This is a historical moment for the League to continue leading on Climate Change!
June 1 , 2018
Dear League Presidents and Delegates to LWVUS Convention 2018:
The League of Women Voters of Oregon continues to work on recognizing that the greatest environmental/moral challenge of our generation is climate disruption. The urgency according to current science is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions fast enough to avoid serious damage to the climate system. As a follow-up to the three climate resolutions adopted at the LWVUS Convention 2016, we ask for your League’s support in helping to pass the following LWV of Oregon resolution.
Proposed Resolution: The League of Women Voters supports Climate Test, an assessment tool to help ensure that energy policies align with climate science. The Climate Test uses the latest climate science to evaluate proposed energy policies and projects in light of the globally-agreed goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C, informed by the successful spirit of global cooperation as affirmed in the UN COP 21 Paris Agreement.
Rationale: A credible, robust climate test will provide decision-makers with the tools necessary to ensure they are able to position their economies to thrive in a global market that is transiting to clean energy and a climate safe future. www.climatetest.org
As policymakers take action to incorporate a climate test into their long-term decision making process, the credibility of that test will rest on its adherence to the following broad principles:
- Energy decisions must be guided by climate science.
- Decision-makers must develop and consider models that are consistent with a global economic transition away from fossil fuels.
- Environmental review processes must assess the need for projects and policies in the context of global energy supply and demand scenarios consistent with international climate goals.
- Environmental review processes must assess a project or policy’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Five state Leagues have already formally endorsed this Climate Test resolution: Washington, Colorado, New Mexico, North Carolina and Alaska.
We ask for your support of the resolution and for promotion of our approved Caucus titled, “The Most Important Lawsuit on the Planet Heads to Court – Leagues’ Amici and Positions Support the Kids.” If you have an interest in climate change and would like to help promote the resolution and/or caucus, please contact Claudia Keith at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Norman Turrill, President LWVOR
Claudia Keith, LWVOR Climate Change Action Chair
Cathy Frischmann, LWV Corvallis Climate Change Committee