By using fossil fuels to produce energy, humans are releasing over six billion tons of heat-trapping gases each year, upsetting the natural balance that has maintained climate stability. The IPCC predicts that by 2100, the average global temperature could rise as much as 10.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Not one credible scientific organization questions the reality of global warming. The technology already exists to produce energy from the sun, wind and other clean, renewable energy sources, as well as to use energy far more efficiently, said Denis Hayes, Chair of Earth Network. Instead, we need to increase our investment in the energy sources that will power our future and preserve a livable planet.
Energy efficiency saves money, reduces pollution, and conserves resources.
Europe and Japan use about half as much energy per unit of Gross Domestic Product as the United States, yet still live as comfortably and productively as Americans, said Hayes. We are working for changes in personal behavior and public policy that will spark a transition to clean energy, explains Thomas. Ultimately, it is awareness and worldwide citizen action that will compel politicians to take global warming seriously. Its mission is to achieve a healthy and sustainable world by linking groups worldwide and providing them with the information and resources to combat environmental destruction. EDN is chaired by Denis Hayes, the national coordinator of the first Earth Day in 1970 - an event often credited with starting the modern environmental movement.