Statement of Washington DC Office Director, Anna Aurilio
Today the House approved funding for a new select committee on global warming and energy independence. We applaud the House leadership for focusing on this important problem.
Global warming is one of the greatest challenges facing the U.S. and the world, and our dependence on oil threatens our environment, economy and national security. According to a report released last month, the world’s scientists are more than 90% certain that human activity – primarily burning fossil fuels to power cars, power plants, and factories – is responsible for most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century, according to a consensus report released early this morning.
There is no question that America has the technological know-how to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and cut global warming pollution. By harnessing our vast reserves of clean, homegrown, renewable energy like wind and solar to power our homes and businesses we can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels while building a cleaner and more secure economy. By making cars go farther on a gallon of gasoline, we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil. We can also cut power plant pollution, which is the leading contributor to global warming. But with energy prices surging, war raging in the Middle East, and global warming threatening our future, we need to act now.
It is time for our leaders in Congress to choose the path toward a new energy future. Climate scientists warn that the world faces dire consequences unless we immediately and significantly reduce emissions of the pollutants that cause global warming.
We look forward to working with the new committee and all the relevant committees to enact solutions that harness America’s technological know-how to reduce global warming pollution while ushering in a new energy future.
