This blog is a meant to foster a discussion and we’re dying to know:
Why do you fight global warming?
It's all in the name
Glacier National Park (for 17 more years)
This summer I was lucky enough to venture out into the Rocky Mountain region to visit my younger sister while she’s working in St. Mary’s, Montana just outside Glacier National Park. I was told to take it all in because in less than 17 years, there will be something big missing from the park–Glaciers. Yep, Glacier National Park will soon have to change it’s name to GlaciatED National Park.
Training for a Movement
Students from the Region Gathered at Prince William Forest Park Last Week for an Intensive Grassroots Training Summer Program
There’s no better place to be inspired to organize a mass movement around climate change than in nature itself. That is exactly where the Sierra Student Coalition (SSC), a student-run arm of the Sierra Club decided to host its annual SPROG (or summer program) for the Mid-Atlantic region. Roughly 30 students from Mid-Atlantic high schools and colleges as well as several SSC trainers gathered at Camp Orenda in Prince William Forest Park last week to learn the basics of grassroots organizing and more.
As a participant, I found myself surrounded by 30 top-notch individuals all eager to learn how to have a greater impact on the issues they cared most about. There were student experts on everything from Sustainable Agriculture to Mountaintop Removal to Sustainable Endowments; which provided an opportunity for lots of learning and a free flow of ideas. Continue reading
Letter to the Editor
Hey CCAN members! Here’s a good way to get yourself heard. Maryanne Nobile from Gwynn Oaks, MD sent in her letter to the editor to us and we’re posting it here for you to read. Enjoy!
“I’d like to encourage readers to contact Mr. Lowell about this environmental outrage and demand that the coal industry commence with restoration funding for the mountains they’ve decimated. His email address is: lowell.miller@hq.doe.gov.”
To the Editor:
I was rather surprised to read the Baltimore Sun’s recent article on liquid coal technology. While Mr. Lowell touts the benefits, he paints an incomplete picture by not mentioning how coal is being extracted.
The method called strip mining, involves clearing entire lush mountain tops of trees and subsequently turning them into barren waste land. Ask any Virginian if they promote raping the land of its beauty in this fashion.
This is yet another example of irresponsible business profiteering by destruction of natural resources. Any legislation supporting liquid coal technology would be ludicrous and irresponsible at a time when mature, conscientious citizens are attempting to resolve ongoing environmental concerns.
New Yorker compares fuel standards to helmets
Americans can’t give up the muscle and “safety” of their SUVs because we think they give us a competitive advantage over more fuel efficient cars, James Surowiecki argues in the New Yorker. It’s similar to NHL players in the 70s who chose the risk of head trauma because “not wearing a helmet conferred a slight advantage on the ice; crucially, it gave the player better peripheral vision, and it also made him look fearless.”
A Low Impact Evening
Do you have a case of the Mondays? What about a night of fun with friends and family that involves very little CO2 emissions to cheer you up? If you are in the D.C. area and are looking for a little action on Monday nights, check out Screen on the Green on the National Mall. The movies are sponsored by HBO, free of charge, and full of easy, outdoor entertainment. Shows start around 8:30-9pm and seating is available between 4th and 7th Streets. Don’t forget to take public transportation or walk or ride a bike to get to the the mall to have a low impact, highly entertaining night. Just grab some snacks and a blanket and sit back and enjoy the show.
Here’s the summer schedule:
July 16 – Annie Hall (1977)
July 23 – The Thing (From Another World) (1951)
Jul 30 – Wait Until Dark (1967)
August 6 – All the Kings Men (1949)
August 13 – Casablanca (1942)
For more information, call (877) 262-5866.
Poison Ivy Thrives with Climate Change
A recent study indicates that as carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere increase, poison ivy will grow larger and produce more rash causing oils. Even small increases in the concentration of CO2 were found to increase the size of the plant and allow it to recover faster after having its leaves removed. The study comes along with increasing evidence that vines and plants similar to poison ivy, which can cause significant harm to forests, have become more widespread in recent years. Read more about the study here
Powered by ScribeFire.
Obama Clears the Air on Coal-to-Liquids
Last Saturday, Senator and Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama took the stage at Live Earth in one more attempt to realign himself with climate activists after his (failed) dirty work in the Senate to provide funding for coal-to-liquid technologies created quite a stir in the climate community.
An article in The Hill shows that after USCEC’s petition exposed Obama’s Coal-to-Liquid amendment, the Senator quickly readjusted his stance:
In a statement released before the Senate energy debate, Obama announced that he would only support the development of coal-to-liquid fuels if they emitted less global warming-linked carbon than conventional fuels.
Obama also voted against an amendment sponsored by Bunning that would have mandated the use of coal-to-liquid fuels.
Just a reminder of the great power in political action!!
Sen. Warner Fights Global Warming, Chairman Connolly Digs CCAN
So the surprising news from yesterday was that Virginia Senator Warner (R) has finally come around and become a vocal supporter of global warming solutions. The Senator, who stayed relatively mum on global warming for years, has now been quoted as saying: “In my 28 years in the Senate, I have focused above all on issues of national security, and I see the problem of climate change as fitting within that focus.”
CCAN has targeted Sen. Warner numerous times in an attempt to convince him that global warming deserves his attention. As recently as two weeks ago, CCAN hand delivered over 50 hand written letters to the Senator asking him to support a national renewable energy standard. These letters were written at the June 13th CCAN organized “Cooling the Commonwealth” Town Hall Forum that featured speakers Al Weed, Mike Tidwell, Dr. Shukla, and Fairfax Co. Board Chairman Connolly. Chairman Connolly cited CCAN and the great success of the event in his blog… So did Chap Peterson, the Democratic Challenger to the 34 District State Senate seat… NoVa, we are rocking this world… or at least Fairfax…
Greening New Orleans
If you’ve never had the opportunity to travel to the Big Easy, now is THE time to go. I know it may be hot and humid, but this summer in New Orleans is truly inspiring to the climate movement. After so much struggle and heart-ache, the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans is making a positive comeback. This week’s cover story in the Gambit describes how the decision to rebuild “green” has finally brought the community back together. The climate moment and the new consciousness to use green methods to rebuild the neighborhood in a way that works with the land and not against it gives the residents a new found hope and comradery. New Orleans finally has the right energy to power the rebuilding movement.