Quigley Highlights Importance of Climate Action in the Face of Climate Denial
CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), a member of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), participated in Northwestern University’s 2016 Climate Change Symposium on the Water-Energy-Climate Nexus. Congressman Quigley’s keynote address for the Symposium focused on the importance of taking substantive action on climate change despite opposition from those that deny the issue is a problem or that solutions are possible.
“Climate change is one of the most important economic, environmental, social, and moral issues of our time.” said Rep. Quigley. “We have a choice. We can succumb to the misinformation and dishonesty of climate deniers, rehash the same old debates on what we now know is settled science, and suffer the consequences, or we can rise to this challenge, along with the rest of the world, and help set the stage for a climate resilient future. I’m honored to be able to speak at Northwestern today with so many smart and driven people who understand that climate change is already impacting multiple sectors of the economy and who are taking action to adapt.”
“We are excited that the 2016 Northwestern Climate Change Symposium will focus on water-energy-climate connections,” said Aaron Packman, Director of Northwestern Center for Water Research and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor. “These issues are critical not only to meeting the United States' water and energy needs, but also avoiding disasters such as urban flooding. The Northwestern community will benefit tremendously from Congressman Quigley's perspective on how we can achieve action at all levels of government to meet these challenges.”
The purpose of the Symposium is to examine several water-energy-climate interconnections, including how we can continue to meet our essential water and energy needs; ensure safe and reliable water supplies to cities while protecting residents from adverse impacts; protect the Great Lakes; and encourage local communities and governments to work together to solve these challenges.
According to more than 97 percent of climate scientists globally, average temperatures around the world have risen by 1.5°F over the past century, and are projected continue to rise as more and more greenhouse gasses enter the atmosphere. Rising global temperatures have been accompanied by changes in weather and climate. Many places have seen changes in rainfall, resulting in more floods, droughts, or intense rain, as well as more frequent and severe heat waves. Oceans are warming and becoming more acidic, ice caps are melting, and sea levels are rising. As these and other changes become more pronounced in the coming decades, they will undoubtedly present challenges to our society and our environment.
Rep. Quigley discusses the importance of taking substantive action on climate change.
Other participants in the Symposium included Dr. Joe Ryan, Director of the Air-Water-Gas Sustainability Research Network at the University of Colorado; Dr. Drew Gronewold, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab; Dr. Jessica Hellmann, University of Minnesota; David St. Pierre, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago; and Harriet Festing, Director of Water Programs at the Center for Neighborhood Technology.
As a member of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, Rep. Quigley has been a stalwart protector of the environment since he arrived in Washington in 2009. Most recently, he spoke to colleagues addressing the urgent realities of climate change. After the crisis in Flint, Michigan, he partnered with Illinois officials to push for better EPA lead and copper standards. He also visited Chicago’s Loyola University to discuss how to implement more bird-safe measures for campus buildings, toured urban flooding prevention project sites, and urged the importance of clean drinking water in an editorial in the Chicago Daily Herald. Last year, he went on a tour through the Pullman and Calumet region to highlight the positive impact environmental restoration can have on community development. He has urged his colleagues in the House to put partisanship aside and craft America’s first national energy plan to address climate change. During his Chicago Climate Tour earlier this year, he visited regional environmental sites to hear from experts on the local impact of climate change and efforts to address the issue.