Ask Mayor White to participate in the U.S. Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement

Take action by copying the letter below and sending it to Mayor Bill White.

Honorable Mayor White, I am writing to urge you to support U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement, which calls for U.S. cities to meet or beat Kyoto Protocol Targets and would help Houston become a leader in energy efficiency. Under the Agreement, participating cities commit to take following three actions: * meeting Kyoto Protocol Targets in their own communities * urge state and federal government to enact policies to meet or bear green house gas reductions for the U.S. set by the Kyoto Protocol; and * urge congress to pass the Climate Stewardship Act, which would establish a national emissions trading system. As of July 14, 174 mayors have signed on to the agreement from many of the nation’s largest cities including New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle, Austin, Boston, and Los Angeles. It is clear that addressing climate change will have to be done from the grassroots level starting with local city leaders. Houston has one of the worst air pollution problems in the nation costing our local economy almost three billion dollars annually. I ask you to put the health of Houston first and support this worthwhile endeavor. A recent article in the New York Times praised Portland, Oregon for slashing its emissions below 1990 levels, even while the local economy was booming. Steve Howard, CEO of the Climate Group recently described how 17 major U.S. cities have already reduced their emissions below 1990 levels, saving a total of $600 million through the use of efficiency measures. Thank you for you commitment to the environment and public health. Please respond to this letter and let me know how you intend to approach this issue. <P>Sincerely, [your name] [your address]

Mayor Bill White
City of Houston
P.O. Box 1562
Houston, TX 77251
phone: 713.247.2200
mayor@cityofhouston.net