Power Shift starts!

The first person I saw when I walked into the Convention Center today was Tom Owens, CCAN’s former Virginia Student Organizer. Last year he was running around UMD wearing a headband with antennas, trying to get students to sign a petition against the Wise County Coal plant. This year, with another new coal plant being planned in Surry, VA, it seems like history repeating itself. Except this time, we’re in the Convention Center, and we’re not a few thousand, we’re over 10,000. And, we’re not fighting a backward administration, we have Obama, who just a few days ago called for a cap on carbon emissions.

The huge formal rooms that house the Auto Show and corporate big wigs are now hosting the largest gathering of students in the history of the climate movement. All these students share a passion for the environment Continue reading

Less than 100 tickets left for Sunday's event!

berryWe’re nearly sold out for the Wendell Berry event on Sunday, so if you want tickets, buy them now.

Over 1400 people will be attending this event, which makes it the largest event of its kind that CCAN has ever organized. We’re thankful that we’ve been able to draw the lineup of musicians and authors that will be coming to the event, but what I’m looking forward to is the amount of CCAN volunteers, activists and allies that will be there to share in the energy and excitement of this weekend.

This is surely a historic weekend

BREAKING: Pelosi/Reid call to switch Capitol Power Plant off of coal!

From It’s Getting Hot in HereBreaking news – and the organizing hub for the Capitol Climate Action is lit up right now!Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid just made an announcement moments ago – calling to switch the Capitol Power Plant entirely off of coal! Just 4 days before thousands of people are mobilizing at the facility for the largest act of civil disobedience in US history for the climate – this statement shows the power of grassroots action!cca-table-bannerThe Capitol Power Plant has been controversial for years – as an antiquated, inefficient facility that is the largest source of the pollution in Washington DC. While efforts to clean up the plant and switch off its usage of coal have been attempted for years (including by Pelosi and the Greening the Capitol Initiative), powerful coal state interests (namely Senators Mitch McConnell and Robert Byrd) have blocked attempts to end it’s usage of coal. This plant symbolizes the stranglehold coal has over our climate, our environment, our communities, and our political process.In the past 2 weeks, the Capitol Climate Action Coalition (made up of over 100 organizations from across the country) sent letters to Congress, informing them of our intent for peaceful action March 2nd at the Capitol Power Plant that is  reflecting the urgency and seriousness of the climate crisis.  And as the media buzz and public interest grows for this historic mobilization – we are flexing out political muscles, showing that people are demanding real change in our climate and energy policies.As Pelosi and Reid accurately noted:

Taking this major step toward cleaning up the Capitol Power Plant’s emissions would be an important demonstration of Congress’ willingness to deal with the enormous challenges of global warming, energy independence and our inefficient use of finite fossil fuels. We strongly encourage you to move forward aggressively with us on a comprehensive set of policies for the entire Capitol complex and the entire Legislative Branch to quickly reduce emissions and petroleum consumption through energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean alternative fuels.

This statement today by Pelosi and Reid shows the power of grassroots movements to spur our leaders into action. As Congressional leaders are recognizing that better solutions exist for their own backyard – we must keep the pressure up to ensure that coal is phased out across the country, and replaced with clean, renewable, just solutions that solve the climate crisis, and support our communities.Thousands of you are already planning to join us March 2nd in DC – to make sure that our message is not simply about cleaning up one facility – but about climate justice for all.  We still have non-violence trainings  all weekend, and for people choosing to peacefully engage in civil disobedience or participate in the support rally -you can still  join us in keeping this momentum up! Continue reading

See You in Jail: It's Not Symbolism When You Live in D.C.

Why I’m joining 2,000 people for a global warming mass arrest on Monday

On Monday I’m going to get arrested just two blocks from the U.S. capitol building. I’ll peacefully block the entrance to an energy plant that burns raw coal to partially power Congress. My motivation is global warming. My colleagues in civil disobedience will include the poet Wendell Berry, Country western singer Kathy Mattea, and Yale University dean Gus Speth.

Up to two thousand other people from across the country will risk arrest, too. We’ll all be demanding strong federal action to phase out coal combustion and other fossil fuels nationwide that threaten our vulnerable climate.

This mass arrest might seem symbolic and radical to many Americans. Symbolic because it’s purposefully organized amid the iconic images of Washington, D.C. And radical because, well, isn’t getting locked up kind of out there? And isn’t global warming kind of vague and distant?
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Ask the Governor

Yesterday I called in to WTOP‘s monthly “Ask the Governor” show with Gov. Tim Kaine.

I’ve called many times before and don’t always get on but this time I was able to ask my question on the air.

Save the Ales!

Apparently, catastrophic sea level rise due to global warming is just not enough to destroy our quality of life. Now anthropogenic climate change is messing with my future ability to consume beer. This is just not right.

So some back story. Last weekend, some lovely friends of mine told me that climate change makes it harder to grow hops in traditional hops-growing areas (parts of the US and Europe) because earlier springs and hotter summers make it peak too early, and therefore reduce output.

Frank Kratovil luvs Green Jobs

Here at CCAN, the MD team and the VA team had a friendly bet going on about competing Town Hall Meetings that we worked on organizing (with some help from coalition partners) – which team could get the most people to turn out to the event? Well, the jury is still out on that one (our headcount is higher, but it was pretty close), but more importantly, this was a great opportunity to chat with MD’s newest Congressman, the Honorable Frank Kratovil.

Above is a picture of Mr. Kratovil, speaking to a packed house about green jobs and clean energy, and how awesome they are, and what is in the simulus package to help create them ($87 billion of investments in clean energy and 1.7 million new green jobs created, if you were wondering).

It was pretty inspiring, all this green talk, and not just from the Congressman. Our other panelists were Dr. Kevin Sellner of the Chesapeake Research Consortium, who had all kinds of fun facts and figures about the terrible things global warming will do to the Chesapeake Bay, and Benjamin Goldstein from the Center for American Progress, who talked about green jobs and clean energy potential right here in MD. Oh and me, I also spoke, so you KNOW that it was awesome.

Didn’t make it, but want to take action? Then send a thank you note to your legislators who supported the green stimulus bill (and if they didn’t support it, we’ll send them a spank you note instead). And spread the word – tell your friends, because it’s time to build a clean energy army!

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