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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Greg Vitali
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Vitali addresses climate change conference in Washington, D.C.
HARRISBURG, Dec. 14 – State Rep. Greg Vitali, D-Delaware, today addressed a climate change conference at the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington, D.C.
"It was an honor to speak at the conference and discuss what Pennsylvania is doing to address climate change," Vitali said. "The conference allowed me and other participants to get a sense about what climate change means to the world, and how others are dealing with it. It is clear that we all have a stake in addressing this important issue."
Vitali was the first Pennsylvania legislator to introduce climate change legislation. The legislation, House Resolution 200 of 2001, led Pennsylvania to write a climate change action plan that calls for a 30 percent reduction of greenhouse gases by 2020. Vitali served on a 21-person board that wrote the action plan
Vitali said Bangladesh hosted the conference because the issue acutely affects the country. The United States Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts rising sea levels will devour 17 percent of the country by 2050, displacing at least 20 million people.
Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States and State Minister Akramul Qader gave welcoming remarks for the conference, called "Save our Planet Earth from Global Warming and Climate Change – Focus Bangladesh."
The keynote speaker was Lance Simmens, climate change messenger for former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. High-ranking U.S. government officials, academics, representatives of think tanks and other stakeholders also attended.
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