Environmentalists Call on Rep. Edwards to Act on Global Warming

BRYAN, TX—Standing in front of a 20-foot, inflated model of the earth in Bryan today, Environment Texas called on Representative Chet Edwards to support bold and decisive action on global warming. This spring, for the first time in history, Congress is expected to consider comprehensive global warming legislation.

“Global warming is a big threat to the Brazos Valley, but the solutions to tackle global warming are at our finger tips. What we need is leadership in Washington, DC to stand up and demand serious action,” said Brad Hicks, Environment Texas citizen outreach director.

The year 2006 was the second hottest on record in the United States, and the early effects of global warming are evident worldwide.

In Texas, global warming threatens to:

• raise sea levels, inundating our coast.

• cause more frequent and severe heat waves, which will increase the number of people who suffer heat stress and stroke.

• cause more frequent and extreme droughts, as warmer temperatures evaporate moisture in the soil more quickly.

In April 2007, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that North America could experience significant water stress, forest fires, and “an increased number, intensity, and duration of heat waves” as temperatures continue to rise.

To avoid the worst consequences of global warming, the science indicates that the United States must halt increases in global warming emissions now, cut emissions by at least 15-20% by 2020, and slash emissions by at least 80% by 2050.

The United States could substantially reduce its global warming pollution by using existing technologies to make power plants, businesses, homes, and cars more efficient and to generate more electricity from clean, renewable sources, such as wind and solar power.

“The heat is on Congress to craft a real solution to global warming,” stated Hicks. “Environment Texas calls on Representative Chet Edwards to support the only bill that does what scientists say we need to do to protect future generations—the Safe Climate Act,” concluded Hicks.