Boxer Cop15 Speech

8/14/2019 Boxer Cop15 Speech

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SENATOR BARBARA BOXER:Clean Energy Jobs Grew at Three Times the Rate

of the Rest of the California EconomyDecember 14, 2009

(Remarks as prepared for delivery)The press of Senate business keeps me from attendingthe climate talks in Copenhagen, and requires me tostay in Washington, DC, so I have decided to speaktoday from the Environment and Public Works Hearingroom, and deliver the speech I would have given in

Denmark.Mary Nichols, Chairman of the California Air ResourcesBoard, has agreed to circulate my remarks among thosein attendance in Copenhagen.I: INTRODUCTION:As the nations of the world meet in Copenhagen todiscuss the challenge of global warming, the UnitedStates brings to these discussions a strong record ofeffective action, built from the ground up.Action by governors in dozens of states from coast tocoast.Action by over 1000 mayors in every state of the Union.

Action by the President and the EnvironmentalProtection Agency.And action in both Houses of the United States Congresswith better and better news from the Senate every day.

There are those including my Ranking Republican Member on the


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Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator Inhofe, who aredetermined to claim that the U.S. will not take action to reduce globalwarming.

Sen. Inhofe, who has said that global warming is the

biggest hoax ever perpetrated, says hes going to tellthe participants in the Copenhagen talks that there willnot be serious action to address climate change inAmerica.

He is entitled to his opinion, but he is not entitled to hisown facts.

I am here to set the record straight. America has

already acted. We continue to act. And we are doingmore every day.

II. STATE AND LOCAL ACTIONLets look at my home state of California. If it were aseparate country, it would be the worlds seventh or

eighth largest economy. A 2006 law requires action tocut greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.Last month, the California Air Resources Board producedits first cap-and-trade blueprint, which would cap globalwarming pollution for about 600 of the largest emittersin the state. The plan includes offsets and othermeasures to ensure a smooth transition to a clean

energy economy.

All together, 33 states accounting for two-thirds of theU.S. population -- are embracing action as part ofregional or state-based cap-and-trade emissions-reduction programs.


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A new report out last week shows that these state-levelactions could cut the nations CO2 output by 536 millionmetric tons by 2020. Thats the equivalent of 7 percentof our countrys greenhouse gases produced in 2005.

The ten Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states in theRegional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) have alreadyheld six auctions for carbon allowances, and 233 powerplants are buying and selling pollution permits under anexisting, operating cap-and-trade program.If you look a little further to our north and west, anothersix states have formed the Midwest Greenhouse Gas

Reduction Accord, and are developing their own cap andtrade system.In the western states, the Western Climate Initiative(WCI) - comprised of seven U.S. states, including myhome state of California, and four Canadian provinces --recently announced its recommendations for the designof a regional market-based cap-and-trade program.In the Southeast, Charlie Crist, the Republican governor,signed a law last year authorizing the Florida'sDepartment of Environmental Protection to develop acap-and-trade program for emissions from electricutilities.

The actions taken by states are powerful evidence thatour states are committed to participating in the cleanenergy transformation and in the jobs and economicopportunities that come with it.

Our nations cities are also taking action to cutemissions, reduce energy consumption. On October 2,the 1000th mayor signed the Mayors Climate ProtectionAgreement, pledging to reduce his communities carbonemissions 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012.


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California is a leader in this wave of local action, too,with 135 mayors in my state taking part. Incommunities across the country, cities are turning theirmunicipal fleets toward alternative fuels or hybrid power,

making city buildings more sustainable, employingcleaner energy sources for power plants.In Los Angeles, Mayor Villaraigosa has set a goal of 40percent renewable energy for the citys water and powerdepartment by 2020, and the city aims to make itspower generation entirely coal-free by then.The programs our cities are putting in place are cutting

global warming pollution and boosting clean energydemand right now. These are real changes that arealready underway.III. THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS ACTINGBusiness executives from leading American companiesare also demanding we take action now -- to unleashthe marketplace for clean energy technology.Last month, Dow Chemical Company's vice president forgovernment affairs said legislation that puts a price oncarbon gives companies like his predictability to invest innew technologies that otherwise would not be viable,like manufacturing solar shingles or using CO2 to createfuel with algae.

The sooner we act, the better.The Vice Chairman of GE testified before the EPW Committee that cleanenergy could become the dominant job creator of the 21st Century. He said,Companies and countries that move quickly to seize that opportunity willreap the rewards going forward.

We know that clean energy is a proven job creator.


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The latest economic study at the University of Californiaat Berkeley predicts up to 1.9 million new jobs inAmerica from a comprehensive clean energy bill. And

once again, my state is demonstrating that these jobsare real.Clean energy and energy efficiency jobs continue to beone of the bright spots in the California economy. OnDecember 9th, the Los Angeles Times reported ananalysis released by Collaborative Economics for theNext 10 organization that found green jobs increased by5 percent -- while total jobs declined by 1 percent -- in

California from January 2007 to January 2008. The studyalso found that between 1995 and 2008, green jobsgrew at three times the rate of the overall Californiaeconomy.The Pew Charitable Trust reports that 10,000 new cleanenergy businesses were launched in California from1998 to 2007. During that period, clean energyinvestments created more than 125,000 jobs andgenerated jobs 15 percent faster than the Californiaeconomy as a whole.These are solid, steady, good wage-paying jobs.

Im talking about manufacturing jobs for steel workersand machinists, transportation jobs for truckers and railworkers, high-tech jobs for electrical engineers and

software designers. Jobs building and installing solarpanels on houses here in the U.S. cant be outsourced toother countries.

We have a choice. We can create jobs here by putting inplace the policies that drive innovation. That is the bestway to ensure that we do not stand by and watch as


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other countries create them overseas.By 2020, the global clean energy market is estimated toreach $500 billion, some two and a half times the size of

the global personal computer market. A BloombergNews report this month found that clean energy isalready estimated to draw $200 billion in investmentsworldwide in 2010.IV. FEDERAL ACTION IS HAPPENING NOWLast week marked an important milestone in the effort toaddress the challenge of global warming: The EPA found

that global warming presents a danger to our people andour environment.

The endangerment finding that EPA Administrator LisaJackson released reflects the hard work of experts inboth Republican and Democratic administrations.The Obama Administration has done the right thing forthe nation, for the planet, and if you listen to ourbusiness community -- for the economy.The endangerment finding will set the stage for EPAregulations to curb global warming pollution fromvehicles, and also makes it possible to addressemissions from new and expanded power plants.EPA has a crucial role to play in getting the process

started. The Clean Air Act provides EPA with powerfultools for addressing greenhouse gases, and the SupremeCourt found it is their responsibility.The endangerment finding itself is clear: TheAdministrator finds that six greenhouse gases taken incombination endanger both the public health and the


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public welfare of current and future generations.

The finding cites dangers to public health from changesin air quality, increases in temperatures, changes in

extreme weather events, increases in food- and water-borne pathogens Threats to public welfare includenumerous and far-ranging risks to food productionand agriculture, forestry, water resources, sea level riseand coastal areas, energy, infrastructure andecosystems and wildlife.In September, EPA finalized its Greenhouse GasReporting Rule, which will, for the first time, require

large emitters of heat-trapping emissions to begincollecting greenhouse gas (GHG) data under a newreporting system.

Following through on a plan announced in May 2009, theObama Administration proposed rules in September thatwould set nationwide limits on greenhouse gasemissions from vehicles and require a nearly 40 percentincrease in fuel efficiency for cars and light trucks sold inthe United States by 2016.

V: CONGRESS IS MOVING FORWARDAnd Congress has taken important steps, too.In February, we approved tens of billions of dollars forclean energy funding through the American Recovery

and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which includedover $58 billion in funding for important clean energypriorities.The Recovery Act includes funds for hands-on trainingfor jobs installing solar panels, maintaining electricvehicles, and researching fuel cell technologies and


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putting people to work boosting the energy efficiencyhomes across America.

Just last week, Sapphire Energy -- a San Diego company

using algae to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide intorenewable fuels -- received more than $100 million ingrants and loan guarantees through the Recovery Act.Those funds will allow Sapphire to create hundreds ofjobs and expand their commercial scale facilities in NewMexico and advance their research activities in SanDiego.

The House has also acted on a comprehensive plan --

On June 26, 2009, the U.S. House of Representativesapproved H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy andSecurity Act, by a vote of 219 to 212.In June, the Senate Energy Committee passed S. 1462,the American Clean Energy Leadership Act (ACELA).

And on November 5, 2009: The Senate Environment and

Public Works Committee passed the Clean Energy Jobsand American Power Act.Our bill is a road map to avoiding the most dangerousimpacts of global warming, getting us off our $1 billion aday foreign oil habit, creating millions of new jobs andensuring the United States is a leader in the cleanenergy economy.The Kerry Boxer bill addresses major challenges of our

generation:Creating the policies that will lead to millions of new

jobs here in America;Putting America back in control of our energy future;Making our nation more secure and less dependent on


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foreign oil; andProtecting our children and the earth from dangerous

pollution.Provisions of the Kerry-Boxer bill and the Energy

Committees bill now will become part of acomprehensive clean energy and climate package forconsideration by the full Senate. Majority Leader Reid isworking with the chairmen of six committees (EPW,Energy, Commerce, Foreign Relations, Finance, andAgriculture) to craft a package for floor consideration.

Senators Kerry, Lieberman and Graham are hard at workbuilding the bipartisan consensus that will be needed to

pass comprehensive clean energy legislation. Theyannounced the broad parameters of their bill, and theyare dedicated to getting the votes needed to pass thebill in the Senate.

Senator Cantwell introduced a bill with Senator Collins,which I believe is a positive development, because themore Senators involved in discussing the issue, thebetter.I was deeply moved by the recent statement ofSenator Robert C. Byrd about the importance ofworking together to develop clean energy legislationthat works for all regions of the country.

To be part of any solution, one must firstacknowledge a problem. To deny the mounting

science of climate change is to stick our heads in thesand and say deal me out. West Virginia would bemuch smarter to stay at the table.

Senator Byrd is right. We all need to stay at the tableand find the answers, together. Solutions that will


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benefit West Virginia. Solutions that will benefitCalifornia. Solutions that create jobs for workersacross the nation and protect children from coast tocoast from pollution.

The need for action is urgent.

VI. THE SCIENCE IS CLEARThe worlds leading scientists continue to tell us that wemust reduce carbon pollution now to avoid the mostdangerous effects of climate change. And they continueto reaffirm those warnings despite the latest attempts bythose opposed to action to undermine the publicsconfidence.Just last week, a letter from 25 of Americas mostpreeminent scientific experts including 8 members ofthe National Academy of Sciences wrote to Congress tounderscore the need for urgent action to reduce globalwarming pollution.

Heres what they wrote --

We would like to set the record straight. Thebody of evidence that human activity is thedominant cause of global warming isoverwhelming. The content of the stolen emailshas no impact whatsoever on our overallunderstanding that human activity is driving

dangerous levels of global warming.And on Friday, December 4, the American Association forthe Advancement of Science (AAAS) has reaffirmed theposition of its Board of Directors and the leaders of 18respected organizations, who concluded based on


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multiple lines of scientific evidence that global climatechange caused by human activities is now underway,and it is a growing threat to society.

The vast preponderance of evidence, based onyears of research conducted by a wide array ofdifferent investigators at many institutions, clearlyindicates that global climate change is real, it iscaused largely by human activities, and the needto take action is urgent, said Alan I. Leshner,chief executive officer of AAAS and executivepublisher of the journal Science.

I believe the recent focus on stolen emails from a Britishuniversity has further focused attention on globalwarming.

Nothing that we have seen to date on the stolen emailscontradicts the overwhelming body of scientific work,which shows that global warming caused by humanactivity is real and serious. The Associated Pressinvestigation of the emails found the same thing. Morethan anything, the emails reflect the intensity of feelingson both sides associated with the debate between thedissenters, and the vast majority of leading experts.

Unfortunately this debate got personalized by bothsides.For a long time the dissenters have used emotional

language to characterize the scientists and others whohave called for action on global warming. Earlier thisyear, Senator Inhofe called business leaders who supportaction on climate change, a few corporate prostitutes.The website JunkScience.com called them carboncriminals and put their faces on Wanted posters.[CHART]


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Well, some scientist reacted in kind. Heres anexample. [CHART]

It is unfortunate that personal animosity entered thisdebate, but we must listen to what the science is tellingus.

The science is clear, the challenge is real, and the timeto act is now.A recent commentary on public radio a few days ago onthe Copenhagen talks summed up the key points. Fred

Fiske is a long-standing commentator with public radio.The threat posed by global warming is serious risingsea levels, drought, disease, collapsing agriculture, andmass population migrations are just some of what weare facing if we do not act. American business leadersknow we need to act now a company like Coca Cola,which relies on reliable local supplies of clean water, isdeeply concerned with the problem of water scarcity.

And finally the urgency of action is undeniable:Reaching consensus nationally, regionally, andglobally will not be easy. But if we are at all concernedwith the habitability of the planet which we will bequeathto future generations, we must move forward.VII. CONCLUSION

Two weeks ago, the President sent a strong signal to theworld that this nation is serious about working with theinternational community when he proposed a U.S. targetin the range of 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.The EPW Committee passed a 20 percent target, and theHouse passed a 17 percent cut, so the Presidents


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proposal is certainly credible and realistic, because itreflects the work of both Houses of Congress.And I was pleased to see that the President plans to be

in Copenhagen this week, with nearly 100 other heads ofstate, to participate in the crucial final stages of thenegotiations.Our nation will be a full participant in crafting a globalsolution to this global challenge.It is easy to say, No. But I believe that would bemissing a huge opportunity to launch a strong economic

rebound and save our planet for our children andgrandchildren.We didnt ask for this challenge. But it is here, and wehave a responsibility to face it.

And the best part is this: clean energy legislation willmove us away from foreign oil and the billion dollars aday we pay for it, and it will lead us into a strongeconomic recovery and long term prosperity for ournation.###

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Boxer Cop15 Speech