Preserve Our Climate (POC)

Background: A petition drive was started by members of the Madison area Preserve Our Climate (POC) Coalition on February 5, 2005, asking for the Wisconsin Legislature to create and enact global warming legislation. The petition was initiated in conjunction with a workshop the POC Coalition was conducting for the public at the UW Memorial Union in Madison.

The petition requests the Wisconsin Legislature give high priority to creating and enacting climate change legislation in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Wisconsin sources, as well as to properly inform and assist Wisconsin citizens and businesses in preparing for and adapting to a warmer climate which includes the possibility of increasingly more dangerous weather extremes.

Michael Neuman of the coalition hand delivered a copy of the language of the petition and supplementary information about global climate change to State Representative Therese Berceau and State Senator Fred Risser on February 16, 2005, saying the completed petition would be delivered to the Wisconsin Legislature on Earth Day, April 22, 2005. Rep. Berceau and Sen. Risser both expressed appreciation for the information and advanced notice of the petition.

The petition is actually composed of two separate petitions. The first petition requests the Legislature give high priority to creating and enacting policies and programs aimed at reducing greenhouse gases currently being emitted from Wisconsin's transportation, industrial, residential and commercial sectors. It also recommends the Legislature create programs that will better inform and assist Wisconsin's citizens and businesses in adapting to climate change.

There is overwhelming evidence that human-caused (anthropogenic) global warming is already in progress. (Please see links below.)

The second petition requests the Legislature develop and establish a statewide program that reduces motorized transportation and encourages household energy conservation by offering financial incentives (rewards) to Wisconsin citizens to drive less, fly less and use less energy in home. The proposal would reward people and households who limit the amount of driving and flying they do - on an annual basis, and households which minimized per capita energy consumption (as measured in therms/capita), with annual cash rebates - awarded after the year in which they used less fuel and less electricity.

Funding for the "transportation rebates" would come from the savings accumulated in the state transportation fund by slowing down on building new and larger capacity highways, bridges and freeways and by raising the state gasoline tax.

To review a plan that offers annual rebates of $400-$2,800 for individuals and families who: (a) drive less, (b) fly less and (c) use less energy in their household, please click on "Conserve, NOW!" at left.

PETITION: To read and sign the petition, please click on the link entitled "Climate Change Petition" on the left (links are in alphabetical order).

LINKS TO DOCUMENTATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN WISCONSIN

Earlier in the Year Snowmelt Runoff and Increasing Dewpoints for Rivers in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota http://www.mnforsustain.org/climate_snowmelt_dewpoints_minnesota_neuman.htm

Special Report; Air Temperatures & Dew Points; Great Lakes States http://www.mnforsustain.org/mn_dewpoints_neuman_p_special_report.htm

Trends showing earlier snowmelt runoff in the Upper Midwest http://twincities.indymedia.org/newswire/display/19865/index.php

Wildlife Responses to Climate Change http://madison.indymedia.org/feature/display/21216/index.php

Ten-year Global Average Temperature Averages http://madison.indymedia.org/feature/display/21576/index.php