Gentle readers, an important message from the White House.
Last night, President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping jointly announced crucial new actions to protect our climate. And because of American leadership, China is making critical new commitments.
Building on the progress we've already made, the U.S. will set a new target of cutting our net greenhouse gas emissions 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2025. And President Xi announced new plans to increase the share of renewable energy and nuclear power that China uses to roughly 20% by 2030 -- up from only 8% in 2009 -- and, for the first time, set a target for when China will max out its carbon emissions.
The U.S. and China together account for more than a third of global greenhouse gas emissions -- so together, we have an especially important role to play in fighting climate change.
Back in 2009 when President Obama took office, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions were projected to continue increasing indefinitely, at a rate of about 1.2% each year. But the President set an ambitious goal that November to cut emissions "in the range of 17% below 2005 levels" by 2020.
We’re on track to achieve that goal. Since taking office, President Obama has:
- Put in place appliance efficiency standards that will save American consumers more than $450 billion on their utility bills through 2030
- Established standards that will increase fuel economy to the equivalent of 54.5 miles per gallon for cars and light-duty trucks, nearly doubling the fuel efficiency of our vehicles and saving consumers $1.7 trillion at the pump over the lifetime of the program
- Released the first-ever proposal for carbon pollution standards for both new and existing power plants
- Increased electricity generation from solar more than ten-fold, and tripled electricity production from wind power
- Invested more than $80 billion in clean energy technologies
And the new emission reduction target that the President announced last night will roughly double the pace of our carbon pollution reduction -- from 1.2% per year from 2005 to 2020, to 2.3-2.8% from 2020 to 2025.
This target keeps us on track to reduce our carbon pollution on the order of 80% by 2050, and means the U.S. is doing our part to keep global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius.
Thanks,
John
What the U.S. and China announced last night:
Did you know that a few years ago: Al Gore and John Kerry and Ted Kennedy and Michael Moore all contacted me? I am a nobody from Canada but I had something they needed...a powerful computer and a few million readers.They wanted me to write for their new young presidential candidate, a U.S. Senator by the name of Barack Obama. Today, I continue to receive emails from the U.S. Government because they continue to have problems implementing necessary changes.
Millions of computer writers joined together to bring about an agenda of change and that change must continue today if we are going to survive global warming.
Don't give up trying to find the facts because we have introduced informative and educational content well worth reading...especially the articles created by NASA and the information they distribute utilizing their spectacular satellites circling the Earth. Instruments so well calibrated they can measure you inch by inch. Just joking folks but I do strongly suggest you pass on any article based on facts that helps to protect the environment. Greenpeace continues to be a great source of honest facts and the United Nations is excellent for understanding our human rights. Always try to discover what is educational and important and you do not have to be in school to learn new things!
I am one of the many writers who today continue to use computers for social change and surprisingly, it is working! The new Electric Cars on the market would not have entered the market or even exist if we had not pushed hard for change. In order to create social changes within the United States and Canada and the World we must continue the struggle against selfish greed and industrial pollution. What makes me slightly different is the fact that I am willing to share my Blog space with other writers. I give them full credit for their work. Visit my human4us2blogspot...I use the space for publishing articles geared towards the world humanitarian peace and ecology movement. As a World Humanitarian I often link to: the United Nations, Green-Peace, the Sierra Club, the W.W.F, Amnesty International, the Campus Progress Report, and many many more including the office of the President of Russia, Senator Barbara Boxer, the Barack Obama campaign, the office of the Prime minister of Canada and I could go on for a while because I've been on the internet from the beginning. I also remember helping TIG or the "Taking it Global" kids with some surreptitious suggestions a few years ago and then I backed off and watched their progress. This brings me to an important point.
If you want to change the world, don't ask for money and don't expect to be acknowledged or rewarded for your efforts. In fact expect the opposite because our specie: Homo Sapien, is an Omnivorous and territorial and often selfish creature and attempting to change our human nature using culture is a difficult task. You don't have to be any of the following: Buddha, Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Solomon, Ghandi or the Dalai Lama; just do the work needed for change and stay as positive and happy as possible. Being a Vegetarian helps! Don't forget to plant hundreds if not thousands of Trees everywhere. Trees are desperately needed to slow global warming. After planting Trees, make more than one food growing garden where it is needed most. I suggest in your own back yard but there is always a need in the middle of poor city areas. Roof tops are great places for gardens if they are strong enough to hold the soil. I suggest gardens are necessary anywhere the poor and desperate congregate on this small Blue Planet we call Earth.
Always use the following Ethics in whatever you do. They include: Freedom with Honesty and Justice, Courage with Compassion and Dignity, Tolerance with Sharing and Caring and Humor, Kindness with Peace in Love and in Harmony with all living things. I challenge you to find as many more positive concepts as possible and include them in the list.
P.S. For you tough kids out there, don't forget to protest injustice at every possibility even if it means going to jail. Simply don't forget to do it the way Ghandi did, with non violent protest. ;-)
Have a great day and a wonderful life!
Signed: Joseph Raglione