Congresswoman Johnson shared her concerns about global warming and called for action in an Earth Day op ed in Capitol Hill's newspaper, The Hill.
“With Earth Day upon us, I would just like to note a few of the things
we have learned in the past several years – the Earth is warming, sea ice is
disappearing, the glaciers are receding, the oceans are acidifying, and sea
levels are rising. We know all of this from climate science. And all of
this will impact every single person on this planet.
The work being done at NASA, NOAA and other agencies is providing the
crucial data that our nation will need to move forward on this critical issue,
yet some would have us stop climate science research across the federal
government.
Hiding our heads in the sand will not solve anything, and it certainly
won’t stop the Earth from warming. I know that some still question whether
climate change is real, but in reality we are now beyond that question. The
overwhelming majority of scientists agree that it is real and it is happening.
To be fair, in trying to understand a phenomenon
of this magnitude, the job of science will never be done. It will continue to
evolve. We must always keep looking for new answers, replacing opinions with
data, and projections with observations. We must continue to innovate in how we
predict, measure, prevent and adapt to climate change. That is the nature of
science and of our stewardship of our planet.
We in Congress have to acknowledge that we are
not the experts, and that allowing partisan politics to skew the scientific
understanding of climate change is cynical, short-sighted, and, by definition,
ignorant. I implore my colleagues to recognize the value of research, and
resist efforts to defund and destroy the very scientific community that will
give us answers. We may not agree as to where the uncertainties within climate
science lie, but we can all understand that vast and avoidable uncertainties
will remain if you stop the progress of climate science.
This may be the scientific and policy challenge
of the millennium, and we have a responsibility to the nation and the world to
lead.
A former colleague of mine, Rep. Bob Inglis
(R-S.C.), eloquently conveyed his dismay at the recklessness of climate skepticism
by comparing it to the diagnosis of a sick child - if 98 doctors prescribe one
treatment, and 2 doctors prescribe a different treatment, who are you going to
follow? We don’t cure a disease by refusing to test for it, calling the doctor
a liar, and refusing to consider any treatment.
We have two choices when it comes to global
climate change: we can allow our scientists to continue to conduct extensive
research and improve our knowledge of this phenomenon, or we can just wait to
watch it happen and hope for the best. Our climate is changing, that fact is
irrefutable. This Earth Day should serve as a rallying call for increased
investment in ground-breaking climate science. Climate change is an issue that
impacts everyone on this Earth, and we owe it to our children and our
grandchildren to do all we can to address it.” – Congresswoman Eddie Bernice
Johnson
Congresswoman Johnson is the ranking member of the
House Science, Space and Technology Committee.
The Hill
The Hill
