Statement of Senator Jon S. Corzine
Committee on Environment and Public Works
March 13, 2002
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate you holding this hearing today on
the economic and environmental risks of increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
I want to make just a few points before we begin to hear testimony from
the panel.
THE SCIENCE WARRANTS ACTION
First, I think that the science warrants a hard look at risks and
potential impacts. Last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) recently released its Third Assessment Report. The report as I read it
indicated that the science is increasingly clear and alarming.
The report indicated that human activities, primarily fossil fuel
combustion, have raised the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide to the
highest levels in the last 420,000 years.
The report further
indicated that the planet is warming, and that the balance of the scientific
evidence suggests that most of the recent warming can be attributed to
increased atmospheric greenhouse gas levels. Mr. Chairman, these IPCC findings
were validated later in the year by the National Academy of Sciences.
Mr. Chairman, we also know that without concerted action by the U.S.
and other countries, greenhouse gases emissions and concentrations will
continue to increase. And climate models currently predict warming under all
scenarios that have been considered. Even the smallest warming predicted by
current models-2.5 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century-would represent the
greatest rate of increase in global mean surface temperature in the last 10,000
years.
So while scientific uncertainty remains, I think the trend is clear. As
a result, we need to focus on risks.
NEW JERSEY AND OTHER
COASTAL STATES WILL BE IMPACTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE
For my state of New Jersey, Mr. Chairman, the threat of continued
sea-level rise is one of the risks that I am most concerned about. With the
exception of the 50 mile northern border with New York, New Jersey is
surrounded by water. The state's Atlantic coastline stretches 27 miles.
Fourteen of 21 counties have estuarine or marine shorelines. Rising sea level
is already having impacts, by exacerbating coastal erosion, and causing
inundation, flooding, and saline intrusions into ground water. The NJ coastal
area also supports one of New Jersey's largest industries-tourism.
Sea level is rising more rapidly along the US coast than worldwide.
Studies by EPA and others have estimated that along the Gulf and Atlantic
coasts, a one-foot rise in the sea level is likely by 2050 and could occur as
soon as 2025. In the next century, a two-foot rise is most likely but a
four-foot rise is possible. So I'm concerned about this risk to my home state.
WE NEED TO TAKE
STEPS TO REDUCE RISKS
Given the state of the science and the risks we face, I think we need
to take steps to reduce risks. The president's plan, which represents only an
incremental step over business as usual, is simply not enough in my judgment.
At the state level, New Jersey is already taking aggressive steps to
reduce emissions. The state has a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to
3.5% below 1990 levels by 2005. Specifically, the plan would achieve a 6.2
million ton reduction through energy conservation initiatives in residential,
commercial and industrial buildings, another 6.3 million ton reduction through
innovative technologies in residential, commercial and industrial buildings, a
2.2 million ton reduction through energy conservation and innovative
technologies in the transportation sector, a 4.5 million ton reduction through
waste management improvements, and a half million ton reduction through natural
resource conservation.
So I think what New Jersey is doing-under a plan that Governor Whitman
got underway-shows that we can and should do much better than what the
president proposed.
SUPPORT THE CLIMATE
TITLES IN THE ENERGY BILL
Finally, Mr. Chairman, I want to urge my colleagues to support the
climate change titles in the energy bill. In particular, I want to urge my
colleagues to support the registry provisions in Title XI of the bill. These
provisions will require the largest emitters to report greenhouse gas
emissions-as utilities are already required to do. These provisions also enable
companies that undertake emissions reductions to register them, so that they
will receive credit for their actions if reductions are required at any point
in the future.
Taken together, Mr. Chairman, I believe that these greenhouse gas
registry provisions will provide a powerful incentive for companies to take
actions to reduce emissions. I know you agree, as you are a cosponsor of S.
1870, a bill containing similar provisions that I introduced in December. The
energy bill registry provisions represent a compromise between S. 1870 and
related legislation in the Energy and Commerce committees, and I urge my
colleagues to support them.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.