THE NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2009
Dear President Obama & The United States Congress,
Tomorrow leaders from 192 countries will gather at The UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen to determine the fate of our planet.
As business leaders we are optimistic that President Obama is attending
Copenhagen with emissions targets. Additionally, we urge you, our government, to strengthen and pass United States legislation, and lead the world by example. We support your effort to ensure meaningful and effective measures to control climate change, an immediate challenge facing the United States and the world today. Please don’t postpone the earth. If we fail to act now, it is scientifically irrefutable that there will be catastrophic and irreversible consequences for humanity and our planet.

We recognize the key role that American innovation and leadership play in stimulating the worldwide economy. Investing in a Clean Energy Economy will drive state-of-the-art technologies that will spur economic growth, create new energy jobs, and increase our energy security all while reducing the harmful emissions that are putting our planet at risk. We have the ability and the know-how to lead the world in clean energy technology to thrive in a global market and economy. But we must embrace the challenge today to ensure that future generations are left with a safe planet and a strong economy.
Please allow us, the United States of America, to serve in modeling the change necessary to protect humanity and our planet.
In partnership,
Chris Anderson, Curator, TED Richard Baker, Chairman, Lord & Taylor Dan, David & Laureen Barber, Blue Hill Chris Blackwell, Founder, Island Records, Island Outpost Graydon Carter, Editor, Vanity Fair Deepak Chopra, Adjunct Professor, Kellogg School of Business and Management Yvon Chouinard, Founder, Patagonia Ben Cohen, Jerry Greenfield, Co-founders, Ben & Jerry’s Gregory Colbert, Creator, Ashes & Snow Kenneth Cole, Chairman, Kenneth Cole Paulette Cole, CEO & Creative Director, ABC Home, ABC Carpet & Home Torn Colicchio, Chet & Owner, Craft Restaurants
Kit Crawford, Gary Erickson, Co-Owners & Co-CEOs, Clif Bar & Company Steve Ells, Founder, Chairman & Co-CEO, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Eileen Fisher, CEO, Eileen Fisher Walt Freese, CEO, Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Mitchell Gold, Chairman, Bob Williams, President, Co-Founders, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Matt Goldman, Co-Founder & CEO, Blue Man Group Seth Goldman, CEO, Honest Tea Robert Grebler, Founder, Pokonobe Associates, Jenga Licensor Adrian Grenier, Reckless Productions Alan Hassenfeld, former Chairman, Hasbro Inc. Don Hazen, Executive Editor, AlterNet Gary Hirshberg, CEO, Stonyfield Yogurt Jeffrey Hollender, CEO, Seventh Generation Kate Hudson, David Babaii, Co-Founders, David Babaii for WildAid Mike Kaplan, CEO, Aspen Skiing Company Michael Kieschnick, President, Credo Mobile Sheryl Leach. Creator & Founder of Barney Sven-Olof Lindblad, Founder, Lindblad Expeditions Danny Meyer, CEO, Union Square Hospitality Group Laura Michalchyshyn, President & GM, Planet Green, Discovery Communications Will Raap, Chairman & Founder, Gardener’s Supply Company Horst Rechelbacher, Founder, Aveda, Founder & CEO, Intelligent Nutrients David Rockwell, Founder & Owner, Rockwell Group Maury Rubin, Founder, Chef & CEO, City Bakery, Birdbath Green Bakery, Michael Rupp, CEO & President, The Rockport Company Gordon Segal, Chairman, Crate & Barrel Jeff Skull, Founder, Participant Media and Skoll Foundation Harvey Spevak, CEO, Equinox Greg Steltenpohl, Founder, Odwalla Michelle Stein, President, Aeffe USA Martha Stewart, Founder. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. Jeffrey Swartz, CEO, Timberland Torn Szaky, CEO, TerraCycle Donald J. Trump, Chairman and President, Donald J. Trump Jr., EVP, Eric F. Trump, EVP, Ivanka M. Trump, EVP, The Trump Organization Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Executive Chef & Owner, Jean-Georges Management LLC
if you want to go quickly, go alone. if you want to go far, go together. african proverb
Business leaders, sign onto this initiative: businessleaders4environmentalchange.us