Building a 100 Percent Clean Economy: The Challenges Facing Frontline Communities
Alfredo Gomez, Director, Natural Resources and Environment, U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
- Mustafa Santiago Ali, Vice President, Environmental Justice, Climate, and Community Revitalization, National Advocacy Center at the National Wildlife Federation
- Melissa Cribbins, Commissioner, Coos Country Board of Commissioners, On behalf of the National Association of Counties (NACo)
- Patrick B. Ford, Executive Director, Lebanon/Marion County Industrial Foundation
- Elsie Herring, Duplin County, North Carolina, Resident and Organizer, North Carolina Environment Justice Network
- Sharon Lavigne, Founder and President, RISE St. James
- Ruth Santiago, J.D., LL.M., Attorney, Comité Diálogo Ambiental de Salinas
Nomination of Sean O'Donnell, of Maryland, to be Inspector General, Environmental Protection Agency
PN 1158, Sean O’Donnell, of Maryland, to be Inspector General of the Environmental Protection Agency
Concepts for the Next Water Resources Development Act: Promoting Resiliency of our Nation’s Water Resources Infrastructure
- Gerald E. Galloway, PE, PhD Brigadier General, (US Army-Retired) Glenn L. Martin Institute Professor of Engineering University of Maryland
- Ann Phillips Rear Admiral, (US Navy- Retired) Special Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Adaptation and Protection Commonwealth of Virginia
- Ricardo S. Pineda PE, CFM Chair, Association of State Floodplain Managers Supervising Engineer Water Resources California Department of Water Resources Division of Flood Management On behalf of the Association of State Floodplain Managers
- Louis Gritzo, Ph.D Vice President FM Global Research Manager, Testimony * Melissa Samet Senior Water Resources Counsel National Wildlife Federation * Julie Ufner President National Waterways Conference
Building a 100 Percent Clean Economy: Solutions for Planes, Trains and Everything Beyond Automobiles
- Timothy Blubaugh, Executive Vice President, Truck & Engine Manufacturers Association
- Fred Felleman, Commissioner, Port of Seattle and the Northwest Seaport Alliance
- Adrian Martinez, Staff Attorney, Earthjustice
- Dr. Wayne Eckerle, Vice President, Research and Technology, Cummins, Inc.
- Dr. Emily Wimberger, Climate Economist, Rhodium Group
- J.P. Fjeld-Hansen, Managing Director and Vice President, Musket Corporation
- Jeremy Baines, President, Neste US, Inc.
Examining the Oil Industry’s Efforts to Suppress the Truth about Climate Change
The Subcommittee will examine how the oil industry’s climate denial campaign has negatively and disproportionately affected people of color and vulnerable populations in our country and around the world, as well as drowned out the voices of everyday Americans.
BACKGROUND
Decades of climate denialism by the oil industry forestalled meaningful government action to avert the current crisis. As early as the 1960s, oil giants like Exxon knew that climate change was real and that the burning of fossil fuels was a major contributor to the problem.
The lack of government action on climate change has a disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities who are often harmed “first and worst” by climate change.
Climate denial not only led to these devasting effects on vulnerable populations; it also represents a distortion of our democracy, as powerful, moneyed interests control the conversation and drown out the voices of average Americans who are paying the price of climate change.
Despite efforts to rehabilitate their image by pledging to stop supporting think tanks and lobbyists who promote climate denialism, Exxon has continued to fund climate deniers. Exxon still continues to fund organizations “steeped in climate denial and delay” to this day, clear evidence that it has not changed since its initial pivot from climate science to denial.
Despite the already devasting effects of climate change, Exxon shows no signs of slowing down on its production of fossil fuels. To the contrary, Exxon and other oil companies continue to explore for more oil, meaning they are not taking the problem of climate change or the development of alternative fuels seriously.
Witnesses:- Dr. Mustafa Ali, Vice President, Environmental Justice Climate and Community Revitalization, National Wildlife Federation
- Dr. Ed Garvey, Former Exxon Scientist
- Dr. Martin Hoffert, Former Exxon Consultant, Professor Emeritus, Physics, New York University
- Dr. Naomi Oreskes, Professor, History of Science, Affiliated Professor, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University
- Sharon Eubanks, Esquire, Of Counsel, Henderson Law Firm, PLLC
Natural Solutions to Cutting Pollution and Building Resilience
The hearing will focus on the ways natural systems, such as forests, grasslands and wetlands, can increase carbon storage across the United States, helping in the fight against the climate crisis.
Witnesses:- Dr. Joe Fargione, Lead Scientist for The Nature Conservancy’s North America Region (@nature_org). Fargione is an expert in energy production, land use and conservation. Prior to Nature Conservancy, he held faculty positions at the University of New Mexico and Purdue University.
- Frankie Myers, Vice Chairman of the Yurok Tribal Council (@TheYurokTribe). In honor of its forest management efforts to mitigate climate change, the Yurok Tribe was recently awarded the United Nations Development Programme’s Equator Prize, which honors “innovative nature-based solutions for tackling climate change, environment, and poverty challenges.”
- Dr. Jennifer Howard, Marine Climate Change Director, Conservation International (@ConservationOrg). Howard’s professional work focuses on protecting coastal and marine ecosystems, which in turn can help vulnerable coastal communities address the challenges of the climate crisis.
- Alexander “Andy” Karsner (@andykarsner), Executive Chairman, Elemental Labs. Karsner is a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and a member of the Hoover Institution’s Energy Policy Task Force.
Realizing the Conservation Benefits of Precision Agriculture
- Dustin Madison, Farmer, Louisa, Virginia
- Dr. Heather Karsten, Associate Professor of Crop Production and Ecology, Department of Plant Science, the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
- Don Cameron, Vice-President and General Manager, TerraNova Ranch, Helm, California on behalf of California Farm Bureau
An Assessment of Federal Recovery Efforts from Recent Disasters
Witnesses
Panel 1- Jeffrey Byard, Associate Administrator, Office of Response and recovery, Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Chris Currie, Director, Homeland Security and Justice, Government Accountability Office
- Dennis Alvord, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
- Mike Sprayberry, Director, Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety, State of North Carolina
- Fernando Gil-Enseñat, Secretary, Department of Housing, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
- Rhonda Wiley, Emergency Management/911 Director/Floodplain Administrator, Atchison County, State of Missouri
- Reese May, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, The Saint Bernard Project
PROMESA: Discussion Draft – Day One
The Committee on Natural Resources will hold a legislative hearing on the following bill:
Discussion Draft H.R. _ (Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva), “To amend the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act or ‘PROMESA,’ and for other purposes.”
International efforts to increase energy efficiency and opportunities to advance energy efficiency in the United States
The purpose of the hearing is to examine international efforts to increase energy efficiency and opportunities to advance energy efficiency in the United States.
Witnesses- Daniel Bresette, Executive Director, Environmental and Energy Study Institute
- Jennifer Layke, Global Director for Energy, World Resources Institute
- Dr. Brian Motherway, Head of Energy Efficiency, International Energy Agency
- W. Scott Tew, Executive Director, Center for Energy Efficiency & Sustainability, Ingersoll Rand