Climate Change
The science is clear: burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil for our energy has released unprecedented concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, raising the Earth's temperature. While there are many variables that effect our planet's climate, there is no question that we must reduce our consumption of fossil fuels to lower the concentration of CO2.
Climate change is a challenge that requires us to transform the way we use and produce energy. Public Citizen understands that successful efforts to address climate change start with shifting away from centralized, expensive power stations like coal and nuclear and towards consumer-owned, locally-controlled rooftop-solar, small-scale wind, geothermal and investments in energy efficiency. Legislative solutions must hold polluters accountable, protect households from spiking energy prices and prevent Wall Street from having a role in speculating on the price of pollution.
Fatal flaws of market-based "cap and trade" plans reflect more the entrenched power of electric utilities than real efforts to curtail emissions.
Learn More About: Public Citizen's efforts to support national consumer-controlled sustainable energy solutions:
Overview of Legislative Approaches to Climate Change
Regulatory Efforts to Address Climate Change
Public Citizen's efforts to curb carbon emissionS at the state level:
Responding to Climate Change in Texas