Dear President Obama,

Congratulations on winning the 2012 presidential election. After a hard fought contest, and in the wake of the devastating destruction of Hurricane Sandy, you have the opportunity--and the obligation--to do everything in your power to help our nation prepare for disruptions caused by global warming and to permanently drive down carbon emissions.

Like you, I understand that upgrading our infrastructure and transitioning to clean, resilient technologies can create millions of much-needed jobs today, spur economic growth for decades to come, and ensure a healthy future for our children.

I am counting on you to lead our country forward using science and facts and to make climate change a priority for your administration by taking the following steps:

1. Order all relevant agencies to assess which areas of the country are most vulnerable to climate disruption--including extreme weather, flooding, drought, heat waves, and wildfires--and then, working with state and local authorities, address those vulnerabilities.

2. Follow up on your strong leadership that sharply increased the fuel efficiency of our cars and trucks by launching a comprehensive plan to cut projected U.S. oil use in half within 20 years.

3. Finish the job you started to reduce power plant pollution by requiring both new and existing power plants to cut their carbon emissions.

4. Start a national conversation on climate change with all Americans, beginning by convening leaders of the science, business, security, faith, and environmental communities at a White House Summit on Climate Resilience to discuss ways to keep our citizens healthy and safe.