Take Action to Fight Global Warming

With a single retrogressive statement, President Bush sounded the death knell for the Kyoto Treaty - a decade-long effort to protect the world from the effects of climate change. One of the reasons that Bush claims the global warming treaty is "unfair" is because it excludes India and China (whose per capita emissions are very low compared to those of the U.S.).

Despite these claims by the US government that China will soon become the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, a new report has found that China has reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 17% since 1997 while its economy grew 36%.

The Bush administration also released its massive energy plan for the nation last month, and it doesn't look good for the environment. The plan brings benefits to energy companies at a cost to public health, our climate, and the environment.

Read the news reports:
No matter how much we conserve, we're still going to need more energy, says Bush (May 18, 2001)
Bush energy plan meets fierce criticism from environmental and clean energy groups (May 18, 2001)
Environmentalists say US energy plans disastrous (May 18, 2001)
Bush energy budget boosts fossil fuels, cuts renewables (April 30, 2001)

The total carbon dioxide emissions from one U.S. citizen in 1996, was 19 times the emissions of one Indian, according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment. The United States has just six percent of the world's population, yet produces more than a quarter of the globe's greenhouse gases. Emissions of carbon dioxide in North America in 2000 were 16 percent higher than the levels of 1990, lagging far behind the targets set in the Kyoto Protocol on global climate changes. President Bush would like to preserve these inequities as is evident from his policies. In his first 100 days, President Bush has made it clear: The economy comes first. Global warming will have to wait.

"The world should declare the US a rogue nation for this act of extreme selfishness. And the Indian government should stop being a pushover," says Indian environmentalist, Anil Agarwal in his editorial: Biggest Rogue of them all (April 13, 2001)

See: Greens warn Bush of opposition to come (May 21, 2001)
The Equity Bogey: A view of Climate change from the Southern perspective.

GREENPEACE CHALLENGES FORTUNE 100 ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Greenpeace has challenged the top 100 US companies to declare their opposition to President Bush's rejection of the international agreement on climate change, the Kyoto Protocol, or face the consequences from concerned consumers, institutions and organisations around the world.letter and the news release. Number one on the list and a major contributor to the Bush campaign, Exxon, stated bluntly that it fully supports the US position. Texaco states that "enough is known about the science of climate change to warrant action now", but does not support the Kyoto Protocol. The other oil companies have not yet replied. Coke has said that it is implementing emissions reductions in its own operations but it does not take a stand on international treaties. Pepsi, on the other hand, said it had "not given it one iota of thought", and "had no intention of replying". Greenpeace published the list of replies to date.

GREENPEACE TARGETS US OIL COMPANIES
Greenpeace announced that it would focus its Global Warning campaign on Exxon/Mobil, Chevron, Texaco, Conoco and Phillips, seeking to hurt their markets outside the United States until they withdraw their support for the Bush administration's rejection of the international agreement to protect the climate, the Kyoto Protocol. International condemnation of the Bush Administration's position is nearly unanimous from governments around the world.

Green political parties from around the world have vowed to launch a boycott against multinational oil companies such as Exxon Mobil in an attempt to rescue world climate change talks. See: Activists boycott Esso over global warming (May 28, 2001)

Take action! Remind the president that his vague and disappointing calls for more research are not enough. The world needs effective U.S. leadership on this issue.

Join the Climate Action Group at the Greenpeace Cyberactivist Community.

Sign the Union of Concerned Scientists' petition to send an email or faxed letter to the President to voice your strong opposition to his policies.

Sign the US Congress 'Global Warming and Climate Change' Petition