[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 3, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2729-S2733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CLIMATE CHANGE
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, the last two weekends have surged with
political activism. Around the world, millions of people took to the
streets to stand up for science and to call attention to the global
crisis of climate change. This past weekend, my wife and I marched here
in Washington, alongside 200,000 people from across our country in the
People's Climate March.
I joined faculty and students from Rhode Island's Greene School, an
environmental charter school named after the great Nathanael Greene.
The Presiding Officer may well know that Nathanael Greene worked his
way through the Presiding Officer's State during the course of fighting
the Southern Revolutionary campaign and that General Cornwallis wrote
to his wife that ``that damn Greene is more dangerous than
Washington.'' So we are very proud of Nathanael Greene in Rhode Island
and of the school that bears his name.
The kids who came down traveled overnight, through the night, to
participate in that march. Joined by 375 sister marches worldwide, we
came together with one voice to demand leadership in the fight against
climate change. The Science March in Washington over Earth Day weekend,
led by a nonpartisan group of scientists, was joined by people in 600
satellite marches around the world.
I went to Earth Day Texas, a truly impressive event, with 150,000
people, making it the largest Earth Day event in the world. It is the
passion of businessman and philanthropist Trammell Crow, who has been
bringing Republicans and Democrats together to combat climate change
since 2011. So for my 165th ``Time to Wake Up'' speech, I want to thank
all of those folks who made their voices heard these past few weeks in
the streets or online.
With the Trump administration locked into tone-deaf climate denial,
these marches mattered. And how tone-deaf this administration is. Data
from Yale's program on Climate Change Communication shows national
support for climate action across a broad range of questions.
Nationally, 71 percent trust scientists about climate change--right
here; trust climate science about global warming, 71 percent. So many
folks came out to the Science March to show that.
A majority of Americans, 53 percent, believe climate change is caused
mostly by human activity. That compares to 9 percent--9 percent of the
Republican caucus here in a vote taken just last Congress. History will
have to look back and explain why 53 percent of the American people say
that is the case and only 9 percent of our Republican caucus was able
to recognize that.
Eighty-two percent of Americans want research into clean and
renewable energy sources. Seventy-five percent want us to regulate
carbon dioxide as a pollutant, and 69 percent--right here--want strict
CO2 limits on existing coal-fired powerplants.
The President is disparaging the Paris climate agreement, but 7 out
of 10 registered voters say the United States should stay in.
Republicans favor staying in the Paris agreement by 2 to 1. This chart
shows that support for research into renewables is strong across the
country, even in coal country: 79 percent in Kentucky, 81 percent in
West Virginia, and 82 percent in Wyoming.
It is the same in the oil patch. Seventy-nine percent of Texans
support research into renewables. Despite this overwhelming public
support, even in the reddest and most fossil fuel States, President
Trump is proposing massive cuts to this research--clearly, tone-deaf.
It is the same for emissions limits on coal plants. In all 50 States,
in all 435 red, blue, and purple congressional districts, there is
majority support for emissions limits.
Every single congressional district in the country has majority
support for emissions limits. Of course, in some, it goes up into huge
numbers like over 75 percent here in Vermont, but the baseline is that
every single congressional district, a majority want emissions limits,
but of course tone-deaf President Trump has directed his EPA
Administrator to look at dismantling the Clean Power Plan.
A majority of Americans in every single State and in every single
congressional district, which obviously includes every Republican
congressional district, agree that climate change is happening. Whether
you break it down
[[Page S2730]]
by State or break it down by congressional district, the results are
the same. From here--50 percent and down--are various shades of blue.
From here--50 percent and up--are various shades of orange. As you can
see, there is not a remaining speck of blue on this map. The American
people have settled this question in their minds.
Here is what, by the way, the next generation of Republicans think.
The Thomson Reuters Foundation surveyed 21 college Republican clubs, of
whom half said their members believe human activities are changing the
climate. ``The people that are in power right now, for whatever reason,
don't have that same global view,'' said Grace Woodward, the president
of the Davidson College Republicans.
She continued: ``When our generation is in power, we will take
climate change much more seriously.'' I am not sure we have the time
for that, but I appreciate Grace's sentiment.
Kent Haeffner, president of the Harvard University Republican Club,
said he, too, believes it will eventually become politically unviable
for Republicans to keep dismissing climate change. He said: ``I think
that the folks that are our age are going to have to reshape the party
and take it in a different direction.'' It sounds like these future
leaders of the Republican Party are putting their elders on notice.
It is not just a majority of the American people and it is not just
young leaders of the Republican Party who don't buy President Trump's
tone-deaf climate agenda; corporate America is not buying it either. In
the lead-up to the inauguration, more than 630 companies and investors,
representing nearly 2 million employees and more than $1 trillion in
annual revenue, wrote to Donald Trump, counseling him to follow through
on U.S. commitments to combat climate change.
Food giants Kellogg's, Campbell's, and Mars, clothing brands Nike and
Levi's, and other corporate heavyweights like Monsanto and Johnson &
Johnson urged the incoming President to maintain national efforts to
reduce emissions, invest in the low-carbon economy at home and abroad,
and keep the United States in the Paris Agreement.
Just last week, 13 of the largest and most successful companies in
America wrote to the President to, and I quote them here, ``urge that
the United States remain a party to the Paris Agreement, work
constructively with other nations to implement the agreement, and work
to strengthen international support for broad ranges of innovation
technology.''
I don't know how the business community could state its position much
more clearly. That group included BP, DuPont, General Mills, Google,
Intel, Microsoft, National Grid, Novartis, PG&E, Schneider Electric,
Shell, Unilever, and Walmart.
As former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg put it, ``Washington
won't determine the fate of our ability to meet our Paris commitment.''
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have both of these letters
printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
April 26, 2017.
Hon. Donald J. Trump,
President of the United States, The White House, 1600
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. President: We write to express our support for
continued participation by the United States in the Paris
climate change agreement.
Climate change presents U.S. companies with both business
risks and business opportunities. U.S. business interests are
best served by a stable and practical framework facilitating
an effective and balanced global response. We believe the
Paris Agreement provides such a framework.
Companies based or operating in the United States benefit
from U.S. participation in the agreement in many ways:
Strengthening competitiveness--By requiring action by all
parties, developed and developing countries alike, the
agreement ensures a more balanced global effort, reducing the
risk of competitive imbalances for U.S. companies.
Supporting sound investment--By setting clearer long-term
objectives, and by improving transparency, the agreement
provides greater clarity on policy direction, enabling better
long-term planning and investment.
Creating jobs, markets and growth--By committing all
countries to action, the agreement expands markets for
innovative clean technologies, generating jobs and economic
growth. U.S. companies are well positioned to lead, and lack
of U.S. participation could put their access to these growing
markets at risk.
Minimizing costs--By encouraging market-based
implementation, the agreement helps companies innovate to
achieve environmental objectives at the lowest possible cost.
Reducing business risks--By strengthening global action
over time, the agreement will reduce future climate damages,
including physical harm to business facilities and
operations, declining agricultural productivity and water
supplies, and disruption of global supply chains.
As businesses concerned with the well-being of our
customers, our investors, our communities, and our suppliers,
we are strengthening our climate resilience, and we are
investing in renewables, efficiency, nuclear, biofuels,
carbon capture, sequestration, and other innovative
technologies that can help achieve a clean energy transition.
For this transition to succeed, however, governments must
lead as well. We urge that the United States remain a party
to the Paris Agreement, work constructively with other
nations to implement the agreement, and work to strengthen
international support for a broad range of innovative
technologies.
We believe that as other countries invest in advanced
technologies and move forward with the Paris Agreement, the
United States can best exercise global leadership and advance
U.S. interests by remaining a full partner in this vital
global effort.
We appreciate the opportunity to share our views and would
welcome the opportunity to provide further input as the
Administration continues to shape its climate policies.
Sincerely,
Apple, BHP Billiton, BP, DuPont, General Mills, Google,
Intel, Microsoft, National Grid, Novartis Corporation, PG&E,
Rio Tinto, Schneider Electric, Shell, Unilever, Walmart.
____
Dear President Trump, Members of the US Congress, and
Global Leaders: We, the undersigned members in the business
and investor community of the United States, re-affirm our
deep commitment to addressing climate change through the
implementation of the historic Paris Climate Agreement.
We want the US economy to be energy efficient and powered
by low-carbon energy. Cost-effective and innovative solutions
can help us achieve these objectives. Failure to build a low-
carbon economy puts American prosperity at risk. But the
right action now will create jobs and boost US
competitiveness. We pledge to do our part, in our own
operations and beyond, to realize the Paris Agreement's
commitment of a global economy that limits global temperature
rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius.
We call on our elected US leaders to strongly support:
1. Continuation of low-carbon policies to allow the US to
meet or exceed our promised national commitment and to
increase our nation's future ambition.
2. Investment in the low carbon economy at home and abroad
in order to give financial decision-makers clarity and boost
the confidence of investors worldwide.
3. Continued US participation in the Paris Agreement, in
order to provide the long-term direction needed to keep
global temperature rise below 2 deg.C.
Implementing the Paris Agreement will enable and encourage
businesses and investors to turn the billions of dollars in
existing low-carbon investments into the trillions of dollars
the world needs to bring clean energy and prosperity to all.
We support leaders around the world as they seek to
implement the Paris Agreement and leverage this historic
opportunity to tackle climate change.
18 Rabbits, Inc.; 22 Designs; 2pp; 3P Partners; 3rd Rock
Data; 3Sisters Sustainable Management, LLC; 475 High
Performance Building Supply; 900 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria;
Adobe Home Furnishings; Abt Electronics; Abundance Food Coop;
Acer America Corporation; Active Minds LLC; Addenda Capital;
Adidas Group; Adobe, Inc; Adopt-A-watt; AdventureCORPS, Inc.;
Aegis Renewable Energy; AGF Investments Inc.; Agrarian Ales;
AjO; Akamai Technologies, Inc.; Aker Wade Power Technologies;
Allagash Brewing Company; Allianz; Allumia; AlphaFlow, Inc.;
Alta Ski Area; Altiz Orchard; Amalgamated Bank; Amber
Kinetics; AMD; Ameresco, Inc.
American Licorice Co.; American Outdoor Products, Inc.;
Amherst College; Amicus GBC, LLC; Anchor; Ankrom Moisan;
Architects; Annie Card Creative Services; Annie's, Inc.;
Anthesis Group; Anthropocene Institute; Applied Sustanability
Group.
Appraccel; Appropriate Technology Group, LLC; Apricus Inc.;
Aradia's Temple; Arapahoe Basin; Archer Capital Advisors;
Agryle Brewing Company; Arjuna Capital; ARTEMIA
Communications.
Artemis Water Strategy; ArtforScience; As You Sow; Aslan
Brewing Company LLC; Aspen Brewing Company; Aspen Skiing
Company; Assured Medical Billing, Inc.; Astra Women's
Business Alliance; Athena Sustainable Materials Institute;
Athens Impact Investing.
Athens Impact LLC: Socially Responsible Financial Services;
Athens' Own; Auralites Inc.; Aurental Consulting; Autodesk,
Inc.; Aveda; Avery and Sun; Avery Dennison; Axialent USA;
Azzad Asset Management.
B2B4ME; Baker Office Supply; Baldwin Brothers Inc.;
Bambeco; Banan; Baroco Corporation; Barrett International
Technology;
[[Page S2731]]
Basic Solar & Renewables; Bath Natural Market; Bean Capers
Inc.; Beanfields PBC; Beautycounter; Belay Technologies,
Inc.; BELKIS Consulting, LLC; BELT; Ben & Jerry's Homemade,
Inc.; Bent Paddle Brewing Co.
Bergsund DeLaney Architecture & Planning; Bespoken
Corporate Communications; Big Dipper Wax Works Inc.; Big Kid
Science; Big Path Capital; Biodico; Biogen, Inc.;
Biohabitats, Inc.; BioJam Industrial Research & Development
Global, Inc.; Bioroot Energy, Inc.; Biositu, LLC;
Biosynthetic Technologies.
Bisbee Food Co-op; BKW III, LLC; Black Oak Wind Farm;
Blacklin Associates; Blacktorne S&D Consulting; Blogs for
Brands; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts; Blue Moon
Wellness; Blue Mountain Solar Inc.; Blue Phoenix Media, Inc.;
Blue Star Integrative Studio; Blueprint Public Affairs;
Boardwalk Capital Management; Bonnaire Enterprises LLC; Bora
Architects; Boreal Mountain Tahoe/Soda Springs Ski Resort.
Borst Enginerring & Construction LLC; Boston Common Asset
Management; Boston Organics; Bowling Green LLC; Box Digital
Media; Box Latch Products; BR+A Consulting Engineers; Breathe
Deep; Brendshann Construction Co Inc.; Brewery Vivant; Bright
Common Architecture; Brit + Co; Broadside Bookshop; Brooks
Sports; Buglet Solar Electric Installation; Bumbleride;
Bump'n Grind; Bunk House at ZION; Bed & Breakfast; Buoy Beer
Company; Burness; Burton Snowboards; Burtt & Associates;
Business Climate Leaders; Business Wisdom; ByFusion.
C+C; CA Healthy Nail Salon Cooperative; CA Technologies;
Cali Green Life; Califia Farms; California Clean Energy Fund;
California Public Employees' Retirement System; California
State Teachers Retirement System; Calvert Investments;
Calypso Communications LLC; Cambridge Energy Advisors; Camp
Encore/Coda; Campbell Soup Company; Cantabrigian Mechanics;
Canyon Market; Cappello's; Captus Group LLC; Carbon
Lighthouse; Care2.
Carlsbad Feed Store; Carolina Biodiesel, LLC; Case Medical;
Catalyst Paper Corporation; Catalyze Partners; CDI Meters,
Inc.; CEO Pipe Organs/Golden Ponds Farm; Cerego; CEVG;
Chambong Industries; Charge Across Town; Che Qualita
Enterprises, Inc.; ChekFaxx Corporation; Cherly Heinrichs
Architecture; ChicoEco, Inc DBA; ChicoBag Company; Choices
Natural Market; Chosen Futures; Christopher Reynolds
Foundation; Church Investment Group; City Brewery; Clarion
Group Live, Inc.; Clean Agency; Clean Edge, Inc.; Clean
Energy Collective; Clean Energy Investment Management; Clean
Technology Partners, LLC; Clean Yield Asset Management;
CleanCapital.
Clear Blue Commercial; Clif Bar & Company; Climate Clean,
Inc.; Climate Coach International, LLC; Climate First!;
Climate Ready Solutions; Cloudability; Coelius Consulting;
Coerver Analytics, LLC; Columbia Green Technologies; Columbia
Sportswear Company; Communitas Financial Planning; Community
Capital Management, Inc.; Compass Natural LLC; Compass(x)
Strategy; Compression Institute; Comunicaciones Kokopele;
Comverge; Confluence Sustainability; Congregation of Sisters
of St. Agnes; Congregation of St. Joseph.
Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds; CONTEMPL8 T-
SHIRTS LLC; Content Creation Services; Continuum Industries,
Inc.; Convex Technologies Inc.; Cool Energy, Inc.; Cooper
Spur Mountain Resort; Copper Mountain Ski Resort; Copyrose
Marketing & Communications; Corn Board Manufacturing, Inc.;
Cornerstone Capital Group; Cornucopia Community Advocates;
COULSON; Craft Brew Alliance; Creative Facilitating and
Coaching; Creekwood Energy Partners; Crossbow Strategies;
Crystal Mountain; CTA Architects Engineers; Curren Media
Group; Cyclone Energy Group.
Dahlman Ranch, Inc.; Dana Investment Advisors; Dana Lund
Landscaping; Dannon Company, Inc.; Dansko Inc; Daughters of
Charity, Province of St. Louise; DayQuest Life Counseling &
Healthy-Mind Services; DBL Partners; Debra's Natural Gourmet;
Decoding Sustainability with Matthew Yamatin; Deep Green Inc;
Deer Valley Resort; Della's LLC; Deschutes Brewery; Detour;
DIESEL, A Bookstore; Dignity Health; Distance Learning
Consulting; Do Good Investing, LLC; Domini Impact Investments
LLC; Dominican Sisters of Hope; Dominican Sisters of Mission
San Jose; Dominican Sisters of Peace; Dominican Sisters of
San Rafael; Dominican Sisters of Sparkill; DoneGood; Donna M.
Carr, M.D.; Dorothea Leicher NCpsyA; Douglas Elliman; Drew
Maran Construction, Inc.; Ducoterra LLC; DuPage Psychological
Associates; DuPont; Durange Compost Company; DynoForms.
Eaglecrest Ski Area; Earth - Bread + Brewery LLC; Earth
Essence; Earth Friendly Products (ECOS); EarthKind Energy;
Earthprints; Earthshade NAtural Window Fashions; Ebates;
eBay; Ecco Bella; Echo Credits; Echo Mountain; Eco Latch
Systems, LLC; Eco-Products; Ecodeo; Ecogate; EcoPlum;
ecoShuttle; Ecosystems Group, Inc; EcoTienda La Chiwinha;
Ecotone Services, Inc; Edgewood Garden LLC; Eighty2degrees
LLC; EILEEN FISHER; EKI Energy Services Limited; Eleek, Inc.;
Elephants Delicatessen; Ellenzweig; Elloian Law; Emerge
Interactive; Emerger Strategies; Emmy's Organics, Inc.;
Empowerment Solar LLC; Endosys; Energy Optimizers, USA;
EnergyWorks.
Entercom Communications Corp.; Environment & Enterprise
Strategies; EOS Climate; Epic Capital Wealth Management;
Equal Exchange Inc; Equinox Consultancy LLC; Erin Austin Law;
Eskew+Dumez+Ripple; Espresso Parts LLC; Essex Timber Co. LLC;
ETG book cafe; Ethical Bean Coffee; Ethical Markets Media
Certified B Corp.; Etho Capital; ETM Solar Works; Eva Realty,
LLC; Evari GIS Consulting; Everence & the Praxis Mutual
Funds; Evolution Marketing; Exact Solar.
Fairhaven Runners, Inc.; Faller Real Estate; Farmers Union,
Inc.; Feel Good Salsa LLC; Felician Sisters of North America
Inc., Leadership Team; Fetzer Vineyards; Fiberactive
Organics; Filtrine Mfg. Co.; First Affirmative Financial
Network; Flink Energy Consulting; FOG Pharmaceuticals, Inc.;
Fort George Brewery and Public House; Four Twenty Seven;
Framework LLC; Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, NY; Franciscan
Sisters of Perpetual Adoration; Fred Thomas Resort; Fremont
Brewing; Friends Fidicuary Corporation; Future Made.
Gaia Herbs; Gale River Motel, LLC; Gap Inc.; Gara
Landscapes, LLC; Garmentory Inc.; Gauthereau Group; CGI
General Contractors; Geek Werks; Genentech, Inc.; General
Mills, Inc.; Gerding Edlen Development; Gerry Fortin Rare
Coins; Ginkgo Leaf Consulting; Gladstein, Neandross &
Associates; Global Energy Inc.; Global Organics; Globetrans
EC; GloryBee; GO Box; Going Beyond Sustainability; Good
Company; Good Energy Guild; Good Neighbor Health Clinic;
Goodmeetsworld; GPM Global; Grady Britton; Granlibakken
Management Company; Great Green Content; Green Alliance;
Green Canyon Apothecary; Green Century Capital Management;
Green Concierge Travel; Green Faith; Green Hammer; Green
Heron Tools, LLC; Green Ideals; Green Knight Environmental
Inc.; Green Media Ventures; Green Pod LLC; Green Retirement;
Green Star; Greenability; Greenbank Associates; GreenBeams,
LLC; GREENPLAN Inc.; Greentown Labs; Greenvest/FWG.
Hackensack Meridian Health; Hammerschlag & Co. LLC; Hanging
Rock Animal Hospital, Inc.; Hannon Armstrong; Happy Family
Brands; HarborWest Design; Harmony Acupuncture, LLC; Harvest
Power LLC; Hasty Hickock, LICSW private practice; HeartPath
Acupuncture, LLC; Hello!Lucky; Hemp Ace International LLC;
Hempy's American Made Fine Hemp Goods; Henry and Marty
Restaurant; Hewlett Packard Enterprise; Hey and Associates,
Inc.; High Plains Architects, PC; Hilary's; Hilton; Historic
Properties LLC; HJKessler Associates; Holiday Valley Resort;
Hollender Sustainable Brands, LLC; Home Green Home; Horse &
Dragon Brewing Company; House Kombucha; HP Inc.; Humanity,
Inc; Hummingbird Wholesale; HydroCycle Engineering;
HydroQuest.
iBark; ICCR (Interfaith Center on Corporate
Responsibility); Ideal Energy Inc; IDEAS For Us; IKEA North
America Services, LLC; Impact Bioenergy, Inc.; Impact
Infrastructure, Inc.; Impact Investors; Impax Asset
Management; Independence Solar; Independent Natural Food
Retailers; Indigo Natural Marketing and Sales; Indosole;
Indow; Infer Energy; Information Technology Industry Council;
Innovative Power Systems; Inntopia; Inovateus Solar; INTEGRAL
GROUP; Integrated Choices, LLC; Intel Corporation;
IntelliparkUS, Inc.; Interdependent Web LLC; Interface;
Interfaith Power and Light; Intersection; Intex Solutions,
Inc.; iPlay; ISOS Group; iSpring; Itty Bitty Inn.
J. Ottman Consulting; J&B Importers, Inc.; Jackson Hole
EcoTour Adventures; Jackson Hole Mountain Resort; Jacoby
Architects; Janji; Jantz Management LLC; Jazzie Beans LLC;
Jefferson Veterinary Center; JF Pontzer, LLC; JGE Global LLC;
Jilbert Winery; Jimbo's...Naturally!; Jiminy Peak Mountain
Resort, LLC; JJ McNeil Commercial; JLens Investor Network;
JLL; JMJ Construction Group; Johnson & Johnson; Jonathan Rose
Companies; Joule Energy; JoyWorks Communications; JSA
Financial Group; JTN Energy; Jupiter Aluminum; Just Business;
Just in Time Direction; Justice Commission of the Sisters of
the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Aberdeen, SD.
K2 Sports; Karen Beall, Inc.; Kayak Media; Keene Advisors;
Keinomari Consulting; Kellogg Company; Kelly Services;
KERBspace; Kimberton Whole Foods; King Arthur Flour; Kirksey
Architecture; KL Felicitas Foundation; Klean Kanteen;
Kleynimals; KLW Consulting Inc; Kostis Kosmos Inc.; Krull &
Company; Kuity Corp.; KW Botanicals Inc.
L'Oreal USA; Lamey-Wellehan; Lancaster General Health; Law
Office of Nancy D. Israel; Lawrence R. Jensen & Assoociates;
Lazarus Financial Planning, LLC; Le Pain Quotidien;
Leadership Team Sisters of St. Francis of Tiffin, OH;
Leadership Momentum; LEEDerGroup.com; Leisure Wheels
Quadracycles; Leslie Lawton Connected Communications; Levi
Strauss & Co.; Lex Machina; LifeSource Natural Foods;
LifeWise Community; Liftopia, Inc.; LightWave Solar; Lin
Industries, Inc.; Linear City Concepts; LiveNeighborly;
Livingston Energy Innovations; LM Holder III FAIA; Locksley,
Inc.; Long Wind Farm; Longhorn Solar; Lookout Pass Ski &
Recreation Area; Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator; Lotus
Foods, Inc.; Louis Berger; Lumenomics, Inc.; Luna & Larry's
Coconut Bliss; Lutsen Mountains Corporation; Lyft; Lynne
Rudie Graphic Design.
M.A. Mortenson Company; M&E Engineers; Macomb Food
Cooperative; MacroclimateR; Magnetic Threads;
Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain; Manhattan Holistic
Chamber
[[Page S2732]]
of Commerce; ManpowerGroup; marianne ieone llc; Mars
Incorporated; Martha's; Martin 4 Investments, LLC; Martin
Rehearsal Studios; Maryknoll Sisters; Mazzetti + GBA; Melina/
Hyland design group; Mennonite Education Agency; Mercatus,
Inc.; Mercer Road Farm; Merck Family Fund; Mercury Press
International; Mercy Health; Mercy Investment Services;
Meridian Ecosystems, Inc.; Metropolitan Group; Metrus Energy;
Michael W. Grainey Consulting LLC; Microgrid Systems
Laboratory; Midwest Capuchin Franciscans; Midwest Coalition
for Responsible Investment; Mightybytes; migration.mobi;
MilkCrate; MILLC; Millennium Microgrid; Miller/Howard
Investments; MindEase Billing; Minerva Consulting; Mirova;
Mission Cheese; MissionCTRL Communications (m2c);
Mithun; Mobile Data Labs; Modavanti; Monadnock Food Coop;
Mondelez International; Monsanto Company; Montanus Energy;
Moore Capital Management; MooreBetterFood; Mount Bohemia;
Mountain Gear, Inc.; Mountain High Resort; Mountain Mel's
Essential Goods; Mountain Rider's Alliance, LLC; Mountain
Rose Herbs; mphph design; mphpm design; Mrs. Green's World;
Mt. Hood Meadows; Mulago Foundation; mvWiFi, LLC;
MyFlightbook.
Namaste Solar; Nancy Deren Financial Counciling; National
Co+op Grocers; National Foundry; National Latino Farmers &
Ranchers Trade Assn; National Ski Areas Association; National
Small Business Network; Native American Natural Foods;
Natixis Asset Management; Natural Habitat Adventures; Natural
Habitats; Natural Investments; Natural Logic; NEI
Investments; Neighborhood Sun; Neil Kelly; Nettleton
Strategies; New Belgium Brewing; New Century Productions,
Inc.; New Horizon Financial Strategies; New Summit
Investments; New York City Comptroller's Office; New York
State Common Retirement Fund; Nia Global Solutions;
Nightshade Fine Gardening; NIKE; Nomadix; North Highland
Worldwide Consulting; North Ridge Investment Management;
North Sound Energy Remodel, LLC; North Star Coaching;
NorthFork Financial, LLC; NorthStar Asset Management, Inc.;
Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment; NRG Energy,
Inc.; Numi Organic Tea; nurx; Nutiva.
Oasis Montana Inc.; Octagon Builders; Office of the General
Treasurer of Rhode Island; OgreOgress productions;
OhmConnect; OLAVIE; Old Bust Head Brewing Company; OM
Properties, LLc; Omnidian, Inc.; On Belay Business Advisors
Inc; Oregon State Treasurer; Organic India USA; Organic
Valley; Organically Grown Company; Orion Renewable Energy
Group; Orly Zeewy Brand Architect; Oroeco; Our Earth Music,
Inc.; Outdoor Industry Association; Outdoor Project;
Outerknown; Outpost Natural Foods Co-op; Owens Business &
Cnsltg., LLC.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Page Paladino and
Company; PaleoBOSS Lady; Papertide Publishing; Parenting
Journey; Parnassus Investments; Patagonia; Pax World Funds;
Payette; Pearson; PeopleSense Consulting; Pepper Sisters,
Inc.; Perkins+Will; Personal Beast Inc.; Peter L Villa Fine
Art; Pick My Solar; Pilotwear & Diecast Airplane; Pitchfork
Communications; Planet Cents; PlanGreen; PLC Repair; Plum
Organics; Portfolio Advisory Board, Adrian Dominican Sisters;
Portland Consulting Group; Prairie Ventures, LLC;
Presbyterian Church U.S.A.; Preserve; Priests of the Sacred
Heart; Principled Investing LLC; Priority Veterinary
Management Consultants; Prisere LLC; Product World USA;
Professional Building Consultant Group; Projector.is, Inc.;
PromptWorks, LLC; Proterra, Inc.; PTI Global Solutions; Pulp
Pantry; Pure Strategies, Inc.
Queridomundo Creative; Quest; Quri.
RADAR, Inc.; Re-Nuble, Inc.; ReachScale; REBBL, Inc.; Rebel
Writer; Recreational Equipment, Inc.; Region VI Coalition for
Responsible Investment and Sisters of the Humility of Mary;
ReGrained, Inc; ReGreen Inc.; RenewWest; Replenishing the
Earth; RetroFuture; Remodeling; Reynders, McVeigh Capital
Management, LLC; Reynolds Foundation; Rio Grande Renewables,
LLC; Riverina Natural Oils; Rivermoor Energy; RL Investments;
Roanoke Mountain Adventures, LLC; Robert Bates Company;
Rockford Brewing Company; Room & Board INC; Roots Realty;
Royal DSM; RPM Bank; Ruffwear; Rune's Furniture and Carpet;
Russian River Vineyards; Rutherford + Chekene.
S CAP Consultancy; s2 Sustainability Consultants; Safari
Energy; Salesforce.com; Sarah Mae Brown Consulting LLC; Saris
Cycling Group; Sasaki Associates; Saunders Hotel Group;
Savenia; Savii Group; Scentsational Scrubs; Schneider
Electric; School Sisters of Notre Dame Cooperative Investment
Fund; School Sisters of St. Francis; SCIEFrameworks, LLC;
Scoville Public Relations; Scrivo Communications; SEA
Builders LLC; Sealed Air Corporation; Seamans Capital
Management; Seattle City Light; Sefte Living; Seismic Brewing
Company.
SEIU Staff Fund; Sequent Management, Inc.; Servants of
Mary; Seventh Generation; Seventh Generation CRI; Severn
Consulting SFMG; SharePower Responsible Investing, Inc.;
SheerWind; Sheng Ai International, LLC; Shift Advantage;
Sidel Global Environmental; Sidel Systems USA Inc.; Siegel &
Strain Architects; Sierra Club Foundation; Sierra Energy;
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.; Sierra Real Estate; Sigma Capital;
Silicon Ranch Corporation; Simply Perfect Beauty; Sisters of
Bon Secours USA; Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth; Sisters
of Charity of New York; Sisters of Charity, BVM; Sisters of
Saint Francis, Rochester, Minnesota; Sisters of Saint Joseph
of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA; Sisters of St. Dominic of
Caldwell; Sisters of St. Dominic, Racine, Wisconsin; Sisters
of St. Francis of Philadelphia; Sisters of St. Joseph;
Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston; Sisters of the Humility of
Mary; Sisters of the Precious Blood; Sisters of the
Presentation of the BVM; Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary
WAP; Skanska USA Inc.; Skibutlers; Smarter Shift Inc.; SMMA.
For the full list of signatories, please see: http://
lowcarbonusa.org/business. Signatories in bold >$100 million
in annual revenues or >$5 billion in assets under management.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. These companies know that climate change could
disrupt their supply chains, make water or commodities more costly, or
even roil international markets. So they are moving ahead whether the
President and congressional Republicans are with them or not.
Mars, the maker of M&Ms and Snickers bars, has pledged to eliminate
greenhouse gas emissions from its facilities by 2040. When asked by the
New York Times if President Trump's threats to leave the Paris accord
had any effect on Mars' plans, global sustainability director Kevin
Rabinovitch replied: ``This doesn't change our commitments. . . . We're
doing this because we see a real business risk.''
Walmart, which already has set a goal of deriving half its energy
from renewable sources by 2025, recently announced Project Gigaton, an
initiative to eliminate 1 gigaton of carbon emissions by 2030 from its
entire supply chain.
Big league sports is engaged too. Major League Baseball stadiums and
National Basketball Association arenas have installed wind turbines to
generate their own low-carbon energy, or solar panels, like the Red
Sox's Fenway Park.
The National Hockey League has partnered with ENERGY STAR and the
Natural Resources Defense Council to make its facilities more energy
efficient. Salt Lake City's Major League Soccer stadium built one of
Utah's largest solar panel arrays, providing more than 70 percent of
that facility's energy.
The National Football League has a program to reduce overall
greenhouse gas emissions during every Super Bowl, which has resulted in
the planting of over 50,000 trees in Super Bowl host communities.
In 2016, outdoor retailer REI hit 100 percent renewable energy for
the fourth consecutive year, and they just opened a new net-zero energy
distribution center in the Arizona desert. Starbucks announced plans to
power 116 stores in Washington State on renewable energy. Patagonia
created an incentive program for employees who commute to work without
driving, saving more than 25,000 gallons of fuel last year, and it
invested more than $50 million to purchase 2,500 residential solar
units.
And it is not just the business community that makes things;
financial firms are urging their clients to factor climate change into
their investment decisions.
Last year, the investment firm BlackRock, with more than $1 trillion
in assets under management, issued a report titled ``Adapting
Portfolios to Climate Change,'' which describes ``how investors can
incorporate climate factors to reduce risk and seize opportunities.''
The Asset Owners Disclosure Project last week reported that ``[s]ixty
percent of the world's 500 biggest asset owners, with funds worth $27
trillion''--hold your breath on that--``now recognized the financial
risks of climate change and opportunities in the low carbon transition
and are taking action.''
Bill Gates, along with more than 20 of the world's most successful
businesspeople, launched a $1 billion investment fund in late 2016,
Breakthrough Energy Ventures, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
financing clean energy technology.
These clear-eyed assessments of the business effects of climate
change are not entirely new. Back in 2009, Donald Trump joined business
leaders to warn us about the ``catastrophic and irreversible effects of
climate change.'' There advertisement read: ``There will be
catastrophic and irreversible consequences for humanity and our
planet.'' That was then, I guess.
The country is moving on without President Trump and without the
Republican Party. State and local officials are on the march, leading
their
[[Page S2733]]
communities on a path to reduced carbon emissions. Companies are on the
march, greening their operations and supply chains. And on campuses
across the country, young Republicans and young Democrats are on the
march, coming together to prepare for a cleaner future. As the marches
and events of the past 2 weekends demonstrated, there is no going back.
I realize it is hard for my Republican colleagues to go against the
fossil fuel cartel, but it is not too late for them to finally say
enough is enough, to wake up and to join the march.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
____________________