Tag Archives: Union of Concerned Scientists

Make Sure the Media Gets it Right on Clean Cars

Make your voice heard and hold the automakers accountable both for their words and their actions as we aim to secure our clean car future.

Tell USA Today that Automaker Sales Show Why We Need Clean Car Standards >> http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=cBRjbrJcoXRmIxbo0qEWCQ ..

The time to secure our clean car future is now. The federal government and California are collaborating on new emissions and fuel economy standards (aka “clean car standards”) which will cover vehicles from model years 2017-2025. These standards will help break America’s dangerous addiction to oil and are a significant piece of the Union of Concerned Scientists’ plan to cut our nation’s projected oil use in half by 2030.

U.S. automakers, such as Ford, are already benefiting from the current round of clean car standards. Indeed, USA Today notes that Ford’s main sales winner is the remodeled Explorer SUV model, which focused on fuel efficiency improvements. In acknowledging the U.S. consumer, Ford said “With oil nearing $100 per barrel and gasoline prices continuing to rise, consumers’ consideration for fuel economy once again is taking top billing.”

But as Ford sings the clean car song to the press, they and the other U.S. automakers are actually pushing to weaken the 2025 standards. Ensuring full and accurate coverage of the automakers in the press will be critical to pushing back against this effort.

We’ve proven time and time again that the public voice is an essential counterbalance to the automaker spin machine. So head to our online Action Center and help make sure the press is covering this story with your interests in mind, not just the automakers’.

Take Action Today! http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=cBRjbrJcoXRmIxbo0qEWCQ..

Take care,

Scott Nathanson

National Field Organizer

UCS Clean Vehicles Program

P.S. Are you a FB user and want to use the power of “The Social Network” to clean up our cars? Then “like” our new UCS Clean Car Watchdog Facebook page. It will give you the latest news and even more real-time opportunities to make your voice heard on this crucial issue.

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UCS is standing up for science. Will you stand up for UCS?

02/22/2011 Nativegrl77

Please help UCS expose and challenge attacks on science by becoming a member of the Union of Concerned Scientists today.

http://www.ucsusa.org/forms/sign-up-for-ucs-science-network.html

Amidst the inflammatory rhetoric of media personalities and polarizing politics found in our national and state capitols these days, it’s becoming harder and harder to find leaders who are willing to stand up for science and for practical solutions to America’s energy and climate challenges.

“The fact that there may be some global warming doesn’t necessarily establish that it’s caused by humans. If you look at climatological data going back centuries or millennia, we have periods of cooling, like the Ice Age, and warming. So it’s cyclical. We’re going to have public hearings on the topic.”

—Representative Mo Brooks (R-AL), chair of the House of Representatives’ science committee’s subcommittee for research and science education

You can help UCS expose and challenge attacks like this on science—become a member today. http://www.ucsusa.org/forms/sign-up-for-ucs-science-network.html

That’s why UCS is leading the charge to beat back fraudulent claims about climate change, educate decision makers and the public about the real facts on global warming, and advance science-based solutions to protect human health and the environment.

Please become a member today. http://www.ucsusa.org/forms/sign-up-for-ucs-science-network.html

Right now we’re witnessing an all-out war on science and hard-fought environmental and public health protections. Consider these facts:

A Fox News managing editor directed his staff to highlight criticisms of climate science whenever they mention the fact that Earth is warming.

The new vice-chairman of the House Science Committee has threatened to launch hearings to question basic scientific findings by climate scientists.

Oil giant ExxonMobil has spent millions to run a sophisticated disinformation campaign designed to deceive the public about the certainty of climate change science.

Recently elected governors, representatives, and senators have pledged to roll back many of the scientifically sound, global warming emissions reduction measures we’ve won in the last few years.

We need you help to defend science, shine a spotlight on the real facts about climate change, and to protect our environment, health, and security. Please become a member of UCS today. http://www.ucsusa.org/forms/sign-up-for-ucs-science-network.html

Sincerely,

Kevin Knobloch

President

P.S. When you join UCS, you join more than 77,000 UCS members from all walks of life who understand that climate change isn’t a belief—it’s a scientific fact. People like you who want to work together to protect human health and our environment. Please join us today. http://www.ucsusa.org/forms/sign-up-for-ucs-science-network.html

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We don’t “believe in” global warming–we know it’s a fact

02/14/2011 Nativegrl77

On a recent snowy morning, on my way in to work, I heard a refreshing interview with a politician, who said, “When people ask me if I believe in global warming, I say I believe in physics.”

This is the sort of practical, science-based reasoning that is so hard to find these days among the rhetoric of media personalities and polarizing politics found in our national and state capitols.

“I think that the science is inconclusive on this. I personally believe that the solar flares are more responsible for climatic cycles than anything that human beings do.”

—Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R WI), new vice chair of the House Science Committee

You can help UCS expose and challenge attacks like this on science—become a member today.

That’s why the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is leading the charge to expose corporations, politicians, and media pundits who knowingly mislead the public about science.

But we need your help to do it. Become a member of UCS today and join us as we challenge attacks on science.

Believe me when I tell you that this is an all-out war on science. It’s well coordinated. It’s well funded. And it’s backed by opponents looking out for their own interests in an effort to obstruct progress on important environmental and human health protections. Consider these facts:

•A Fox News managing editor directed his staff to highlight criticisms of climate science whenever they mention the fact that Earth is warming.

•The new vice-chairman of the House Science Committee has threatened to launch hearings to question basic scientific findings by climate scientists.

•Oil giant ExxonMobil has spent millions to run a sophisticated disinformation campaign designed to deceive the public about the certainty of climate change science.

•Recently elected governors, representatives, and senators have pledged to roll back many of the scientifically sound, global warming emissions reduction measures we’ve won in the last few years.

You can help counter attacks like these by becoming a member of UCS today.

We may not have the deep pockets of the oil and coal industries and electric utilities who oppose progress on global warming and clean energy—but we do have scientific facts and dedicated supporters like you. With your help, UCS will organize scientists from around the country to beat back fraudulent claims and we’ll continue to educate decision makers and the public about the real facts on global warming.

Thank you for your ongoing support of our work. At this critical time, I hope you’ll take the next step and become a member of UCS today.

Sincerely,

Kevin Knobloch

President

P.S. When you join UCS, you join more than 77,000 UCS members who also believe in physics. People from all walks of life who understand that climate change isn’t a belief—it’s a scientific fact. People like you who want to work together to protect human health and our environment. Please join us today.

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We need your feedback–Because we’re scientists, not mind readers

01/18/2011 Nativegrl77

Happy New Year! We’re excited to be kicking off 2011 with the support of people like you.

You are the foundation of our organization. It’s because of your support that the Union of Concerned Scientists has been able to make great progress on some of the toughest environmental, health, and security issues of our time.

We’re very interested in what you, as a UCS supporter, think about what we’re doing. So please tell us what matters to you by taking our quick online survey.

As a science-based organization, it is anathema to us to make uninformed presumptions, so we rely on you to tell us what you think. We’ll use your answers to make better decisions about what to send you and how often to contact you. Please click here to give us your opinion today.

We also want to make sure you know about some exciting accomplishments that happened in just the last few weeks—each of which we worked hard to shape and deliver:

•Congress ratified the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty between the United States and Russia. This critical pact will reduce each country’s vast arsenals of nuclear weapons and is a critical first step in a renewed global effort to reduce the nuclear threat.

•The Obama administration released its long-awaited scientific integrity plan to improve transparency in policy making, ensure that well-qualified individuals are appointed to science positions, and protect those who expose abuse of science.

•An historic agreement was reached at December’s U.N. climate convention in Cancún, Mexico, that will reduce tropical deforestation and protect forest peoples and biodiversity (contrary to the perception some have that only modest progress was made there).

These long-fought achievements would not have been realized if it weren’t for your actions and support. Thank you, and congratulations.

We look forward to the new year ahead and to continuing to work together with you, side-by-side, to promote science-based solutions to cut global warming emissions, develop clean energy alternatives, reduce the threat of nuclear weapons, and much more!

Don’t forget to take our quick online survey to tell us how our online communications are serving you.

Sincerely,

Kevin Knobloch

President

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

A Holiday “Thank You” from UCS

11/15/2010 Nativegrl77 1 Comment

This holiday season, we want to thank you for your support of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

As we head into the New Year please know how much we appreciate that support. You are an integral part of the work that we do. It is because of your partnership that UCS is ready to aggressively advocate and promote science-based solutions to our world’s most pressing problems.

Thank you for your support,
—the board and staff of the Union of Concerned Scientists

The Union of Concerned Scientists is the leading science-based nonprofit
working for a healthy environment and a safer world.

2 Brattle Square Cambridge, MA 02138-3780
phone: 800-666-8276 | Fax: 617-864-9405 | ucsaction@ucsusa.org | www.ucsusa.org