In an open letter published [last week] on a full page of the Washington Post, members of WWF’s current and past Boards of Directors call for “a clear bipartisan blueprint from the Senate prior to Copenhagen, followed by final passage of legislation early next year,” saying that it is “vital to securing corresponding actions by other countries in a new global pact to head off the worst impacts of climate change. “
That’s from the World Wildlife Fund’s news release on their “Bipartisan Call for Climate Action.” The video is from one of the signers, The Honorable William K. Reilly, Chairman Emeritus of WWF and EPA Administrator during the entire Bush Sr. presidency. Another signer is The Honorable Russell E. Train, Founder Chairman Emeritus of WWF and President Nixon’s and Ford’s EPA Administrator from 1973-1977.
The text of the letter and list of signers follows (PDF here):
A Bipartisan Call for Climate Action
An Open Letter to Congress
For nearly 50 years, World Wildlife Fund has been committed to science-based conservation and guided by leadership that has included Republicans, Democrats and Independents. Focused on field conservation and market-based solutions to balance the needs of people and nature, WWF has largely stayed out of political fights on Capitol Hill. But today, our world faces a crisis that forces us off the sidelines and into the current debate.
Climate change is here. It is altering places we value and threatens to undermine our economy and unravel all that conservation has achieved over the past century. If unchecked, it will result in untold economic and ecological harm.
In a study initiated under the Bush administration, and released in June, a blue-ribbon panel of scientists details the damaging impacts already being felt in every region of the United States. At home and abroad, a rapidly changing climate threatens to irreversibly harm our farms, our forests and our freshwater supplies. These growing impacts will imperil our future unless we greatly reduce emissions of the greenhouse gases responsible for climate change.
As members of WWF’s current and prior Boards of Directors, we believe that strong bipartisan action on climate change is needed now. Beginning with the McCain-Lieberman bill in 2003, leadership on climate change has come from Democrats and Republicans working together, and we are heartened to see that tradition continuing today with Senators Kerry, Graham and Lieberman. But we have no time to waste.
A clear bipartisan blueprint from the Senate prior to Copenhagen, followed by final passage of legislation early next year, is vital to securing corresponding actions by other countries in a new global pact to head off the worst impacts of climate change.
For the sake of our children and grandchildren, we urge you in the strongest terms to send this clear signal to support a productive outcome in Copenhagen by framing legislation for the Senate now. The vote to pass climate change legislation will be one of the most important you will ever cast; the impact will be felt for generations.
The Honorable Russell E. Train
EPA Administrator, 1973-1977
Founder Chairman Emeritus, WWFThe Honorable William K. Reilly [video clip]
EPA Administrator, 1989-1993
Chairman Emeritus, WWFThe Honorable Bruce Babbitt [video clip]
Secretary of the Interior, 1993-2001
Former Chairman, WWFMr. Carter S. Roberts [video clip]
President and CEO, WWFMr. Roger W. Sant [video clip]
Chairman Emeritus, AES Corporation
Co-Chairman, WWFMr. Lawrence H. Linden
Retired General Partner, Goldman Sachs
Co-Chairman, WWF
Ms. Fabiola Arredondo
Managing Partner, Siempre HoldingsSir Peter Crane
Dean, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale UniversityDr. Brenda S. Davis [video clip]
Dr. Jared M. Diamond [video clip]
Author and Professor, Geography, UCLADr. Mohamed El-Ashry
Former CEO and Chairman Global Environment FacilityDr. Exequiel Ezcurra
Professor, University of California
Institute for Mexico & the United StatesMr. Marshall Field
The Old Mountain Company, Inc.Dr. Urs H¶lzle
Senior Vice President for Operations GoogleMr. Neville Isdell [video clip]
Former Chairman and CEO The Coca-Cola CompanyDr. Geeske Joel
Mr. S. Curtis Johnson
Chairman, JohnsonDiversey, Inc.Ms. Shelly Lazarus
Chairman, Ogilvy & Mather WorldwideDr. Robert Litterman [video clip]
Advisory Director, Goldman SachsDr. Thomas Lovejoy
Biodiversity Chair, The Heinz CenterDr. Pamela Matson
Dean, School of Earth Sciences Stanford UniversityDr. Gordon Orians
Professor Emeritus, Biology University of WashingtonMr. Leigh H. (Perk) Perkins
CEO, The Orvis Company, Inc.Mr. Thomas Tusher
Retired President and COO Levi Strauss & Co.Ms. Julie A. Wrigley
President and CEO Wrigley Investments, LLC
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I know this, you know this, the problem is getting main-street America to know this. Without the press to acknowledge it’s fiduciary responsibility, stepping up to the plate and start reporting, (educating), in earnest, I guess we sit around and wait for S*** to hit the fan. Oh boy… Where are you NYT ??? At what point do you realize that you have a duty to humanity. You might even make yourselves relevent again in the process.
A reminder that rising temperatures from CO2 are not the worst or the most immediate problem. Worse still is the effect of the “other” greenhouse gases producing toxic pollution that is killing vegetation. The NYT reported that at a minimum, NY, NJ and CT this fall have declared agricultural states of emergency due to crop failure, which most people blame on excessive rain. But the same foliar damage can be found on trees and annual plants in many other regions that didn’t have high rainfall. Not to mention that emissions are responsible for cancer in humans.