Sep 17 – Nat'l Call-in Day on Nukes

National Call-In Day is Wednesday, September 17. The U.S. Senate is planning to consider energy legislation this week; among the bills it will take up is the Gang of 20 bill best known for its “compromise” on offshore oil drilling. Tucked away in the 233 pages of the bill are about 18 pages that would create the biggest giveaway to the nuclear power industry ever.

*Unlimited taxpayer loan guarantees for construction of new atomic reactors

*Construction of a new, dangerous, and unnecessary reprocessing plant

*Billions of dollars in “risk insurance” for new reactors Continue reading

Two sweet things in one sweet package

anne havemann at strike out exxonThis is your last chance to get a free ticket to see the Nats this season AND a great opportunity to express your concerns about Exxon Mobil’s insidious advertising.

Please contact Lisa (lisaATchesapeakeclimate.org) about which game you’d like to see:

  • Tuesday, Sept. 16th – game time 7:10, volunteer time 6pm
  • Wednesday, Sept. 17th – game time 7:10, volunteer time 6pm
  • Thursday, Sept. 18th – game time 7:10, volunteer time 6pm
  • Friday, Sept. 19th – game time 7:35, volunteer time 6:30pm
  • Saturday, Sept. 20th – game time 7:10, volunteer time 6pm
  • Sunday, Sept. 21st – game time 1:35, volunteer time 12:30pm
  • Tuesday, Sept. 23rd

Governor

Press Release: August 27, 2008

Contact

Chesapeake Climate Action Network: Steve Calos (804) 714-8300
Sierra Club, Virginia Chapter: Glen Besa (804) 225-9113
Appalachian Voices: Tom Cormons (434) 293-6373
Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards: Kathy Selvage (276) 219-2721
Greater Washington Interfaith Power & Light: Allison Fisher (202) 885-8684
Environment Virginia: J.R. Tolbert (434) 979-9825

Governor’s Climate Commission Calls Virginia “Particularly Vulnerable,” to Global Warming
Groups Unveil Recommendations to Climate Commission Focused on Pollution Reductions and Money-Saving Energy Efficiency Measures

RICHMOND, August 27-Governor Kaine’s Commission on Climate Change released its draft report this week saying Virginia is “at particular risk” from global warming. The Commission found that the Hampton Roads region is second only to the New Orleans region in its vulnerability to sea level rise.

Commission members must now determine how to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. Environmental groups unveiled their recommendations to the Commission at a press conference today highlighting the opportunities created by an increased investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy. Groups also stressed that the Commission’s current pollution reduction goal falls short of what scientists say is necessary.

 “Given the findings of the Governor’s own Climate Commission, global warming poses an enormous threat to Virginia,” said Mike Tidwell, Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “Scientists have been sounding the alarm for years and it’s heartening to see Virginia stepping up to the challenge. I urge the Commission and Governor to act boldly to reduce global warming pollution in the Commonwealth.”

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, made up of 2,000 climate scientists from around the world, say we can avoid the worst effects of global warming by reducing global warming pollution 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Governor Kaine’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent below projected 2025 levels by that year falls short of what scientists say is necessary.

“The Climate Commission is tasked with meeting a goal that falls way short of what is necessary to avoid the worst impacts from global warming,” said Glen Besa of the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club. “The Commission needs establish science-based targets for emission reductions and not accept targets that may be merely politically acceptable.”

Students joined Appalachian Voices, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Environment Virginia, Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, Sierra Club, and Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards to present their recommendations to the Commission at a public hearing. In addition to calling for an increased pollution reduction goal of 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, groups called for more investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy.

“Virginia has an enormous opportunity to secure a clean energy future that will invigorate the economy and curb emissions of harmful greenhouse gases,” said Tom Cormons, Virginia Campaign Coordinator for Appalachian Voices. “Moving decisively to invest in efficiency and renewable energy will ensure the continued prosperity of the Commonwealth.”

The groups recommended the Commission establish a Public Benefits Fund to provide financial incentives for conservation and energy efficiency. They also proposed requiring electricity providers to obtain a 20 percent of their power from renewable energy resources by 2020, which will spur investment in renewable energy and create new jobs in the Commonwealth.

They also called for a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants, including the one planned in Wise County.

“Building a new coal-burning plant that spews out 5.4 million tons of carbon dioxide each year puts Virginia on exactly the wrong path at a time when the state is focused on reducing its greenhouse gas emissions,” said CCAN’s Tidwell. “This one coal plant will spew out as much pollution as adding nearly one million new cars to the road, and completely negates much of the conservation work already in place in Virginia. It just doesn’t make sense.”

 

“As a young person growing up with the realities of climate change, I recognize that global warming is the single greatest threat to my generation, said Carly Vendegna, a student at University of Richmond. “Without bold and immediate action, our impact on the earth’s climate will change life as we know it. I came out today to urge the Commission to take that bold, immediate action.”

Recommendations on how to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the Commonwealth will be made in the Commission’s final report. In the meantime, the four workgroups that make up the Commission will focus on how Virginia can adapt to climate change and the actions needed to be taken to achieve the greenhouse gas reduction goal. The final report is due December 15, 2008.

###

Hands in the Middle for Maryland

by Ethan Nuss

Oh yea, Power Vote‘n in MD, baby! This past weekend members of the Maryland Student Climate Coalition (MSCC) gathered to launch Power Vote in style, and set a stellar state goal of 40,000 total pledges! (Two Maryland High School students gathered 400 pledges in the 5 days after returning from the Mega Camp training in MN. Booyah!) The MSCC is also planning multiple coordinated Green Jobs Day of Action events across the state and looking to garnish some high profile media like the Washington Post. But wait it doesn’t stop there…. the MD students heard that the Governor and several of their US congresspeople will be doing a campus speaking tour the first week of September. Expect to see Maryland students there in Power Vote T-shirts, green hard hats, and waving signs, because I smell some sweet bird-dogging.

But before we get ahead of ourselves with the excitement of the Sunday gathering (see silly video). Let’s rewind to Friday when they got their first campaign victory. Maryland students and community members went to an in district meeting with Rep. Elijah Cummings. What was the result of that meeting, you ask? They got Rep. Cummings to become the second member of congress to sign onto the 1Sky platform and commit to Green Jobs, Science based carbon reductions, and a moratorium on new coal plants. Yay! Look out Maryland elected officials because the MSCC is here to Kick this country into action!

CCAN's Hiring Interns! Clean Energy Internships

Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) is accepting applications for Clean Energy fall internships.

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots, nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to fighting global warming in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Our mission is to educate and mobilize citizens of this region in a way that fosters a rapid societal switch to clean energy and energy-efficient products, thus joining similar efforts worldwide to slow and perhaps halt the dangerous trend of global warming.

We are in need of 3-4 qualified and dedicated individuals to work with us in several different capacities. We are looking for interns to support our:

  • Communications/media support for our clean energy and global warming campaigns/trainings.
  • Campus Climate Challenge campaign and other campus activities
  • Federal and state policy campaigns in Virginia and Maryland, with focus on grassroots activism
  • Web Development/Online campaigns

In your cover letter, please indicate whether you would be most interested in working on the national, campus or state campaigns.

The position requires a commitment of at least 15 hours/week during Fall ’08 (September – December). Location of the internship is flexible. Dependent focus

Governor Kaine Announces Air Board Appointments

State Air Pollution Control Board


Randolph Gordon M.D. of Mechanicsville, specialist leader at Deloitte Consulting. Gordon holds a master’s degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, a medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia, and fulfills the statutory recommendation that the Air Pollution Control Board have public health representation. He served as the State Health Commissioner from 1995-1998 and is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University, an environmental center focused on education and policy development regarding rivers.

Bernadette W. Reese of Chesapeake, senior environmental engineer and facilities manager at BASF Corporation. As senior environmental engineer, Reese has developed compliance strategies to meet federal, state and local air, water, solid and hazardous waste regulations. Reese holds a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Virginia.

Sterling E. Rives III of the City of Richmond, county attorney for Hanover County. Rives has served as Hanover’s county attorney since 1987. He is a graduate of the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond. He served from 1999-2008 on the board of directors for Campaign Virginia, an environmental advocacy group focused on environmentally sound waste management policies.