COLORADO –- (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), who serves as Vice Chair of the Sustainably Energy & Environment Coalition (SEEC), released the following statement recapping the remainder of his #RepInTheRockies visit, a three-day climate change tour in Rocky Mountain National Park:
“The last two days of my climate change tour provided me with an up-close look at the National Park Service’s climate change response program, built on the pillars of sound science, mitigation, adaptation, and education. Commitment to these tenants is the only way we will make meaningful progress to address the challenges we face, which is why I will continue to honor their value despite the President’s willingness to proceed without them.
“We know that the impacts of climate change are far-reaching and all-encompassing and that extreme weather is one of the most tangible consequences. From an increase in fires and floods to unstable and unpredictable temperatures, our environment, personal safety, and economic infrastructure are all at risk. I saw these results firsthand at the site of a flood that took three lives and destroyed railways, as well as in the snow pack mountains where a decline in river melting is making an already taxed water source even more scarce.
“At the same time, other climate change impacts may be more subtle but equally foreboding. Increased warmth causes plants to be more susceptible to late season frosts, resulting in plant death that can devastate pollinators, which are vital to our connected ecosystems.
“It is easy to see the impacts of climate change in one of our National Parks, but the devastation caused by man-made climate change is also evident right in our own backyards. We need to support forward-thinking, research-based efforts that can stop address these threats. President Trump may want to stall these efforts, but we will proceed with or without federal leadership.”
