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Climate Change

"Cool Counties" Launch Major Global Warming Initiative

Call for 80% Reduction in Carbon Emissions by 2050; Urges Action by the Federal Government on Warming, Fuel Economy

(Richmond, Va.)-Large Counties from across the country today [July 16] joined the Sierra Club in announcing the creation of the Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration, a major new initiative to combat global warming.  The counties – led by King County, Washington, Fairfax County, Virginia, and Nassau County, New York – pledge to reduce global warming emissions 80 percent by 2050, an achievable average annual reduction of 2 percent.  The Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration also urges the federal government to adopt legislation requiring an 80 percent emissions reduction by 2050 and calls for fuel economy standards to be raised to 35 miles per gallon within a decade.

“I am proud to stand here with the Sierra Club and my fellow county officials to launch a powerful commitment to tackle the most important challenge of our generation,” said Ron Sims, King County Executive.  “We no longer have time to waste.  We know what it takes to reduce CO₂ emissions in our regions and we owe it to our children and grandchildren to make the tough decisions and right investments now.”

 In the face of continuing inaction at the federal level to combat some of America’s most pressing problems-global warming and our dangerous addiction to oil, the Sierra Club has been working closely with cities, states, and counties to implement policies that will help fight global warming, save consumers and taxpayers money, and encourage the use of clean, renewable energy.

Over 17,000,000 people across ten states live in the founding counties participating in today’s event.  In addition to King, Fairfax, and Nassau the founding counties include Arlington (VA), Montgomery and Queen Anne’s (MD), Miami-Dade (FL), Alameda (CA), Cook (IL), Shelby (TN), Hennepin (MN) and Dane (WI).
 

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Masthead photo credits: Rolf Sklar, Curtis J. Carley FWS, NOAA