Bipartisan House group floats resolution to note warming impacts
The resolution, H.Res. 825, comes from Democratic Reps. Diana DeGette of Colorado and Suzan DelBene of Washington state, along with Republican Climate Solutions Caucus members Reps. Carlos Curbelo of Florida and Mia Love of Utah.
It calls on the House to recognize the harmful impacts of climate change on land, water and ecosystems used for outdoor recreation.
Outdoor activities like skiing, which states like Colorado and Utah heavily rely on, generate $887 billion in spending and support 7.6 million jobs in the United States, according to the resolution.
The resolution asks the House to support policies at the federal, state and local level that address the causes and effects of climate change by promoting land and water conservation while also supporting communities, increasing tourism and expanding the economy.
The measure says the U.S. Global Change Research Program has reported global temperatures are increasing and that the last three years have been the warmest in recorded history.
As a result, the document says, ocean temperatures and sea levels are rising, and there has been increased ocean acidification, glacier melt, shorter winters, reduced snowpack and more extreme weather events.
As climate change affects ecosystems and wildlife, it is threatening outdoor activities like fishing, hunting, skiing, rafting, bird-watching, climbing and others, says the resolution.
Later this month, Citizens’ Climate Lobby is co-hosting a congressional briefing with the Climate Solutions Caucus, which adds Democrats and Republicans in pairs, about how global warming is affecting the Winter Olympics.
Gold medalist and cross-country skier Jessie Diggins, who has endorsed a revenue-neutral carbon fee and dividend proposal, will be there to speak about snow loss and winter sports.
The caucus also last year hosted Olympic snowboarders, fly fishermen, rock climbers and polar explorers to speak about the issue. Both Curbelo and Love were at the briefing (E&E Daily, Sept. 14, 2017).