Nonviolence Trainings for March 2

The momentum continues to build for the March 2 action at the coal-fired Capitol Power Plant. 75 organizations have now endorsed, and it is clear that thousands of people will be taking part in this action from around the country, including 150-200 or more people connected to CCAN!

Do you want to find out more about the plans and legal issues for this action? Do you want to learn, or be reminded, about the basic nonviolence principles and tactics that are guiding this mobilization? Do you want to be as prepared as possible for this historic day? We hope the answer is yes, and we hope that, accordingly, you will plan to be part of one of the pre-event nonviolence trainings. You have several options.

The first option is to join Kolya Braun-Greiner, Deepa Isac from Greenpeace and myself this Saturday, February 21, at an in-person training from 10 am to 1 pm in Takoma Park. If you can do this please be in touch. Please email me to RSVP.
Continue reading

Second Part of Diversity Column

This has been cross posted from: http://madrad2002.wordpress.com/2009/02/17/second-part-of-diversity-column/

So last week, I wrote the first part in a 2 part series on the need for more diversity and inclusion in the environmental movement. My second part is this week. In case you haven’t read the first part or would like to re-read it, go here: http://madrad2002.wordpress.com/2009/02/10/column-on-lack-of-minorities-in-environmental-groups/

For this weeks column, link is here: http://media.www.diamondbackonline.com/media/storage/paper873/news/2009/02/17/Opinion/Green.Diversity.Cross.Cultures.Save.The.World-3632931.shtml?reffeature=recentlycommentedstoriestab

Green diversity : Cross cultures, save the world

Issue date: 2/17/09 Section: Opinion

I met with a black state delegate about a bill a few weeks ago and made sure to ask him what the environmental community was doing wrong in reaching out to minorities. In his response to me, he made a good point. It’s difficult to tell someone they need to put a solar panel on their roof or to get the roof insulated when they’re working hard just to keep that roof over their head. He also stated the situation was unfortunate, because minority groups are most affected by global warming, rising energy costs and pollution. They also stand the most to gain from a clean energy economy if they’re involved in creating it. How do we stress that linkage? He didn’t have an answer. I have ideas.
Continue reading

Students Lobby Annapolis

So this post is a little overdue, I organized a couple of lobby meetings with Delegate Michael Vaughn, and after many attempts to reach him, State Senator Nathaniel Exum. The meeting with Delegate Vaughn went well, we talked with him about the Greenhouse Gas Reductions Act which he hadn’t seen yet, gave him a copy, and told him what was different about the bill this year, and how we thought he could help sheppard it through the Economic Matters Committee. In the end, he ended up becoming a co-sponsor.

The meeting with State Senator Exum was not successful, although we did talk with him for about 45 minutes about the bill, and the issues surrounding it. Exum’s main issue was that Maryland Dept. of Env. had taken longer than it should have to get him a permit for his business, and he felt that they were too incompetent to administer a greenhouse gas reductions plan. The one thing we did learn that was useful was that he planned to introduce an amendment similar to the one he introduced last year, where MDE has to report its plan and proposed programs back to the legislature every year. He said he might “compromise” on 2 years. Obviously this wasn’t acceptable to us, and we do not see eye to eye with Exum. Despite our differences, he was very respectful, and we’re thankful he was kind enough to sit down with us for so long considering we weren’t his constituents and his relationship with the environmental community hasn’t been all flowers and sunshine.

Pictures below

Environmentalists Within 3 feet of Exum! and hes smiling!
Environmentalists Within 3 feet of Exum! and hes smiling!

Its got to start somewhere

Today, President Obama announced his commitment to make America the leader in the fight against global warming. His speech this morning highlighted his efforts to push for higher fuel-efficiency standards and a reduction in tail-pipe emissions. Two executive orders he passed down today ordered the Transportation Department to set a guideline for the auto industry to follow in meeting the fuel-efficiency standards of 35 miles-per-gallon by 2020 and for the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider California’s proposal to further regulate auto emissions beyond that which is required by the federal government. The reconsideration of this proposal by the EPA is a reversal of the Bush administration’s decision which denied California that same right. On this topic, President Obama stated “the federal government must work with, not against, states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” He also mentioned the importance of creating a “Global Coalition” to take action and declared that it is America’s time to lead this effort, saying that this “moment of peril must be turned into one of progress.”

While talking about change…

Virginia has the chance to improve its stance on energy efficiency by passing the first energy efficiency legislation in its history. Aside from the fact that energy efficient legislation has a beneficial impact on the environment, this bill would lower energy costs for Virginians and create numerous jobs along the way. If we

Time to Power Past Coal!

power past coal
As a new President and a new Congress are about to take office, ending eight long and difficult years under Bush/Cheney, we are glad to be writing to you about important national initiatives being undertaken by the climate movement. We are stepping up our activism to reflect the deepening urgency of the climate crisis, and we hope you will be joining in!

The major focus of these early-2009 initiatives is on coal, for some very good reasons. Coal is dirty and dangerous. It’s responsible for ripping the tops off mountains and creating toxic coal ash. We’re demanding no new coal plants and a quick — and just — transition away from coal to genuinely clean and renewable energy sources.

We need to Power Past Coal, and, indeed, that’s the name of an important new project linking a diverse network of organizations across the nation (www.powerpastcoal.org). USCEC was at the founding meeting of this effort in Charleston, WV. right after the November elections. We are proud to be playing an active role in its “100 Days of Action to Expose the True Cost of Coal and Plug into New Power.” Continue reading