Dear CCANers,
In the face of a broken Congress, can individual U.S. states do enough on climate change to save America (and the world) from the worst of global warming? I used to think “no,” but now I’m more optimistic. After all, if California were a nation, it would have the seventh-largest economy in the world. So it’s a breakthrough of global ramifications that California is now committed to a dramatic 50 percent clean electricity standard by the year 2030. That’s huge.
State-based climate policies like this are precisely why wind and solar power prices are plummeting across America, priming the pump for revolution. We’ve done our part in the Chesapeake region recently. We worked to pass a solar incentive bill in Virginia in February, a pro-wind power bill in the District of Columbia in January, and we continue to lead ongoing efforts to expand a statewide greenhouse gas reduction plan in Maryland.
Still, ultimately, our lawmakers in Washington will have to participate if we’re going to permanently transition off of fossil fuels. Which is why CCAN was thrilled to work with Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen in February as he reintroduced the carbon-cutting, economy-boosting Healthy Climate and Family Security Act of 2015.
This bill would cap carbon emissions nationwide, forcing polluters to pay for their emissions and rebating 100% of the collected funds with a quarterly “dividend” check to every American resident. It’s the best climate solution bill ever introduced in Congress – and, eventually, it will pass. I’m sure of it. Click here to urge your members of Congress to co-sponsor it!
But in the meantime, it’s been gratifying to see other states draw inspiration from the Van Hollen “cap-and-dividend” bill to launch their own state-based campaigns to put a price on carbon. Rhode Island, Vermont, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington state now all have bills introduced in their general assemblies that would put a fee on carbon emissions and rebate some or all of the money to citizens.
Oregon really stands out. A new group there called Oregon Climate is running a full-throated campaign to pass a bill very similar to Van Hollen’s. If you want to be inspired by West Coast activists who are kindred spirits of CCAN activists like you, watch this quick video. Hats off to Oregon Climate and all the great heroes in dozens of states nationwide who have turned the clean energy mission into a local fight of global consequences.
Finally, speaking of fight, I want to give a shout out to the students at Mary Washington University in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Dozens of them, with support from students across the state, made national news by occupying the UMW president’s office for 21 days this spring. It was part of a national campaign to get colleges and universities to divest from fossil fuels. In the end, three folks were peacefully arrested at UMW as the sit in came to a close. But not before first inspiring students and non-students across the region, and forcing the UMW board of visitors to take up the issue. A wave of similar protests continues to grow at Harvard, Tulane, Tufts, Swarthmore, the University of Colorado, Yale and elsewhere.
Power to the people!
Mike Tidwell
