The following is an open letter to President-Elect Barack Obama. We are writing on behalf of all UCSD and nationwide students, as well as all citizens and future generations of Americans concerning the fundamental need for environmental change. We understand the current environmental crisis that is producing a devastating plague of detrimental effects to the world. We urge you to go beyond where past presidential candidates have failed; especially since time is not on our side. The effects of global warming such as hurricanes, diseases and droughts cannot be erased once they have taken place and their effects will be felt worldwide. Warm climate and warm ocean waters is the recipe for hurricanes and droughts. Tropical storms, which have doubled over the past 30 years, in addition to hurricanes such as Katrina in 2005, are indicators of what lies in our future. In 2007, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), there is indication ” that in the North Atlantic fiercer hurricanes are correlated with increases of tropical sea surface temperature.” Global warming is presenting a danger to our health, weather, economy, and is producing fragile ecosystems. Climate is a key contributor to the spreading or lack thereof of diseases, and with the increasing temperature, serious health problems due to viruses such as hantavirus, yellow fever and dengue are rising. Unfortunately, this environmental crisis is largely due to our nation’s dependence on fossil fuel — we are releasing mass amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. As of 2007, the carbon dioxide concentration is at 383 parts per million, the highest level it’s ever been in over 650,000 years. Mr. President, it is time to start enforcing long-range solutions that will provide successful changes over time. The United States government has ignored the effects of global warming and has been far too passive toward? finding sources of new alternative energy and reducing our dependency on foreign oil. It is time for the government to take a leadership role, especially when currently the U.S. emits the most greenhouse gases into the atmosphere per capita than any other nation. We need to change our fossil-fuel economy and focus on national conservation of energy. One of the steps necessary for change to occur is for the U.S. to provide incentives for major businesses and corporations to reduce their carbon dioxide emission levels. The U.S. must play a more active role in the worldwide effort of fighting global warming. Fix what previous presidents ignored, such as joining the Kyoto Protocol. We acknowledge that during your first 100 days of office, there will be a great number of issues that you will be concerned with and attempting to successfully pursue, but we demand that you not forget the growing environmental crisis we are experiencing. The environment is closely interconnected with much of the issues we are all facing, and therefore should be taken under special consideration. We, and our successors, depend on it.