Markell appointed to White House Task Force on Climate Preparedness
Gov. Jack Markell is one of eight governors appointed by President Obama to serve on a task force on climate preparedness and resilience that will advise the administration on how the federal government can respond to the needs of communities dealing with impacts of climate change. The president signed an executive order, Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change.
“I am honored the president has appointed me to this new task force. Climate change is not some far off problem; it is something we are experiencing now. For a small state like Delaware, the lowest-lying state in the nation, we are staggeringly vulnerable. We need to have frank conversations about preparing for possible impacts from storms, droughts, and sea level rise. Recent events have crystallized the importance of this work for a lot of states. I believe we can strengthen the economy and improve the resiliency of the environment at the same time and I look forward to serving on this new task force, "Markell said.
“We're going to need to get prepared. And that’s why this plan will also protect critical sectors of our economy and prepare the United States for the impacts of climate change that we cannot avoid. States and cities across the country are already taking it upon themselves to get ready… And we’ll partner with communities seeking help to prepare for droughts and floods, reduce the risk of wildfires, protect the dunes and wetlands that pull double duty as green space and as natural storm barriers," Obama stated.
Obama established a Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience to advise the administration on how the federal government can respond to the needs of communities nationwide that are dealing with the impacts of climate change. The task force members include state, local and tribal leaders from across the country who will use their first-hand experiences in building climate preparedness and resilience in their communities to inform their recommendations to the administration.
The president signed an executive order that directs Federal agencies to take a series of steps to make it easier for American communities to strengthen their resilience to extreme weather and prepare for other impacts of climate change.
The Federal Government has an important role to play in supporting community-based preparedness and resilience efforts by establishing policies and prioritizing investments that promote preparedness, protecting critical infrastructure and public resources, supporting science and research needed to prepare for climate impacts, and ensuring that Federal operations and facilities continue to protect and serve citizens in a changing climate.
State, local and tribal leaders across the country are already contending with more frequent or severe heat waves, droughts, wildfires, storms and floods, and other impacts of climate change. The task force will provide recommendations to the president on removing barriers to resilient investments, modernizing Federal grant and loan programs to better support local efforts, and developing the information and tools they need to prepare.
