WASHINGTON, DC [08/01/19]— Today in a new video, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) called for action to protect the Great Lakes from the adverse effects of climate change while establishing their distinct identities.
Smith and Baldwin, both members of the Senate Democratic Special Committee on the Climate Crisis, said that the negative effects of climate change on the Great Lakes, such as the increase in average surface water temperatures, pose a threat to public health, the environment, and the economy. Environmental changes in the Great Lakes region create challenges for nearby communities, wildlife populations, and the industries that sustain over one million jobs.
“Climate change is an existential threat to the Great Lakes recreation and tourism,” said Sen. Smith. “The Great Lakes region has outpaced warming in other parts of the United States, and Minnesota is set to warm more than the other Great Lakes states, and we need to take action.”
“The Great Lakes are directly linked to 1.5 million American jobs and $62 billion in annual wages, with many of these jobs being in key industries that can be impacted by climate change,” said Sen. Baldwin. “Tackling climate change and preserving the Great Lakes isn’t just an environmental goal. It’s an urgent economic necessity.”
You can access the full video here.
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