Rapid Ocean Decline Calls for Decisive U.S. Action
NEW YORK – World leaders gathered in New York City today to respond to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate.
The following is a statement from Lisa Speer, director of International Oceans at the Natural Resources Defense Council:
“All life on Earth depends on our oceans. There’s no time to dwell on the grim news in this report: the time to act is now.
“We need immediate, coordinated action in the U.S. and abroad on three fronts: reducing fossil fuel emissions, fully protecting at least 30% of the global ocean from damaging human activities by 2030, and shifting people and economic development away from our most vulnerable coastlines.
“Only prompt, decisive action can help stave off the dramatic changes this report forecasts and ensure a viable future for our ocean and humanity.”
NRDC experts weigh in on the IPCC report here:
- Lisa Speer – Climate Change is Wreaking Havoc on Our Oceans. Here’s How We Save Them
- Lisa Suatoni – Five Ways Climate Change is Altering Our Oceans and Harming Us
- Alison Chase – A Better Future Through Protecting America’s Ocean Habitats
- Kate Poole – The Snow Must Go On
- Rob Moore – New IPCC Report: Sea Level Rise Challenges Are Growing
- Alexandra Adams – Dire IPCC Report Confirms Folly of Offshore Drilling
Here is more information on the how climate threatens our oceans, along with NRDC’s recommendations for climate action.
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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Chicago; Bozeman, Montana; and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC