To raise Rhode Islanders' awareness of the effects of climate change on Narragansett Bay, our coastal areas, and our communities, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse will chair a field briefing of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works at URI's Bay Campus in Narragansett, next Thursday, August 21, at 10:30 a.m. The briefing is open to the public.

"Left unchecked, climate change will affect every community in every nation on earth, altering our Ocean State -- and the entire world -- in ways we are only beginning to understand, and coastal communities will be among those at greatest risk," said Sen. Whitehouse.  "This issue is real, time is of the essence, and action is called for."

Members of Rhode Island's scientific and environmental advocacy communities will present evidence of the impacts of climate change on the Bay and discuss ways in which the state can prepare.  The briefing is considered to be an official meeting of the E&PW Committee, and its proceedings will be entered into the Committee's official record. Click on "More..." for more details.

Dr. Kate Moran, Director, Marine Geomechanics Laboratory, University of Rhode Island

Dr. Jon C. Boothroyd, State Geologist, Rhode Island Geological Survey

Grover Fugate, Executive Director, Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council

John Torgan, Narragansett Baykeeper, Save the Bay

Caroly Shumway, Director of Conservation Science, The Nature Conservancy

The Senate EPW Committee is responsible for reviewing all Senate legislation pertaining to the environment, particularly matters related to global warming, environmental health, and air and water quality.  Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has served as Chairman of the Committee since January 2007.

As a member of the Senate EPW Committee, Sen. Whitehouse has worked to draw lawmakers' attention to the impact of global warming on the Bay.  At the Committee's inaugural hearing in January 2007, he delivered a presentation reviewing scientific evidence of temperature changes and recent fish kills in Narragansett Bay.  The Bay's annual mean winter temperature has increased by about 4 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 20 years, an ecosystem shift for fish and shellfish populations which threatens the fragile and rich diversity of marine life and could have implications for Rhode Island's fishing and tourism industries.

Last year, Sen. Whitehouse introduced the Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act (S. 2204), which calls for a coordinated national strategy to help wildlife populations and habitats, including coastal and marine animals and ecosystems, adapt to stresses related to climate change.  The goals of this bill were incorporated into the Climate Security Act (S. 2191), which was debated briefly before the full Senate before Republicans blocked its further consideration.  Sen. Whitehouse also offered an amendment to the Climate Security Act, which passed in Committee, that would ensure that coastal and Great Lakes communities affected by climate change have the information they need, such as data on projected sea level rise, severe weather, and associated flood risks, to prepare for and adapt to global warming.

On the Web: For more information on Sen. Whitehouse's work on climate change, visit the "Protecting Our Environment" page on his web site.

source: Whitehouse news release.