Week in Review 4.29.22
Welcome to this week’s edition of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee newsletter! The SST Newsletter highlights the goings on of the Committee, the hard work of our Members, and a look ahead. Sign up to get it delivered straight to your inbox!
Now or Never: The Urgent Need for Climate Action
On Thursday, Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) gaveled in a Full Committee hearing to examine the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). The Committee and witnesses considered the urgent need for adaptive research and development while meeting short- and long-term sustainable development goals. This hearing also examined diverse communities’ needs as they try to rapidly adapt to climate change and extreme weather events.
Hear from our witnesses:
“Furthermore, climate change can exacerbate other challenges, such as poverty, limited access to basic resources, and food insecurity, which often impact the most marginalized people and further increase their vulnerability.”
-Ms. Ko Barrett, Vice-Chair, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; NOAA Senior Advisor for Climate
“In recent IPCC reports, it is well established that Indigenous Peoples and marginalized local communities, whose lifeways are intimately tied to natural resources, burden disproportionate impacts and risks due to climate change.”
-Ms. Dominique M. David-Chavez, PhD, Assistant Professor of Indigenous Natural Resource Stewardship, Colorado State University
“My community expects to see between 21 and 54 inches of sea level rise in the next fifty years. No longer can we afford to focus ONLY on mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions — we must take immediate action to adapt and thrive within this new reality.”
-Ms. Daniella Levine Cava, Mayor, Miami-Dade County, Florida
Read the witnesses’ full testimonies and watch the hearing here.
Learn from Science Committee Members how climate change impacts their districts and the solutions they’re putting to work.
From the Chairwoman: We Must Consider Diversity and Equity in Climate Adaptation Solutions
“Adapting to a changing climate requires intensive coordination between the Federal government and communities, and the incorporation of local and indigenous knowledge is critical for ensuring just and equitable adaptation methods. Climate change impacts disproportionately affect communities of color, and the voices of these communities are often left out of the discussions on adaptation and resiliency. It is crucial to engage with these communities to understand how we can strengthen the mechanisms for Federal research and development to support local climate resilience, adaptation, and mitigation efforts.”
-Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)
Science and Energy Research Needs at the U.S. Department of Energy
On Wednesday, Dr. Geraldine Richmond, Under Secretary for Science and Innovation at the U.S. Department of Energy testified at the Subcommittee on Energy hearing, “Science and Energy Research Infrastructure Needs of the U.S. Department of Energy.” Members examined the goals and impacts of the DOE’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget request, with a primary focus on budget planning and management of construction of the DOE Office of Science’s (SC) user facilities, experiments, and upgrades.
“I would like to see future budget requests from the Administration that employ the same approach taken by the Committee in the Department of Energy Science for the Future Act, which formed one of the cornerstones of the America COMPETES Act. Our top priority, executed in a bipartisan manner, was to provide policy direction and authorize funding levels that would empower the Office of Science to adequately meet the financial requirements inherent to both its research and construction portfolios. These bills would enable large-scale construction projects to be completed on time and on budget, and would expand the Office’s research enterprise in a way that would encourage more young people to enter scientific fields and diversify the Department’s workforce.”
-Chairman Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) of the Subcommittee on Energy
Coming up in Committee
There is no committee activity scheduled for next week.
