Urge Your Lawmaker to be Pro-Active on Climate Change
Congress is currently deciding how to spend your money in fiscal year 2010. This is your chance to weigh in and ask your Senators and Representative to include at least $200 million in the budget to help poor countries adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Climate change is occurring at a rapid pace and poor people in developing countries are suffering the most as they are forced to deal with increasing floods, droughts, famine and diseases. Yet, it is developed countries which have created the problem of climate change through overconsumption and high pollution levels.
For the first time ever, Congress included up to $10 million in the fiscal 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act (H.R. 1105) for the Least Developed Countries Fund – a United Nations adaptation fund that provides resources to the least developed countries to help them adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Although this was an important first step, ActionAid is urging Congress to substantially increase the United States’ contribution to the Least Developed Countries Fund and include at least $200 million in next year’s appropriations.
Please join us by calling your legislators and urging them to include at least $200 million in the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill for the Least Developed Countries Fund. Although this is a small sum compared to adaptation cost estimates, we believe this contribution would be an important step toward demonstrating that the United States is prepared to lead the way on climate change.
