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November | Issue #57
Quick Links: Maryland | DC | Virginia | Students
FROM DIRECTOR MIKE TIDWELL
 Dear [[First_Name]],
I’ve been fighting climate change full-time for more than ten years, and I’ve gotten used to people asking me how I keep up hope in the face of discouraging odds. I’ll tell you my secret: I get energized by our increasing victories. And this has been a victorious month, indeed. In a show of our undeniable strength, the climate movement essentially stopped the Keystone XL oil pipeline dead in its tracks. Most energy insiders believed that oil giant TransCanada would certainly receive the presidential permit needed to begin construction before the end of the year.
That is, until TransCanada hit a glitch. An unforeseeable, insurmountable, we-will-never-stop, we-will-not-be-silenced type of glitch: the climate movement.
After 1,253 arrests in front of the White House in August and 12,000 activists surrounding the White House on November 6th to demand that President Obama put a stop to Keystone XL, we were heard. Last week...
See full note from director >>
Join Dr. James Hansen at the 7th Annual Polar Bear Plunge
On Saturday, January 21st at National Harbor, CCAN will hold its 7th Annual Polar Bear Plunge into the Potomac River. This year we have set our highest fundraising goal ever -- $75,000! You’ll join hundreds of other activists who will take one short leap into the water to help raise money for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. And you’ll be in good company too – leading U.S. climate scientist Dr. James Hansen will join us at this year’s plunge! Let's show Dr. Hansen our appreciation for his decades-long leadership on the climate by making this plunge our largest one ever. Save the polar bears! Save the humans! Keep winter cold! Please sign up today.
Fight Back -- Join our 2012 Rapid Responder Team
The movement for offshore wind power is growing. More than 8,000 Virginians and 180 businesses have urged Dominion Power to commit to building an offshore wind farm. Now it’s time to make sure that the policies are in place to incentivize investments in offshore wind and other renewable energy sources. The Virginia legislative session kicks off January 11th and we’ll need to hit the ground running!
Right now Dominion and other utilities are exploiting loopholes in our voluntary Renewable Portfolio Standard to get millions of dollars in bonuses without committing to clean energy in Virginia. This year we’re prioritizing policies that will strengthen the RPS to fulfill its intent to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and increase renewable energy generation in Virginia.
But we’ll need your help. Virginia’s legislative session is only 60 days long and developments happen at lightning speed. Join other volunteers on our Rapid Response team today to get the most up-to-date news and be an integral part of our success during the session. Join today!
800 Comments Collected to Prevent Fracking in GW National Forest
Thank you so much to everyone who took action telling the U.S. Forest Service that you support its proposal to ban fracking in Virginia’s George Washington National Forest. Because of you, we greatly surpassed our goal of 500 comments, ending up with just over 800!
The U.S. Forest Service's draft management plan for GW National Forest for the next 15 years included a ban on horizontal drilling for natural gas, which would essential ban hydraulic fracturing or "fracking." During the fracking process, water mixed with chemicals, including known toxins, is pumped down wells at high pressure to fracture rock and release natural gas. While all drilling for natural gas, a fossil fuel, is damaging to the climate, recent studies have shown that fracking is even more damaging than traditional methods. Fracking causes natural gas -- which is mostly composed of methane, a potent greenhouse gas -- to leak into the atmosphere. And because of this, scientists say that natural gas from fracking actually has a higher impact on the climate over its full life-cycle than does coal.
Thanks to everyone who signed a comment! The final plan will come out soon and we hope that it will still include the ban on horizontal drilling for natural gas.
CCAN Takes on Gov. McDonnell's "Energy Month"
October was “Energy Month” in Virginia, and Governor Bob McDonnell made it clear yet again that he does not give equal support to fossil fuels and renewable energy sources. CCAN shadowed the governor’s misguided efforts to promote the month’s theme by holding a rally outside of the Southern States Energy Conference and highlighting the impacts that climate change will have on the commonwealth. On the morning of Governor McDonnell’s keynote speech at the Governor’s Energy Conference in Richmond, we submerged replicas of iconic Virginia structures in the James River to bring attention to the commonwealth’s vulnerability to the effects of sea-level rise. Check out the photos here and read more about what environmental groups had to say about Governor McDonnell’s energy month.
Offshore Wind Campaign Heats Up
With less than two months until the kickoff of the 2012 General Assembly session, momentum is building for the passage of an offshore wind energy bill this session. The last few months have seen several positive developments.
With the help of our volunteers, we reached 10,000 statewide petition signatures in October, and activists marked the occasion with a delivery of thousands of new signatures to their legislators. The petition delivery came after the American Wind Energy Association offshore wind power conference in Baltimore. At the conference, Governor Martin O'Malley announced plans to sponsor offshore wind power legislation next session, while touting a new poll showing that 62 percent of Maryland voters want to see local offshore wind power in the state and are willing to pay slightly more on their monthly electricity bills to develop this resource. Key committees continue to study offshore wind policy with more meetings planned into next month.
November saw the launch of a series of statewide “Wind Works for Maryland” town hall meetings with forums in Prince George's and Montgomery Counties that were attended by hundreds of local residents as well as area elected officials, including Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown. More town halls are planned for Baltimore and the Eastern Shore over the next month. Click here to sign up to attend one near you.
CP Crane Water Permit Reopened for Public Comment
A few months ago, we let you know that a coal-fired power plant in Baltimore County, C.P. Crane, was operating with an outdated water pollution permit. Pollution permits are issued to industrial sources of pollution, like power plants, in order to control the discharges coming from the plant and protect your community and local environment. Many of you took action to urge the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to update the water pollution permit. Now we have some good news -- after pressure from local activists like you, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has reopened the water permit for the CP Crane power plant.
We are working to ensure that this permit is held to the highest pollution standards possible to protect the health of the surrounding communities. Please click here to sign onto our official comment to MDE about this permit, and let’s keep Baltimore’s water safe for all!
University of Maryland Students Join Fight for Offshore Wind
Students in the UMD for Clean Energy student group recently announced their Wind Works for Students campaign, which aims to convince the University Board of Regents to send a letter to the Maryland General Assembly supporting offshore wind power legislation. So far, they have collected more than 600 petition signatures, published a newspaper column, and they are planning a campus-wide event. Last year, the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act did not make it out of committee because corporate interests complained about an initial bump in energy prices that might impact colleges and universities. That is why it is so crucial that the Senate Finance Committee hears from representatives of colleges and universities throughout Maryland! If you attend a Maryland public university, click here to sign the petition to the Board of Regents. Or if you’re at a private school, ask your college president to send a letter of support for offshore wind power to the Maryland General Assembly. For more information about how to get this process started, contact Campus Organizer Megan Jenny at
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CCAN is Hiring
Do you want to fight global warming while gaining valuable grassroots organizing knowledge and experience? If so, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network has the perfect internship for you. We are currently hiring interns for the spring semester to work out of our Takoma Park and Richmond offices.
For ten years, CCAN has been working in Maryland, Virginia, and DC to fight climate change by standing up to polluters and working to pass clean energy policies. We’ve made a lot of progress, but still have a long way to go and we need your help! Bill McKibben recently called CCAN “the best regional climate organization in the world.” Apply for an internship with us today.
MEET CCAN VOLUNTEER GIGI CIOVATI
 Your name: Gigi Ciovati
Your age: 35
Your profession: Physicist
Where you live: Newport News, Virginia
Why are you a CCAN volunteer? Because I strongly believe in the motives of the offshore wind campaign and I like the fact that CCAN seems a real grassroots organization which is doing tangible work in Virginia
What has inspired you most working with CCAN? Seeing young, talented people working hard to push for clean energy solutions in Virginia
What have you contributed to bringing about a clean energy revolution that you are most proud of? I'm just trying to participate as much as possible to the "regular" activities: petitioning, rallies...
What do you hope to see happen in terms of climate in the next year? Obviously, I hope to see a decrease in CO2 emission by more nations investing in renewable energies
What do you like to do when you’re not working on climate change? Cooking, watching soccer games
Who would you high five? Anybody who is able to make changes to their lifestyles to reduce their carbon footprint
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Meet CCAN Virginia volunteer Gigi Ciovati
