U.S. Rep’s Brady, Fattah, Sestak,
Schwartz & Patrick Murphy Applauded for
Leadership on Global Warming
Philadelphia, PA—On a mid-October day expected to top 75°F in
Philadelphia, PennEnvironment released a new report documenting that
average temperatures in 2007 in cities across Pennsylvania were above
the
historical average. 2007 tied for the second warmest year on record
globally and was the 10th warmest year on record in the United States,
a clear trend of rising temperatures resulting from global warming.
“From Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, communities across Pennsylvania will
continue to feel the heat as global warming raises
temperatures throughout the state and across the country,” said
Nathan Willcox, Energy & Clean Air Advocate for PennEnvironment.
“While one or two degrees may not seem like much, just as any parent
with a sick child knows, even a small rise in temperature can have a
big effect.”
Feeling the Heat: Global Warming and Rising Temperatures in the
United
States compares government temperature data for the years 2000-2007
with the historical average, or “normal,” temperature for the preceding
30 years, 1971-2000. Data were collected at 255 weather stations—those
with the highest quality data—in all 50 states and Washington, DC.
Key findings for Pennsylvania cities include:
-- In 2007, the average temperature was above normal in all seven of
the Pennsylvania cities examined in the report. The average
temperature in 2007 was 1.6°F above normal in Allentown, 0.3°F above
normal in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 0.6°F above normal in Erie, 1.0°F
above normal Harrisburg, 1.2°F above normal in Philadelphia, 1.4°F
above normal in Pittsburgh, and 1.8°F above normal in Williamsport.
-- These above-average temperatures in 2007 are part of longer warming
trends. Between 2000 and 2007, the average temperature
was 1.4°F above normal in Allentown, 0.2°F above normal in
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 0.3°F above normal in Erie, 0.8°F above normal
in Harrisburg, 1.1°F above normal in Philadelphia, 1.0°F above normal
in Pittsburgh, and 1.4°F above normal in Williamsport. Nationally,
the average temperature during this eight-year period was at least
0.5°F above normal at nearly 90 percent of the weather stations.
-- In 2007, the average maximum temperature—the
highest temperatures recorded on a given day—was above normal in all
seven of the Pennsylvania cities examined in the report. The average
maximum temperature was 1.6°F above normal in Allentown, 0.2°F above
normal in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 0.1°F above normal in Erie, 0.7°F
above normal in Harrisburg, 1.5°F above normal in Philadelphia, 1.2°F
above normal in Pittsburgh, and 2.0°F above normal in Williamsport.
-- While most of the Pennsylvania cities experienced a total number of
days at or above 90°F that was only slightly above or below average in
2007, Pittsburgh experienced 15 days at or above 90°F (7 days above the
average), and Williamsport experienced 26 days at or above 90°F (12
days above the average).
PennEnvironment was joined by several area members of Congress in
releasing the report. U.S. Representatives Bob Brady, Chaka Fattah,
Patrick Murphy, Allyson Schwartz and Joe Sestak were applauded by
PennEnvironment for signing onto a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
which outlined strong principles for action on energy and global
warming. PennEnvironment is calling for those principles to be the
blueprint for action for the next President and Congress.
Congressman Chaka Fattah stated: “PennEnvironment is to be commended
for its leadership on global warming, and for releasing important
evidence today that its effects can be felt right here in
Philadelphia. I look forward to working with our next President and
with Congressional leadership to place the United States at the
forefront of climate change initiatives. We must act globally even as
we sweat locally.”
“We need to change the way we power our country, and not just because
global temperatures are rising, but because costs of everything from
gas to heating oil are going up for middle class families across
Pennsylvania,” said Congressman Patrick Murphy. “This report just
confirms what we know to be true: global warming is real and we need
swift, bipartisan action to reverse its dangerous effects. We need to
invest in alternatives so we can clean up our environment and finally
declare energy independence.”
“Global warming is a very real threat, affecting temperature zones,
rainfall patterns, endangered species, and even potentially causing sea
levels to rise,” said U.S. Representative Allyson Schwartz. “If left
unchecked, these changes will have a profound impact on our daily
lives. Congress must take action to not only directly lessen U.S.
greenhouse gas emissions, but we have to have America become energy
independent.”
The Pennsylvania Interfaith Climate Change Campaign and Philadelphia
Physicians for Social Responsibility also joined PennEnvironment in
releasing the report.
“Every major faith tradition calls on its followers to protect those at
the edges of society: the poor, the young, the elderly, and the sick.
It is exactly these groups who will be hit first and hardest by global
warming,” said Joy Bergey, Project Director for the Pennsylvania
Interfaith Climate Change Campaign. “Our sense of justice and fairness
compels us to take strong, mandatory action as a nation to slow global
warming now.”
“Global warming threatens human health on a massive scale,” said Dr.
James Plumb, President of Philadelphia Physicians for Social
Responsibility. “Recent reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change confirm the scientific consensus that greenhouse gas
emissions are the principle cause of climate change and that these
emissions must rapidly be reduced to lessen the scope of the enormous
negative health consequences. Given the severe health consequences of
global warming, it is essential that the medical community now offer
its expertise and leadership to the national and state effort to
implement climate change solutions.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change—the prestigious United
Nations body that won a Nobel Prize last year for its work—has
concluded the evidence of global warming is “unequivocal” and that
human activities are responsible for most of the increase in global
average temperatures. Burning fossil fuels to power cars, homes, and
industry produces most U.S. global warming emissions, and Pennsylvania
creates more global warming pollution than every state besides Texas
and California.
A recent Bush administration report said “it is very likely” that more
people will die in the United States during extremely hot periods in
the future. In addition, the report identified water shortages from
early snowmelt, degraded air quality, drought, more powerful tropical
storms, extreme rainfall with flooding and sea level rise as particular
risks for the Mid-Atlantic region.
“The good news is that the same scientists who have sounded the alarm
bells about global warming have also said we can avoid the worst
effects by taking action now to cut global warming pollution,” said
Willcox.
According to the latest climate science, the United States and the
world must break its dependence on fossil fuels and transition rapidly
to 100 percent clean, renewable energy if we hope to avoid the most
catastrophic effects of global warming. Specifically, the United
States must reduce its global warming emissions by at least 20 percent
by 2020 and by 80 percent by 2050, and make energy efficiency
improvements and the accelerated development of renewable energy the
centerpiece of our environmental and economic development policies.
On the day of the final presidential debate, Willcox also noted that
energy issues have featured prominently in both presidential and
vice-presidential debates this election season. “We’re at a crossroads
on energy, and it’s up to the next President to choose a new path that
curbs global warming and helps recharge our struggling economy,” said
Willcox.
“We commend Representatives Brady, Fattah, Schwartz, Sestak and Patrick
Murphy for their leadership on the global warming issue. And we urge
the next President and the other members of Pennsylvania’s
Congressional delegation to follow their lead,” concluded Willcox.
