500 cities in the US pledge to cut down greenhouse gas emissions

Global climate change is a severe and growing threat not only to the United States, but to the whole world.

On 15 May 2007, Tulsa, Oklahoma was the 500th city to sign on the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, a voluntary commitment by the cities in the US to cut down greenhouse gas emissions and reduce global warming pollution in the communities by 2012 up to 7% below the 1990 levels.

This agreement was announced at the C40 Climate Summit in New York City, a gathering of world mayors organised by the Clinton Foundation and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to discuss climate change in the respective cities.

Cities around the world account for 78% of all greenhouse gas emissions. The 500 cities in the US that have pledged to cut down greenhouse gas emissions in their communities are home to over 64 million Americans.

The 500 city mark was attained in less than two years after Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels first conceptualised the plan in February of 2005, when the Kyoto Protocol took effect in 141 countries, and President Bush refused to approve the international agreement projected to reduce global warming.

Nickels drafted the agreement saying that he wanted to show to the world that the US has an intelligent life after all. Along with eight other US mayors, Nickels sent a letter and an endorsement agreement to city mayors throughout the country, inviting them to take part on the grassroots effort to reduce global warming. Visit this site for solid state drive advice.