Dear friends,
In just a few weeks, world leaders are converging on Rio for a landmark "Earth Summit" to talk about sustainability issues -- but it’s time for them to stop talking and start doing. And we know where they can begin.
This year our governments will hand nearly hundreds of billions of dollars in government subsidies to the coal, gas, and oil industries. Instead, they should cut them off. Now.
Cutting fossil fuel subsidies could actually take a giant step towards solving the climate crisis: phasing out these subsidies would prevent gigatonnes of carbon emissions and help make clean energy cheaper than fossil fuels.
And here’s the thing: this demand is completely reasonable -- so reasonable that the leaders of the big countries have already agreed to it. The G20 promised in 2009 that fossil fuel subsidies would be phased out in the "medium term." But the political power of the corporate polluters scares them, and so no nation has yet followed through.
And here’s the thing: this demand is completely reasonable -- so reasonable that the leaders of the big countries have already agreed to it. The G20 promised in 2009 that fossil fuel subsidies would be phased out in the "medium term." But the political power of the corporate polluters scares them, and so no nation has yet followed through.
If we want real action to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, we need to give world leaders a people-powered push as the Rio Summit approches -- and that push starts today with this global call to action: www.350.org/rio
Why focus on subsidies? Well, remember those pictures we took all over the world a few weeks ago, the ones where hundreds of thousands of people rallied in places wrecked by the drought, flood, fire, and melt that come with climate change? The billions in fossil fuel subsidies handed out to the fossil fuel industry are driving those climate disasters, and it's time for us, and our political leaders, to conenct the dots. Those billions should be spent investing in the world we want -- in renewable energy, in efficiency, in public health and education -- not sent to the corporate polluters who are super-heating our planet and threatening our future.
How are we going to ensure world leaders make good on their committment to end fossil fuel subsidies? With a huge global groundswell of citizen pressure. Our friends at Avaaz, the planetary network for social good, are helping to lead this fight -- already there are over half a million people signed on. In the US, hundreds of thousands of activists are pushing for landmark legislation to remove $113 billion in American fossil fuel subsidies over the next 10 years. But now we need a truly international effort in the leadup to the Rio Earth Summit -- which means enlisting you, and your friends.
Why focus on subsidies? Well, remember those pictures we took all over the world a few weeks ago, the ones where hundreds of thousands of people rallied in places wrecked by the drought, flood, fire, and melt that come with climate change? The billions in fossil fuel subsidies handed out to the fossil fuel industry are driving those climate disasters, and it's time for us, and our political leaders, to conenct the dots. Those billions should be spent investing in the world we want -- in renewable energy, in efficiency, in public health and education -- not sent to the corporate polluters who are super-heating our planet and threatening our future.
How are we going to ensure world leaders make good on their committment to end fossil fuel subsidies? With a huge global groundswell of citizen pressure. Our friends at Avaaz, the planetary network for social good, are helping to lead this fight -- already there are over half a million people signed on. In the US, hundreds of thousands of activists are pushing for landmark legislation to remove $113 billion in American fossil fuel subsidies over the next 10 years. But now we need a truly international effort in the leadup to the Rio Earth Summit -- which means enlisting you, and your friends.
After you sign on, please share the campaign with anyone you know who cares about the future. Or, for that matter, anyone who cares about not wasting their tax money by sending it to the richest industry on earth.
We’ll deliver the signatures on June 18th when world leaders arrive for the Earth Summit -- in fact, we've got big plans brewing for some exciting ways to make sure our message in Rio is unignorable. But first we need you on the list, so please sign on today.
We’ll deliver the signatures on June 18th when world leaders arrive for the Earth Summit -- in fact, we've got big plans brewing for some exciting ways to make sure our message in Rio is unignorable. But first we need you on the list, so please sign on today.
Onwards,
Bill McKibben for the 350.org team
More Info and Articles
- Fossil fuel subsidies: a tour of the data | Environment | guardian.co.uk go.350.org/M2jtrR
- Jim Hansen - Game Over for the Climate - NYTimes.com go.350.org/M2kHDB
- A Congressional Push to End All Fossil Fuel Subsidies | The Nation go.350.org/M2kOyR
- Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies 'could provide half of global carbon target' | Environment | guardian.co.uk go.350.org/M2kWyg
- G20 agrees on phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies (2009) | Reuters go.350.org/JxDtzj
350.org is building a global movement to solve the climate crisis. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for email alerts. You can help power our work by getting involved locally and donating here.
What is 350? Go to our website to learn about the science behind the movement.
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