[Climate] Senate climate debate starts tonight (June 2, 2008)

Friends,

On Monday, June 2, the Senate will began debating the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2008 (S. 3036). Please contact your senators now and urge them to take strong action now to assure a safe, livable climate for our children, grandchildren, and future generations.

Few expect this bill to garner the 60 votes needed to overcome an expected filibuster by opponents and win passage in the Senate. However, this debate provides a rare, timely opportunity to let your senators know how concerned you are about the threat of dangerous, runaway climate change – at a time when your senators and their staffs are thinking and talking about it. Your input now will help shape their thinking and encourage them to act more boldly and wisely, sooner – if not in this Congress, then early in the next.

We expect many amendments to be offered during the floor debate over the coming week(s). These will likely include amendments

to cut emissions deeper and sooner if the scientific evidence indicates that the United States must do so to prevent dangerous runaway climate change (FCNL supports);
to set a national renewable energy standard of 20% by 2025 (FCNL supports);
to make polluters pay more to pollute sooner - instead of giving away so many pollution allowances for free (FCNL supports);
to provide more international adaptation assistance sooner to poor countries that are already being harmed by climate change through no fault of their own (FCNL supports); and
to increase the use of nuclear power (FCNL opposes).

Please write or call your senators today. Urge them to strengthen this important legislation by cutting emissions faster and deeper. You may also want to refer to the other amendments mentioned above.

If you’ve already written your senators, please consider forwarding this email to five friends who might also act.

For further perspective on the Lieberman-Warner bill, read “Waiting for the Signal to Change in Washington” on FCNL’s Green Light on Washington blog.

FCNL joins call for strengthened provision for international climate adaptation assistance. “Climate change is quickly becoming a major driver of poverty around the world.” FCNL recently joined with Oxfam America and many other faith-based and humanitarian organizations in a letter urging the Senate to strengthen the Lieberman-Warner bill by providing more international adaptation assistance sooner to poor countries that are already being harmed by the effects of climate change.

Mounting evidence shows the need for fast climate action. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released a new assessment of what’s at stake if Congress does not enact climate legislation soon. The report, “The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States,” details observed changes to U.S. resources and how climate change will continue to transform many aspects of the U.S. landscape and the life it sustains.

Announcement about the FCNL climate and energy listserve. Due to staffing changes at FCNL, we will be temporarily reducing the frequency of this electronic listserve to about once a month. For more timely information and updates on climate, energy and human security issues as the energy legislation debate continues in Congress, check FCNL’s blog “Green Light on Washington” and keep in touch with our climate and energy web pages.