Lower Merion Lawmaker Publishes Global Warming Letter

ARDMORE, PA - Brian Gordon, the Lower Merion Township commissioner who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s second district, recently published an open letter on global warming.

The letter takes a hard stance against man-made causes of climate change.

As always, any open letter or letter to the editor is the opinion of the writer and not of Patch.

Gordon is running for the open seat in the second district, which will be voted on in April 2016.

“Dear Friends,

The global temperature has increased 1.4 degrees since 1880 and Arctic ice is decreasing at a rate of 13.3 percent per decade. Rising waters threaten low lying communities in the U.S. and around the globe. Rising temperatures cause forest fires more frequently which unleash billions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere each year.

Global warming contributes to drought, hurricanes, heat waves, and loss of life—not in 20 years, but today. Carbon emissions and climate change are a present and future threat to public safety. We must act now.

As your next Congressman, I will work to achieve the following goals to address this issue:

A Commitment to Renewable Energy
We must look at how other countries have made successful large-scale investments in renewable energy and follow their examples. I support Hillary Clinton’s goal of generating enough renewable energy to power every home in the United States in 10 years.

We should give federal tax credits to farms, businesses, and families that invest in renewable energy including geo-thermal wells, solar water heating, solar panels, and wind turbines. Farmers are already reporting that the revenue from wind turbines stabilize their businesses.

We should convert as many federal government buildings as economically feasible to renewable energy including geo-thermal wells, solar and wind power, and install energy saving light switches and other technology. The federal government should make a commitment to purchase all of its energy from 100% renewable sources as a means to jump start these emerging technologies.

Clean Air and Water
We must enact strong clean air standards on carbon emissions, mercury, arsenic, lead, and other toxic substances into law, limiting a President’s power to remove the standards.

We must attach the same clean air, clean water, and land pollution standards that American businesses must follow to our trade agreements. Pollution and carbon emissions do not recognize national borders and U.S. companies must have a level playing field to compete with foreign firms.

Conservation of Energy and Natural Resources
We must enact into law tough fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks that will encourage the development of new technologies that allow cars to sip fuel instead of gulp it. Amazing technologies that save fuel are being developed every day, let’s accelerate their use with ambitious fuel standards to make the American automobile industry the world leader in clean transportation.

We should continue to set aside federal land for National Parks and protected areas, strengthen protections of existing areas to protect wildlife, and preserve our natural heritage for future generations. I oppose drilling for oil in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge.

We must plant millions of shade trees and carbon absorbing plants to provide storm water controls, cool our great cities, and absorb carbon dioxide to make up for the destruction of rain forests and the depletion of trees in areas already affected by drought and global warming.

Local Solutions

The TreePhilly Division of the Parks Department is taking great strides to cool our city and make it more sustainable by planting between 1,000 and 2,000 trees per year, and 7,000 to 10,000 plants per year. A Yale study found that for every 10% increase in tree canopy coverage in cities, there was a 15% reduction in crime.

There are 40,000 vacant lots in Philadelphia. They present a great opportunity to create pocket parks and gardens to provide shade, cleaner air and water, and beauty to neighborhoods across the city.

As your Congressman I will support these efforts and more to protect our city, region, and world with smart strategies on re-forestation, renewable energy, and reducing our carbon footprint.

What can I do to help now?

This is a partial list of what the Federal government can do to prevent pollution and reduce our carbon footprint. The remaining questions is, “What more can I do to reduce pollution and promote renewable energy and conservation at home and at work?”

To find out, visit our website at gordonforcongress.com/conservation. There are dozens of tips and tricks on how to cut down energy and water use, save money on utilities, and do our part to preserve the environment.

Yours Sincerely,

Brian A. Gordon”