Environment North Carolina : Ask Congress to take action on global warming!

As you no doubt know by now, "An Inconvenient Truth," Al Gore's documentary about global warming, won two Academy Awards last week, a fitting tribute for a film that has single-handedly shifted the national debate by educating millions of Americans about the science and dangers of global warming.

But as the former vice president said in accepting the award, "We need to solve the climate crisis. We have everything we need to get started, with the possible exception of the will to act. That's a renewable resource-let's renew it."

In North Carolina, scientists predict the worst impacts of global warming will include rising sea levels and more severe tropical storms and hurricanes, erasing the Outer Banks and harming our coastal towns.

But the good news is that if we act now, and act decisively, we can avoid dangerous global warming and protect future generations.

You can help make North Carolina's members of Congress leaders in solving global warming. To get started, contact your representative in Congress and urge him or her to cosponsor the Safe Climate Act, legislation that would set the science-based pollution limits needed to prevent the worst effects of global warming.

TO SIGN OUR PETITION TO YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS IN SUPPORT OF THE SAFE CLIMATE ACT, CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW OR COPY AND PASTE IT INTO YOUR WEB BROWSER.

www.environmentnorthcarolina.org

Then, forward this e-mail to your family and friends!

Background

Global warming is starting to change weather patterns. Scientists predict that these changes will accelerate in the future and say that we can expect:

. Extreme weather. Scientists expect hurricanes to become more intense and say that the hurricanes that hit the Gulf states in 2005 may be an indication of what's to come, causing damage to North Carolina's coast and more floods throughout the state

. Public health risks. Scientists also expect heat waves to become more dangerous, causing more people to suffer heat stress and stroke. Other impacts include the spread of infectious diseases, and smoggier cities.

. Rising sea levels. Scientists predict sea levels could rise as much as three feet, causing our coastline as we know it to disappear.

Most global warming pollution comes from burning oil, coal, and natural gas in our power plants, cars, SUVs, and factories. Power plants are the single biggest source, responsible for about 40% of global warming pollution in the state and the nation. Because there are no limits on global warming pollution, industry can pump unlimited amounts of the pollution into our skies.

The good news is that if we act now and act decisively, we stop global warming and protect future generations. Our research shows that with clean, local, farm-based energy sources, new energy-efficiency technologies, and less-polluting cars, there's plenty we can do to reduce global warming pollution and boost the economy, too.

Rep. Henry Waxman has introduced the first-ever science-based bill to stop the worst effects of global warming. The bill requires nationwide reductions of global warming pollution of 15% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, the level of reductions the best science says are needed.

Please take a moment to contact your representative in Congress and ask them to support the Safe Climate Act.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Ouzts
Environment North Carolina State Director
ElizabethO@environmentnorthcarolina.org
http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org

P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this e-mail with your family and friends.