Press Release: 50 Franklin County Business Owners Support Action on Climate 

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Left to right: Neil Waggoner, Organizing Associate with the Sierra Club, Dr. Stuart Ludsin, Associate Professor at the Ohio State University, and Vivian Daly, Field Organizer with Environment Ohio. (Photo Credit: Ryan Durso, Intern with the Sierra Club)

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, November 19th, 2013
Press Release: 50 Franklin County Business Owners Support Action on Climate

Columbus, OH – Today, over 50 Franklin County small business owners joined Environment Ohio, the Sierra Club, and other climate allies to demand action on climate. The small businesses took a stand because climate change is not only an issue that will affect future generations – it is already impacting our communities, families, and businesses.

According to scientists, Ohio will face devastating effects from global warming. Record-breaking heat waves, like the summer of 2012 and super-storms, like Hurricane Sandy, will grow increasingly frequent and severe with climate change. Our water quality is also at risk because warming temperatures combined with dangerous runoff fuels the growth of toxic algae.

“Today, over 50 small business owners in Franklin County voiced their support for climate action,” said Vivian Daly, the Field Organizer with Environment Ohio. “We must continue to rally support for the President’s Climate Action Plan.”

The letter signed by Franklin County business owners supports President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, announced earlier this summer. President Obama directed his Environmental Protection Agency to limit global warming pollution from new and existing power plants while promoting clean, renewable energy sources.

Ohio currently ranks 2nd in the country for the most carbon pollution from its power plants, our country’s largest single source of carbon pollution. Already Ohioans submitted over a quarter million comments in support of climate action. Now small business owners in Franklin County are adding their voices to the call to act on climate.

“Here at Café Brioso our main ingredients are coffee and water, both of which are being impacted by climate change,” said John Justice, Director of Operation at Café Brioso. “Invasive species, extreme weather events, and changes in rainfall patterns are threatening the growth of coffee beans.”

“Human-driven climate change holds great potential to negatively impact our nation’s freshwater ecosystems, including the vital services that they provide humans,” says Dr. Stuart Ludsin of The Ohio State University. “With continued increases in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, inputs of sediments and nutrients that reduce water clarity and stimulate harmful algal bloom production are expected to increase in ecosystems such as Lake Erie. Continued warming will only intensify these negative effects, thus potentially threatening the use of our valued waterways for recreational opportunities, like swimming and fishing.”

Environment Ohio, the Sierra Club, small business owners, and other climate allies in Columbus are calling on our leaders, like Senator Sherrod Brown, to support limits on dangerous carbon pollution from power plants. “Ohioans and small business owners from Franklin County stood up today to support action on global warming, and it is time that leaders, like Senator Sherrod Brown, join the call to action on climate,” said Daly.

Contact: 
Vivian Daly, Field Organizer, Environment Ohio, vdaly@environmentohio.org, (781)690-6581
Neil Waggoner, Organizing Associate, Sierra Club, neil.waggoner@sierraclub.org, (614)461-0734 ext312

Visit the following sites for additional information:
Environment Ohio
The Sierra Club

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