home to the green revolution," said Rep. Markey. "Whether it's winning cases in the Supreme Court, Mayor Menino cutting pollution and turning Beantown into Greentown, or establishing a Senate Committee to explore these pressing issues, the Commonwealth is leading the charge on global warming solutions."

Below are excerpts from Rep. Markey’s testimony given today at the State House:

“Global warming has the potential to drastically diminish New England businesses as diverse as tourism, maple sugaring and skiing. Insurers don’t want to insure ski areas without snow, erosion is threatening our seashores, and the sap in the maple trees up north just isn’t flowing as much as it used to as the seasons get shorter and shorter. In fact, the spectacular red and gold maple leaves that bring people from around the globe to view New England’s foliage in the fall will eventually be replaced by dull brown of oak leaves if global warming pollution continues unchecked.

“And so we now find ourselves at the dawn of a new revolution – a Green Revolution. The American public is calling for real, swift action to combat this growing climate crisis. The American people want to find ways to reduce our global warming pollution without making our dependence on oil worse and reduce our oil dependence without making our global warming pollution worse. In many ways, the public has been ahead of the politicians at the national level.

“We finally have the public, industry and business leaders, the scientific community, the Court and politicians from both sides of the political aisle standing together in a grand coalition calling for meaningful action on global warming.”

"Mohatma Ghandi once said, ‘We must become the change we want to see in the world.’ The people in this room are that change. The state and local leaders in this room deserve enormous credit for becoming that change and driving global warming solutions around the country.”

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