--
> This just in.  If you have connections in TN or SD
> PLEASE let themn know
> it is important to make this an in-depth discussion.
>
> Eric Uram
> Regional Representative
> Sierra Club Midwest Office
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> Dear SSI Member,
>
> We contact you today with a very important and time-
> sensitive appeal. The US Senate is about to spend
> a=20
> considerable amount of time discussing global
> climate=20
> change. The impetus for this debate will be the
> offering,=20
> expected next week, of several climate
> change-related=20
> amendments to the Senate's energy bill (S-14, The
> Energy=20
> Policy Act of 2003). This climate change debate is
> widely=20
> recognized to be a "test" of the political strength
> of the=20
> senators who are concerned about the issue, and the
> debate=20
> is thus likely to influence federal climate policy
> for the=20
> foreseeable future.=20
>
> The stakes are high. It is vitally important that
> the=20
> Senators debating this issue have a clear and
> accurate=20
> understanding of the current status of climate
> change=20
> science.  Unfortunately, several recent efforts
> to=20
> misrepresent the state of the science have been
> circulated=20
> to Senate offices. These efforts include, for
> example:
>
> * a publication from the Senate's Republican
> Policy=20
> Committee on climate change, which stated "there is
> no=20
> scientific consensus on climate change" and then
> recycled=20
> several outdated criticisms of climate change
> science;=20
> * widespread attention to two recent, subsequently
> rebutted,=20
> articles that challenge the view that the late-20th
> century=20
> warming is unprecedented over the past millennium;
> and
> * a targeted media campaign designed to give the
> impression=20
> that scientific consensus is lacking on the climate
> issue.
>
> One effective method for countering the above
> attacks, which=20
> are clearly intended to influence the Senate debate,
> is a=20
> strong, public show of support from the scientific
> community=20
> on this issue. A letter with many expert signers
> will make=20
> it difficult for the climate skeptics to advance one
> of=20
> their standard counters -- which is, that rebuttals
> to=20
> skeptic attacks represent only the opinions of
> individual=20
> authors rather than more general scientific
> agreement. The=20
> skeptics have also been dismissing documents such as
> the=20
> IPCC's Third Assessment Report as merely past
> scientific=20
> consensus that has been weakened by recent
> research.=20
>
> To present the strongest possible opinion to the
> Senate as=20
> it deliberates on the climate change issue, a
> sign-on letter=20
> is being circulated among the climate science
> community,=20
> clarifying for the Senate the state of scientific
> agreement=20
> on climate change. Please consider joining your
> colleagues=20
> in this effort, and make your opinion known to the
> senate.=20
>
> ** The letter is appended below for your review and
> possible=20
> signature. Please note that the letter is intended
> as a=20
> scientific statement; it makes no endorsement for or
> against=20
> any particular legislation. This is a good time to
> stand up=20
> and be counted against the obfuscation and
> dissembling of=20
> those who wish to maintain the status quo of heavy
> fossil=20
> fuel use. Please feel free to contact us with any
> questions.
>
> Sincerely,
> Jason Mathers
> Sound Science Initiative Project Assistant
> Union of Concerned Scientists
> Two Brattle Sq
> Cambridge, MA
> 617 547 5552
> [log in to unmask]
>
> *** HOW THE LETTER WILL BE USED
> The letter will be delivered to Senate offices on
> Tuesday=20
> July 29th.  It may be read into the Senate
> record,=20
> referenced in Senate remarks, or otherwise used in
> the=20
> debate. It may also be referenced in media accounts
> of the=20
> senate debate.
>
> *** HOW TO SIGN ONTO THE LETTER
> If you are a scientist or engineer holding at least
> a=20
> master's degree in a field that is relevant to
> climate=20
> science or impacts, please consider signing the
> letter.=20
> After your review, you can add your signature by
> simply=20
> emailing your name, degree, title and department,=20
> institution (for identification purposes only), city
> and=20
> state to < [log in to unmask] >.=20
>
> When you send us your authorizing email, your name
> will=20
> automatically become part of the sign-on letter that
> will be=20
> delivered to the Senate early the week of July
> 28.=20
>
> *** HELP CIRCULATE THE LETTER
> You can help by circulating this request to
> colleagues=20
> within the US whom you think would be interested and
> meet=20
> the criteria to sign on. But be sure to forward this
> request=20
> TODAY!
>
> *** DEADLINE
> The timing here is absolutely urgent, as the letter
> will be=20
> delivered to the Senate the morning of Tuesday, July
> 29th. =20
> We would appreciate your reply as soon as possible,
> but no=20
> later than Monday July 28th at noon Eastern Time.=20
>
> *** THANK YOU!
> Thank you for considering this request. You and
> your=20
> scientific colleagues have an important role to play
> as our=20
> country grapples with complex questions about
> climate change=20
> mitigation, adaptation, and energy security.
> Current=20
> attempts to distort the debate must be challenged,
> and sound=20
> information on climate change should guide
> federal=20
> policymaking.
>
> ********************************************
> July 29, 2003
>
> United States Senate
> Washington, DC 20510
>
> Dear Senators Frist and Daschle:
>
> Two years have elapsed since the publication of the
> most=20
> recent reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on
> Climate=20
> Change (IPCC) and the National Research Council
> (NRC) on the=20
> state of the science of climate change and its
> impacts on=20
> the United States and the rest of the world. As
> scientists=20
> engaged in research on these subjects, we are
> writing to=20
> confirm that the main findings of these documents
> continue=20
> to represent the consensus opinion of the
> scientific=20
> community.  Indeed, these findings have been
> reinforced=20
> rather than weakened by research reported since
> the=20
> documents were released.
>
> In brief, the findings are that:=20
>
> 1) Anthropogenic climate change, driven by emissions
> of=20
> greenhouse gases, is already underway and
> responsible for=20
> most of the observed warming over the last 50 years
> -- the=20
> largest warming that has occurred in the Northern
> Hemisphere=20
> during at least the past 1000 years;=20
> 2) Over the course of this century the Earth is
> expected to=20
> warm an additional 2.5 to 10.5 =B0F, depending on
> future=20
> emissions levels and on the climate sensitivity --
> a=20
> sustained global rate of change exceeding any in the
> last=20
> 10,000 years;
> 3) Temperature increases in most areas of the U.S.
> are=20
> expected to be considerably higher than these global
> means=20
> because of our nation's northerly location and large
> average=20
> distance from the oceans;
> 4) Even under mid-range emissions assumptions, the
> projected=20
> warming would cause substantial impacts in the
> U.S.,=20
> including an increased likelihood of heavy and
> extreme=20
> precipitation events, exacerbated drought, and sea
> level=20
> rise;
> 5) Almost all plausible emissions scenarios result
> in=20
> projected temperatures that continue to increase
> well beyond=20
> the end of this century, raising the possibility of
> eventual=20
> devastating impacts such as the disintegration of
> the=20
> Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, leading to
> widespread=20
> coastal inundation; and,
> 6) Due to the long lifetimes of greenhouse gases in
> the=20
> atmosphere, the longer emissions increase, the
> faster they=20
> will ultimately have to be decreased in order to
> avoid=20
> dangerous interference with the climate system.
>
> Evidence that climate change is already underway
> includes=20
> the instrumental record, which shows a surface
> temperature=20
> rise of approximately 1=B0F over the 20th century,
> the=20
> accelerated sea level rise during that century
> relative to=20
> the last few thousand years, global retreat of
> mountain=20
> glaciers, reduction in snow cover extent, earlier
> thawing of=20
> lake and river ice, the increase in upper air water
> vapor=20
> over most regions in the past several decades, and
> the=20
> 0.09=B0F warming of the world's deep oceans since
> the 1950's.
>
> Evidence that the warmth of the Northern Hemisphere
> during=20
> the second half of the last century was
> unprecedented in the=20
> last 1000 years comes from three major
> reconstructions of=20
> past surface temperatures, which used indicators
> such as=20
> tree rings, corals, ice cores, and lake sediments
> for years=20
> prior to 1860, and instrumental records for the
> interval=20
> between 1865 and the present.
>
> On the subject of human causation of this warmth,
> the NRC=20
> report stated that, "The IPCC's conclusion that most
> of the=20
> observed warming of the last 50 years is likely to
> have been=20
> due to the increase in greenhouse gas
> concentrations=20
> accurately reflects the current thinking of the
> scientific=20
> community on this issue." Indeed, computer
> simulations do=20
> not reproduce any of the late 20th century warmth if
> they=20
> include only natural climate forcings such as
> emissions from=20
> volcanoes and solar activity. The warmth is only
> captured=20
> when the simulations include forcings from
> human-emitted=20
> greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere.
>
> In summary, the main conclusions of the IPCC and NRC
> reports=20
> remain robust consensus positions supported by the
> vast=20
> majority of researchers in the fields of climate
> change and=20
> its impacts. The body of research carried out since
> the=20
> reports were issued tends to strengthen their
> conclusions.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> **************
> THE SOUND SCIENCE INITIATIVE
> This SSI Alert was prepared for and distributed to
> UCS'=20
> Sound Science Initiative (SSI). SSI is an effective
> email- based vehicle
> for scientists to familiarize themselves and=20
> the public with environmental issues of global
> significance,=20
> with a special focus on climate change and loss
> of=20
> biological diversity. SSI also provides the tools
> for=20
> individuals to respond to and influence
> fast-breaking media=20
> and policy developments.=20
>
> Membership in SSI is open to professionals and
> graduate=20
> students in the physical, natural, and social
> sciences. To=20
> learn more about or join SSI, please visit our
> website at:
> <
>
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/global_warming/page.cfm?pageID=3D=
>
> 939
> >,
> or email us at < [log in to unmask] >
>
> THE UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS
> The Union of Concerned Scientists is a nonprofit
> partnership=20
> of scientists and citizens combining rigorous
> scientific=20
> analysis, innovative policy development, and
> effective=20
> citizen advocacy to achieve practical
> environmental=20
> solutions. To learn more about UCS, please visit us
> on the=20
> web at: < http://www.ucsusa.org >.
>
>

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software
http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to:
[log in to unmask]