Undoit.org Website Attracts Over 400,000 Citizen Co-Sponsors Of Senate Climate Bill

(23 February, 2005 - New York)  A major milestone in online environmental activism was reached this week when www.undoit.org surpassed 400,000 citizen co-sponsors of the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act, now under consideration by Congress.  The Act is the first and best proposal for a bi-partisan and comprehensive national policy to cut greenhouse gas pollution.  The www.undoit.org site is the online headquarters for Environmental Defense’s campaign to build support for the Act, which in a 2003 Senate vote secured 43 supporters, a vote that surprised most pundits and built momentum for further votes on global warming. 

“Citizen co-sponsors are building support for action on global warming,” said Environmental Defense’s Ben Smith, manager of online activism.  “By signing the petition, our citizen co-sponsors are speaking out to show that the public supports practical, affordable and innovative solution like the Climate Stewardship Act,” said Smith.

The Environmental Defense site, undoit.org, is anchored by interactive features giving citizens information, news and activism tools they need to convince American political leaders to support the Climate Stewardship Act.  Environmental Defense is working to spread the word about its online petition across the U.S. and around the world. 

“Our activists really deserve all the credit,” said Smith ” They have been driving this grassroots global warming campaign both online and in their local communities.”

Citizen co-sponsors have helped generate petition signatures online by forwarding emails to friends and family.  In addition, many people have printed out the petition, getting signatures the old-fashioned way — by bringing it to work, church, their neighbors, grocery stores, and more.  In response to a recent email from Environmental Defense, activists even brought copies of the petition to Super Bowl parties across the country.

The Climate Stewardship Act would implement an innovative and affordable market-based solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions the U.S.  An independent M.I.T. analysis puts the low annual estimated cost of the measure at $15-20 per household in 2010.  But many experts agree that the cost of delaying action on climate change would be much greater in the future.