U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere

The United Nations is expected to release its latest IPCC report tomorrow (Wed. 9/25/19) about how global warming is harming our oceans and cryosphere. While this poses a serious threat, The Public Interest Network (which includes Environment America and U.S. PIRG), is hopeful that actions to transition power grids to 100% renewable energy, start driving electric cars and buses, build climate-friendly infrastructure, eliminate plastic and electronic waste and protect rainforests can help restore a more moderate climate.

We have a wealth of experts who can contextualize this topic for your audience through an array of lenses. Listed below are our most relevant voices on the threats to marine life, the threats to coastal areas, and the opportunities to restore our climate through the adoption of renewable energy and the elimination of greenhouse gases from our transportation sector.

Please let us know how we can help you tell this important story. And note: We will have a statement ready for release once we see the report.

The following experts are available to interview either over the phone or on camera:

Environment America

Ocean Conservation

Kelsey Lamp, klamp@environmentamerica.org, is the oceans advocate for Environment America's conservation team. She works on conserving our ocean ecosystems and wildlife, blocking the proposed expansion of offshore drilling and preserving protections for marine national monuments. She has spoken out about the danger oil & gas exploration in our oceans poses to right whales, and was quoted earlier this year in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Conservation

Steve Blackledge, sblackledge@environmentamerica.org, is the senior director for Environment America's conservation campaigns. He works on protecting public lands and waters and the species that depend on them. This includes protecting tropical rainforests, often described as the "lungs of the planet." He has spoken on national media on climate change, most recently discussing the newest IPCC report on CBS.

Renewable energy

Rob Sargent, rsargent@environmentamerica.org, directs policy and strategy development for Environment America's efforts to move states, cities and our country toward 100 percent clean, renewable energy. Rob has served as a policy adviser and strategist for a number of successful campaigns to promote state renewable energy standards, convince states to adopt clean car standards, enact energy efficiency policies, and shape state and regional commitments to reduce global warming emissions. From The Atlantic to USA Today, Rob has extensive experience discussing these issues in the press.

Clean cars

Morgan Folger, mfolger@environmentamerica.org, directs Environment America's campaign to ensure all new cars and trucks are electric by 2035. Morgan helped run the campaign that kept Maryland from leaving the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Just this week, CNN Digital ran an op ed she wrote on the federal government trying to eliminate California emissions standards. She's been cited in other publications, such as the Washington Post and InsiderNJ.

US PIRG

Electric buses and highway boondoggles

Matt Casale, mcasale@pirg.org, works on U.S. PIRG's transportation program and is a policy expert on electric buses and highway transportation policy. He's co-authored numerous reports, including how to use VW settlement money on electrifying bus fleets and highway boondoggles. He has been interviewed widely both at the state and national level, including Wired, Miami Herald, Grist and Streetsblog.