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Co-op America's Climate Action Campaign is aimed at bringing together individuals, shareholders, and communities to pressure major polluters in the utility, automotive, oil and gas, and big box store industries to take climate change seriously!
Climate Change: all the recent reports show climate change advancing faster than predicted, with dire consequences for people and the planet.
DISCOVER …
Act Now: Tell Utilities, "No New Coal Plants"
Increased greenhouse gas emissions, dangerous coal mining, mercury pollution, increased asthma and human health problems, and dramatic groundwater waste created by coal plants are costs that no one can afford. Take action »
What You Need to Know about Climate Change
Climate change threatens all of our ways of life, from our homes to our investments. Find out what climate change impacts you may face. Learn more »
Myth Buster: Coal and Clean Energy
Have you heard about the new "Clean Coal"? New coal technologies may not be as clean as you think. Learn more »
Resources for Coal Action
Get stickers, posters, and fact sheets that you can use to mobilize others to take action to stop utilities from building more coal plants and encourage more investment in renewable energy. Learn more »
† Source: Union of Concerned Scientists (http://www.uscusa.org/)
Downloads for Action!
Download this mini-poster to print out and put on the bulletin board at your office, grocery store, house of worship, and any other place you can think of!
Download these "Coal is not the answer!" stickers to put on your utility bill before sending it back to your local energy company. The stickers fit a standard Avery, 2660 Mini Address label (or any 1 x 2⅝ inch label) sheet of 30.
Note: Before printing, be sure to uncheck "shrink oversized pages to paper size" under "Print Options" in your printer's settings. This will ensure your labels are properly aligned when printed.
Download and print this action card to have friends sign and return to Co-op America so that we can bring thousands of cards to meetings and presentations with power companies, demonstrating that consumers care about truly clean energy.
What To Know About Climate Change
Climate change is caused by emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are released when fossil fuels are burned or forests are cleared. [source: UCS] These gases rise into the atmosphere and can remain for decades even centuries. As they build up, the gases create a "glass window" over the Earth, trapping in heat that would otherwise escape. As the Earth’s temperature rises, our climate begins to change, resulting in:
- Decreasing snow cover and sea ice
- Rising sea levels and increases in water temperature
- Increasing precipitation over middle and high latitudes
- Severe drought in lower latitudes, leading to food shortages and starvation
- Faster spread of disease
- Increasing frequency of extreme precipitation
The science is clear — climate change is occurring and human activity is the primary cause. The debate is not about whether or not climate change is real. The question is: How devastating will its impact be on humans and the environment?
Learn what you can do to protect the future.
- Fast Facts: Climate Change and Corporations »
- Impact of Climate Change »
- Why Solar, Not Coal »
- Corporations and Climate Change »
- Mythbusters: Get the real dirt on climate change »
Myth Busters
Climate Change | Coal | Gas & Oil | Cars
Q: When in the future will climate change become a problem?
A: Climate change is a problem today! Evidence can be found in the melting glaciers of Greenland, the decimation of the coral reef off the coast of Australia, the droughts in Africa and the extreme weather patterns hitting the United States and countries worldwide.
Q: If the Earth warms and cools naturally, are humans really the source of climate change?
A: The Earth goes through natural cycles of warming and cooling, but the current cycle is more dramatic due to human activity. The Earth has warmed one degree Fahrenheit in the last century, and although this may not seem like much, this is monumental when you consider that the Earth’s overall temperature was only eight degrees cooler in the last ice age (when much of North America was covered in ice). Currently the Earth is warming at a much faster rate than at any other time in recorded history.
Q: Can we "fix" climate change?
A: In 2001, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a study looking at climate change scenarios based on different levels of CO2 emissions. Their study showed that in order to stablize CO2 emissions around 450 ppm, global output would need to drop to below 1990 levels within a few decades. Even then, there would still be to a 1-3 degrees Centigrade increase in temperatures, resulting in dangerous climate change impacts in certain parts of the world. Read the IPCC report (PDF).
This means that the global community must move now and at sufficient scale to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to ensure that a liveable future is possible.
Q: Is there really any thing I can do?
A: YES! Your actions and choices have a bigger impact that you might think. From the car you buy to the power choices you make at home, you can dramatically reduce your own climate change impact. Take our Carb Cutter Challenge to see how you can reduce your CO2 emissions by 4660 pounds right now. Plus, when you join with others in campaigns to stop corporate polluters such as coal-burning utilities, car manufacturers and others, you can force the market changes we need to dramatically reduce green house gas emissions. Take Action now.
Q: What is "clean coal"?
A: The coal and power industries are attempting to develop new technologies that can reduce some of the environmental impacts of mining and burning coal. The “clean coal technologies” remove some of the sulfur and nitrogen oxides or convert coal into a gas or liquid fuel. [source: EIA] While these do decrease the amount of emissions from coal power, the toxins collected still have to be buried in a hazardous waste site, which in turn can seep into underground water sources. These technologies also don’t address the health and environmental concerns associated with mining and transporting coal.
It is important to note that many "clean coal" technologies and carbon sequestration plans are not fully developed and are not likely to be ready in time for new coal plants that are being brought online.
Q: Is coal better than oil?
A: No. As fossil fuels, both coal and oil must be extracted from the Earth and transported – both processes that have profound environmental impacts. When burned, both coal and oil produce pollutants and contribute to global warming, with coal being the worst of the two.
Proponents of coal point to its abundance in the US. However, they are ignoring the environmental impacts of coal verses renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
Q: Is coal the only option for US energy independence?
A: According to the Energy Information Administration, alternative energy already accounts for 6% of total US energy use. [source: EIA]. Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind are abundant in the US and have the potential to help the US become energy independent by decreasing our dependence on oil, natural gas, and coal. In the long run, only renewable energy can produce safe, secure, and permanent solutions to America’s energy needs.
Unfortunately, power and coal companies across the US are putting plans in place to build over 100 new coal-fired power plants over the next decade. If built, these plants, with a lifespan of 50-60 years, will result in a reliance on coal as a major source of electricity for decades to come, and will take investment away from renewable energy as a real energy solution. Tell coal utilities Peabody and Dominion that coal is not the answer for America's energy future. Take action now.
Q: Is the problem really that the US gets most of its oil from the Middle East, which is unstable?
A: While the US does import 67% of its oil, only 20% of that comes from the Middle East. Over 40% of US oil comes from Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela. [source: Gibson Consulting] World demand for oil is increasing, but there’s a finite supply of oil left in the world and a limit to how much can be produced at any given time, which means that oil is increasingly a poor source for US energy needs on a purely economic basis.
Q: If we drill for more oil in the US, won’t we be less reliant on foreign oil?
A: The US has only 2% of the world’s oil reserve, but we consume 25% of the world’s oil, so drilling and using all the oil we have will not reduce our reliance on foreign oil. However, if we raise fuel economy standards by one mile per gallon, we would produce double the amount of oil that's in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. If we raise fuel efficiency standards by 7.6 miles per gallon, we would yield more gasoline than we currently import from the whole Persian Gulf region. [source: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.]
Q: Aren’t gas and oil the only affordable options for consumers?
A: Compared to prices in other industrial countries the price of gas in the US is very low. On January 30, 2006, the price of a gallon of gas in the US was $2.56, compared to $6.01 in England and $5.60 in France. [source: EIA] The current price of gas in the US does not reflect the environmental damage that is done during the drilling, refining, and burning of gas and is kept artificially low with industry subsidies.
The low price of gas in this country has helped to create great demand and even greater greenhouse gas emissions. Higher gas prices that reflect the true cost of gasoline would also increase demand for efficient cars and alternative fuel sources.
Q: Does my car really make a difference?
A: Certain vehicles have less of an impact on the environment, especially in relation to how much gas they use. A gallon of gasoline weights just over 6 lbs. When burned, the carbon in it combines with oxygen from the air to produce nearly 20 lbs of carbon dioxide. By switching from a gas guzzler to a hybrid, you can literally save the Earth a couple of tons of greenhouse gases. [source: HybridCars.com]
Q: Haven’t fuel efficiency and emissions standards improved over the last 20 years?
A: Many people are suprised to learn that fuel efficiency on average has gone down in the past 20 years with the introduction of the SUV. While emissions standards have improved in some other vehicles, the total miles traveled has doubled, resulting in higher levels of air pollution in many parts of the country. [source: Environmental Health Center]
Q: I thought power plants were the worst emitters, so don’t vehicles only make up a small part of the CO2 problem?
A: Transportation is the largest source of CO2 emissions in the US. It accounts for about one-third of all of our CO2 emissions, more than from factories, homes and all other sources. [source: HybridCars.com]
Q: I’m protecting my kids by driving a SUV.
With the rate of global warming, driving a fuel-efficient car would offer better long-term protection to you, your children and your grandchildren. Threats such as increased disease, extreme weather, severe drought and air pollution that causes increased asthma, cancer, and birth defects will become a reality as the climate continues to change. In addition, many passenger cars are safer than the average SUV on the road.
Learn what you can do about Climate Change »
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