Climate change is real and it’s a serious threat to our citizens, to our economy, to our environment and to our national security,” Manchin said in testimony during a Senate hearing on the climate crisis.2 ater in his opening statement, Manchin emphasized that climate solutions must not present any “additional economic burdens” [A]ll communities, including those in energy producing states like West Virginia, Alaska, are experiencing the harmful impacts of the climate crisis. These impacts are often felt disproportionately in West Virginia communities which are already suffering from the downturn in coal production, resulting unemployment and negative effects of coal company bankruptcies on retirement and health care benefits. Therefore, the path to a climate solution must offer states like West Virginians opportunities, not additional economic burdens,” Manchin said. e added, “The solutions must be grounded in reality, which requires a recognition that fossil fuels aren’t going anywhere anytime soon The role of fossil fuels in the global economy is growing, and the U.S. must lead the world in pursuing the solutions that will allow us to burn fossil fuels in a cleaner, more cost effective and more efficient manner.