witness testimony or read it at climatecrisis.house.gov. there are some very impressive graphics contained in witness testimony, and i encourage you to read it. that s climatecrisis.house.gov. today we re going to examine the largest consequences and costs of climate change and set the table for how communities, ecosystems, and the food system can be more resilient in the face of a changing climate. i now recognize myself for five minutes to give an opening statement. our last hearing focused on drawing down carbon pollution while building up the american economy. today we are examining another important component of climate action, preparing for the consequences of the climate crisis, consequences that are here already and what is to come. we need to create a climate-resilient america. floodwaters, extreme heat, wildfires they do not care if we live in a red district or a blue district. in my home state of florida, republicans and democrats at the local level are working t
to extreme weather. held by the house climate crisis committee, this is about an hour and 50 minutes. welcome to the may 23rd, 2019 committee meeting for the house select committee on the climate crisis. without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess of the committee at any time. i invite everyone to follow the witness testimony or read it at climatecrisis.house.gov. there are some very impressive graphics contained in witness testimony, and i encourage you to read it. that s climatecrisis.house.gov. today we re going to examine the largest consequences and costs of climate change and set the table for how communities, ecosystems, and the food system can be more resilient in the face of a changing climate. i now recognize myself for five minutes to give an opening statement. our last hearing focused on drawing down carbon pollution while building up the american economy. today we are examining another important component of climate action, preparing for the
and then there are the disasters. the number of billion-dollar weather disasters in the united states is more than doubled in recent years. in 2017, we set a record with more than $300 billion worth of damage. in 2018, it was close behind with nearly $100 billion. many of these disasters are worse because of the climate crisis. including wildfires, dramatic swings in rainfall and coastal storm surge. when these disasters happen, we have a moral obligation to help. it s frustrating that so many americans in puerto rico and florida and across the country are still waiting for help in the aftermath of disasters. because solving the climate crisis also requires a commitment to climate justice. that means correcting the injustices that leave so many people, especially people of color, vulnerable to flooding, hae heat waves and wildfires. these are daunting problems, but the good news is we have solutions. we can protect our communities from the climate crisis while we cut the car