International Report Reinforces Urgent Need for Action with Finding That Global Warming is Intensifying |
Statement of John Flicker, President, National Audubon Society
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a
statement from John Flicker, president of the National Audubon Society on
the international global warming report:
"The IPCC report should erase any doubts, even among the most dedicated
skeptics, that the time for action to combat global warming is now. This is
a wake up call not just to those who love birds, wildlife and the natural
environment, but to anyone who cares about the future that our children and
grandchildren will inherit.
"This report is the most reliable and comprehensive statement of what
scientists know about global warming. The world's best scientists are
warning that our planet is being remade from the upper atmosphere to the
ocean's depths as a result of human activity. This report leaves no room
for doubt and it has never been clearer that Congress has no time to waste.
"The clarity and completeness of the IPCC's global warming findings
permanently relegates skeptics to the fringe. Lawmakers should move quickly
to adopt mandatory measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the
same time, promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy legislation
helps serve as a down payment toward that goal."
MORE INFORMATION
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has issued three
reports on the science of global warming since 1990. With each, the
certainty of the human effect on the climate has increased while the
likelihood of other factors being responsible has declined.
The IPCC assessment reports on global warming receive a higher degree
of scrutiny by scientists and participating nations than any other in the
world - - making their conclusions the most rigorous that exist.
Established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and
the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the IPCC assesses the "risk
of human-induced climate change." The panel is open to all member countries
of the WMO and UNEP, and includes over 2,000 scientists from 154 countries.
Scientists are nominated for participation in the panel by their own
governments.
The U.S. Congress is on the verge of undertaking serious policy-making
on global warming for the first time. Recently, Senators Biden and Lugar
introduced a resolution that urges the U.S. to go back to the international
bargaining table. Other pro-active measures have been introduced by
Senators McCain, Lieberman and Obama, and by Senator Lincoln from Arkansas.
Senator Boxer, who recently introduced her own bill is launching hearings.
In the House, Congressman Waxman is expected to introduce a comprehensive
bill shortly, and Reps. Gilchrest and Olver have just introduced their
bipartisan bill.
President Bush's inclusion in his State of the Union Speech of a number
of measures that could help reduce global warming reflects the
administration's strongest recognition to date of the need to address the
crisis at hand. The inclusion of these measures could indicate the
administration is now more committed than in the past to ending the U.S.
addiction to oil. Still, its willingness to take the strong steps needed to
combat global warming remains, at best, uncertain.
A platform to address global warming crisis released by environmental
groups on the eve of the State of the Union address is available at
http://www.audubon.org/energy.
SOURCE National Audubon Society
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CONTACT:
Tony Iallonardo of the National Audubon
Society, +1-202-861-2242 ext. 3042
