Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)

• Location: WA
• Marching Since: October 27, 2005

As the world’s highest per-capita emitter of greenhouse gas emissions, the U.S. has a duty to tackle global warming before it’s too late. Every day that goes by, our nation is missing a tremendous opportunity to lead the world in creating a cleaner, more efficient energy system for the 21st century. American ingenuity and the technologies we create can help curb global warming, while simultaneously reducing our dangerous dependence on fossil fuels. If we seize the initiative, we can stimulate our economy and make our energy system more reliable and secure for future generations. To me, the environmental and economic arguments for addressing climate change now are integrally related. In my home state of Washington, studies show that global warming could cause our winter snow pack in the Cascades to decline by 50 percent within fifty years. The damages from decreased runoff would cost my state billions of dollars annually, impacting every sector of our economy from farming and fishing, to shipping and recreation. We are a problem-solving nation. When we are faced with a challenge this grave, we roll up our sleeves, put our heads together, and find solutions. Climate change is too alarming a problem to ignore, and the need to address our oil dependence is just too urgent. We must act now.