National Climate Assessment Cements Need for Action on Climate Now

WASHINGTON (January 11, 2013) – The United States Global Change Research Program today released its draft National Climate Assessment, just days after the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration affirmed that 2012 was the hottest year ever in the continental United States.

Daniel Lashof, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Climate and Clean Air Program, made these comments in response to the Climate Assessment findings:

“Climate chaos is sweeping our country, bringing more heat waves, floods, storms and drought, and faster than previously predicted. This report shows that every day we delay action on climate change the costs keep rising for our families, communities, economy and American way of life. Fortunately, the president has the tools at hand now to make big reductions in carbon emissions from largest source of climate-changing pollution: the nation's existing power plants. And he can do so with lower costs and higher benefits than many would expect.”

NRDC recently released a proposal that shows how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can team up with the states and use the Clean Air Act to cut carbon pollution by 26 percent by 2020 from existing power plants.  Read about it here.

And read Dan’s blog about the most important actions President Obama can take to confront climate change:

“Backing Away from the Climate Cliff”

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/dlashof/backing_away_from_the_climate.html