Your work is much appreciated and needed. The failure of the World Climate Conference in The Hague and your recent statements about lack of progress at the Ottawa talks last week have left us very apprehensive about U.S. leadership on the sensitive issue of how forests should be used and credited for helping to lower CO2 emissions. We urge you to advocate for full crediting for the protection and restoration of native forests all over the world. In the past, U.S. effort has focused on obtaining large amounts of credit for business as usual forestry. In addition, the U.S. has not taken a leadership role in ensuring the large hydropower be ineligible for emissions trading.
Nuclear power appears to be close to off the table as a climate change mitigation strategy.
We had hoped that the Kyoto Protocol would spur much needed action on public transportation and air pollution here at home. Instead, it appears that our government is contemplating paying other countries to emit less. This is unacceptable. With its stands in The Hague and Ottawa, the Administration appears to be close to dropping its legacy of progress on global warming. This would be a great shame, for another such opportunity may be a long time in coming.