Why the Time for U.S. Leadership is Now!
The climate impacts we are feeling are worse than projected
Observed sea level rise has outpaced 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projections. The rate of sea level rise for the last 20 years was faster than in any other recent 20 year period, with ocean thermal expansion and melting from non-polar glaciers the main culprits. We've also witnessed the ongoing decline in Arctic summer sea ice area, with the lowest levels occurring in 2007 and 2008. The Arctic Ocean might be ice-free in the summer as early as 2030. Oxygen levels in tropical oceans have dropped dramatically, which may have serious consequences for coastal ecosystems and economies.
Climate impacts will themselves accelerate warming
As Arctic permafrost melts, it releases more carbon, mostly in the form of methane, a heat-trapping gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. As the ocean becomes increasingly saturated with carbon dioxide it loses its ability to absorb carbon. As a result a higher proportion of heat-trapping emissions will linger in the atmosphere. These “feedback mechanisms” make swift and deep reductions even more critical.
The most expensive thing we can do is nothing
Investing in clean energy and energy efficiency will create jobs, save consumers money, reduce our oil dependence, and drive global innovation. If we wait to act, we may lock in a level of warming that imposes enormous economic costs. In 2007, the IPCC found that if left unchecked, global warming will threaten communities with worsening heat waves, drought, sea-level rise and extreme weather by the end of the century. The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change (2006) estimates that if we do nothing, climate change will cost the world at least 5 percent and potentially 20 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). By contrast, studies show that if we act now to dramatically cut pollution, the economy will grow at roughly the same rate as if we do nothing.
So what can we do about it?
Tell Congress to make passage of strong climate legislation a top priority. Click here to send a message today.
Click here to read about the components of strong U.S. global warming legislation.
Click here to read about what UCS is doing to help pass global warming legislation.
