Download An Open Letter from Scientists Supporting Stronger Climate Change

An Open Letter from Scientists Supporting Stronger Climate Change Policies in California
Dear Governor Brown and California
state legislators,
California’s continued leadership is
needed now more than ever to address the
risks of a dangerously warming climate.
The science is clear that human activity is
the dominant cause of global warming over
the last half-century. If heat-trapping emissions
continue to rise, the scope and severity of
impacts will accelerate. Communities
across California are already being forced
to cope with increased wildfires, more
frequent and extreme heat waves, a
strained water management system,
growing risks to agricultural crops,
greater summer electricity demand,
and more coastal flooding.
While we must adapt to those impacts
of climate change that cannot be avoided,
California must also continue to
take ambitious steps to reduce its heattrapping emissions. California deserves
tremendous credit for putting innovative
climate policies into practice, spurring
investment, innovation, and jobs in a growing
“green technology” sector. The state is well
positioned to maintain its leadership in this effort.
We urge you to take decisive action this year to
ensure that California:
• reduces heat-trapping emissions to 80 percent
below 1990 levels by 2050;
• increases its share of electricity generated from
renewable sources to 50 percent by 2030; and
• reduces petroleum use in the transportation sector
50 percent by 2030.
These objectives are currently reflected in two bills before
the California state legislature: Senate Bills 32 and 350.
As scientists and researchers with
expertise in climate change, its
impacts, and its solutions, we ask
you to support policies that
will ensure California meets
these goals.
Cort Anastasio, Ph.D.
Teamrat Ghezzehei, Ph.D.
Michael C. MacCracken, Ph.D.
Richard Plevin, Ph.D.
Kenneth Arrow, Ph.D.
J. Keith Gilless, Ph.D.
Edward Maibach, Ph.D.
James Powell, Ph.D.
Gregory Asner, Ph.D.
Gary Griggs, Ph.D.
Wade Martin, Ph.D.
Michael Prather, Ph.D.
Jeffrey Bada, Ph.D.
Steven Hackett, Ph.D.
Mark Mascal, Ph.D.
Veerabhadran Ramanathan, Ph.D.
Dennis Baldocchi, Ph.D.
Brent Haddad, Ph.D.
James McCarthy, Ph.D.
Greg Rau, Ph.D.
Roger Bales, Ph.D.
Darwin Hall, Ph.D.
Josue Medellin-Azuara, Ph.D.
Eric Rignot, Ph.D.
W. Michael Hanemann, Ph.D.
Mario Molina, Ph.D.
Alan Robock, Ph.D.
Thomas Harmon, Ph.D.
William Moomaw, Ph.D.
David Roland-Holst, Ph.D.
David Hastings, Ph.D.
Jean Moran, Ph.D.
Peter Saeta, Ph.D.
Geoffrey Heal, Ph.D.
Max Moritz, Ph.D.
Whendee Silver, Ph.D.
Janice Hudgings, Ph.D.
Knute Nadelhoffer, Ph.D.
John Skillman, Ph.D.
Louise Jackson, Ph.D.
Raymond Najjar, Ph.D.
Arne Jacobson, Ph.D.
William Nazaroff, Ph.D.
Mark Jacobson, Ph.D.
Wallace Nichols, Ph.D.
Daniel Kammen, Ph.D.
Deb Niemeier, Ph.D.
Carrie Kappel, Ph.D.
Richard Norgaard, Ph.D.
Anne Kapuscinski, Ph.D.
Richard Norris, Ph.D.
Anthony Fisher, Ph.D.
David Karowe, Ph.D.
Susan Nossal, Ph.D.
Graham Fogg, Ph.D.
Michael Kiparsky, Ph.D.
Michael O’Hare, Ph.D.
Lee Friedman, Ph.D.
Steve LaDochy, Ph.D.
Patricia Oikawa, Ph.D.
Robert Gamache, Ph.D.
John Lemons, Ph.D.
Stuart Oskamp, Ph.D.
A. Leroy Westerling, Ph.D.
Gregg Garfin, Ph.D.
Dennis Lettenmaier, Ph.D.
Jonathan Overpeck, Ph.D.
Robert Wolf, Ph.D.
Catherine Gautier, Ph.D.
Sherman Lewis, Ph.D.
Edward Parson, Ph.D.
Carl Wunsch, Ph.D.
Alexander Gershenson, Ph.D.
Michael Loik, Ph.D.
Manuel Pastor, Ph.D.
Charlie Zender, Ph.D.
University of California, Davis
Stanford University
University of California, Merced
Climate Institute
University of California, Berkeley
Carnegie Institution for Science
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Merced
Hilda Blanco, Ph.D.
University of Southern California
Robert Brecha, Ph.D.
University of Dayton
California State University, Long Beach
Humboldt State University
University of California, Davis
University of California, Santa Cruz
California State University, Fullerton
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Los Angeles
David Cleveland, Ph.D.
University of California, Santa Barbara
Eugene Cordero, Ph.D.
San Jose State University
Helen Cox, Ph.D.
California State University, Northridge
Gretchen Daily, Ph.D.
Stanford University
California State University, East Bay
Columbia University
University of California, Berkeley
Pomona College
University of California, Irvine
Tim Duane, Ph.D.
The Pennsylvania State University
University of California, Santa Cruz
Robert Dunbar, Ph.D.
Stanford University
Gabriel Filippelli, Ph.D.
Indiana University - Purdue Univ.
Indianapolis
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis
University of California, Berkeley
University of Massachusetts, Lowell
University of California, Santa Barbara
San Jose State University
California Academy of Sciences
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis
University of California, Santa Barbara
Dartmouth College
University of Wisconsin, Madison
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
California State University, Los Angeles
University of New England
California State University, East Bay
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of California, Berkeley
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Western Michigan University
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Arizona
University of California, Berkeley
Stanford University
University of California, Irvine
Rutgers University
Harvey Mudd College
University of California, Berkeley
California State University, San
Bernardino
University of Michigan
University of California, Davis
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
University of California, Berkeley
Tufts University
Humboldt State University
Ellen Druffel, Ph.D.
University of California, Davis
University of California, San Diego
Eckerd College
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Santa Cruz
Harvard University
University of California, Merced
Holger Brix, Ph.D.
University of Southern California
George Mason University
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of California, Davis
University of California, Berkeley
Claremont Graduate University
University of Arizona
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Southern California
Leonard Sklar, Ph.D.
San Francisco State University
Raymond Smith, Ph.D.
University of California, Santa Barbara
George Somero, Ph.D.
Stanford University
Richard C.J. Somerville, Ph.D.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
William Sundstrom, Ph.D.
Santa Clara University
Andrew Szasz, Ph.D.
University of California, Santa Cruz
Eugene Takle, Ph.D.
Iowa State University
Aradhna Tripati, Ph.D.
University of California, Los Angeles
Susan Ustin, Ph.D.
University of California, Davis
University of California, Merced
Harvey Mudd College
Harvard University
University of California, Irvine
* Organizational affiliations are for identification purposes only.
For the complete list of scientists and researchers who have endorsed the letter, go to:
www.ucsusa.org/CAclimateletter
Paid for by: The Union of Concerned Scientists, 500 12th Street, Suite 340, Oakland, CA 94607-4087