Let the Clean Energy Revolution Begin

Future Hope column, Feb. 15, 2009By Ted Glick

It began with a statement by Nancy Pelosi in early January, referring to federal legislation to cap and reduce dangerous greenhouse gas emissions: “I’m not sure this year, because I don’t know if we’ll be ready. We won’t go before we’re ready.” Then, in late January, I heard Charles Rangel, head of the House Ways and Means Committee, speak publicly about hi s committee not holding hearings on climate legislation until “the end of the year.” Two weeks ago, Senator Barbara Boxer, head of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, in announcing a set of “principles” she will use in formulating climate legislation, was noncommittal about when she expected a vote in her committee. On the same day, climate blogger and well-connected Democrat Joe Romm, wrote approvingly of the idea (the plan?) that there should be no attempt to pass climate legislation through Congress until sometime in 2010. Continue reading

Adams Morgan Climate Graffiti

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The buzz around the Capitol Climate Action is hot! The action has over 60 endorsing organizations and over 1500 people are registered and willing to risk arrest. It’s taken on a life of its own

We've made it big! Hollywood star lends support to the Capitol Climate Action

The support for the Capitol Climate Action on March 2 is growing. With over 1500 people signed up, this will be the largest act of civil disobedience on global warming ever to tell Congress to solve the climate crisis now. And now, Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon has lent her voice in our support.

She joins our list of endorsers, including country singer Kathy Mattea, who will be singing at our March 1st event with Wendell Berry.

Check out this video with Sarandon, encouraging people to join us on March 2. She evokes the sacrifices of Ghandi and Martin Luther King in calling on Americans to join us as we demand a more equitable and peaceful future free from climate chaos.

Learn more at www.capitolclimateaction.org!

Energy Policy and You

In MD, we have passed some great legislation on energy policy – things like the Healthy Air Act, which mandated that we join RGGI, and EmPOWER MD, which called for a reduction of energy use across the state

Country singer Kathy Mattea lends her voice to CCAN event!

berryExciting news! Country singer Kathy Mattea joins the list of guests who will be attending the March 1 reception at GW’s Lisner Auditorium. Others speaking include Terry Tempest Williams, Janisse Ray, Bill McKibben, Gus Speth and the great environmental poet, Wendell Berry.

Mattea is not a stranger to our issues. Last year, she released an album entitled Coal after she was moved by the Sago Mine disaster. Growing up in West Virginia, the granddaughter of coal miners, Mattea has a deep connection to the human cost of coal and the way of life in coal-country. She is a welcome addition to our list of authors and artists who will be speaking that night and she will also join us on March 2 as we demand that congress solve the climate crisis now.

Buy your tickets now!

From All Music Guide:

Coal is a heartfelt examination of the hard, often dangerous life of coal miners, and includes classic mining songs by the likes of Merle Travis, Hazel Dickens, and Jean Ritchie all arranged in a delicate, muted acoustic style by Mattea and her producer this time out, Marty Stuart. Mattea grew up in West Virginia, and while her father escaped the mines, both her grandfathers were miners, so when the 2006 Sago Mine disaster hit, which left 12 good men dead, she made up her mind to record this sparse, striking album. It won’t land her on the new country stations, but it’s a beautiful testament to a difficult way of life, and working on an independent label, she’s been given the freedom to make an album that has more to do with the heart than the ring of distant cash registers.

Kathy Mattea – “Coal Tattoo”

Earlier this week, we had to move the location to GW’s Lisner because we had already maxed capacity at Foundry Methodist Church, so take action quickly. Buy your tickets now!

Students Lobby Annapolis

So this post is a little overdue, I organized a couple of lobby meetings with Delegate Michael Vaughn, and after many attempts to reach him, State Senator Nathaniel Exum. The meeting with Delegate Vaughn went well, we talked with him about the Greenhouse Gas Reductions Act which he hadn’t seen yet, gave him a copy, and told him what was different about the bill this year, and how we thought he could help sheppard it through the Economic Matters Committee. In the end, he ended up becoming a co-sponsor.

The meeting with State Senator Exum was not successful, although we did talk with him for about 45 minutes about the bill, and the issues surrounding it. Exum’s main issue was that Maryland Dept. of Env. had taken longer than it should have to get him a permit for his business, and he felt that they were too incompetent to administer a greenhouse gas reductions plan. The one thing we did learn that was useful was that he planned to introduce an amendment similar to the one he introduced last year, where MDE has to report its plan and proposed programs back to the legislature every year. He said he might “compromise” on 2 years. Obviously this wasn’t acceptable to us, and we do not see eye to eye with Exum. Despite our differences, he was very respectful, and we’re thankful he was kind enough to sit down with us for so long considering we weren’t his constituents and his relationship with the environmental community hasn’t been all flowers and sunshine.

Pictures below

Environmentalists Within 3 feet of Exum! and hes smiling!
Environmentalists Within 3 feet of Exum! and hes smiling!

Another Happy Update on MD Carbon Legislation

It’s time for another MD state update from your friendly Annapolis correspondant. Woo! And I know what you’re thinking: another upbeat and perky blog from Holly. Mostly, you’re right. (as a sidenote, that’s the only thing that makes me jealous of the VA team – they get way more opportunities to post snarky blog posts)

Yesterday, there were two fun and exciting developments on the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act.

First, Mike and I went to lunch at the Governor’s Mansion. It was very fancy inside.

Mike Tidwell, CCAN Director, and Governor Martin O'Malley
Mike Tidwell, CCAN Director, and Governor Martin O'Malley

More importantly for this part of the day was the press conference of support for the bill, featuring Gov O’Malley himself, along with our amazing bill sponsors, Senator Paul Pinsky and Delegate Kumar Barve and Jim Strong of United Steel Workers. Here’s our press release.

Gov O'Malley speaking in support of global warming legislation
Gov O'Malley speaking in support of global warming legislation

I was fully expecting some singing of folks songs in a circle, but I guess that that would be a little bit too much for me to ask of all the serious folks who were there.

Continue reading