Sen. Judd Gregg, U.S. Senate

Sen. John Sununu, U.S. Sentate

 

Dear Senator,

 

                 Global warming ranks as one of America’s most serious environmental and economic threats.  To protect our way of life for our children and future generations, we strongly urge you to endorse and to co-sponsor legislation to reduce emission of global warming pollutants from today’s levels within ten years, by 20 percent by 2020, and by about 80 percent below 2000 levels by 2050.

 

                 The early effects of global warming are evident across the U.S. and worldwide.  Among the many changes:

                 Sea ice is retreating in the Arctic, with a 20 percent decline in end-of-summer sea ice cover in 2005                  compared with the 1978-2000 average;

 

                 Only 27 glaciers remain in Glacier National Park, less than one fifth of the approximately 150 glaciers that                  existed within the current park’s boundaries in 1850;

 

                 Spring snow melt in the Western U.S. is occurring up to four weeks earlier than it was in 1948, lowering                  stream levels during the dry summer months and exacerbating long-term water shortages in the region;

 

                 Sea-level rise has already submerged one-third of the marsh at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in                  the Chesapeake Bay; and

 

                 In New Hampshire, average winter temperatures have already increased since 1970 by 4.5 degrees                  Fahrenheit, and days of reliable snow cover have decreased by 5-30 days, damaging our vital outdoor                  recreation industry. Worldwide, the World Health Organization estimates that global warming already                  claims the lives of 150,000 people each year.

 

                 Global warming pollution from U.S. sources continues to rise, increasing 16 percent from 1990 to 2004.  The Energy Information Administration projects that U.S. global warming pollution will increase another 46 percent over the next 20 years.  Power plants and passenger vehicles are the largest U.S. sources, responsible for approximately 40 percent and 20 percent, respectively, of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions.

 

                 As pollution from these sources continues to increase, temperatures will continue to rise, and the effects of global warming will become more severe.  In the last year, leading climate scientists have concluded that the world is warming more quickly than expected and with potentially more damaging long-term consequences, such as an accelerated rise in the sea level due to the rapid melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.  Scientists now warn that we must reduce global warming pollution from today’s levels within ten years in order to avoid the worst effects of global warming. 

 

                 The Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment, the most refined projections to date, found that – if we remain globally dependent upon fossil fuels – by the last third of this century, New Hampshire will suffer: 

2 months of 90 degree plus summers, 3 weeks of that at over 100 degrees;

A one to three month drought every year;

A 75 percent increase in extreme precipitation events;

A rise in sea levels of between 8 and 33 inches; and,

A winter temperature increase of 10.2 degrees and a 33 percent reduction in North Country snow cover days.

 

                 We can prevent the most damaging effects of global warming, if the U.S. acts decisively to reduce global warming pollution. Fortunately, we can use existing technologies to reduce global warming pollution by making power plants, factories, commercial buildings and homes more energy efficient, making cars go farther on a gallon of gasoline, and shifting to cleaner technologies, such as hybrids, biofuels, and wind and solar power. 

 

                 These are win-win solutions because they will also reduce our dependence on foreign petroleum sources,  enhance national security, increase high-paying domestic jobs, reduce our balance-of-trade deficit, reduce air pollution, improve public health, and protect pristine places from oil drilling and mining.

 

                 To protect our economy and our way of life, we strongly urge you to support legislation to reduce global warming pollution from today’s levels within 10 years, by about 80 percent below 2000 levels by 2050.

 

Sincerely,

 

Patrick J. Arnold

Executive Director

 

Campaign for Ratepayers Rights

P.O. Box 563, Concord, NH 03302

http://www.ratepayersrights.org