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U.S.
Senator Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs
Committees |
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For Immediate
Release December 11, 2007 |
CONTACT:Stephanie Valencia – 202-228-3630 |
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| Senator Salazar Addresses Impact Climate Change has on Water Resources in Colorado; Supports Bill that Will Look into Long-Term Impact and Availability of Water Resources WASHINGTON, D.C. – Across the Nation and particularly in the arid West, climate change and population growth will impact water resources in the future. Today, Senator Salazar and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on the SECURE Water Act (S. 2156) which attempts to address those impacts directly and work toward a coordinated national approach to preserving and protecting our Nation’s water resources in light of shifting weather and population patterns. Senator Salazar is co-sponsor of the bill along with Committee Chairman Bingaman and Ranking Member Domenici. Senator Salazar made the following comments this afternoon at the hearing expressing his support for expanded water-related research and monitoring efforts to enhance the understanding of water availability. Senator Salazar also stressed the importance of evaluating the impact of drought, population growth and climate change have on water availability and the appropriate role for the federal government in helping states and local communities meet their water-related responsibilities and preserving and protecting our Nation’s water resources. “Thank you Chairman Bingaman and Ranking Member Domenici for holding this important hearing today on the SECURE Water Act. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this important bill, and welcome this legislative hearing. “Climate change is a very real problem that is caused primarily the burning of fossil fuels. This Congress has worked hard to promote clean energy technologies that will significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions released to the atmosphere, and also reduce our country’s dependence on foreign oil. The energy bill Congress is considering will ramp up domestic renewable fuel production, promote efficiency throughout the U.S. economy and invest in groundbreaking research designed to reduce carbon emissions. This energy bill is critically important for our country, and I am committed to working to find a bipartisan way forward on the energy bill. “Even if we move forward with significant increases in the use of renewable energies, we are learning that some adaptation measures are inevitable to reduce the harm from climate change that proves to be unavoidable. Today’s hearing is particularly important for those of us from the Western states of the U.S. because many scientists are now saying the American West will experience the effects of climate change sooner and more intensely than most other regions. Our scarce snow and water of the West is already being impacted, much of it in ways that we do not clearly understand. “Colorado, my State, has a lot at stake when it comes to global warming. For example, parts of my State have incredibly rich, productive farmland that depends heavily on irrigation. The SECURE Water Act is exceedingly important to help us increase the acquisition and analysis of water-related data in order to assess the impacts of climate change on the long-term availability of our water resources. It is also important to help us understand what adaptation measures must be planned for to ensure adequate water supplies for agricultural, industrial, business and residential uses. “Chairman Bingaman and Ranking Member Domenici, I thank you again for holding this important hearing so that we can learn from the experts testifying today.” ###
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