Grass-roots Campaign Organizes U.S. Citizen Support for Kyoto Protocol to Control Global Warming

Interview with Tom Stokes, of the Climate Crisis Coalition, conducted by Melinda Tuhus

The Kyoto Protocol to reduce global warming went into effect on Feb. 16th. But, the United States, which produces one-quarter of all the earth's greenhouse emissions, particularly carbon dioxide, withdrew from the treaty because President George W. Bush said it would cost U.S. jobs and hurt the economy. Meanwhile, the increase in weather-related catastrophes around the globe, such as hurricanes and floods, as well as significant melting of ice at both poles, is proof to virtually all environmental scientists that climate change is well under way and, by some estimates, may become irreversible in 10 years.

The day the Kyoto treaty came into force, a group called the Climate Crisis Coalition launched a petition drive for a People's Ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, a grass-roots effort to bring the United States in line with the rest of the world. Reaching out to groups from the peace, environmental, labor and indigenous movements in the U.S., the coalition has already collected 13,000 signatures.

Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Tom Stokes, coordinator of the Coalition, about why his group initiated the petition campaign and what organizers hope to accomplish.

For more information or to sign the petition, call the Coalition at (413) 637-2486 or visit their website at www.climatecrisiscoalition.org

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