Huffman Speaks on House Floor, Urges Action On Climate Change, Forest Conservation

April 25, 2013

WASHINGTON­—Today, Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), a member of the Safe Climate Caucus, spoke on the House floor about the urgent need for action on climate change and how forestlands can help reduce greenhouse gases and slow climate change

“Across this country, we are seeing the ruinous effects of climate change, from more powerful storms in the east to persistent drought and catastrophic wildfires in the west. We are not powerless in the face of this threat,” Congressman Huffman said. “We must manage our forestlands to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem. Healthy forests can actually help remove carbon dioxide from the environment, from the atmosphere.”

He highlighted Pacific Forest Trust, an organization that has worked for 20 years to conserve wildlands throughout California’s Second Congressional District and the West Coast.

The Safe Climate Caucus members have made a commitment to talk every day on the House Floor about the urgent need to address climate change.

Video of Congressman Huffman’s floor speech is available below: 

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Congressman Huffman’s prepared remarks are below:


Floor Statement of Congressman Jared Huffman
Safe Climate Caucus
April 25, 2013

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Across this country, we are seeing the ruinous effects of climate change, from more powerful storms in the east to persistent drought and catastrophic wildfires in the west.

We are not powerless in the face of this threat. We know what we have to do: slow our emissions of greenhouse gases, deploy clean energy solutions.

But we also must do another thing: we must manage our forestlands to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

Healthy forests can actually help remove carbon dioxide from the environment, from the atmosphere.

We sometimes hear about technologies that in the future may be able to do this, may be able to capture and store carbon dioxide.

But we have natural infrastructure that can do it right now.

A great example is from my own district in California: The Pacific Forest Trust. They’ve been working for over 20 years with landowners as well as local, state, and federal officials to conserve and manage forests to capture carbon.

Their work with forest conservation easements is paying off for wildlife, for landowners, and also for our climate.

Their Van Eck Forest in Humboldt County was the first forest emissions reduction project registered under California’s climate change law.

As we continue to argue for the need for serious climate legislation, I urge my colleagues to study this example – and to look to your own congressional districts as well.

The solutions are all around us. We just need to act.

I yield back the remainder of my time.