New Climate Science Report Shows that Reducing Global Warming Pollution Is Urgent

Environment New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Today, further solidifying the need to cut carbon and tackle global warming to protect future generations, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) officially released their latest report on global warming, which provides powerful evidence that reducing emissions of climate-changing pollution is critically important and urgent. Dominick Lawton, Field Associate with Environment New Mexico, issued the following statement in response:

“In today’s report, the world’s leading climate scientists have delivered us a warning, loud and clear. Global warming is happening now. Human activity — in particular, burning fossil fuels — is the chief cause. And the impacts are accelerating — including more fuel for extreme weather, such as this year’s wildfires, floods, and massive, prolonged drought.

“If we do not rapidly and substantially reduce global warming pollution, we can expect dangerous and potentially irreversible consequences, including more extreme weather, disrupted agriculture, rising seas, and ocean acidification.

“We have an obligation to listen to this warning, and act to protect our children and grandchildren from the worst impacts of global warming.

“The Environmental Protection Agency’s recent announcement of first-ever standards to limit carbon pollution from new power plants, and upcoming federal standards for existing plants, are huge steps in the right direction.

“Power plants are the nation’s single largest source of the carbon pollution fueling global warming. ‘America’s Dirtiest Power Plants,’ a report from Environment New Mexico Research & Policy Center, shows that power plants are New Mexico’s single largest source of carbon pollution, producing as much carbon each year as 6 million cars.

“New Mexicans have already submitted nearly 29,000 of 3.2 million total comments to the EPA in support of limiting carbon pollution from power plants. With the finalization of the EPA’s proposed rule, we can finally say: No new dirty power plants.

“New Mexico’s decision-makers should support President Obama’s crucial action in the fight to protect our communities from global warming. Today’s report from the IPCC makes it crystal clear that action to reduce emissions of climate-changing pollution is urgent.”

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