The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis held a hearing June 9 to study the relationship between oceans and the climate crisis, and analyzed ocean-specific ways to combat climate change.
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) chaired the hybrid in-person and virtual meeting, titled “Turning the Tide for Ocean Climate Action: Unleashing the Climate Benefits of Our Blue Planet,” the committee reported in a statement on hearing. In her opening remarks, Rep. Castor noted the progress made in managing oceans, coasts and other marine systems, and advised exploring additional measures to protect and restore these areas.
Castor said she is "worried" about the effects of climate change on oceans, such as warmer water temperatures, acidification and deoxygenation, changes in circulation of ocean currents and rising sea levels, according to a transcript of the hearing released by the committee.
"The climate crisis is an ocean crisis," Castor said in the transcript. "Which means the ocean must be part of our national climate strategy – and we must invest in ocean-based climate solutions."
Dr. Richard W. Spinrad, under secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) testified at the hearing, the committee reports. Also testifying before the committee was Monica Medina, assistant secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
Medina stated her agency guides U.S. endeavors to save and safeguard the global environment, "including the ocean, for the prosperity, peace, health and security of this and future generations," the transcript records.
“This mandate has never been more vital, and our work has never been more urgent," Medina said, "as the effects of climate change cause significant harm to communities around the world.”
Medina said oceans are particularly hard-hit by climate change, absorbing approximately 25% of all carbon-dioxide emissions and more than 90% of the planet's excess heat. This influences effects natural occurrences such as weather and seasonal changes, Medina testified, and also contributes to "food shortages, drought, severe storms, coastal inundation, growing ocean dead zones, and escalating conflicts around shifting or dwindling ocean resources," the transcript records.
A vulnerable ocean causes "tremendous implications" for global security and the U.S. economy, Medina testified.
Spinrad, in his testimony, reiterated Medina's concerns over the climate crisis' impacts on the planet's oceans, saying that "The Earth is an ocean planet, and every sector of society is affected by the ocean, either directly or indirectly," according to the transcript.
"The ocean plays a critical role in supporting life on our planet, affecting everything from the air we breathe and the food we eat, to weather and climate patterns," Spinrad testified. "Our well-being is tied to the health of the ocean, and supporting a healthy ocean is a key part of NOAA’s mission."
