Recent actions by U.S. states, global business leaders, and the international scientific community reveal that our national leaders are seriously and dangerously out of step on the issue of global warming. The rest of the country and the world are already moving forward by taking serious steps to address this urgent issue. In fact on June 13, the USA Today highlighted these and other actions in its front-page story entitled “The debate’s over: Globe is warming.”

Who is taking action to address global warming?

Businesses

On June 9, 2005, the heads of twenty-three global companies called for strong action to mitigate climate change. These leaders from companies such as BP, Ford and British Airways recognized the urgency of acting to address climate change and urged the world's leading industrial nations to set up a global system for curbing greenhouse gas emissions. These corporate leaders presented their statement to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair in response to his invitation to provide business perspectives on climate change in advance of the G8 Summit. Climate change is one of the primary topics on the agenda for the upcoming Summit, which will take place July 6-8, 2005, in Gleneagles, Scotland.

On May 9, 2005, General Electric, the largest publicly-traded company in the United States, announced a comprehensive policy to address global warming, conservation, and other environmental issues. GE will double its investment in clean technologies to $1.5 billion by 2010--these include cleaner coal-fired power plants and hybrid locomotives. In the process, GE will reduce its global-warming emissions by 1% over the next seven years. GE's emissions were estimated to grow by 40-45% during that time period if the company took no action to reduce them.

States

On June 1, 2005, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California signed an Executive Order that commits California to achieve significant reductions in global warming pollution. The Executive Order establishes several targets for the state’s emission reductions: 11 percent over the next five years, 25 percent by 2020, and 80 percent by 2050. During the signing ceremony, Governor Schwarzenegger said, "I say the debate is over. We have the science. We see the threat. And we know the time for action is now!"

Twenty-eight states have developed strategies or action plans to reduce emissions of global warming pollution. Dozens of other state programs exist to record and track emissions, capture and sequester carbon, encourage the development of renewable energy sources, and promote energy efficiency. A comprehensive examination of these policies and programs is available in the report “Climate Change Activities in the United States,” prepared by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change.

Cities

On June 13, 2005, the U.S. Conference of Mayors unanimously endorsed the Climate Protection Agreement initiated by Mayor Nickels of Seattle. 165 mayors have signed the agreement to date, and Mayor Nickels continues to seek additional signatories. The Agreement urges federal and state governments to take immediate action to reduce global warming pollution. Each of the cities that signed the Agreement will enact policies to meet Kyoto targets. (A reduction in heat-trapping gas emissions to levels seven percent below those of 1990, by 2012.)

Scientists

On June 7, 2005, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences joined ten other national science academies in making a strong statement on climate change entitled “Global Response to Climate Change.” The Academies called on world leaders “to acknowledge that the threat of climate change is clear and increasing, to address its causes, and to prepare for its consequences.” The statement noted, “the scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking prompt action.” The Academies urged nations to “identify cost-effective steps that can be taken now to contribute to substantial and long-term reductions in net global greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.”