How Energy Efficiency Can Repair VA's Economy

Mike Tidwell has an Op-Ed in the Richmond Times Dispatch today about how the efficiency bill introduced by Sen. McEachin is exactly the kind of jobs bill we need right now.

Repairing Virginia’s Economy

Gov. Robert F. McDonnell has been yelling it from the rooftops for months: The best way to repair Virginia’s ailing economy is to improve the state’s flawed energy policies.

He’s absolutely right, of course, and now he faces a test. With inauguration festivities over, a landmark energy bill awaits McDonnell in the General Assembly. It would create lots of new jobs and, potentially, build badly needed bipartisanship in Richmond.

The highlights: Senate Bill 71 would spur up to 10,000 new jobs and billions of dollars in new investments in a state where unemployment has doubled since 2007 and the budget deficit is a staggering $4 billion. This is not, however, an “offshore drilling” bill to promote oil platforms along the Virginia coast. Nor would it finance new coal-fired power plants and nuclear energy. Instead, it’s a straightforward energy efficiency bill. Using the same common-sense appeal to fiscal sanity that helped McDonnell get elected, SB 71 would promote energy efficiency across the state while saving money for Virginia families.

And the job-growth numbers are for real. Continue reading

High School Students Ahead of their State Senator

A junior at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Andrew Swoboda, recently won a $10,000 scholarship for his research in reducing the amount of platinum needed to make hydrogen fuel cells, reducing the overall cost of production. He is making an effort to cut the cost of alternative energy that could help reduce the demand for mountaintop removal coal mining and other dirty sources. Meanwhile, his elected official, VA state Senator Richard Saslaw, has been an obstacle to investing in energy efficiency measures that would also reduce the demand for coal. Last year he was the decisive vote to block efficiency legislation in committee.

There’s no doubt that energy efficiency is the quickest, cheapest, cleanest way to meet Virginia’s energy needs and create jobs, which is why it’s one of our top priorities this year in Virginia. Do you think hydrogen fuel cells have a place in making the switch to a clean energy future?

From the Vienna Connection:

Contributing to Clean Energy
Local high schooler improves fuel cell, wins scholarship.

By Continue reading

Upping the Ante on Climate

One year ago, Barack Obama was inaugurated as President. Hopes were high among progressive-minded people, including climate activists. Finally, we had a President who got it on the need for action to address the deepening climate crisis.

But here we are a year later and things look very different. The United States, including Obama, played a generally problematic role up to and at the Copenhagen climate conference, dismissing the widespread call by a big majority of the world’s countries for emissions reductions consistent with the climate science. The Obama administration played this role despite the bad-weather impacts and sea level rise already being seen and felt in Africa, small island nations and elsewhere.

As far as the U.S. Congress, Obama has certainly not made it a priority so far to advance efforts to enact climate legislation in this session. It’s looking very possible, even likely, that no comprehensive climate legislation will be passed in 2010. Continue reading

Two Days 'til We Go Swimming!

Two more days ’til the big day! The latest weather reports call for a mostly sunny day with a high around 40 degrees in Annapolis. Whatever it ends up being, we’ll be there wearing our swimming suits starting at 10:30 AM!

There’s still time to join us on Saturday for CCAN’s Fifth Annual Polar Bear Plunge. You can take the plunge, or just show your support from the sidelines.

If you’re coming, here’s what you need to know:

Directions: The plunge is being held on the beach of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Annapolis and the program begins at 10:30 AM. The address is 6 Herndon Ave. You can view a map and get directions by going to http://bit.ly/plungemap.

Carpooling: We encourage people to carpool as much as possible. We’ve created a blog post on the keepwintercold.org website where people can offer spaces in your car and people who need a ride can ask for one. Access this service here.

Continue reading

Stream Saver Bill makes BIG SPLASH

http://www.virginiapresswomen.org/_images/VA-Capitol-2008.jpgYesterday at the Virginia Conservation Network’s annual lobby day, 235 Virginians from all across the Commonwealth flooded the halls of Virginia’s General Assembly Building. There were many priority issues on the agenda but upon reading the meeting feedback forms at lunch it became clear that almost everyone was talking about two things: energy efficiency and mountaintop removal. The final tally isn’t back yet, but SB 564 and SB 71 were creating a buzz for sure.

I’d like to focus for just a brief minute on SB 564, the Virginia Stream Saver Bill. It was introduced by Senator Patsy Ticer from Northern Virginia but four women from Wise County traveled the distance to Richmond to thank both Senator Ticer and Senator Whipple (first co-patron), for taking a stand on issue so important to them.  It was certainly a special moment when Kathy Selvage from Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards presented Senator Ticer with a book entitled “Plundering Appalachia” that illustrates the devastating impacts this practice is having across Appalachia. Kathy brought two jars of water from her neighborhood to show just how impacted her water quality is.
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With all of our combined efforts the Stream Saver Bill SB 564 now has five co-patrons, including Senators Whipple, Howell, Northam and Marsden.  If you have a minute please call today at  (800) 889-0229 and ask your Senator to co-patron this important bill!

Media and Messaging: The Multiplier Effect

Who said anything about qualifications?

I never thought I’d be writing a piece on media and messaging. I’m a government major at the University of Maryland going into my final semester as an undergraduate. I’m looking to further my education with a masters in public policy with a specialization in environmental policy. In the student activist group UMD for Clean Energy that I’ve been involved in since the spring semester of 2007, I’ve been the boots on the ground guy getting petition signatures and power vote pledges, the Political Liaison who handled the policy aspects of the campaign like organizing lobby meetings, and last fall I had my first stint as the Campaign Director for the group. Despite my responsibility never being media and messaging, it’s in this area that I feel I’ve learned some of the most valuable organizing lessons.

When applied to our group’s efforts last semester, our new approach to media became one of the most powerful engines for our local campaign on making green issues front and center in our College Park City Council elections, and complimented all of the other aspects of our campaign beautifully. At the end of the semester, core members of UMD for Clean Energy tried to put our finger on how and why media had been invaluable to our campaign, but usually our guesses didn’t go beyond “wow”. This is my imperfect yet necessary attempt to explain what happened, with the hope that other groups can gain from it, and at least so I can convey how important this aspect of the youth climate movement is. By the way, I’ve committed the cardinal sin of making this a longggg post, but it’s worth it so please read.

“This was a lot more efficient than knocking on 20,000 doors” Continue reading

Obama says nothing new while nations drown

Friday morning from Copenhagen:

President Obama made his long-awaited speech here in Copenhagen just a few minutes ago and there was nothing encouraging about it. “The time for talk is over,” he said, and then failed to commit the U.S. to any new climate-saving actions.

“After months of talk, and two weeks of negotiations, I believe that the pieces of [an] accord are now clear… Mitigation. Transparency. And financing. It is a clear formula Continue reading