Are Your U.S. Senators and Representative Climate Champions? Help Us Find Out! In 1990 the world’s top climate scientists warned of the growing threat of global warming, citing the need for prompt and deep cuts in carbon dioxide emissions, the principal greenhouse gas. Instead of going down, however, global carbon emissions are at an all-time high. Destructive impacts linked to increased global temperatures are proliferating across the planet and in some impoverished countries people are already dying in large numbers from climate change.* As a plea from the National Religious Partnership for the Environment states it: "At this critical moment in history...many of us share a deep conviction that global climate change presents an unprecedented threat to the integrity of life on Earth and a challenge to universal values that bind us as human beings." Fortunately, the world community is taking concrete measures to address this threat through the Kyoto Protocol, an important first step towards the deep greenhouse gas reductions that are needed. Ominously, the United States, by far the largest greenhouse gas polluter, has refused to ratify the Kyoto treaty. A prompt transition to renewable energy is also urgent in light of what appears to be the rapidly approaching peak in global oil production. The longer the United States avoids grappling with the reality of global warming, the dimmer the hopes for our future and that of our children become. The U.S. government has had fifteen years to ponder this grave issue. Please help us find out where your U.S. Senators and Representative stand on this over-arching issue of our time by sending them the “4 Climate Change Questions” today. Please forward their responses to us so that we can analyze and record their comments. This information will be invaluable for our federal lobbying campaign. We are grateful for your participation! *UN World Health Organization (Oct., 2003) 4 Climate Change Questions to Ask Your U.S. Senators and Representative (Personalize this letter with your own thoughts!)

September 02, 2010 Subject: As my representative in the U.S. Congress I ask that you carefully consider and respond to the following four questions: #1. Do you accept the 1990 IPCC consensus that human activity is increasing the atmospheric concentration of the greenhouse gases causing global warming? Background The UN-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), composed of 2,000 scientists from over 100 countries, is the premier scientific body addressing the threat of global warming. #2. Do you accept the 2001 IPCC consensus that human activity, not natural variability, is responsible for the bulk of the global warming that is occurring? #3. Do you accept the 1990 IPCC consensus that global carbon dioxide emissions must be cut 60-80% immediately in order to stabilize CO2 concentrations at current levels? Background Carbon dioxide emissions are produced primarily from burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas). Fifteen years after the IPCC scientists issued their plea for deep emissions cuts: • global CO2 emissions are at all-time highs. • global warming has accelerated. • global warming-linked impacts are growing more severe and widespread. #4. Are you in favor of President Bush promptly signing the Kyoto Protocol so that it can be submitted to the U.S. Senate for ratification? Background The Kyoto Protocol, which came into force in February, 2005, is the world’s plan for addressing global warming. Because 75% of the greenhouse gases that are already destabilizing the atmosphere were put there by wealthy industrialized countries like the U.S., the treaty requires that these countries be the first to reduce their emissions. Control of developing country emissions will be part of the next round of treaty negotiations. • The U.S. produces 25% of global greenhouse gases, far more than any other country. Any global emissions reduction plan, therefore, that does not include the full participation and leadership of the United States will fail. • The Kyoto treaty has been ratified by Canada, Mexico, the EU15, Japan, Russia, China, India and the overwhelming majority of the rest of the world’s countries. • A 2004 University of California study showed that increased use of renewable energy would create significantly more jobs than continuing on the current fossil fuels- intensive path. Germany, for example, now has 45,000 new jobs in their wind industry. To symbolize the 15 years that the United States government has had to address this grave issue, please respond within 15 days. Signed, We will add your signature from the information you provide.		First Name* Last Name* Email* Street* Street 2 City* State/Province* Select a state Alabama Alaska American Samoa Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware D.C. Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Northern Mariana Islands Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virgin Islands Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Armed Forces (the) Americas Armed Forces Europe Armed Forces Pacific Alberta British Columbia Manitoba Newfoundland New Brunswick Nova Scotia Northwest Territories Nunavut Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon Territory Other Zip/Postal Code* Send an Email Send a Fax
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