SALEM, Ore. (Feb. 1, 2016)—As the Oregon Legislature begins its 2016 session today, 25 prominent scientists have sent an open letter to Gov. Kate Brown and state lawmakers urging them to adopt strong climate policies to reduce heat-trapping emissions.
“World leaders are confronting the urgent threat posed by climate change and so must Oregon,” said lead signer Jane Lubchenco, Distinguished Professor and Advisor in Marine Studies at Oregon State University who formerly served as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). “Now is the time to adopt policies that will enable the state to reach its goal of significantly reducing emissions over the coming decades.”
Organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists, the letter calls on Oregon lawmakers to take immediate action to reduce the heat-trapping emissions that are driving global warming. It notes that Oregon is already facing climate impacts, including changes in water availability brought on by smaller snowpack and earlier snowmelt, increased wildfires, rising sea levels, and increasing ocean acidity.
“We are deeply concerned that climate change compromises our quality of life and threatens our state’s future,” the letter reads. “We need your leadership now more than ever to reduce the risks of a dangerously warming climate.”
The full text of the letter and a full list of signers can be found online.