At the request of Dr. Holdren, Director of The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, we are sharing his letter to us with all our Climate Mamas and Papas. He wants to hear from us all and will try to answer our climate questions – see below for the full text of his November 13, 2014 letter.
Here are our top 3 questions, what are yours?
1. How can we immediately change the “all of the above energy policy” of the White House so that ALL fossil fuels (not just coal) are removed as an acceptable energy option? With 97% of all climate scientists in agreement, their latest IPCC report confirms the facts and sounds the alarm: climate change is here, now and caused by humans, primarily through the burning of fossil fuels. The report goes on to recommend to policy makers to move quickly to renewable energy and to develop policies that keep fossil fuels in the ground. The report tells us that the security and future of the human species is at risk, but that we still have time to act, if we start now. Seem pretty clear that “all of the above” isn’t the right policy course of action.
2. Why are congressional and senate committees still debating the facts of climate change instead of moving immediately to policy solutions? How can we help you help bring this absurdity to light?
Photo courtesy: Protecting Our Children Coaltion
Grab the kids in your life, ask them what their questions for Dr. Holdren are, and then you and your kids can share your questions on twitter, vine, instagram and Facebook at #AskDrH. Share your questions with us too so we can share them with other Climate Mamas and Papas!
From The White House
The past decade was America’s hottest on record. We’re seeing more droughts, floods, and wildfires than ever before. Climate change is happening, and the effects are visible all around us.
But a lot of people still have questions about climate change: what it means, how bad it really is, and what we can do to fight it.
To be fully committed in the fight against climate change, we have to understand why it’s such a serious issue.
So, starting today (November 13, 2014), ask me your questions on Facebook, Twitter, Vine, or Instagram using the hashtag #AskDrH, and I’ll answer some of them on camera.
Several months ago, I testified before the House Science Committee about the President’s Climate Action Plan. The plan contains a number of actions to reduce carbon pollution, prepare the U.S. for the impacts of climate change, and lead international efforts to fight global climate change.
Most of the questions at the hearing, however, weren’t about the plan itself — they were about whether human-caused climate change is a reality.
Other countries are realizing the gravity of this problem, and are already taking action on the issue. In the wake of the historic joint climate announcement by the U.S. and China two nights ago, the importance of American leadership in the fight against climate change cannot be understated.
Fortunately, a majority of Americans believe that climate change is real, but there’s still a lot of confusion and misinformation out there. That’s why it’s critical that we take every opportunity to set the record straight, and to make sure that everyone’s as informed and knowledgeable about it as possible.
And I want to do everything I can to help.
Ask me anything you want to know about climate change, and forward this to anyone you know who has questions, too.
Hope to hear from you soon,
John
Dr. John P. Holdren
Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy
The White House
Visit WhiteHouse.gov
Save taxpayer’s money AND defund climate change and environmental destruction by ending the enormous subsidies and tax breaks for animal agriculture!
With 60+ BILLION food animals on the planet our best chance to mitigate climate change is to severely reduce consumption of animal foods. More than 1/3 of human induced warming is attributable to animal agriculture. Methane is 24 times more potent than CO2 but takes only 7 years to cycle out of the atmosphere. CO2 takes around 100 years to come out. Human pursuit of animal protein is the leading cause of methane release and a primary cause of CO2 concentrating in the atmosphere. Check the facts and act!
“As environmental science has advanced, it has become apparent that the human appetite for animal flesh is a driving force behind virtually every major category of environmental damage now threatening the human future: deforestation, erosion, fresh water scarcity, air and water pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss, social injustice, the destabilization of communities, and the spread of disease.” Worldwatch Institute, “Is Meat Sustainable?”
“If every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted vegetables and grains… the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than half a million cars off of U.S. roads.” Environmental Defense Fund
“A 1% reduction in world-wide meat intake has the same benefit as a three trillion-dollar investment in solar energy.” ~ Chris Mentzel, CEO of Clean Energy
There is one single industry destroying the planet more than any other. But no one wants to talk about it… http://cowspiracy.com
Step by Step Guide: How to Transition to a Vegan Diet http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/step-by-step-guide-how-to-transition-to-vegan-diet/
Thanks for the important information. Also a key part of addressing climate change…