Toxic coal ash has been threatening lives, communities and impacting health across this country with little to no regulation for far too long.
We shouldn't need Superman
Families and kids rallied outside the EPA this morning to urge them to keep children and communities safe from toxic coal ash that needs to be regulated. With just two days left before the end of the public comment period on choices between regulations, today CCAN helped with the Sierra Club to pull out all the stops in support of Subtitle C
WWRD? (What Would Reagan Do?)
Last week, I recommended working around our new crop of fingers-in-ears, stoutly conservative Congressional climate change deniers. Continue reading
Drought Disaster
Governor McDonnell and Attorney General Cuccinelli are making a name for themselves on the national climate denier scene. They’ve engaged Virginia in a lawsuit against the EPA and have gone as far as accusing leading scientist Michael Mann of fraud by seeking public funding for his research. So the irony was not lost when Gov. McDonnell yesterday announced that the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture has designated 59 counties as primary natural disaster areas because of the excessive heat we’ve seen in 2010. Farms in this area Continue reading
Where's Bob on Wind?
Hey, Governor McDonnell, are you serious about renewable energy sources like wind and solar, or are you just pulling our leg? I mean, you won’t even commit just $400 to power the Governor’s Mansion with renewable energy in 2011. What’s the deal??
Yes, you read that right. We asked the Governor to buy renewable energy credits as a symbolic gesture that he was leading the Commonwealth towards a future that includes an increased emphasis on clean energy, but he won’t do it. Continue reading
Virginia State Senator Argues for Renewables
Chap Peterson, Virginia State Senator of the 34th Senate District of Virginia, has been a long-time supporter of clean and renewable energy, so it was no great surprise when he attended Saturday’s Northern Virginia Climate Action Network (NOVACAN) meeting. The NOVACAN coalition is made up of a number of environmentally-focused Northern Virginia organizations, including the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, with the aim of educating and empowering Northern Virginians to advocate for policies to curtail climate change.
After the meeting, State Senator Peterson reiterated his thoughts on renewable energy on his blog, reposted below. Continue reading
What should climate hawks do now?
Joe Romm has an open thread today at climateprogress.org, in which he asks, “What should climate hawks do now?“
Here is my suggestion:
As the Maryland campaign director at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, I work with a coalition of climate hawks poised to move strongly forward at the state level as we determine the best next steps nationally.
Since this year’s failure to pass comprehensive climate legislation in the senate, a number of groups and individuals have discussed the need for state level action. At the state level, we can make real gains in renewable energy and emissions reductions, while tangibly showing that climate solutions work. Thank God California’s AB 32 law will continue.
In Maryland, we also have strong climate laws on the books, including a 20% RPS by 2022 and an emissions reduction goal of 25% below 2006 levels by 2020.
To meet these goals, action is still needed.
As an ocean state, offshore wind power currently has the highest potential for us to generate clean, renewable energy. That’s why we’re part of a strong coalition calling on the Maryland General Assembly to pass legislation that will bring us offshore wind parks as early as 2015.
Offshore wind will bring Maryland reliable jobs (thousands in construction, operations, and maintenance), reliable energy (Europe’s had offshore wind working since 1991 and we could get a third of our power in the region from the resource), reliable prices (we can lock in the price over 25 years as unlike fossil fuels, the wind is free), and a more reliable climate (reducing heat-trapping energy generation). It’s understandable why the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, the National Wildlife Federation, Environment Maryland, The Sierra Club, the Maryland LCV, AND the United Steelworkers in Maryland are calling together for offshore wind power!
If you live in Maryland or in the area, here are a few ways you can help us win:
- Attend Wind Vision 2010 in Annapolis on December 4th: the first Maryland citizens’ conference on offshore wind. We’ll hear from inspiring leaders (like Lester Brown, founder of the Worldwatch Institute, John Passacantando, former director of Greenpeace USA, and CCAN’s inspiring leader, Mike Tidwell), and discuss how we can all help make it happen for Maryland in 2011. RSVP today at http://www.MarylandOffshoreWind.org!
- Take a photo for our “Maryland: Got Wind?” Photo Mission! We’ll be sharing them with your state representatives. Find out how to submit a photo at our website and check out Maryland’s own superhero, Wonder Wind, fighting for wind all over the state!
- Share the conference and the photo petition links with all your friends on facebook and twitter!
On the national level, while things look bleak, we must find a way forward. There is a glimmer of hope for compromise that must at least be explored. Tom Daschle talks about the need for congressional compromise in a Washington Post op-ed today and mentions climate change as one of the national challenges we must address. We must also look to innovative solutions. CCAN has endorsed the cap and dividend model, which has bipartisan support. We must continue to develop innovative policy solutions that can garner bipartisan support: cap and dividend could be part of a new solution.
Finally, it is clear that we must do more on the grassroots. We clearly cannot rely on our elected leaders or media to carry the entire load in terms of creating a national debate on climate. Climate hawk groups and individuals must put in the grassroots organizing that is necessary.
The Upcoming Headache in Congress
It’s no use crying over spilled milk.
Rally for Sanity Left Me Fearful
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you were also on the Mall on Saturday, or maybe watching it on TV. Having organized rallies in DC, I was blown away by the turnout. With all the climate-denying happening these days, it was inspiring to see so many people travel from all over the country in the name of sanity. It felt good to be among fellow sane people.
If you organize around political issues long enough, it’s easy to get cynical. I fight that urge all the time. Rallies and protests are practically a monthly occurrence and it’s often hard to see how they move the ball forward. But, we justify the hard work it takes to organize those kinds of events because they also serve other purposes. Good rallies can inspire people, indirectly leading to future action. And, having a drumbeat of rallies and protests on any one issue might finally get through to our lawmakers and/or the media.
I left the Stewart/Colbert rallies trying to make those same justifications, but have come up short. Did you leave inspired? I left lukewarm, at best. Did you get a sense of what’s next? I didn’t. Continue reading
Power Vote at the Rally to Restore Sanity/Fear
I went to the rally to restore sanity on Saturday. As pointed out by many who attended- the rally was somewhat ironically- insane. I went with Energy Action Coalition all-star Anjali Helferty to bring a little Power Vote magic to the proceedings! The crowds were overwhelming- it was difficult to make our way anywhere near the stage or jumbo screens. Instead we walked around the outskirts of the huge crowd in our Power Vote capes urging young people to get out and vote on Tuesday! Turns out this was a message missing from the rest of the rally- no mention of voting was made. So here it is- be sane on Tuesday and VOTE! And tell everyone you know to do the same!