JULY 17, 2012 — As North Americans deal with flooding, wildfires and heat waves exacerbated by global warming, citizens from Toronto will head to Washington to ask Congress and the World Bank take effective steps to stop climate change.
Volunteers attending the Citizens Climate Lobby 2012 International Conference in Washington, DC – July 22-24 – will hear from renowned global economist Jeffrey Sachs, who recently wrote, “Our collective capacity to destroy the planet’s life-support systems is unprecedented. Yet the consequences of our individual actions are typically so far removed from our daily awareness that we can go right over the cliff without even knowing it.”
Citizens Climate Lobby is asking Congress to enact legislation that will place a revenue-neutral fee on carbon-based fuels, thereby accelerating the shift to clean energy and energy efficiency. More than 150 volunteers coming to Washington will meet with 300 congressional offices to press for a bi-partisan bill.
Approximately seven Canadian citizens – six from Toronto – will be lobbying in Washington DC with their US partners. It is a natural partnership and worthwhile lobbying effort for Canadians concerned about the climate crisis because the Canadian Government has indicated by their actions and in writing that they are aligning Canada`s energy and climate policies with relevant policies in the USA.
Recent flooding in Northwestern Ontario (Thunder Bay), British Columbia and Florida, wildfires in Northern Ontario (Timmins) and Colorado, and the record heat wave and ‘derecho’ that hit the mid-Atlantic states, underscore the urgency to reduce levels of greenhouse gases before the global warming process spirals out of control.
“These disasters are all part of the hidden cost of burning fossil fuels,” said CCL Toronto group leader Cheryl McNamara. “If those costs are reflected in the price of coal, oil and gas, we can end our addiction to carbon-based energy and preserve a livable world for future generations. And that’s the message we’re taking to Washington.”
WHAT: The Citizens Climate Lobby 2012 International Conference in Washington, DC.
WHEN: Sunday, July 22, through Tuesday, July 24
WHERE: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Washington DC-Crystal City, 300 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, Virginia 22202. Pentagon City stop on METRO Yellow line. And Capital Hill.
AGENDA: View an agenda of plenary and workshop sessions at the conference at citizensclimatelobby.org/CCLconf2012
CONTACT: For press credentials and to arrange interviews, contact Steve Valk at steve.valk@citizensclimatelobby.org
LOCAL CONTACT: Cheryl McNamara, cheryl@citizensclimatelobby.ca, 416-875-0097
