NRDC, Sierra Club trumpet EPA's latest climate-change report

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a new study on climate change on Monday, titled “Climate Change in the United States: Benefits of Global Action,” which finds that a concerted international effort stands to save thousands of lives and save the U.S. billions of dollars.

“We can, and must, slow, stop and reverse climate change -- and leave a cleaner, healthier planet for our children and future generations,” Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) President Rhea Suh said. “Otherwise, as EPA warns us, the devastating impacts of carbon pollution will be felt by every sector of our economy, by every region of our country and by every human being on Earth. Our choice is clear.”

The report serves as both a warning of the potential impact that climate change could have on the country and as a call to action for the U.S. to push for global preventive action.

“This study amplifies facts that have been clear for a while: cutting carbon pollution and growing clean energy will prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths, save hundreds of billions of dollars in damages from sea-level rise and extreme weather, and save consumers billions on their electric bills,”  Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune said.