Sanders Remarks to Climate Change Conference
In 2007 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated
that the climate is warming, and that human activity is a key cause. In
the two years since, the science continues to be clear that impacts are
increasing. In fact, what we are hearing from key scientists is that
the situation is far more dire than they had previously believed. As
Secretary of Energy Chu pointed out in recent testimony to the
Environment Committee, we face a distinct possibility of up to 11
degrees Fahrenheit average temperature increase globally in this
century. This clearly would be catastrophic in terms of flooding,
draught, extreme weather disturbances, disease and national security
issues. Interestingly, with regard to the latter, the CIA has stated
that global warming, and the international tensions that it will cause
as countries fight over scarce resources, is going to be a major
national security issue