Author: atticus

This is an email from Al Gore:

On March 21st, I will testify before Congress on the immediate action that needs to be taken to end the climate crisis. At the hearing, I will deliver the 294,374 messages you signed, demonstrating that hundreds of thousands of people share my sense of urgency.

If an additional 55,626 people sign our message, it will be as though 350,000 of us are there at the hearing expressing our determination to convince Congress to act. Having served in the House and Senate, I can tell you that members of these committees would find this to be a meaningful and impressive show of support.

There are only 5 days left before the hearings begin, so please do not pass up this opportunity to join in showing the broad public support we need in order to solve the climate crisis. I know you have friends or family who care deeply about this issue but have yet to sign our message to Congress.

Ask them to help fill that committee room with 350,000 messages by visiting:
http://www.algore.com/cards.html

The reason Congress has so far failed to act is not because there are no solutions to the problem. Nor is it because the majority doesn’t believe that the climate crisis is real. They have failed to act, because they have not yet faced a sufficient expression of political will on the part of the American people demanding they confront our climate crisis head on. You and I know that political will is a renewable resource, and enough already exists to start solving this crisis. We just have to communicate that forcefully to the political leaders of our country.

In the last two weeks alone 101,673 people visited AlGore.com and signed our message to Congress. This is an incredible demonstration of the energy behind this issue.

In my testimony, of course, I will speak about the scientific evidence for global warming – just reiterated six weeks ago by the world’s scientists in the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. But frankly, the debate on the science has long been over – except for a diminishing number of skeptics and deniers.

At this point, it is far more important to deliver your message about the urgency with which this crisis must be faced. Political leaders need to know that you intend to reward those who do the right thing and that you will work to replace those who do not.
That’s why it’s vital we fill up the hearing room with 350,000 messages.

Please ask your friends to sign our message to Congress today by visiting:
http://www.algore.com/cards.html

Together we are building a movement that has the potential to translate your strong feelings into effective change for our country. And we all know that when the United States changes – and offers leadership – the entire world will follow.
Thank you,

For an inspiring look at the national effort to save our planet please read this article from NRDC on worldwide climate action:
Get Up, Stand Up!

Common Cause members are working together to protect our web community by defending Net Neutrality, we should help them.  

Net neutrality is the principle that you should be able to access any content or services on the Internet without interference from your Internet Service Provider.  Lobbyists for Verizon, AT&T, Comcast and other telecom giants are heading into the halls of Congress to enshrine their own plans in telecom legislation now being drafted in committee.  We need to stop them from putting profit before people.  Everybody in the world needs the free access to information and to each other that the Internet provides.

 If you value your freedom and want to preserve it for future generations, you need to keep in touch with your representatives in Congress.   Please sign the Common Cause petition supporting net neutrality.
Monday’s New York Times editorial page echoed Common Cause’s call to action on net neutrality, and legislation may be introduced soon in Congress to protect our freedom on the internet.  Here’s what the Times had to say:

When you use the Internet today, your browser glides from one Web site to another, accessing all destinations with equal ease.  That could change dramatically, however, if Internet service providers are allowed to tilt the playing field, giving preference to sites that pay them extra and penalizing those that don’t. …Congress should protect access to the Internet in its current form.

Please add your name to our petition demanding strong net neutrality legislation.  We need our representatives in Congress to know that there is widespread support for legislation that protects the democratic nature of the Internet and prohibits telecom companies from blocking, impeding or prioritizing any online content or services.

http://www.commoncause.org/ProtectNetNeutrality

Earlier this month, Common Cause members sent tens of thousands of letters to the telecom execs and asked them to abide by net neutrality principles.  But it’s clear now that we need a law to protect the Internet from being privatized by Verizon, AT&T and other greedy media corporations.  Here’s more from the New York Times:

The Senate held hearings last week on “network neutrality,” the principle that I.S.P.s – the businesses like Verizon or Roadrunner that deliver the Internet to your computer – should not be able to stack the deck in this way.  If the Internet is to remain free, and freely evolving, it is important that neutrality legislation be passed. …Some I.S.P.s are phone and cable companies that make large campaign contributions, and are used to getting their way in Washington.  But Americans feel strongly about an open and free Internet.  Net neutrality is an issue where the public interest can and should trump the special interests.

We need you to tell Congress to protect freedom and openness on the internet.

Protect Net Neutrality

Thanks to each of you who has helped Common Cause become a leader in the fight to preserve internet freedom, and thanks for all you do to hold power accountable.