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"Two Degrees" of Separation: Obama Needs to Outline his Yardstick on Global Warming
1 Jul, 2009 10:46 pm
, a coalition of major U.S. groups called for the Obama Administration to outline its )
In the midst of the fight of our lives (the House floor debate on the American Clean Energy and Security Act), a coalition of major U.S. groups called for the Obama Administration to outline its "yardstick" on global warming. What is it that this "scientific and pragmatic" Administration will use to measure our efforts to solve global warming pollution, its yardstick?
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We are writing to urge you to work with other world leaders at the upcoming G8 Summit to set a strong science-based goal for reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases aimed at keeping the increase of global average surface temperature, compared to pre-industrial levels, as far below 2 degrees Celsius/3.6 degrees Fahrenheit as possible.The impacts of global warming will be potentially severe in a number of regions around the world, including the US, if we cross this threshold.
And it isn?t like these groups made up this ?yardstick?. After all, it is the goal called for in the:
- climate and energy recommendations to the Obama transition team from the 29 largest U.S. environmental, conservation, and development organizations;
- American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) that just passed the U.S. House of Representatives;
- Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act of 2007, which Senator Obama co-sponsored;
- Principles of the National Council of Churches;
- Statements of a number leading climate scientists; and
- Positions of a large number of governments around the world.
So that is why having such an overarching ?yardstick? as holding global temperatures to below a certain threshold is so critical ? it frames why we are working to solve global warming. It will frame how we judge whether or not we are heading in the right direction or whether we need to do more.
Where President Obama stands on ?two degrees? will be a consistent question when he attends the Group of Eight (G8) meeting in early July. Ambiguity breeds mistrust and on global warming the U.S. has had a lot of goodwill destroyed over the last 8 years ? thanks to the efforts of the ?unnamed Administration?. The Obama Administration and now the House of Representatives have made serious efforts to rebuild international trust on global warming. But not providing clarity on ?two degrees? spurs mistrust as evidenced in a recent Reuters story about the Obama Administration not wanting to reference the 2 degrees Celsius objective in the G8 statement
So the letter from these 47 groups to President Obama as he is just about to embark on his G8 trip provides a simple recommendation ? embrace 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degress Fahrenheit) as the U.S. yardstick on global warming. Don?t be separate from it any longer. Taking it as your own will help spur the U.S. public to action and build a huge amount international goodwill.
Coming out in support of this ?yardstick? is a small, but hugely important signal to the American people and the world that we are truly committed to solving global warming.
Originally posted on Global Warming is Real
Jake Schmidt is the International Policy Director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, this article is cross-posted from his blog on NRDC's Switchboard
1 comment(s)
[1]
Comment by Global Changes
2 Jul, 2009 12:13 pm
The problem of global warming was damn near ignored by the Bush administration. Its forced Obama into a tricky spot, as Bush managed to keep most people happy but not making unpopular decisions, and now so little has been done that Obama has too much to do to clean up the US and prevent global warming, that he is bound to make Americans angry with some strong decisions. But just because Americans have been seemingly oblivious to the damage their lifestyles has done to the climate over the past 50 years, doesn't meant they can ignore the effects it is having on the world.
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