Tag Archives: Global warming

Crowded, shoulder-to-shoulder, tens of thousands of walrus are clinging to life on a tiny beach along the coast of Alaska. The Pacific walrus have no where else to turn—the sea ice they normally rest on is melting.

And, to make matters worse, scientists worry that walrus calves are in serious jeopardy. It only takes one spooked, one-ton walrus, to turn the beach into disaster—walrus stampeding and crushing each other in a panic.

The effects of global warming are making many species, like the Pacific walrus, endangered. They’re struggling to find a place to live.

This summer, sea ice is reaching another record low—third only to the devastating lows of 2007 and 2008 that stranded unprecedented numbers of walruses on land.

Adding to the urgency, the federal government released a report saying there’s a 40% chance that Pacific walrus will be on a path to extinction by century’s end.

The Pacific walrus need our help—take action today.

Currently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is deciding whether (or not) to list the Pacific walrus as an endangered species. They can’t survive without the extra protections provided under the Endangered Species Act.

Help give the walrus a fighting chance! The deadline for public comments is this Friday. We have less than 48 hours to help save the walrus. Please speak up by taking a moment to tell the Service that extinction is forever—save the Pacific walrus before it’s too late.

From Alaska,

Melanie Duchin
Arctic Program Director

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can curiosity save the World?

09/22/2010 Nativegrl77

show details Sep 21 (1 day ago)

Union of Concerned Scientists - Scientists are curious for life.

Can curiosity save the world?

Cameron Wake Curious for Life Ad

Cameron Wake and the Union of Concerned Scientists believe that curiosity can save the world—but we can’t do it without your help. Please, support our work to spread the truth—and spread the curiosity—today.

For climatologist Cameron Wake, it all started with childhood questions—endless questions. What lights the moon? Why is the ocean blue? Why do glaciers move?

Cameron is still curious. And it’s his curiosity, and that of other scientists like him, that is the key to solving some of our most pressing environmental, health, and security problems—in particular global warming.

Cameron travels to some of the most remote locations in the world to study the icy interior of glaciers. Detailed studies of ice cores have clearly shown that humans are now a major driver of climate change.

Wake’s science is sound—the problem is making his voice heard among the ideological rhetoric that makes headlines these days. We need your help to amplify his message amidst talking heads intent on misleading and confusing the public. Can you make a donation now to help us spread the facts about global warming?

You and I believe in the rigor of science. And you would think that the debate about global warming would be over—but it isn’t and action is urgently needed. People with financial interests in maintaining the status quo have manufactured controversies and misrepresented the facts about global warming in order to delay desperately needed action. They seek to dull the public’s curiosity by sowing confusion and doubt. And you and I cannot let them succeed.

Because the scary thing is that their efforts have been working. More people than ever doubt the scientific evidence that global warming is a human-caused problem with devastating consequences. It is unbelievable, and we cannot let our communities be harmed by false science.

Please support the Union of Concerned Scientists in our efforts to bring sound science to the public, and spread curiosity and the truth about global warming. Your donation allows us to be an independent voice for policy change and to continue developing science-based solutions to crucial environmental, health, and security issues.

Together we can protect our planet and all of its wondrous curiosities.

Sincerely,

Kevin Knobloch
President

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Stop Texas Oil from Rewriting Environmental laws

09/10/2010 Nativegrl77

Stand against oil companies trying to overturn global warming legislation

With the Senate’s failure to pass an anti global-warming bill, legislation on the state level is currently our most direct answer to saving the planet.

California already passed one of the toughest anti-global warming laws in the world (AB32) back in 2006 — and its regulations will start being phased in next year.

But not if a bunch of oil companies in Texas have their way. Texas oil companies Valero and Tesoro have spent $3.5 million to fund Prop 23 in California; a deceptive initiative that, if approved by voters this November, will effectively reverse AB32.

If these Texas Oil Companies succeed in rewriting California’s global warming laws, it won’t just hurt California’s effort to curb harmful carbon emissions — it will be a giant step back for nationwide efforts to fight global warming.

So we need to tell Valero that their continued support of this proposition is going to cost them, too >

This campaign was started by our partner CREDO Action in California earlier this year with The Courage Campaign, but since then, Valero has upped the ante. With only two months until the election, they just gave another $3 million to fund the attack on AB32. There’s no telling how many more millions Valero will dump into this effort before November — but if we create a groundswell of national pressure, we can force them to reconsider their support. So we’re supporting CREDO Action in taking this boycott national.

The Senate climate fight made clear that dirty energy companies have far too much power in Washington. And now that the Citizens United case has opened the door for more corporate money in our elections, the best way to stop dirty energy from having an even bigger impact on ballots nationwide is with direct, public pressure that will be noticed by corporate executives and shareholders alike.

This type of pressure just made a big difference after Target donated $150,000 to a group backing anti-gay candidates. With Valero leading an attack on the strongest climate pollution reduction act in the country, we need to show them that their support isn’t just bad for the environment — it’s also bad for business.

Valero’s CEO needs to hear the message loud and clear. Sign the pledge and join the boycott of Valero >

Thanks for taking action,

The Change.org team

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it’s time to get to work …

09/08/2010 Nativegrl77

We’re teaming up with 350, 10:10, and a global coalition of folks doing something about climate change to create a global day of action: the 10/10/10 Global Work Party. Help us make October 10th the biggest single day of action against global warming that the world has ever seen.

The Gulf oil spill, the breaking up of Arctic ice sheets, the wildfires sweeping through Eastern Europe — these are just a few impacts of our addiction to fossil fuels. The good news is that most Americans have begun to do their part, making small changes in their own lives in the hopes of helping create a more sustainable planet.

But while you and I have tried to make changes in our homes and communities, our leaders in Washington D.C. are letting fossil fuel companies off the hook instead of holding them accountable. They claim it’s just too hard to take on Big Coal and Big Oil.

Well on October 10th, we’re getting together with our friends at 350.org, 10:10, and many others, to show them what hard work looks like.

It’s called the “10/10/10 Global Work Party.” The goal of the day is to send a message to our political leaders: If we can get to work, you can get to work too — on the legislation and the treaties that will protect this planet for our children and grandchildren.

There are already over 1,700 events in 140+ countries, and we’d love for you to join us wherever you live.

Check here to see if there is an event already planned in your area or to create your own.

What you do at your work party is up to you. But don’t worry, we’ll help you get started and have a few ideas to help get your creative juices flowing. As long as it benefits your community and helps cut carbon emissions, it will matter — and it will help get the point across to our politicians.

Let’s inspire our political leaders on October 10th to take the bold action necessary to save the planet. It’s time to get to work.

For the planet,

Ben Kroetz
Greenpeace Online Organizer

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Extreme Weather: Face the facts

08/27/2010 Nativegrl77

The facts are devastatingly clear.

Around the globe, we are on track to see the hottest year yet in 2010. From the flooding in Pakistan to droughts in Russia and landslides in China, the effects of this year’s extreme weather are catastrophic and undeniable.

The recent pattern of extreme weather events is consistent with what scientists have projected to result from climate change: temperature shifts, severe rainfall and snow in some parts of the world, and major droughts in others.

Check out Repower America’s fact sheet on extreme weather and share it with your friends.

Get the Facts: Extreme Weather and Climate Change

Despite the overwhelming facts, skeptics — like the now infamous Koch brothers¹, Massey coal² and Lord Monckton³ — will no doubt continue to spend big bucks to keep spreading misinformation about global warming.

But if we want to fight the skeptics, we’ll need a growing number of people to get informed. As the evidence mounts, leaders like Russian President Dmitry Medvedev are finally speaking out about climate change. President Medvedev spoke out at a United Nations Security Council meeting and said,

“What is happening now in our central regions is evidence of this global climate change, because we have never in our history faced such weather conditions in the past. This means that we need to change the way we work, change the methods that we used in the past.”⁴

In Pakistan, nearly 1,600 people have died this summer from the worst monsoon-related floods in living memory. And around the world, 2000-2009 was the warmest decade on record⁵, and 2010 is on track to be the warmest year the world has seen in 131 years.

Extreme weather events are putting lives in danger all around the world. Make sure you get the facts and spread the word.

Learn more about the link between extreme weather and climate change today.

Thanks for getting involved,

Dave Boundy
Campaign Manager
Repower America