To Avert Catastrophe

Global warming is an environmental crisis the like of which has never been faced. Given the powerful forces actively working to delay action to overcome it, addressing the crisis will require bold leadership.

President Obama and the G8 have accepted two degrees Celsius as the limit of acceptable global warming but will they take the action needed to keep the planetary mean temperature below that threshold? It is widely acknowledged, the industrialized nations of the world must cut their emissions by forty percent before 2020. And, the United States should lead the way. Yet the Obama Administration, like Congress, is continuing to promote emission reductions far short of forty percent by 2020.

We cannot afford to put this off until tomorrow, this must be done today. A plan of action to keep the rise of global temperatures below two degrees Celsius must be formulated and put into effect. We must act today to stop global warming.

In his inaugural address, President Obama promised to "restore science to its rightful place" and make America a real global leader again. It’s time for him to live up to that promise.

Mr. President, we need you to be a leader, not simply a politician. You must show Congress and the industrialized nations of the world, the United States is ready to take strong and immediate action to avert a climatic catastrophe.

At the summit in Italy, the G8 announced their commitment to keeping global temperature rise below two degrees Celsius, 109 nations endorsed the goal before the announcement was made. However, without a long-term course of action and a formidable commitment to the lasting recovery of the planet, our goal will never be achieved. Politically safe legislation requiring meager reductions over many years will not achieve any actual reduction in the planetary mean temperature.

That kind of action is like paying only the minimum required balance!

And, we all know where that will lead.

President Obama your support of the ACES bill is ill considered. A four percent reduction of emissions is needed annually for the next ten years if a forty percent reduction is to be achieved before 2020. The ACES bill will achieve only a ten percent reduction over the next decade! Following that emission reduction plan, we have no hope of avoiding climatic catastrophe!

The ACES bill is grossly ineffective and grandly insulting.

Further, we need legislation to guarantee a perpetual limitation of emissions. Legislation with included allowable offsets has no meaningful effect. We are sending violators to their rooms but not taking away their toys!

More, we must provide the means and resources for research and development. Energy conversation and renewable power will free us from the foul effects of oil and gasoline. But, rather than new carbon forms or applications, I believe geo-thermal; safe fusion; and, solar are much more promising sources of energy.

The worst part of the ACES bill is the Presidential authority [under the Clean Air Act] to regulate greenhouse gas emissions! Authority which has been upheld by the Supreme Court!

Representative Lloyd Doggett (of Texas) took a courageous stand against the ACES bill, demonstrating real leadership and a commitment to ending global warming. I urge President Obama and all of Congress to follow Representative Doggett’s example.

We are counting on you to avert catastrophe.

Lewis
adapted and augmented from a Greenpeace petition
29 June 2009