Climate Newsfeed
The Bottom Line
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in the atmosphere now stand at 385 parts per million (ppm), 67% above the average of the past 800,000 years, and 29% above the maximum of the same period.
- The rate of increase of CO2 is 2.2 ppm/year and getting faster.
- When atmospheric CO2 was above 450 ppm in the earth's history, the planet was completely ice-free, and sea level was 75 meters higher than today.
- The safe upper limit of atmospheric CO2 that we should aim to stay below is probably between 300-350 ppm. We have already overshot it and the longer we stay above that the more likely we will have set in motion long-term climate changes that will proceed beyond human control through powerful geophysical positive feedback mechanisms.
- Sudden warmings of a few degrees in the past have triggered mass extinctions. Current species extinction rate is estimated at 100 to 1000 times the average extinction rates in the evolutionary time scale of planet Earth. A mass extinction is underway and we have to reverse course quickly enough to prevent the worst.
URGENT! Tell Congress: Re-write the Fake Climate Bill!
Please forward broadly!
Dear Friends,
Would you flip a coin to determine whether hundreds of millions of people are forced into deadly climate migrations and conflict over desperate food and water shortages? Or how about whether countless species of our planet live or die?
Congress is poised to do 20 times worse than that as it prepares to vote on the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACESA, also known as Waxman-Markey). This legislation aims for a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target that is at best 20 times weaker than a 50/50 shot for avoiding catastrophic global warming! Even that abysmal target is fictional, because polluters are allowed to use "offsets" to actually INCREASE, not decrease, their pollution for decades to come. And to top it off, this bill shamefully repeals existing EPA power to regulate global warming pollution!
The vote could come to the House floor as soon as this Friday, June 26th. Click here to see a sample letter to send to Congress.
Please tell your Congressional representative that ACESA/Waxman-Markey is a fake climate bill and must be withdrawn or voted down. Ask your representative to come up with a real climate solution that:
- Cuts greenhouse gas pollution quickly to return to a safe level in the atmosphere - below 350 parts-per-million (More here).
- Includes, as part of the emissions-reduction measures, a switch to 100% renewable electricity in 10 years.
- Preserves the ability of the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas pollution.
- Does not allow unreliable, fraud-prone "offsets" in place of real emission reductions
- Phases out coal, and prohibits the use/extraction of tar sand and oil shale -- all the worst culprits of global warming.
This will produce millions of jobs as we create sustainable, healthy, vibrant, local and resilient low-carbon economies!
To reach your representatives, you can call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Find out who your House Rep. is by zip code here (upper left corner of linked page). Email your House Rep. from here. Email US senators from here. Also, please call your favorite environmental organizations and ask them to join us in this action. And help spread the word by sharing this alert on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
For more information, please visit the links below. You can contact us at info@securegreenfuture.org or 781-316-8283.
Thanks for all you're doing for a healthy, sustainable future!
Jill Stein, MD, Maggie Zhou, PhD
Massachusetts Coalition for Healthy Communities
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FIND IMPORTANT INFORMATION AT THE FOLLOWING LINKS:
- Click here for a sample letter to your Congressperson
- Why is ACESA / Waxman-Markey un-salvageable?
- Isn't it better to make this first step now, and then try to strengthen it with further legislation?
- Background on the safe level of atmospheric greenhouse gases - 350 ppm
- Detailed analysis on ACESA / Waxman-Markey
- Read our Op-Ed in the MetroWest Daily News
SGF Mission Statement
The Secure Green Future (SGF) project educates, activates and empowers Massachusetts residents to effectively address the converging threats of climate change, resource depletion, and economic meltdown. We work to guide communities toward an essential economic transformation that will make possible a sustainable and just post-carbon future. SGF seeks to break the shackles of what is “politically feasible” and inspire change that addresses the magnitude and urgency of the dangers we are facing. We are committed to the principle of democratic empowerment as the most appropriate means for securing the just and sustainable future that we all deserve, and that is within our reach.
Landslide victories for the Secure Green Future ballot initiative!
Thanks to an incredible grassroots effort, the Secure Green Future ballot question has won in EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT it appeared, and by a total landslide margin! At least 153,252 voters said YES to a Secure Green Future on November 4th, netting the ballot question an astounding 81.44% of the vote!!!
Thanks to all of you who helped get these questions on the ballot and helped to spread the word to voters. Your efforts have paid off big time, and we now have clear evidence that the people of Massachusetts are READY for decisive action to fight climate change and energy uncertainty by transitioning to a secure, green economy NOW.
