Representatives Host Climate Change Forum
Climate Change Forum
It was a full house at the Climate Change Forum, hosted by Representatives Bill Foster, Sean Casten, and Dick Durbin at North Central College.
The discussion focused on the effect climate change has on the weather like melting glaciers, rising sea levels and the increased power of hurricanes.
"This is real stuff. 50 percent of all of the carbon dioxide that we have ever emitted into the atmosphere as a species, in the entire time that are species has been on the earth has been emitted since 1980," said Congressman Casten.
According to the panelists, 1980 is the starting point so to speak since that was during the technology revolution.
The Panelists
WGN meteorologist Tom Skilling, a climate scientist, and the president of Gade Environmental Group were also part of the discussion.
They gave presentations to show evidence that climate change is happening because of daily uses like air conditioning and cars.
"The time for action is now. That we've spent decades debating this, we've been spending decades lowering the scientific uncertainty to the point where it's absolutely clear that it's passed time to take action," said Congressman Foster.
What You Can Do
The public learned about what steps they can take like using LED lights and taking different types of transportation. And Senator Durbin made a suggestion with an old and new idea.
"U.S. savings bonds paid for World War II. Individual families and people stepped up and bought $18.75 savings bonds and with that money we funded a victory in World War II. I believe climate bonds can do the same," said Senator Durbin.
The panelists also reminded attendees that the United States is the only nation that's pulled out from the Paris Agreement.
The forum ended with a Q&A session.