Addressing climate change head-on

Here in New York City, the results of climate change – increasing temperatures, more extreme precipitation, and rising seas – could spell catastrophe for our way of life – unless we take action.

New York's buildings account for 80% of our greenhouse gas emissions, and next month, the City Council will begin hearings on the Greener, Greater Buildings package, a six-point plan to significantly reduce the city's carbon footprint.

Tell the City Council to take a step in the right direction by passing this landmark legislation without delay!

Subject:

To the City Council

(Edit Letter Below)

As a New Yorker deeply concerned with the effects of climate change on our city, I urge you to support and pass the Greener, Greater Buildings plan that will be discussed in hearings next month. The six-point plan will do more to shrink New York City's own direct impact on global warming than any other actions imaginable.

Already, atmospheric concentrations of the major greenhouse gas carbon dioxide are more than one-third higher than in pre-industrial times. The average annual temperature in New York City has risen 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1900, and 7 of the 10 years with the most days over 90 degrees have occurred since 1980.

We face more variability in rain fall and an increase in extreme weather events like drought and flooding as the effects of climate change manifest, brought on by rising sea levels as well as more violent coastal storms.

By the 2080s, New York City's climate may look more like Raleigh, North Carolina or Norfolk, Virginia than it does the place we know today, and the implications of climate change for New York City's infrastructure are undeniable. For example:

* Increase in peak electricity load, resulting in more frequent power outages
* Decrease of water quality due to biological and chemical impacts
* Increase of street, basement and sewer flooding
* Increase in delays on public transportation and low-lying highways

Because our buildings account for 80% of our city's carbon emissions, making them more efficient represents our best opportunity to reduce our own contribution to climate change. The Greener, Greater Buildings plan alone will get us 16% of the way to New York's 30-year goal for city-wide emissions reductions, reducing the city's carbon footprint by the equivalent of the entire city of Oakland.

Don't let this opportunity pass. Support Greener, Greater Buildings. This plan won't stop or reverse global warming - there is so much more to do - but it is the single biggest step New York City can take right now, and we all need to do our part. Please, there's no time to waste.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

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