Congressman Horsford Applauds Students Partaking in Climate Crisis Action

Washington, D.C. — As the United Nations considers the impact of climate change at its Climate Action Summit this weekend, young people are taking to the streets in their own environmental protests. Congressman Steven Horsford released the following statement on the protests:

"Climate change is an existential crisis that threatens our children's futures, and the futures of our children's children. As a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, I'm working to push Congress to take up the bold action that's needed to address the ever-growing threat of climate change and ameliorate the effects of human emissions and pollution.

In Nevada, climate change has led to increased occurrence and severity of natural disasters, increases in temperatures and water shortages, and the spread of invasive species. Las Vegas is the fastest warming city in the United States, warming by 5.76 degrees since 1970. Encouragingly, Nevada is already home to a rapidly expanding renewable energy industry. Our state's solar, wind, and geothermal energy industries don't just produce energy for our state, but they also support energy demands in states like California that are looking to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.

While I continue fighting in Congress to mitigate the climate crisis, I am encouraged to see young people across the country—and the globe—taking to the streets to join the fight to save our planet. Greta Thunberg, an intelligent and savvy 16-year-old and one of the most promising climate activists of our time, is leading the Global Climate Strike that promises to be one of the largest environmental protests in history.

It is for people like Greta, and her generation of like-minded global citizens all too aware of the damage we are doing to our planet, that we must act NOW to transition to a renewable energy economy. There is no Planet B—and it is up to those in government TODAY to ensure that Earth can continue to sustain mankind and see these young people step into their power and do the good that they are destined to do."