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The Time is Now for Global Warming Action

Sponsored by: National Wildlife Federation

The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)--the world's leading authority on global warming--released a report on the effects of a warming climate on wildlife and the environment.

According to the report, approximately 20-30 percent of plant and animal species are likely to be at increased risk of extinction due to global warming.

While the changing climate will impact every person on the world, we have the opportunity to reduce those impacts. It's time for America to take the lead on global warming solutions! Sign below and we'll send this pledge, which includes a summary of the report, to your representative so they can begin to act.

deadline: 4-26-2008
goal: 10,000

9,900
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Dear [Decision Maker],

As a supporter of the National Wildlife Federation and someone who greatly appreciates wildlife and the outdoors, I wanted to share a few findings from the Working Group II Contribution to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, released on April 6, 2007.

This report highlights a number of concerns I have about how global warming will affect our world, and while it says that the changing climate will impact every person on the world, the opportunity to reduce those impacts is doable.

I hope this report will inspire you to support or continue championing strong global warming legislation that not only sets a mandatory limit on carbon pollution, but also includes funding to help wildlife adapt.

These bullet points are just some of the many findings from the report. To learn more about global warming and read the full IPCC summary, please visit http://www.ipcc.ch.

THE "SUMMARY FOR POLICMAKERS" INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:

* Hydrological systems are being affected around the world, including increased run-off and earlier spring peak discharge in many glacier- and snow-fed rivers and warming of lakes and rivers in many regions.

* There is very high confidence, based on more evidence from a wider range of species, that recent warming is strongly affecting terrestrial biological systems, including (1) earlier timing of spring events, such as leaf-unfolding, bird migration and egg-laying and poleward and upward shifts in ranges in plant and animal species.

* Rising water temperatures are affecting marine and freshwater biological systems, changing ice cover, salinity, oxygen levels and circulation, as well as algal, plankton and fish abundance in high-latitude oceans. It is also contributing to earlier migrations of fish in rivers.

* Corals are vulnerable to thermal stress and have low adaptive capacity. Increases in sea surface temperature of about 1 to 3 degrees C are projected to result in more frequent coral bleaching events and widespread mortality, unless there is thermal adaptation or acclimatisation by corals.

* Coastal wetlands including salt marshes and mangroves are projected to be negatively affected by sea-level rise especially where they are constrained on their landward side, or starved of sediment.

* Significant loss of biodiversity is projected to occur by 2020 in some ecologically-rich sites including the Great Barrier Reef and Queensland Wet Tropics. Other sites at risk include Kakadu wetlands, south-west Australia, sub-Antarctic islands and the alpine areas of both countries.

* In the Polar Regions, the main projected biophysical effects are reductions in thickness and extent of glaciers and ice sheets, and changes in natural ecosystems with detrimental effects on many organisms including migratory birds, mammals and higher predators.

* The resilience of many ecosystems is likely to be exceeded this century by an unprecedented combination of climate change, associated disturbances (e.g., flooding, drought, wildfire, insects, ocean acidification), and other global change drivers (e.g., land use change, pollution, over-exploitation of resources).

IMPACTS ON NORTH AMERICA DISCUSSED IN THE REPORT INCLUDE:

* North America is especially vulnerable to changes in weather and climate extremes, such as heat waves, severe storms, hurricanes, floods, droughts and wildfires.

* Coastal communities and habitats, especially along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, will be stressed by increasing sea level and more intense storms interacting with development and pollution.

* Climate change will put added pressures on demands for water resources in North America, increasing competition among agricultural, municipal, industrial and ecological uses.

* Wildfires and insect outbreaks are increasing and are likely to intensify in a warmer future with drier soils and longer growing seasons.

* North American animals are already responding to climate change, with observed shifts in the seasonal timing of life-cycle events, migration, reproduction, dormancy and geographic range.

THE REPORT CONCLUDES:

Approximately 20-30% of plant and animal species assessed so far are likely to be at increased risk of extinction if increases in global average temperature exceed 1.5-2.5 degrees C above present levels.

For increases in global average temperature exceeding 1.5-2.5 degrees C above present levels and in the associated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, there are projected to be major changes in ecosystem structure and function, species' ecological interactions, and species' geographic ranges, with predominantly negative consequences for biodiversity, and ecosystem goods and services e.g., water and food supply.

THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW!

Please champion strong global warming legislation that puts us on a path toward reducing global warming pollution by 2% per year. Currently in the House, this goal is a part of Rep. Waxman's "Safe Climate Act" (H.R. 1590) and Reps. Olver and Gilchrest's "Climate Stewardship Act" (H.R. 620).

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,
[Name]
[Address]

We signed the “The Time is Now for Global Warming Action” petition!

# 9,901:

7:01 pm PDT, Apr 25, Deborah Niwa, Pennsylvania
I think the time was really like 10 years ago & now its a little getting late for thinking of this.. we were told a long time ago what would happen IF we did not do what was warned.. & now animals are dying & other stuff is going on & NOW its decided that we should start doing SOMETHING NOW... get real here... I hope we start taking this seriously cuz the Bush Administration isn't...

# 9,900:

10:23 am PDT, Apr 25, Louise Rotholz, Maryland

# 9,899:

9:45 am PDT, Apr 25, Giana Nicoara, Wisconsin

# 9,898:

8:53 am PDT, Apr 25, Vanessa Garvy, Illinois

# 9,897:

12:00 am PDT, Apr 25, Name not displayed, California

# 9,896:

10:48 pm PDT, Apr 24, Jolynn Gradt-Piper, Washington

# 9,895:

6:14 pm PDT, Apr 24, Beth O'Hara, Maine

# 9,894:

6:07 pm PDT, Apr 24, Anita Kofta, Wisconsin

# 9,893:

4:05 pm PDT, Apr 24, Chelsea VG, New York

# 9,892:

3:33 pm PDT, Apr 24, Karine Aguilar, Arizona

# 9,891:

3:08 pm PDT, Apr 24, Lillian Deslandes, Florida

# 9,890:

1:43 pm PDT, Apr 24, Dorota Goczal, Illinois

# 9,889:

1:06 pm PDT, Apr 24, M S Polanco, New York

# 9,888:

8:30 am PDT, Apr 24, Name not displayed, California

# 9,887:

12:40 am PDT, Apr 24, Linda Hardy, California

# 9,886:

6:00 pm PDT, Apr 21, Heather Gregory, North Carolina

# 9,885:

2:35 pm PDT, Apr 21, Karen Williams, Connecticut

# 9,884:

5:05 pm PDT, Apr 19, Steve Woodruff, Illinois

# 9,883:

4:54 pm PDT, Apr 19, Amanda L, Florida

# 9,882:

12:00 pm PDT, Apr 19, Cami Williams, New Mexico

# 9,881:

1:48 pm PDT, Apr 18, Robin Jess, Washington
let us all take care of our mother earth it is the only place to live right now.

# 9,880:

11:07 am PDT, Apr 18, John Brophy, California

# 9,879:

4:20 am PDT, Apr 15, Mark Armstrong, Florida

# 9,878:

1:21 pm PDT, Apr 13, Suzie Gordon, New Hampshire

# 9,877:

1:32 am PDT, Apr 13, Cassandra Jackson, Arkansas

# 9,876:

10:48 pm PDT, Apr 11, Cameron Dale, Alaska

# 9,875:

6:45 am PDT, Apr 7, Elissa Weindling, New York
If not now, when?

# 9,874:

4:22 pm PDT, Apr 6, Pam DeLitta, Texas

# 9,873:

9:07 pm PDT, Apr 5, Susan Rasmussen, Mississippi

# 9,872:

12:15 pm PDT, Apr 5, Elisa DeLapa, New York

# 9,871:

7:07 am PDT, Apr 5, Mels Whe, Vermont

# 9,870:

3:23 am PDT, Apr 5, Stacy Stiegleiter, Tennessee

# 9,869:

4:59 pm PDT, Apr 4, Name not displayed, New York

# 9,868:

11:28 am PDT, Apr 3, Ashley Pane, California

# 9,867:

1:11 pm PDT, Apr 2, Name not displayed, Alaska
WE NEED TO PULL TOGETHER AS A WHOLE WORLD TO STOP THIS INSANE MADNESSOF POISONING THIS PLANET. WE NEED TO STOP THIS NOW. COME ON PEOPLE, AND WORLD, WAKE UP AND STOP THE KILLING OF OUR PLANET.

# 9,866:

2:48 am PDT, Apr 1, Toni Sokoloski, Massachusetts

# 9,865:

1:17 am PDT, Apr 1, Sheila Di Salvo, Massachusetts

# 9,864:

5:59 pm PDT, Mar 31, Jacqueline Paduano, New York

# 9,863:

6:51 am PDT, Mar 31, Tanya Payne, Massachusetts

# 9,862:

5:45 am PDT, Mar 31, Kimberly Crane, Arizona
This is the destruction of the partiers in washington Dc and Tyrants around the globe! The ignorance is astonishing!! The diseased, greed ridden "scam-train" that our country has been on, especially the last 8 yrs MUST be derailed!! They actually believe that we The "enslaved to the new world order" american tax payers are going to foot the bill for "Them", u know the CHOSEN few, The SPECIAL little piggys to fly OUR shuttle to Mars/Moon, After "they" destroy every living things planet to escape with the trillions to where????? It is a joke... They are laughing alright. Karma will see whom has that last laugh! Do what is right!!! If we have reps that WE pay that do NOT even care about their own children's futures, how can we trust them to care about ours??? Stop paying them to destroy us!!!!

# 9,861:

6:53 pm PDT, Mar 30, Melanie Leary, Texas

# 9,860:

5:06 pm PDT, Mar 30, Necole Cook, Virginia

# 9,859:

3:01 pm PDT, Mar 30, Barbara Lane, Idaho

# 9,858:

10:49 pm PDT, Mar 29, Shawn Williamson, California

# 9,857:

8:38 pm PDT, Mar 29, Heather Me, California

# 9,856:

7:20 pm PDT, Mar 29, Delight Woodley, Georgia

# 9,855:

12:53 pm PDT, Mar 29, Michelle Bafik-vehslage, Texas

# 9,854:

11:22 am PDT, Mar 28, Denise Medeiros, Massachusetts

# 9,853:

5:44 am PDT, Mar 27, Pamela Mendoza, Florida
It is bad enough that our world does a natural global warming anyway, we need to act so fast on this subject. It is amazing how we are keeping up the global warming by over 20%. I hope it is not to late. We need to act fast. This is one subject that needs to be brought out even more. If we do not there is not going to be a future for us. I agree, lets do what we can.

# 9,852:

5:31 pm PDT, Mar 26, Sierra Vincent, Washington

# 9,851:

10:10 pm PDT, Mar 24, Be'Suvwl Hall, California

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The Time is Now for Global Warming Action

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