Sacramento—President Bush today announced a new goal of stopping the
growth of U.S.
global warming emissions by 2025. Yet,
in 2007, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded
that global emissions must peak no later than 2015 to prevent
catastrophic effects of global warming.
“Global
warming is already transforming the world.
Last month, global warming caused a chunk of Antarctic ice about
seven times the size of Manhattan
to suddenly collapse. President Bush’s plan is on a
crash course with scientific reality. The time
for action is today – not 20 years from now,” said Environment California Global Warming
Advocate Jason Barbose.
According
to the Department of Energy, U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide
emissions are projected to increase by more than 16% above 2006 levels by 2025.
To protect future generations from the worst
effects of global warming, such as a massive rise in sea levels and the extinction of many
species worldwide, the most recent science indicates that the United
States must halt increases in its global warming emissions immediately, cut its emissions by at least 15
to 20 percent by 2020, and slash its emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050.
“To solve
this urgent problem, America
must invest in a clean energy future with an emphasis on energy efficient homes
and buildings and solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources,” added Barbose. “Instead of focusing on the cleanest,
quickest, and cheapest solutions, the President is focused on expensive and dangerous
technologies, like nuclear power,” he concluded.
