Cap and Dividend Policy Update #10

From the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Mike Tidwell, director
Compiled and edited by Ted Glick, CCAN Policy Director
May 28, 2010

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network has launched a weekly policy update about efforts to advance “cap and dividend” legislation in the U.S. Congress. The fight for this climate policy is currently being led on Capitol Hill by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), S. 2877. Last December these Senators introduced the Carbon Limits and Energy for America’s Renewal Act, or CLEAR Act. Learn more at http://www.supportclearact.org.

Week of May 24-28: The BP oil blowout and all that is happening in the Gulf because it is having some impact on the prospects for the Senate and President Obama to get serious about trying to pass climate legislation when the Senate returns from its week-long recess on June 7^th. An important vote, one which will give some sense of the relative strength of the different sides on climate legislation, will take place on June 10^th on Senator Lisa Murkowki’s (R-Alaska) resolution to strip the Environmental Protection Agency of its power to regulate all greenhouse gas emissions. Also happening during that week will be key climate-related meetings of the Democratic Party Senate Caucus and the Senate leadership. Support for the CLEAR Act out in the country, meanwhile, continues to grow.

In This Issue:

Meg Power: Why the CLEAR Act is Fair to Low- and Moderate-Income Households
A Comparison of Obama, Waxman-Markey, Kerry-Lieberman and the CLEAR Act
Why FCNL Endorsed the CLEAR Act
Fourth California Town Endorses CLEAR Act
New Mexico Councilman Publishes Op Ed in Silver City Sun-News

#1 Meg Power: Why the CLEAR Act is Fair to Low- and Moderate-Income Households

In a just-completed article, Meg Power, Senior Policy Advisor for the National Community Action Foundation, explains why consumer groups are supporting the CLEAR Act: “Four national organizations that represent the concerns of low- and moderate-income energy consumers developed principles in 2008 by which climate change legislation should be measured. Two of the four, Public Citizen and the National Community Action Foundation, have since endorsed the CLEAR Act. A look at the key principle and the criteria that measure its achievement in relation to the CLEAR Act make it evident that the CLEAR Act offers America’s most vulnerable households a fair deal.”

For the full article go to: http://www.chesapeakeclimate.org/blog/?p=3257

#2 A Comparison of Obama, Waxman-Markey, Kerry-Lieberman and the CLEAR Act

Devin Helfrich of the Friends Committee on National Legislation has put together a chart comparing the main elements of the primary proposals for federal climate legislation.

To access it go to: http://www.chesapeakeclimate.org/doc/Comparison%20-%20FCNL%20-%20Obama_ACES_KL_CLEAR_5-24-10_short.pdf

#3 Why FCNL Endorsed the CLEAR Act

The statement below is the full statement of FCNL as to why they endorsed the CLEAR Act:

http://www.fcnl.org/energy/pdfs/Cantwell-Collins_Introduce_Worthy_Climate_bill_FCNL.pdf

#4 Fourth California Town Endorses CLEAR Act

Joining three other California towns who have already done so, the town of Cotati, Ca. this week unanimously endorsed the CLEAR Act, Mike Sandler of the Climate Protection Campaign reports. Next week the town council of Windsor will make a decision. To see a picture of the Cotati council, as well as the other three councils, go to: http://www.carbonshare.org/localactions.html.

#5 New Mexico Councilman Publishes Op Ed in Silver City Sun-News

The Silver City Sun-News in New Mexico published an op-ed on May 24^th by Jamie Silver, town council member. Silver advocated for the CLEAR Act as the best option for federal legislation: “The cap and dividend would provide families with approximately $1,000 to insulate their homes, buy bicycles or energy efficient appliances, start a garden in the front yard, etc. Since a reduction in carbon footprint is explicitly tied to making money, the dividend approach is most likely to meet and exceed legislative goals for carbon reductions while increasing the multiplier effect of New Mexico household incomes. Simply put, cap legislation, particularly cap and dividend, is good for our economy, good for New Mexicans, and good for the planet.”

For the full article go to: http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_15151686

CCAN encourages readers of the Cap and Dividend Policy Update to distribute it to others who might be interested. We welcome input on the contents of this publication and ideas for what could be included. Send to Ted Glick at ted@chesapeakeclimate.org. To find out more about CCAN go to http://www.chesapeakeclimate.org.