Efficiency bills, explained

There are a lot of efficiency bills being considered by the VA GA this session. Here’s a breakdown of what’s good and what’s not:

Good:

Strong efficiency legislation must: 1) Be mandatory; 2) Reduce the total amount of energy consumed; and 3) Must reward utilities for investments in efficiency by offering them the same rate of return on their investment – no matter if they’re investing in efficiency or new generation.

The following bills include all or part of a strong energy efficiency legislation 

Bad

The following so-called “efficiency” legislation would actually roll back efficiency measures and make it easier to pollute our air:

Fact Sheets and Resources

It's about time! Obama Clears the Way for Clean Cars Implementation

For years, the Bush Administration blocked states from implementing Clean Cars legislation that would regulate carbon dioxide emissions from cars and help to reduce global warming pollution. Just days after taking office, Pres. Obama announced today that he is clearing the way for states to implement stricter emissions rules. Both Maryland and Washington, DC have passed legislation demanding that cars meet California’s emissions rules and, coming from an organization that spent years raising awareness about the importance of Clean Cars legislation, all we can say is: it’s about time! Finally, Maryland and DC are able to implement a law that enjoyed overwhelming support when it was passed years ago.

DC and Maryland are both leading the nation in tackling global warming. The states have strong green building standards, efficiency measures and now strong automobile standards. While the states have been stepping up to the plate and making strong strides in reducing global warming emissions, the federal government has been lagging behind and even blocking our efforts. We are enormously gratified that one of President Obama’s first acts as President was to come out and support the states who are leading the way to fight global warming, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and protect our health.

Check out this video where Obama explains why this waiver is so important:

Read the transcript of the full speech here>> Continue reading

MD Gov. O'Malley is a Clean Energy Hero!

O'Malley clean energy heroGov. Martin O’Malley announced his support today for a global warming bill CCAN and the Alliance for Global Warming Solutions have been pushing for the last two years. Sponsored by Sen. Paul Pinsky, Del. Kumar Barve, and O’Malley as lead, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act will protect Maryland’s environment and economy while also spurring action at the federal level to address global warming nationwide.

Join us in thanking him for his leadership>>

This makes Maryland the sixth state in the nation in calling for statewide reductions in global warming pollution. The bill requires reductions in statewide greenhouse gas emissions of 25% from 2006 levels by 2020, and directs the Maryland Department of the Environment to craft a plan and a timeline to achieve those goals.

“This law will put Maryland at the forefront of controlling greenhouse gas emissions and should push the federal government to follow our lead and get serious about this issue,” said Del. Barve. The bill follows the recommendations of the Maryland Commission on Climate Change, established by Governor O’Malley in 2007, and closely resembles the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2008. The commission offered 42 specific policy proposals to achieve the 2020 reductions, and the authors emphasized the importance of those early and aggressive actions if we hope to mitigate future global warming. Continue reading

While talking about change…

Virginia has the chance to improve its stance on energy efficiency by passing the first energy efficiency legislation in its history. Aside from the fact that energy efficient legislation has a beneficial impact on the environment, this bill would lower energy costs for Virginians and create numerous jobs along the way. If we

Best new place to meet Virginia enviros : ArticleXI.com Goes Live

articlexi
Today, CCAN helped to launch a new website that will help bring the Virginia environmental community together: Article XI. From the web site:

We are a group of environmental advocates united in providing a one-stop source for Virginia’s environmental news. We each focus on different issues, but share the vision of a Commonwealth that preserves and protects its natural resources. Please join us!

What is “Article XI,” you ask? It’s the part of Virginia’s Constitution dealing with conservation and protection of Virginia’s environment and natural resources. From Section 1 of Article XI:

To the end that the people have clean air, pure water, and the use and enjoyment for recreation of adequate public lands, waters, and other natural resources, it shall be the policy of the Commonwealth to conserve, develop, and utilize its natural resources, its public lands, and its historical sites and buildings. Further, it shall be the Commonwealth’s policy to protect its atmosphere, lands, and waters from pollution, impairment, or destruction, for the benefit, enjoyment, and general welfare of the people of the Commonwealth.

Yes Virginia, that means at some point politics got out of the way and environmental values were added to the constitution. This site is going to be a megaphone for the protection of the environment so that we can hold our politician’s feet to the fire when they allow the continued destruction of our air, land and water.

Check out these latest headlines:

Hope is not a strategy

inauguration
Photo by Matt Stern
The throngs of people who came to celebrate the Inauguration have left all of us at CCAN immensely inspired and hopeful that we share a vision of a new country and a new plan to move forward. They may have snarled our transportation lines, they may have crashed our phone systems and trampled our lawns, but they were all here to invoke a new era for our country, to work for a new, more equitable, more sustainable future.

It was hard not to feel like you were a part of history standing on the mall and listening to President Obama’s first speech as president. But, as Jake Brewer reminds us, “Hope is not a strategy.”

The question clearly and powerfully before us is not what we hope for, but rather, what are we going to do to make our hopes actually happen. We need to act. Now. And just as we came together in record numbers to vote new elected officials into office, the young people of this country WILL act.

http://www.PowerShift09.org

Our response is bold. It is equal to this historic moment. It is audaciously hopeful, and infused with the energy and vitality of an entire generation of Americans ready to turn good intentions and rhetoric into reality.

Read more of Jake’s post>>

As we’ve already talked about, Power Shift this year is going to be huge–10,000 students will descend on Washington to coordinate and tell legislators to take action on the climate.

Today, 1,400 students registered–in ONE DAY! But that means we still have a lot of work to do. So, if you are a student or know any students get registered at http://www.PowerShift09.org!

2009 Polar Bear Plunge Video

Check out the 2009 super-inspiring and fun Polar Bear Plunge video! Emma’s Revolution wrote a fabulous new song for the occasion and our own Jay Tomlinson created the video. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then how much would this awesome video be worth? Really, you OWE it to yourself to watch this!

Principles for a Green & Equitable Stimulus and Recovery

CCAN is proud to join other organizations in sending the memo below to key personnel in the Obama Administration transition team.

MEMORANDUM

To: Melody Barnes, Carol Browner, Michael Strautmanis, Dan Reicher, Greg Nelson, Joe Aldy, Brian Deese, Heather Zichal, Jason Grumet

From: The Undersigned Organizations

Subject: Principles for a Green & Equitable Stimulus and Recovery

Date: December 11, 2008

As you draft and debate proposals to stimulate the American economy, we strongly urge you to make the recovery package as green and as equitable as possible. We propose these principles as benchmarks against which all stimulus proposals Continue reading