Category: Blog

April | Issue #64
Quick Links: DC & National | Maryland | Virginia | Students

FROM DIRECTOR MIKE TIDWELL

Friends,

First the good news: It’s official. As of today, hanging on the CCAN office wall, is a pen from Governor Martin O’Malley’s bill-signing ceremony for the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013! I was personally gratified to represent the entire Chesapeake Region – including DC – at the signing ceremony on April 9th.

Thanks to the Maryland bill, our region is now on track to incentivize hundreds of megawatts of wind power off the coast of Ocean City in the next few years. And this is just the start of what I believe will be a huge offshore wind industry from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras that will one day provide most of the East Coast’s electricity, while playing a key role in solving climate change.

But for right now, it’s DC’s turn to take a concrete step away from pollution and toward more wind power. How? Well, by banning a substance called “black liquor” that is actually preventing greater wind power development from happening in our region.

See the full note from Mike>>

Help clean up D.C.’s top renewable energy law
A dirty form of energy — the burning of a toxic paper making byproduct called “black liquor” — has snuck its way into the most important clean energy law in D.C., our Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). The RPS was intended to ensure that an increasing percentage of our energy comes from clean energy sources, like wind and solar power. Instead, a big loophole is allowing 79 percent of D.C’s renewable energy dollars to support old, polluting plants burning black liquor and inefficient wood waste. Starting this month, we’ll be asking the D.C. City Council to pass legislation to close the “black liquor loophole,” and make sure our renewable energy dollars incentivize true clean energy sources. Sign our petition urging the City Council to end the black liquor rip-off.

One million comments to stop Keystone XL
As the moment of truth on the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline approaches — and the recent Exxon tar sands spill in Arkansas reminds us of the risks — the movement to stop the pipeline keeps getting louder and bolder. On March 21st, CCAN leaders joined Interfaith Moral Action on Climate for another peaceful demonstration of civil disobedience at the White House. Tar Sands Blockade activists, including former CCAN-er Ethan Nuss, continue to challenge tar sands profiteers across the country. Wherever President Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, and influential senators like Mark Warner go — including storefronts in Harrisonburg, Virginia — #noKXL activists are there. On April 22nd, Earth Day, the clock runs out to submit public comments on the State Department’s latest flawed environmental review of Keystone XL. Click here to submit yours and help us reach the ambitious national goal of one million #noKXL comments.

Victory: We won on offshore wind!
On April 9th, CCAN staff were on hand as Gov. Martin O’Malley signed the offshore wind power bill into law, positioning Maryland to lead in harnessing our state’s most abundant clean energy resource. This incredible victory belongs to all of you who took action over the past three years — by packing multiple hearing rooms, flooding key legislators’ offices with emails and phone calls, writing dozens of letters to the editor, and even circling the State House. Governor O’Malley went to bat to make offshore wind power a reality, and he deserves our thanks, too. Click here to send a note thanking Gov. O’Malley for his leadership!

MD Activist Call: Get the inside scoop from Annapolis
Do you want the inside scoop on what happened in Annapolis on e
nergy and climate issues during the 2013 legislative session? Are you wondering what you can do next to build on the momentum of our offshore wind victory? Join CCAN’s Maryland organizers and Mike for a grassroots conference call on Tuesday, April 16th at 7:30 p.m. You’ll learn more about our triumphs and challenges on wind, fracking, black liquor and other keys issues this year, and get a chance to ask questions about what’s ahead for the next few months. Sign up here to get the call-in details and join us on April 16th at 7:30pm.

Getting ready for Power Shift 2013
Have you heard? Power Shift 2013 has been officially announced! From October 18-21st, 10,000 students from across the country will converge in Pittsburgh, PA for a weekend of action, trainings, and unity as we combine our power to take on the fossil fuel industry and fight the climate crisis. Hundreds of Maryland, DC and Virginia students attended Power Shift 2011 in Washington, DC. We need hundreds more to come together this fall in Pittsburgh. Join fellow students from around the country to bring new power to our campaigns to fight fracking, divest from fossil fuels, and demand 100% clean energy on campus.

Click here to pre-register with CCAN today. Then, join the Power Shift 2013 Facebook page, and stay tuned for more information on registration and coordinating travel from your campus.

Virginia’s campus climate leaders come together
Students from across Virginia came together in early April for a leadership summit in Richmond, where they developed a long-term vision for a unified campus climate movement. Students left the summit, hosted by the Virginia Alliance for a Cleaner Environment (VACE) and CCAN, re-energized and ready to keep building a strong statewide network. Read more about the summit and learn how to get involved here.

Introducing Project Planet
This Earth Month, CCAN is telling Dominion Power — Virginia’s top climate polluter — to go beyond token “green” efforts like tree planting and to start making a plan to reduce its climate-disrupting emissions. The project, called Project Planet, launched on April Fools’ Day, when thousands of Virginians saw the spoof headline “Dominion to go carbon neutral!” in emails, on social media or in their local newspaper boxes. Check out the video here.

Throughout April, parents, faith communities, and other concerned Virginians across the commonwealth are working together to demand a new direction from Dominion for the sake of those with the most at stake: our children, grandchildren and future generations. By collecting petitions to Dominion, submitting letters to the editor of local newspapers, and working with kids and youth on creative projects, we are telling Dominion to take serious action to address climate change. Sign the petition, and then sign up to get more involved here.

Hybrid tax moves forward. Next step: Repeal
When Gov. Bob McDonnell signed Virginia’s transportation bill into law this month, an outrageous attack on climate solutions — a new annual tax on hybrid car owners — became state law. Bending to public outcry, the governor reduced the hybrid tax from $100 to $64 per year. But we’ve crunched the numbers and that’s still an arbitrary and excessive amount that unfairly punishes Virginians trying to do their part for the climate. To protest the tax, CCAN supporters led a honking parade of hybrid and electric cars around the Capitol in Richmond and delivered more than one thousand petitions urging the governor to veto it. Next year, we’ll work with our allies in the General Assembly to push for legislation to repeal the hybrid tax.

Meet our Maryland Campus Organizer, Shilpa Joshi

Your age: 25

Where you live: Washington, DC

Your work background: Before joining CCAN this February, I was an educator for the Alliance for Climate Education, where I taught high school students about climate change and solutions. I also had a stint with a performing arts non-profit called Capital Fringe.

Why are you a CCAN employee? I want to inspire young climate activists as I was once inspired by a CCAN
organizer. When I was a student at American University, former CCAN-er Matt Stern taught us valuable organizing and leadership tactics that fueled us to success in several campaigns.

What has inspired you most working for CCAN so far? Although I started after the bulk of the work was finished on the campaign, our offshore wind bill victory was incredibly empowering.

What have you contributed to bringing about a clean energy revolution that you are most proud of? Fighting to offset 100% of American University’s energy use with wind power credits (to great success)!

Who would you high five? Hillary Clinton.