At long last, thank you.
I was going to leave it at that, but I got this message in from the Union of Concerned Scientists that I thought I'd share:
Dear UCS supporter,
What a night! On so many levels, this is a historic moment. President-elect Barack Obama promises positive, productive leadership on many issues members of the Union of Concerned Scientists care deeply about—building a clean energy economy; reengaging in international negotiations on global warming and nuclear weapons; and restoring the integrity of science in federal policy making.
With your continued support, UCS is poised and ready to do what we do best: use top notch science and analysis to help Congress and the new administration craft the most effective policy solutions—actions that will make our world cleaner and safer while strengthening our economy and enhancing our national security.
With your help we will:
* Take bold action to put the brakes on global warming by working with President-elect Obama and the new Congress to implement strong emissions reductions that are in line with what the scientific community has deemed necessary to avoid the worst consequences of global warming. We’ll also work to realize the new administration’s commitments to invest $150 billion in alternative energy over 10 years—revitalizing our economy and strengthening our national security; further increase vehicle fuel economy standards; and reengage the United States in international climate negotiations.
* Work toward a world free of nuclear weapons by working to extend the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia before it expires next year, finally end the Pentagon’s wrong-headed plans for a new generation of nuclear weapons, build Congressional support for long-overdue ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and halt further development of an unproven missile defense system in Eastern Europe.
* Restore scientific integrity in government by working with the new administration and Congress to guarantee federal scientists’ freedom to publicly communicate their findings, publish their work, disclose misrepresentation and censorship, and have their work evaluated by peers—all without fear of retribution.
Even with a supportive president, we still have our work cut out for us. With uncertainty on Wall Street, automakers and those in the oil and coal industries are already playing the politics of fear, hoping to delay action on many fronts. We know from experience that we cannot underestimate the power of entrenched corporate interests and the legislators who support them. This is a moment of enormous opportunity, but real change doesn’t just happen. We must work hard to ensure the important groundwork we have laid becomes reality.
Together with your support, we are ready to make real change. Let’s get to it.
Sincerely,
Kevin Knobloch
President
The effort to reconstruct the United States after eight years of Republican misrule will be long and arduous and will necessarily have to focus on fixing the economy and the United States' ruined international reputation. But scientific integrity in government is an important issue and one in which change can happen very very quickly (hint: fire the creationists).
