The Live Earth Pledge (or the Seven Point Pledge) is a
petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer called supplication.
In the colloquial sense, a petition is a document addressed to an officia ...
promulgated by the
Live Earth
Live Earth was an event developed to increase Environmentalism, environmental awareness through entertainment.
Background
Founded by producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.
Live Earth 2007
The 1st series ...
campaign, urging governments to adopt a variety of
environmental protection
Environmental protection, or environment protection, refers to the taking of measures to protecting the natural environment, prevent pollution and maintain ecological balance. Action may be taken by individuals, advocacy groups and governments. ...
laws.
The pledge was spearheaded by Live Earth founder
Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...
, consists of seven points "directly designed to put pressure on governments and on businesses, but do so by asking people around the world to help to focus that pressure".
Among others signing the pledge with Gore in 2007 were U.S.
Speaker of the House
The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England.
Usage
The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hung ...
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia Pelosi ( ; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who was the List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 52nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives, serving from 2007 to 2011 an ...
and U.S.
Senate Majority Leader
The positions of majority leader and minority leader are held by two United States senators and people of the party leadership of the United States Senate. They serve as chief spokespersons for their respective political parties, holding the ...
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid Jr. (; December 2, 1939 – December 28, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Nevada from 1987 to 2017. He led the Senate Democratic Caucus from 2005 to 2 ...
, both
Democrats like Gore.
The pledge was also presented to Live Earth concert attendees, who will be asked to sign.
Objectives
# Within the next 2 years, countries have to join an international treaty to cut global warming pollution by 90% in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in a short timespan.
# The signees will try to live as
carbon neutral
Global net-zero emissions is reached when greenhouse gas emissions and Greenhouse gas removal, removals due to human activities are in balance. It is often called simply net zero. ''Emissions'' can refer to all greenhouse gases or only carbon diox ...
as possible.
# A moratorium has to be established on the construction of coal-burning facilities that do not have the capacity to safely trap and store the
CO2.
# The signees will work for a dramatic increase in the
energy efficiency Energy efficiency may refer to:
* Energy efficiency (physics), the ratio between the useful output and input of an energy conversion process
** Electrical efficiency, useful power output per electrical power consumed
** Mechanical efficiency, a rat ...
of their homes, workplaces, schools, places of worship and means of transportation.
# Laws and policies have to be created that expand the use of
renewable energy sources
Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind power, and hydropower. Bioenergy and ...
and reduce dependence on
fossil fuel
A fossil fuel is a flammable carbon compound- or hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the buried remains of prehistoric organisms (animals, plants or microplanktons), a process that occurs within geolog ...
s.
# The signees will plant new trees and help preserve and protect forests.
# The signees will buy from businesses and support leaders who support their commitment to solving the climate problem.
See also
*
Global warming
Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes ...
*
Global warming controversy
There are past and present public debates over certain aspects of climate change: how much has occurred in modern times, what causes it, what its effects will be, and what action should be taken to curb it now or later, and so forth. In the sc ...
*
Politics of global warming
The politics of climate change results from different perspectives on how to respond to climate change. Global warming is driven largely by the emissions of greenhouse gases due to human economic activity, especially the burning of fossil fuel ...
*
Individual and political action on climate change
Individual action on climate change describes the personal choices that everyone can make to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of their lifestyles and catalyze climate action. These actions can focus directly on how choices create emissions, suc ...
*
Carbon offset
Carbon offsetting is a carbon trading mechanism that enables entities to compensate for offset greenhouse gas emissions by investing in projects that reduce, avoid, or remove emissions elsewhere. When an entity invests in a carbon offsetting ...
References
External links
Live Earth Pledge
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Al Gore