Grassroots Democracy and the Civil Society Institute call to action

Change almost always comes from the bottom up.  We encourage you to get involved.  We have spent most of our lives hearing about crisis and some variety of impending doom, perhaps exaggerated by the sensationalizing media.  Many of these were real problems that needed solving, but many of us have become numb to the parade of issues that deserve attention.  The potential consequences of bad choices about how we generate energy in this country over the next few decades are so dire that they demand our best efforts as responsible citizens.  So, we encourage you to get involved.

The Civil Society Institute is dedicated to supporting and sustaining “the bottom”, the small local efforts to make positive change in our world.  They, and a coalition of small local groups around the country, Citizens Lead for Energy Action Now (CLEAN), have initiated a Citizens Call to Action to Stop Global Warming and Climate Change.  This call to action asks candidates to pledge to cut global warming gasses by 80% by 2050,  place a five year moratorium on additional coal plants,  end  mountain top removal, increase the efficiency in our building energy use by 50% by 2020, and increase the use of renewable energy.  Nearly 50 groups from around the country have signed onto this joint statement.  We encourage you to do the same.

Why a Coal Moratorium is Needed.

Nearly 100 coal plants are still on the drawing boards or in the permitting process in the US.  Fifty nine have been cancelled or postponed due to rising cost and concerns about the risk of global warming regulation. Perhaps no one is better qualified to speak on this issue than Dr James L. Hansen of NASA, who many consider to be the father of global warming science.
In recent months, prominent experts in global warming have pointed out the urgency of halting new coal-fired power plant construction. Indeed, James Hansen, director of NASA’s Goddard Space Institute, recently told Congress that such a measure is “the most critical action for saving the planet at this time.”

• An article by James Hansen, The Need for an International Moratorium on Coal Power.
• Very informative site which makes the case for a Coal Moratorium Now.