1Sky Leadership Summit. Take your skills to the next level!

You’ve already made calls, sent emails, and met with your representatives in Congress to pass a strong clean energy bill this year.

And all your hard work is paying off: President Obama’s EPA is poised to regulate carbon emissions, and Congress is debating a climate bill.

Now it’s time to take your climate leadership to the next level — and we want to provide you with the skills to set you up for success.

Join us for a weekend of advanced skill-building and networking at the 1Sky Leadership Summit on Saturday, June 27th and Sunday, June 28th in Washington, D.C.

1sky crowd
The Summit will give you a chance to meet other climate leaders, receive a full policy briefing, and learn valuable skills like how to communicate with elected leaders and work with the media. More importantly, we’ll have face time with each other to strategize moving forward in a number of districts and states.

Please take a minute to sign up for this leadership opportunity today.

You can expect to come away from this weekend with new friends in the movement and a sense of empowerment and momentum to move your leaders and motivate your peers. We can’t wait to get rolling!

Members of the CCAN staff will be in attendance and we look forward to seeing you there!

Coal Plant Opponents Embrace Wise County Wind Plans

The Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition, the leading opponents of Dominion’s plans for a coal-fired power plant in Wise County, joined The Clinch Coalition today to announce their support for Dominion’s preliminary plans to build a wind farm in Wise County. Dominion has partnered with BP Energy to explore the potential of wind energy facilities in southwest Virginia. Continue reading

Farewell to CCAN

After nearly two years of fighting global warming with the rest of my wonderful colleagues (and all of you awesome volunteers and activists!), it’s time for me to say farewell.

As I look back on my time here, there are a couple of things that really stick out to me – a series of town hall meetings for global warming (my first project ever!), rallying in the snow on Governor O’Malley’s birthday, celebrating green jobs in Baltimore, passing the strongest state-wide cap in the country, and moving on to Congress to push for real climate solutions on the federal level.

But what really sticks out to me are all the wonderful people that I’ve worked with – all of you, who are making a difference every day in this fight against global warming. Luckily for this polar bear, he doesn’t need Al Gore – he has all of you!

If you want to say good-bye to me in person, please join CCAN, LCV, Sierra Club and Environment MD for a volunteer thank you party this Saturday. We’ll be celebrating our victories on the state level, in appreciation of all your hard work.

When: Saturday May 30th, 5 pm to 8 pm

Where: Pavilion 2, Alpha Ridge Community Park, 11600 Old Frederick Rd Marriottsville, MD 21104
(We tried to pick a central location. This is close to where I-70 meets 32 outside of Baltimore)

Please RSVP so that we know how much food to get – we’ll provide burgers (veggie and non) and drinks. If you like, bring a side or a dessert to share!

Best of luck to all of you!

Holly Gorman
MD/DC Campaign Coordinator

Small-Business Leaders, Local Residents Lead Green Jobs Tour

Local small-business owners and residents of Prince George’s County hosted a tour of area clean energy businesses today to drive home the point that investment in a clean energy economy will have quick economic benefits and create jobs here at home. Speakers pointed to the massive potential for expansion of these businesses and further job creation, and encouraged Congresswoman Edwards and House Majority Leader Hoyer to continue efforts to pass a strong clean energy jobs bill. In the past month, over 15,000 small business leaders have signed a pledge to support a clean energy economy. Continue reading

And the fight goes on…

For those of you who were wondering what’s happening with that whole nuclear expansion thing in MD, never fear! We’re still fighting the new reactor at Calvert Cliffs, and we need your help to launch a new phase of the campaign.

First, a quick reminder about why CCAN, a climate group, cares about nuclear power. Isn’t it carbon neutral? Well, it may produce less CO2 than dirty coal-fired power plants, but that doesn’t make it any less dangerous. And the most nefarious costs are the ones that are hidden: particularly the fact that investment in nuclear pushes out renewable energy. Dr. Peter Bradford, a former commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and utility expert, said it best:

The “all of the above” approach to our national energy portfolio does not necessarily play out well at the local level. Sometimes solutions [to energy demand] drive out other solutions. If a region commits to a 1,600 Mw reactor, than there is little motivation to do efficiency or renewables.

There’s the reason. If we get new nukes, then we won’t get more wind. On the local level, here in MD, it’s an either/or decision. I’d rather have wind, thanks. (see? wind turbines are so cute!)

So what can you do? Sign this petition, asking the Public Service Commission to continue to stay engaged in the regulatory process, so that citizens have the opportunity to share their concerns.

**Bonus News!** This just in: in yet another example of how ridiculous this whole process is, bullets from a nearby firing range hit buildings at the Calvert Cliffs plant.

Will the EPA regulate greenhouse gases? It's up to YOU!

Here’s some background. Two years ago, on April 2, 2007, in Massachusetts v. EPA, 549 U.S. 497 (2007), the Supreme Court found that greenhouse gases are air pollutants covered by the Clean Air Act. Then, last month, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) announced its finding that global warming pollution endangers our public health and welfare.

This is excellent (if somewhat old) news. However – and here’s the big surprise – industry and the usual host of global warming deniers are already lining up to block the EPA actually taking any action. Big polluting companies have spent tens of millions of dollars on lobbying efforts in Washington D.C., and they will fight hard to weaken any rules that result from the endangerment finding. We know they will fight hard to preserve the failed status quo and block any progress on fighting global warming and clean energy production.

So here’s the deal. As part of the EPA’s endangerment findings, they are holding a public comment period. This is our opportunity to stand up and make our voices heard loud a clear. We need a clean energy economy to tackle global warming and create good, green jobs, and we need it now.

The really cool part is that one of the two public hearings are happening in Arlington, VA! This is your opportunity to show your support for the EPA moving forward in regulating global warming pollution.

Details:
When: Monday, May 18th. 9 AM – 8 PM
Where:Environmental Protection Agency
Conference Center Continue reading

Clean Energy and the Majority Leader

6:30 PM on a rainy Monday night, and I’m at the University of MD, College Park, waiting with anticipation for the town hall meeting with House of Representatives Majority Leader, the Honorable Steny Hoyer, to begin. The room is packed with students and community members alike, from across the 5th district, some having driven up to College Park from as far as St. Mary’s County to hear what their Congressman has to say, and show their overwhelming support for strong global warming legislation being passed by Congress in 2009.

Overall, the event was a great success.

My personal favorite moment was when a student stood up, and asked the Congressman if he would support a moratorium on all new coal-fired power plants. The entire room burst into applause. Of course, Mr. Hoyer does not support a coal moratorium (maybe because he is the 3rd highest political recipient of utility money? this could be unrelated), but it was great to see 250 of his constituents showing their support for getting off dirty coal.

What was your highlight from the evening? Comment below! (if you couldn’t make it, you can watch it on our blog here – then comment away!)

**Thank you to Matt Stern for his beautiful photos of the evening!**

Md. Gov Signs Strongest State Carbon Cap in Country into Law

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network today applauded Governor O’Malley for signing into law legislation to combat global warming and create green jobs in Maryland. The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act, SB 278/HB 315, mandates the strongest economy-wide reduction in global warming pollution of any climate bill in the country. Continue reading