Tom Waring, the Wire
U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-13th dist.) last week joined an effort to increase funding for climate research through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“Climate change is real, and now is not the time to undercut NOAA’s critical research activities,” Boyle said. “This science is essential to guiding our planning and investment decisions at the national, state and local level. The Republicans’ emphasis on weather forecasting rather than climate science is incredibly shortsighted. Moreover, as climate deniers continue to claim a need for research and consensus on the matter, in the same breath they are slashing those very research dollars. These cuts are irresponsible and, frankly, offensive to the American public.”
Other Democratic lawmakers favor more funding.
Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer said global warming is causing more heatwaves, wildfires, super storms and other extreme weather events.
Colorado Rep. Jared Polis pointed to his state’s floods in 2013. He said the NOAA and universities are working to provide raw data to keep first responders, weather forecasters, businesses, communities and families on the cutting edge of weather predictability and disaster mitigation.
California Rep. Alan Lowenthal noted the droughts in his state and other states in the West that are ripping up lawns, killing crops and forcing water rationing.
The League of Conservation Voters supports efforts to increase funding. Alex Taurel, deputy legislative director for the LCV, claimed climate change is the “greatest challenge of our generation.”
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Meanwhile, Boyle said he supports a new rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers intended to protect waterways from pollution and development.
“The final Clean Water Rule announced by the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers is a victory for every American,” Boyle said. “We all rely on clean water. We all deserve to know that our water is clean, safe to drink and free of chemicals. The rule returns Clean Water Act protections to streams that feed drinking water sources for more than 8 million Pennsylvanians, and 1 in 3 Americans. The Clean Water Act has been hugely successful since first-enacted in 1972, but this rule represents an important, necessary update to clarify the law, to the benefit of our environment and public health. Being a new dad gives me added perspective and sense of responsibility, a strengthened commitment to these issues. I am proud to stand up for rivers and streams like the Wissahickon and Schuylkill so my daughter, Abby, can safely enjoy them as I have.”
The American Farm Bureau Federation opposes the rule, arguing that it will make it harder for farmers to do business.
