Phase Out Coal And Save Our Planet
13,845 signatures toward our 30,000 Goal
Sponsor: The Rainforest Site
Coal is the biggest source of human-driven climate change. The U.S. must put a stop to new coal plant plans!
Coal is the single biggest contributor to human-driven climate change, with the burning of coal contributing to around 46 percent of carbon dioxide emissions globally. On top of this, it's a significant contributor to air pollution1</small.
Average global temperatures are expected to reach 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels sometime between 2030 and 2052 if emissions continue rising as they have been2</small.
- With a 1.5°C increase, extreme hot days in the mid-latitudes will be 3°C hotter (5.4°F) than pre-industrial levels3</small.
- With a 2°C increase, extreme hot days in the mid-latitudes will be about 4°C hotter (7.2°F) than pre-industrial levels3</small.
The commitment made by coal-producing countries at the Cop26 summit is the United States' chance to solve this problem.
With the aim of reducing the effects of climate change, more than 40 countries around the world vowed at the Cop26 climate summit to phase out their reliance on burning coal for energy. Among those involved in the coalition are major coal producing countries like Canada, Poland, Vietnam, South Korea, Ukraine, and Indonesia4</small.
Scientific studies suggest that global heating could be limited to just 1.9C if commitments from other countries on greenhouse gas emissions are fulfilled5</small.
Sign the petition below and demand the U.S. join the growing number of other countries in the Cop26 climate summit commitment to phase out coal!
- EndCoal.org, "Climate Change."
- Bruce Lieberman, Yale Climate Connections (4 August 2021), "1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius of additional global warming: Does it make a difference?."
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change"SPECIAL REPORT: GLOBAL WARMING OF 1.5 ºC Summary for Policymakers."
- Fiona Harvey, Jillian Ambrose and Patrick Greenfield, The Guardian (3 November 2020), "More than 40 countries agree to phase out coal-fired power."
- Lisa Friedman, The New York Times (3 November 2021), "Poland and 17 other nations will announce a major deal to end coal.."
The Petition:
To the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency ,
Coal is the single biggest contributor to human-driven climate change, with the burning of coal contributing to around 46 percent of carbon dioxide emissions globally.
Average global temperatures are expected to reach 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels sometime between 2030 and 2052 if emissions continue rising as they have been.
With a 1.5°C increase, extreme hot days in the mid-latitudes will be 3°C hotter (5.4°F) than pre-industrial levels. With a 2°C increase, extreme hot days in the mid-latitudes will be about 4°C hotter (7.2°F) than pre-industrial levels.
This will lead to worsening cases of drought, widespread food shortages, and human suffering.
Scientific studies suggest that global heating could be limited to just 1.9C if commitments from other countries on greenhouse gas emissions are fulfilled. The U.S. has not committed to phase out coal like others at the the Cop26 climate summit, but action can still be taken.
I demand you set an example by joining other world leaders in phasing out coal,
Sincerely,
