Challenge the Wisconsin Governor's Task Force on Global Warming

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

From Hans Noeldner:

Citizens!

Let's challenge the Wisconsin Governor's Task Force on Global Warming to take its own medicine! Please contact the co-chairs and urge them to:

(1) Determine the "Carbon Footprint" of the Task Force's upcoming
meeting on Thursday, April 18

(2) Establish specific greenhouse gas reduction targets for
subsequent Task Force meetings

(3) Announce the Task Force's April 18 "Footprint" and its reduction
targets (via press conference or press release)

(4) Measure "Carbon Footprints" for all subsequent meetings

(5) Provide the public with a final report

Email your request to:

Tia Nelson, co-chair tia.nelson@wisconsin.gov

Roy Thilly, co-chair rthilly@wppisys.org

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Background
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(1) The job of the Task Force on Global Warming is to design policies
that will slash Wisconsin's greenhouse gas emissions 60 to 80% below
1990 levels by the year 2050.

(2) Unfortunately, preliminary calculations indicate that the Task
Force's current policy recommendations fail to even reduce emissions
below current levels. Clearly there is MUCH MORE work to do!

(3) Why should the Task Force measure its own Carbon Footprint and
establish its own reduction goals? Because when Task Force members
begin to "walk the talk", they will make an essential shift in their
THINKING – from the abstract and hypothetical to specific ACTIONS
here and now – for example, on their way to and from Task Force
meetings.

(4) Is this a tall order? No. Here is what needs to happen:

a. Task Force members who drive to meetings would either record
actual fuel consumption or estimate fuel consumption based on
distance traveled and MPG for their vehicle

b. In lieu of recording actual travel distances, driving members
could use Google Maps to compute their totals

c. Wisconsin Public Power Inc. would measure/estimate/prorate heating
and electrical consumption in facilities used by the Task Force

d. Task Force support staff would compute the totals

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