Post-Sandy, Dems push for climate change action
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In the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, lawmakers from the hardest-hit states continue picking up the pieces of widespread damage left in the wake of the storm, facing billions of dollars worth of infrastructural damage, dozens of civilian casualties, and lingering outages that left millions of Americans without power for days or even weeks. Even as they look to make immediate repairs, however, a number of Democrats are also pushing for reforms that will prevent similar future catastrophes -- and are using the moment to renew calls for serious action on climate change.
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"New York has no choice: We must simultaneously adapt and fortify our coastline to protect against future storms," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in remarks at the hearing. "Basically the whole southern area of New York is three islands: Long Island, Staten Island, and Manhattan... And we're connected by a vast array of 100-year-old tunnels and bridges that were built long before climate change, global warming, was in anybody's mind. So, most of our infrastructure has been built without the necessary flood protections in their design. Sandy reminded us of a very stark reality - we can either invest now or we'll pay later."
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"There is a new normal of new extremes, and we have to be prepared for it. The infrastructure for the past is no longer adequate for the new normal of new extremes that we are now facing," said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., in today's hearing. "The reason that we have this new normal of new extremes is because global climate change is happening and is real. And we've tolerated the deniers for far too long in this body."
When will Obama make a major speech outlining preparations for what is coming? End the climate silence please Mr president. Obama has been silent on this issue since 2009, it's time to deal with this head on. The election is over and it's time to stop worrying about the politics of it
