Edwards Campaign Press Release - Edwards Urges Action In Fight Against Global Warming

Launches New Website Enabling Americans To Take Personal Pledge To Reduce Use of Carbon

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – As part of his ongoing effort to get more Americans involved in the fight against global warming, Senator John Edwards today launched the first in a series of activities to encourage Americans to conserve energy and cut their carbon emissions. As part of his energy plan, Edwards last month called for an 80 percent reduction in American carbon emissions by 2050. He also announced last month that he is making his campaign "carbon neutral" by taking steps to conserve energy and purchasing carbon offsets.

"The looming climate crisis is a serious threat - but if we have the courage to boldly change course we can transform it into a real opportunity for America," said Edwards. "It won't be easy, but it is time to ask the American people to be patriotic about something other than war. If we harness American ingenuity, we can emerge from the crisis of global warming with a new energy economy that stimulates innovation, brings the family farm back to life, and creates more than 1 million jobs in America's farms and industries."

In an email to supporters today, Edwards called on Americans to take personal responsibility for the climate crisis by signing his "Reduce Your Carbon" pledge at www.reduceyourcarbon.com. The pledge encourages Americans to decrease their personal carbon emissions by taking simple steps, like replacing regular light bulbs with fluorescent light bulbs, weathering homes with caulk and keeping air filters clean.

Edwards will also draw attention to the issue of global warming on his upcoming "Saturday Morning E-Cast" to be released Saturday, April 14th, 2007. Edwards will discuss his energy plan to fight global warming and create a new energy economy and will encourage listeners to get involved in one of the campaign's many "Reduce Your Carbon" events being organized for Earth Day on April 22nd, 2007.

On Saturday, in Fort Myers, Florida, Edwards will also be speaking at a "Step it Up" rally to urge Congress to cut carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050. Americans from across the country will be participating in "Step it Up" rallies to encourage Congress to act immediately on this global crisis.

Last month, Edwards laid out an aggressive plan which halts global warming, achieves energy independence and jumpstarts a new energy economy by:

• Capping greenhouse gas pollution starting in 2010 with a cap-and-trade system, and reducing it by 15 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050, as the latest science says is needed to avoid the worst impacts of global warming.
• Leading the world to a new climate treaty that commits other countries—including developing nations—to reduce their pollution. Edwards will insist that developing countries join us in this effort, offering to share new clean energy technology and, if necessary, using trade agreements to require binding greenhouse reductions.
• Creating a New Energy Economy Fund by auctioning off $10 billion in greenhouse pollution permits and repealing subsidies for big oil companies. The fund will support U.S. research and development in energy technology, help entrepreneurs start new businesses, invest in new carbon-capture and efficient automobile technology and help Americans conserve energy.
• Meeting the demand for more electricity through efficiency for the next decade, instead of producing more electricity.

To read more about Edwards' energy plan, click here.