Monday, August 31, 2015
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Washington Wakes Up, Sheds Light on Climate Conundrum
Reproduced by Cheri (@CheriWriter), the Non-PC Newsgirl for Heather Shelby
For years, it has felt like most of Washington has been burying their heads in the sand by ignoring the climate problem even as evidence mounts and dire predictions become reality. But this week, it became undeniably clear that the tide is turning.
It started Monday, as Senator Whitehouse—a longtime, tireless advocate for climate action—gave his 100th weekly climate speech on the Senate floor. Knowing that "opponents of responsible climate action do best in the dark," Whitehouse dedicated himself to pulling the Senate into the light: "Time and time again, we hear, 'I'm not a scientist' from politicians refusing to acknowledge the evidence. We're not elected to be scientists. We're elected to listen to them."
He's not alone in shedding light on the problem. Secretary of State Kerry's recent trip to Asia focused on the nuclear threat of North Korea and violent extremism around the world—and climate couldn't be left out of the conversation: "It's time to put aside discredited scientific arguments and to focus on the facts, not just for our health and the health of our children, but for our planet's security as well," explained Kerry upon his return.
Today, President Obama continued that conversation, highlighting the national security threat climate change poses in his commencement address at the Coast Guard Academy: "Climate change constitutes a serious threat to global security, an immediate risk to our national security, and make no mistake, it will impact how our military defends our country. And so we need to act—and we need to act now... In Miami and Charleston, streets now flood at high tide. Along our coasts, thousands of miles of highways, roads, railways and energy facilities are vulnerable. It's estimated that a further increase in sea level of one foot—just one foot—by the end of this century could cost our nation $200 billion." Many in Washington are finally waking up and we're not going to miss this opportunity. Yesterday, I was down on Capitol Hill with dozens of EDF supporters meeting with more than 40 Senators and Members of Congress as they called for climate action and support for the Clean Power Plan. With your help, we'll keep turning Washington's words into action. We'll bring the climate catastrophe into the ligh, and ensure that strong, meaningful action is successful.
By Heather Shelby
Thank you for standing with us—and we'll keep you updated on how you can help, Heather Shelby Signature Heather Shelby Action Network Manager Share this message on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Email this message to friends. If a friend sent this to you, sign up yourself.
Facebook Twitter YouTube RSS Environmental Defense Fund 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20009 (800) 684-3322 Contact Us
For years, it has felt like most of Washington has been burying their heads in the sand by ignoring the climate problem even as evidence mounts and dire predictions become reality. But this week, it became undeniably clear that the tide is turning.
It started Monday, as Senator Whitehouse—a longtime, tireless advocate for climate action—gave his 100th weekly climate speech on the Senate floor. Knowing that "opponents of responsible climate action do best in the dark," Whitehouse dedicated himself to pulling the Senate into the light: "Time and time again, we hear, 'I'm not a scientist' from politicians refusing to acknowledge the evidence. We're not elected to be scientists. We're elected to listen to them."
He's not alone in shedding light on the problem. Secretary of State Kerry's recent trip to Asia focused on the nuclear threat of North Korea and violent extremism around the world—and climate couldn't be left out of the conversation: "It's time to put aside discredited scientific arguments and to focus on the facts, not just for our health and the health of our children, but for our planet's security as well," explained Kerry upon his return.
Today, President Obama continued that conversation, highlighting the national security threat climate change poses in his commencement address at the Coast Guard Academy: "Climate change constitutes a serious threat to global security, an immediate risk to our national security, and make no mistake, it will impact how our military defends our country. And so we need to act—and we need to act now... In Miami and Charleston, streets now flood at high tide. Along our coasts, thousands of miles of highways, roads, railways and energy facilities are vulnerable. It's estimated that a further increase in sea level of one foot—just one foot—by the end of this century could cost our nation $200 billion." Many in Washington are finally waking up and we're not going to miss this opportunity. Yesterday, I was down on Capitol Hill with dozens of EDF supporters meeting with more than 40 Senators and Members of Congress as they called for climate action and support for the Clean Power Plan. With your help, we'll keep turning Washington's words into action. We'll bring the climate catastrophe into the ligh, and ensure that strong, meaningful action is successful.
By Heather Shelby
Thank you for standing with us—and we'll keep you updated on how you can help, Heather Shelby Signature Heather Shelby Action Network Manager Share this message on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Email this message to friends. If a friend sent this to you, sign up yourself.
Facebook Twitter YouTube RSS Environmental Defense Fund 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20009 (800) 684-3322 Contact Us
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