| Climate Change |
May 22, 2013 |
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Earl Blumenauer, D-OR
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"Given the potential negative environmental impacts, the repeated efforts by some to rush the environmental and public safety review process, the overwhelming number of comments and concerns received from the public and the recent news about the atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide that have reached 400 parts per million, an amount not seen in at least 3 million years, I’m concerned that this sideshow over the Keystone pipeline will make our climate problem worse, rather than better, and poison the ability to make progress in the future."
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| Water Resources Development Act Of 2013—Continued |
May 7, 2013 |
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Sheldon Whitehouse, D-RI
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"These are coastal concerns, but they have implications for all 50 of our States. If you eat seafood or take a beach vacation in the summer, this concerns you. If you have purchased anything produced outside the United States and imported through our network of coastal ports, this concerns you. According to 2011 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 75 percent of U.S. imports arrived on our shores through our ports, so they probably should concern you."
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| In Honor Of Dr. Gary B. Griggs |
April 26, 2013 |
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Sam Farr, D-CA
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"Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Gary B. Griggs, who is celebrating 45 years of expanding and sharing our understanding of the coastal and marine environment as a Distinguished Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of California Santa Cruz. Dr. Gary B. Griggs is the Director of the University of California Santa Cruz Institute of Marine Sciences. A leader in the field of marine and coastal geology, his research is focused on the coastal zone and ranges from coastal evolution and development, through shoreline processes, coastal hazards and coastal engineering, and sea level rise. He is a talented interpreter of complicated coastal science and has a long track record of effectively translating his findings for policymakers. He has also been a champion of raising public awareness about these important issues across the Monterey Bay region and beyond. He has authored numerous academic and popular articles and books, including Living with the Changing California Coast and Then & Now: Santa Cruz Coast. Griggs joined the UCSC faculty in 1968. He has been Director of the Institute of Marine Sciences and Long Marine Laboratory since 1991. The Long Marine Lab is known throughout the marine research community for innovative marine mammal research in areas of nearshore invertebrate marine biology, ecology, and issues surrounding ocean health. As Director, he spearheaded the development of the Seymour Marine Discovery Center at Long Marine Laboratory, an educational center organized around the understanding of marine science. For the last 13 years, the Seymour Center has offered innovative educational programs for community members of all ages including school, youth and college programs, teacher workshops, and an extensive range of visitor and member programs. In 2001, he led the launch of the Center for Ocean Health, a premier research facility for coastal conservation, policy, and research. The Center for Ocean Health has brought together some of the world’s leading coastal and marine scientists, government and non-government coastal conservation and policy experts, and public education leaders. Their projects and partnerships are addressing a wide range of issues including complex coastal water science and policy issues, troubled sea otter populations in Alaska and California, and the socio-economic impacts of storms and sea level rise on coastal communities. In 2009, the California Coastal Commission named Gary Griggs as a California Coastal Heroes. He was recognized for his efforts to promote popular understanding of the California coast and for his leadership in the development of a major marine research and education center at Long Marine Laboratory. In 2010, Professor Griggs was elected as a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences, an international center for scientific education and research at the forefront of efforts to understand and protect the diversity of Earth’s living things. Dr. Griggs has actively sought to break down silos between the academia and government. He has actively supported collaboration between marine scientists and decision-makers. The UC Santa Cruz marine campus at the edge of Monterey Bay physically embodies this collaborative approach and shares space with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center as well as with the State of California’s Oiled Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center. Recently, his research projects have focused on documenting and understanding coastal erosion processes including temporal and spatial variations in rates of retreat; evaluating the effectiveness of coastal protection structures and the impacts of coastal engineering projects (seawalls, jetties, breakwaters) on coastal processes and beaches; evaluating beach processes and quantifying littoral cell budgets and human impacts on these budgets; impacts of extreme events such as El Ninos) on coastlines; the impacts of sea level rise on California’s beaches and coastline; and coastal policies to reduce the impacts of hazards and sea level rise. Mr. Speaker, I once again want to thank Dr. Griggs for his leadership on ocean and coastal science and policy and recognize him for serving as an inspirational and accomplished leader for my community."
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| Climate Change |
April 22, 2013 |
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Christopher Coons, D-DE
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"Frankly, there is only so much the Federal Government can do as far as adapting to climate change. It still plays a very important role, which States and the private sector alone cannot. The Federal Government can ensure States have accurate data on climate trends over the long term on which to base its assessments and calculations; invest in tidal gauges that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, maintains off all of our coasts, which are critical to monitoring sea level rise; and support the satellites overhead which track changing weather patterns."
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