Powerful advocates to US senate: stronger climate bill needed to fight global warming!

August 26, 5:33 PMSeattle Environmental Policy ExaminerJean Williams

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A growing powerhouse coalition lead by the Center for Biological Diversity, in partnership with Friends of the Earth, and signed by more than 300 environmental advocates, human-rights, and social justice groups--is aggressively spearheading a movement to encourage the U.S. Senate to pass stronger climate and energy legislation than the anemic bill passed by congress on June 26.

In mid-June, a highly publicized climate change report released by the White House, entitled Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, conveyed the urgent message that global warming is happening now and that it is caused by human activity.

However, members of congress didn’t heed the warming, because they made deals and back-door concessions that ultimately weakened the final bill.

Not all members of congress were satisfied with the watered-down bill:

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Oh) had this to say, “This bill is a fragile compromise, which leads some to claim that we cannot do better. I respectfully submit that not only can we do better; we have no choice but to do better. Indeed, if we pass a bill that only creates the illusion of addressing the problem, we walk away with only an illusion. The price for that illusion is the opportunity to take substantive action.”

Reaction also came quickly from the environmental community:

“The White House report highlights the scientific urgency for deep and rapid reductions in greenhouse pollution,” said Kassie Siegel, director of the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Insitute. “The mismatch between this urgency and the federal government’s response is tragic. The climate bill passed by Congress is far too weak to bring about the pollution reductions necessary to avert climate catastrophe.”

According to an August 26, 2009, press release, the Center for Biological Diversity, the main sponsor of a letter, announces the plan to have local volunteers, in a grassroots effort, to hand deliver a copy of the letter to their local senators’ office.

In the letter, the groups express “profound concern” about the House bill and ask senators to usher in “the transformational change and greenhouse emissions reductions required to avert catastrophic climate impacts.” The letter calls for legislation that:

*Reduces atmospheric CO2 concentrations to a safe level of below 350 parts
per million
*Maintains existing Clean Air Act protections against global warming pollution
*Minimizes the use of offsets and other loopholes
*Protects vulnerable populations and communities
*Promotes abundant clean energy
*Eliminates polluter giveaways
*Adheres to preexisting U.S. commitments to the rest of the world.

Here are comments from a few groups that signed the letter:

“We haven't yet seen the bold leadership from Congress that's required to solve the climate crisis,” said Church World Service Director of Education and Advocacy Rajyashri Waghray. “We're sending this letter to demonstrate broad grassroots support for such leadership.”

“We have to have a stronger climate bill than the watered-down version that passed the House,” said San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society Conservation Chair Drew Feldmann.

“There's an impressive breadth of groups on this letter, and it demonstrates that the status quo isn't acceptable. Congress must pass a bill that actually gives us a fighting chance of avoiding runaway global warming. There's no other option,” said Tyson Slocum, who directs Public Citizen’s energy program.

Interested organizations can view the letter, see who is already on board, and consider participating.

The Senate will reconvene in September and will be addressing critical issues, including health care reform, as well as—the historical climate bill. ACRES barely passed in the house of congress by a narrow margin of 219-212, which included help from eight Republicans. A tougher road block by Republicans is expected in the senate.

If President Obama expects to take a leadership role at the conference on climate change this December in Copenhagen, then he needs to walk in the door with legislation that actually has a chance of making a difference.

Mean while, polar ice caps are continuing to melt. Water conflicts are on the rise. Climate change ramifications could threaten national security. Entire glaciers are vanishing. Wildlife habitats and migratory patterns are being altered.Invasive insects and pests are increasing. Human health is being impacted by pollution and wildfires are increasing on a global level. Record breaking hot and cold streaks are happening around the world.

Members of the senate—are you paying attention?

*** For photo credit run cursor over photograph * Copyright Jean Williams 2009 * Author also writes under pen name DelilahStarling. Permission to reprint up to three paragraphs with a direct “read full story” back to this page. Contact creatinggreenpiece@juno.com