Mass Coalition for Healthy Communities: Speak out now on Waxman-Markey

Hat tip to Mass Coalition for Healthy Communities for this alert on the Waxman-Markey climate change bill. Read an op-ed in the Metrowest (Massachusetts) Daily News by organizers Jill Stein and Maggie Zhou here.

Would you flip a coin to determine whether hundreds of millions of people are forced into migration and conflict over desperate food and water shortages? Or how about whether half the species of our planet live or die?

Congress is poised to do 20 times worse than that as it prepares to vote on the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACESA, also known as Waxman-Markey). This legislation aims for a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target that is at best 20 times weaker than a 50/50 shot for avoiding catastrophic global warming, while permitting polluters to use "offsets" to increase their pollution for many years to come. And to top it off, this bill shamefully repeals existing EPA power to regulate global warming pollution.

The vote could come to the House floor as soon as this Friday, June 26. Click here to see a sample letter to send to Congress.

Please tell your Congressional representative that ACESA/Waxman-Markey is a fake climate bill and must be withdrawn or voted down. Ask your representative to come up with a real climate solution that:

1. Cuts greenhouse gas pollution quickly to return to a safe level in the atmosphere - below 350 parts-per-million. (More here)
   
2. Includes a switch to 100% renewable electricity in 10 years.
   
3. Preserves the ability of the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas pollution.
   
4. Does not allow unreliable, fraud-prone "offsets" in place of real emission reductions
   
5. Phases out coal, and prohibits the use/extraction of tar sand and oil shale -- all the worst culprits of global warming.
   

This will produce millions of jobs as we create sustainable, healthy, vibrant, local and resilient low-carbon economies!

After you contact your representative, please call your favorite environmental organizations and ask them to join us in this action. And help spread the word by sharing this alert on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

FAQ links:

• Why is ACESA / Waxman-Markey un-salvageable? 
  
• Isn't it better to make this first step now, and then try to strengthen it with further legislation?
  
• Background on the safe level of atmospheric greenhouse gases - 350 ppm
  
• Detailed analysis on ACESA / Waxman-Markey