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Washington, D.C., July 10, 2008- U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., ranking Republican on the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, made the following statement during today’s hearing titled, “Global Warming Effects on Extreme Weather:”
“Severe weather has imparted humanity since our earliest memories. Just ask Noah. Floods, droughts, hurricanes, tornados and other natural disasters are something we humans have been learning to adapt to throughout time.
“Last month, I saw first hand the effects of severe weather. Wisconsin was among the states hit hard by floods that wreaked havoc over much of the Midwest. Thirty Wisconsin counties were declared disaster areas, including all five in my district. The county of Waukesha suffered $90 million in damages, and many people were homeless because of flooding.
“Wisconsin has seen many floods before, and they often come with the summer rains. For better or for worse, it’s part of my state’s natural meteorological cycle. And while flood waters can’t always be stopped, there are ways that people can adapt to these cycles and mitigate the damage and harm caused by them.
“Through technology, planning and management, there are things we can do to adapt to weather extremes. And if the scientific forecasts are correct, we will have to adapt. Projections show that no cut in greenhouse gas emissions, no matter how steep, can stop some warming over the next decades. This is why I believe adaptation should be a high priority in confronting climate change.
“While Wisconsin was recently overflowing in water, other parts of the country have precious little, and management of those resources will become more important if the temperature continues to rise. One of our witnesses today, Dan Keppen of the Family Farm Alliance, says farmers in the West are already preparing to adapt to a warmer climate. His testimony will also point out the need for a balance of both water conservation and supply enhancement, a streamlined regulatory process that helps the development of new infrastructure, and a prioritization of research needs. I agree and welcome him and all of the witnesses here today.
“In discussing priorities, Mr. Keppen pointed out that in California, some have projected it will take 2.5 trillion gallons of water to produce the state’s goal of 1 billion gallons of ethanol. Here is another reason to oppose this wasteful fuel subsidy, which is already driving up the cost of food and doing nothing to drive down the cost of gasoline. This is a waste of water.
“Adapting to climate change and severe weather will require balance, coordination and prioritization. Through these methods, we can sometimes help prevent, and often worsen the sting, of these weather events. But sometimes, there is nothing we can do but prepare and sometimes even that’s not enough, as the people of my state learned last month.”
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