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Warn That Current Policy Is Not Only Inadequate, It Is Irresponsible
For Release: Tuesday - February 15, 2005
Contact: Ken Bossong 202-293-2898, x.201
WASHINGTON DC -- In letters being delivered tomorrow to the White House
and the leadership of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of
Representatives, 33 business and environmental organizations urge the
nation's political decision-makers "to greatly reduce [U.S.] production of
greenhouse gases through a mix of policies designed to shift [U.S.] energy
use away from fossil fuels and towards greatly improved energy efficiency
and a vast expansion of the use of renewable energy sources."
Noting that 2004 was the fourth warmest year on record and citing a series
of recent studies suggesting that global climate change may be occurring
more rapidly and with more sever consequences than earlier thought, the
groups warn:
"[I]n spite of the consistency and severity of these warnings, the United
States remains wedded to a climate policy that is based almost totally on
voluntary measures, carbon sequestration, and long-term research. Such a
policy is not only inadequate, it is irresponsible.
"It is even more troubling that today, the day that the Kyoto Protocol
goes into effect, the United States remains isolated as one of the few
industrialized nations that is not a party to the document.
"It is now long past the time when the United States, responsible for a
quarter of the world's greenhouse gas emissions but having only 5% of the
world's population, should have embarked on a serious campaign to address
this problem."
The letter's signers proceed to offer seven recommendations for action
consistent with those recently put forth by the International Climate
Change Taskforce. These include setting aggressive targets for using
renewable energy in the electricity and transportation fuels sectors as
well as for implementing energy efficiency improvements in all areas of
the economy. Also called for are a doubling of government investment in
sustainable energy research, development and deployment as well as
implementation of a mandatory carbon cap and trade system. Other policy
suggestions are also included.
The full text of the letter and the list of signers with contact
information follows.
==============================
February 16, 2005
President George Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500
Senate Leadership
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
House Leadership
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear .
During the past few days, it has been reported that the year 2004 was the
fourth warmest year ever recorded.
Moreover, over the past two months, several international studies have
been issued suggesting that global warming is occurring at a far faster
pace than earlier projected and that the window of opportunity for taking
corrective action is quite short.
In particular, the International Climate Change Taskforce recently stated
that it is vital that global temperatures not rise by more than 2C above
pre-industrial levels. Moreover, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels that
would trigger this rise could possibly be reached in about 10 years or so.
Similarly in a report issued earlier this month, the World Wildlife Fund
warned that world temperatures could surge in just two decades to a
threshold likely to trigger dangerous disruptions to the earth's climate.
If nothing is done, the earth will warm by 2.0 Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit)
above pre-industrial levels by some time between 2026 and 2060,
Even more worrisome, a project - representing a collaboration of experts
at Oxford and Reading universities, The Open University, London School of
Economics, Hadley Center for Climate Prediction and Research, and
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory - reports that it has tested thousands of
climate models and found that some produced a world that warmed by a huge
11.5°C when atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations reached the levels
expected to be seen later this century.
Finally, a study by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology warns that
to have half a chance of curbing global warming to within safe levels, the
world's greenhouse gas emissions need to fall dramatically to between 30%
and 50% of 1990 levels by 2050.
Yet, in spite of the consistency and severity of these warnings, the
United States remains wedded to a climate policy that is based almost
totally on voluntary measures, carbon sequestration, and long-term
research. Such a policy is not only inadequate, it is irresponsible.
It is even more troubling that today, the day that the Kyoto Protocol goes
into effect, the United States remains isolated as one of the few
industrialized nations that is not a party to the document.
It is now long past the time when the United States, responsible for a
quarter of the world's greenhouse gas emissions but having only 5% of the
world's population, should have embarked on a serious campaign to address
this problem.
Consistent with the recommendations of the International Climate Change
Taskforce, we believe the United States must act to greatly reduce its
production of greenhouse gases through a mix of policies designed to shift
its energy use away from fossil fuels and towards greatly improved energy
efficiency and a vast expansion of the use of renewable energy sources.
In particular, we recommend that the United States:
A.) establish a national renewable portfolio standard to generate at least
20% of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020 while aiming for
25% by 2025;
B.) establish a national renewable fuels standard to provide at least 25%
of its liquid transportation fuels from renewable energy sources by 2025;
C.) establish aggressive end-use efficiency targets for utilities as well
as phase in much tighter efficiency standards for vehicles, appliances,
industrial processes, lighting, and buildings;
D.) increase its spending on research, development, and deployment of
sustainable energy technologies by two-fold or more by 2010, at the same
time as adopting near-term strategies for the large-scale deployment of
existing energy efficient and renewable energy technologies;
E.) introduce a national mandatory cap-and-trade systems for carbon
emissions, and construct it to allow for their future integration into a
single global market;
F.) remove barriers to and increase investment in renewable energy and
energy efficient technologies and practices through such measures as the
phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies; expansion of investment tax credits,
loan guarantees and other forms of government support for sustainable
energy technologies; and implementation of uniform net metering and
interconnection standards; and
G.) officially acknowledge the severity of the threat posed by climate
change, commit to preventing global average temperature from rising more
than 2°C (3.6°F) above the pre-industrial level, re-engage with the world
community in a global framework that builds on the Kyoto Protocol and
enables all countries to be part of concerted action on climate change,
and share in the global financial burden of adequately addressing this
problem.
We look forward to your positive response and to working with you on this
most important issue.
Sincerely,
1.) Cylvia Hayes <info@3estrategies.org>
3EStrategies
2.) Micah Walker Parkin <mwalker@all4energy.org>
Alliance for Affordable Energy
3.) Joel Stronberg <jstronberg@anent.com>
American Solar Energy Society
4.) Russell Long <rlong@bluewaternetwork.org>
Bluewater Network
5.) Bob Lawrence <BobLaw424@aol.com>
Bob Lawrence & Associates, Inc.
6.) David Hughes <hughes@citizenpower.com>
Citizen Power
7.) George Burmeister <COEnergyGroup@aol.com>
Colorado Energy Group
8.) Robert Birkmire <rwb@UDel.Edu>
Council for Photovoltaic Research
9.) John Schaefer, PhD <jcschaef@igc.org>
Energy Consultant
10.) Brad Steele <bsteele@efi.org>
Energy Federation, Inc.
11.) Carol Werner <cwerner@eesi.org>
Environmental & Energy Study Institute
12.) Danny Day <danny.day@eprida.com>
EPRIDA (University of Georgia Bioconversion Center)
13.) Ben Mancini <info@evsolar.com>
EV Solar Products, Inc.
14.) Chris Beekhuis <chris@fatspaniel.com>
Fat Spaniel Technologies, Inc.
15.) Casey Coates Danson <casey@globalpossibilities.org>
Global Possibilities
16.) John Coequyt <john.coequyt@wdc.greenpeace.org>
Greenpeace USA
17.) Rick Reed <sunearth@lava.net>
Hawaii Solar Energy Association
18.) William B. Marcus <Bill@JbsEnergy.com>
JBS Energy, Inc.
19.) Richard J Komp <sunwatt@juno.com>
Maine Solar Energy Association
20.) Hoyt Hudson <hoyt.hudson@mainstayenergy.com>
Mainstay Energy
21.) Bill Holmberg <biorefiner@aol.com>
New Uses Council
22.) Gordian Raacke <reli@optonline.net>
Renewable Energy Long Island (RELI)
23.) Ken Haggard, Polly Cooper <slosg@slonet.org>
San Luis Sustainability Group Architects
24.) Rona Friend <rona@sustainablebusiness.com>
SustainableBusiness.com
25.) Robert J Walker <Robert.J.Walker@VALLEY.NET>
Sustainable Energy Resource Group
26.) Scott Sklar <solarsklar@aol.com>
The Stella Group, Inc.
27.) Ken Bossong <kbossong@hotmail.com>
SUN DAY Campaign
28.) Richard Rosen <rrosen@tellus.org>
Tellus Institute
29.) Marchant Wentworth <mwentworth@ucsusa.org>
Union of Concerned Scientists
30.) Gretchen DuBeau <gdubeau@pirg.org>
U.S. Public Interest Research Group
31.) Beth Sachs <Bsachs@veic.org>
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
32.) David Hochschild <david@votesolar.org>
The Vote Solar Initiative
33.) Janet Brandt <jbrandt@weccusa.org>
Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation
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