Trakar
VIP Member
- Feb 28, 2011
- 1,699
- 73
- 83
Working to cope with climate change: A guest column by J. Wayne Leonard and Raymond C. Offenheiser
Working to cope with climate change: A guest column by J. Wayne Leonard and Raymond C. Offenheiser | NOLA.com
Working to cope with climate change: A guest column by J. Wayne Leonard and Raymond C. Offenheiser | NOLA.com
...When extreme weather hits, communities suffer in myriad ways: homes are destroyed, businesses lost, ecosystems ravaged. As the heads of a national energy company and a global humanitarian organization, we've seen the damages first hand, and engaged in the painstaking and often dangerous work of recovery and restoration. We believe it's time to rally together to recognize the dangers of a changing climate, and to invest in reducing risk and building resilience.
At Entergy, we have a unique perspective on climate change. Our product -- power -- is vital to the public good. Extreme weather puts the reliability of our product at risk, and we must work with our communities to prepare for and respond to these hazards.
At Oxfam, we work to find lasting solutions to global poverty -- and the weather is literally working against us. Of the 820 disasters recorded last year, 90 percent were related to severe weather. Climate change is playing a role in this, and it's the poorest -- at home and around the world -- who are affected most acutely, and find their struggle against poverty increasingly difficult...
...Our country has been slow to accept the reality and risks of climate change. But it is absolutely essential at this point. With Oxfam, Entergy has joined companies representing a range of sectors -- insurance to finance, apparel to food -- to promote the importance of taking action. We believe that responsible business practices and strong policies will help us prepare for and respond to climate change. Failing to act will mean much greater costs later -- in dollars and cents, and in human suffering.
No matter our different perspectives, we end up at the same place: determined to act together to improve our ability to cope with the profound effects of climate change. The choice is ours to make; the time to make it is now.
J. Wayne Leonard is CEO of Entergy Corp. and Raymond C. Offenheiser is president of Oxfam America.