Subject: Send Congress a message: Get real on climate change

From: "Ilyse Hogue, MoveOn.org Political Action" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2007 07:25:27 -0700

Dear MoveOn member,

Last year, a handful of Vermont students started to dream: What if a bunch
of people around the country asked Congress all at once to confront the
defining issue of our time, global climate destabilization? On Saturday,
those students made history, when close to 1,400 communities from coast to
coast participated in the largest day of action ever in the U.S. on
climate change.

Their timing is perfect. The new Democratic House has vowed to pass a
climate change bill by this summer. But for the bill to have real teeth
and withstand the pressure of the Big Oil lobby, all of us must weigh in
now with a clear call for bold, long-term solutions.

Science shows that a commitment now to major cuts in our emissions is the
only way to get ahead of the climate crisis. It is time to think big and
long-term. So send a message to your representatives today: Congress' new
bill on global warming must reduce greenhouse gases by 80% by 2050.
Clicking here will add your name to the petition:

http://pol.moveon.org/stepuponclimatechange/o.pl?id=10208-86329-YDHgxw&t=4

The best part is that the petition signatures will be hand-delivered to
our representatives' local offices by Step It Up 2007, the folks who
brought you the rallies last Saturday. By gathering lots of signatures, we
can help show that voters want action now on this issue.

The verdict is in--global warming is real and already affecting lives of
people around the world. This spring, communities close to the North Pole
saw something they haven't seen in 5,000 years of unchanged culture--polar
bears and walrus pups drowning in the Arctic sea. With the ice melting,
they can't fish anymore and don't even recognize their homeland.1

These communities are the canaries in the coal mine; it won't be long
until those effects are felt across our nation, threatening coastal cities
and agricultural production. And just yesterday, top retired military
officers called for quick action, highlighting the security threat
represented by global warming.2

But when people are willing to dream, leaders will follow. After decades
of ignoring mounting evidence of our climate crisis, the new Democratic
House will have a climate change bill this year--the only question is,
will it contain bold solutions or a band-aids? Saturday proved we have the
momentum for real change. Now, we just need the political will to go the
distance. People from all walks of life took a simple message to their
communities: the future for our grandchildren in squarely in their hands.
The time is now for our leaders to step up.

Twelve-year old Tiffany Cordero said it best Saturday at a rally in New
York City's Battery Park:

When it comes to global warming, I don't exactly think President Bush is
doing such a hot job. A lot of people are thinking just of now. But we
won't have a 'now' if we don't focus on the future.3

Congress can secure the future now, by making sure any legislation passed
commits to the scientifically proven goals that will turn the tide on
climate change. Congress' new bill on global warming must include a
long-term and bold commitment: Reduce greenhouse gases by 80% by 2050.

Click here to add your name to the call.

http://pol.moveon.org/stepuponclimatechange/o.pl?id=10208-86329-YDHgxw&t=5

Thanks for all you do.

--Ilyse, Wes, Carrie, Nita and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
  Wednesday, April 18th, 2007

P.S. Along with serious reductions in greenhouse gases, we've also got to
make sure the biggest polluters don't get a free ride under new
legislation. Big business has made sure that most proposals on the table
include "grandfathered" pollution permits--which means if you're already
polluting, you get to just keep on doing it. It's only fair that every
polluter should pay us, the taxpayers, since the air and atmosphere is a
common resource that belongs to everyone. Grandfathered permits are
basically a multi-billion dollar giveaway to the largest polluters.

Instead of letting these companies get richer by continuing to pollute or
by selling their pollution "rights" to another company, our friends at
Earth Day Network launched a campaign to make sure Congress doesn't go for
it.  Click here to learn more and support their work:

http://www.earthday.net/sky/moveon

Sources:

1. "Climate Warming is Very Real in Arctic" ABC News, April 15th, 2007
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=3043221</ahref="http:>

2. "Top ex-military leaders call global warming major security risk"
Boston Herald, April 15, 2007
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2512&id=10208-86329-YDHgxw&t=7

3. "Global Warming Protests Begin Saturday" Forbes, April 14, 2007
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/04/14/ap3613014.html

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