Marylanders – Join ONE GREEN HOUR – Save Money, save the Planet

Hey Folks, I just received my 5th email about Maryland’s “One Green Hour” event. Initiated by Governor Martin O’Malley, the idea is to turn off your lights for an hour on July 28th (now dubbed Maryland Energy Independence Day”). The idea may be a little hoaky -we’d prefer they turn off the coal-fired power plants for an hour. But its getting traction. I’ve received alerts from the Governor, the Democratic Party, Rep Elijah Cummings and more… So I guess that means we need to join in.Here’s the email from the Democratic Party.

CELEBRATE

Maryland Energy Independence Day

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Saving money and making a real difference for your country can be as easy as flipping a switch – OFF. More on that below.

Please join thousands of Marylanders who will use this day to commit to energy conservation for the long haul. Imagine saving money while saving the Chesapeake Bay and helping create an Energy Independent future. Continue reading

For You Climate Lawyers!

Hey All,

For those of you wonky attorneys out there, my article below got published in the June edition of the Maryland Bar Association Newsletter/Journal. Climate Change law is an ever growing and expanding field, especially in Maryland where a slew of bills were passed or are being seriously considered in the Maryland General Assembly addressing global warming and its affects on the Bay. This dynamic field of law is changing so quickly that the article below from June is somewhat outdated. Comments, questions? Please post to our blog :)

Sincerely, CCAN’s lawyer (yes we have a lawyer) Diana Dascalu-Joffe, Esq.

Article for Maryland State Bar Association Environmental Edition


Global Warming and the Law in Maryland

By Diana Dascalu-Joffe
May 2007

Artic ice melting at an alarming rate. Sea level rise. Ravaging forest fires. Strange, destructive weather patterns. Global warming. Anyone who has not heard about global warming or its affect on the world must have been hibernating under a rock for the past few years. The daunting news is everywhere from Vanity Fair to the Wall Street Journal to local community newsletters.

Speaking as an attorney for a Maryland non-profit organization that educates on climate change and its affects on the Chesapeake Bay, business has never been better! Finally, the world, and many citizens, legislators, businesses, faith leaders, etc have had their “eureka” moment on this issue. Continue reading

It's all in the name

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Glacier National Park (for 17 more years)

This summer I was lucky enough to venture out into the Rocky Mountain region to visit my younger sister while she’s working in St. Mary’s, Montana just outside Glacier National Park. I was told to take it all in because in less than 17 years, there will be something big missing from the park–Glaciers. Yep, Glacier National Park will soon have to change it’s name to GlaciatED National Park.

Climate Scientists: "A Clear Human Fingerprint on Changing Global Rainfall Patterns

It’s official: human activities that cause climate change are changing global rainfall patterns. Earlier today the “BBC Newshour” interviewed one of the authors of the study just released in the British journal “Nature.” The scientist said his study is the first to show that human activities are largely to blame for changes in rainfall patterns over the last century. The author hopes his report will serve as a wake-up call that we need to act now to curb global warming.

The report was released as record rains caused severe flooding in Britain, China and Indonesia.

Flooding in Britain
Tewkesbury, Britain, and its famous Abbey are seen swamped by floodwaters on Monday.

I can’t help but notice a very disturbing discrepancy here:

When it rains in biblical proportions in Europe, conversations understandably turn to global warming. Not so in the U.S. Continue reading

Shocking News! Global Warming Affects the Chesapeake Bay

Today the Chesapeake Bay Foundation came out with a study on how climate change threatens the Bay. It’s an important resource and anyone who cares about the Bay should check it out.

For those of us who have been working at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network fighting global warming in the Chesapeake region for almost five years, however, this does not come as a shock.

We’re excited that CBF has stepped up their advocacy around climate change and are looking forward to a strong ally in the fight to curb global warming pollution in this region. But, as shown by the fact that we had no idea CBF was coming out with this report, the organization has not entirely realized the potential of such an alliance.

You can read what the Washington Post has to day about the report on our website. And if you’re looking for more info on how climate change is affecting the Chesapeake Bay, check out our award-winning documentary, “We’re All Smith Islanders.”

Letter to the Editor

Hey CCAN members! Here’s a good way to get yourself heard. Maryanne Nobile from Gwynn Oaks, MD sent in her letter to the editor to us and we’re posting it here for you to read. Enjoy!

“I’d like to encourage readers to contact Mr. Lowell about this environmental outrage and demand that the coal industry commence with restoration funding for the mountains they’ve decimated. His email address is: lowell.miller@hq.doe.gov.”

To the Editor:

I was rather surprised to read the Baltimore Sun’s recent article on liquid coal technology. While Mr. Lowell touts the benefits, he paints an incomplete picture by not mentioning how coal is being extracted.

The method called strip mining, involves clearing entire lush mountain tops of trees and subsequently turning them into barren waste land. Ask any Virginian if they promote raping the land of its beauty in this fashion.

This is yet another example of irresponsible business profiteering by destruction of natural resources. Any legislation supporting liquid coal technology would be ludicrous and irresponsible at a time when mature, conscientious citizens are attempting to resolve ongoing environmental concerns.

Training for a Movement

Students from the Region Gathered at Prince William Forest Park Last Week for an Intensive Grassroots Training Summer Program

There’s no better place to be inspired to organize a mass movement around climate change than in nature itself. That is exactly where the Sierra Student Coalition (SSC), a student-run arm of the Sierra Club decided to host its annual SPROG (or summer program) for the Mid-Atlantic region. Roughly 30 students from Mid-Atlantic high schools and colleges as well as several SSC trainers gathered at Camp Orenda in Prince William Forest Park last week to learn the basics of grassroots organizing and more.

Water (3)

As a participant, I found myself surrounded by 30 top-notch individuals all eager to learn how to have a greater impact on the issues they cared most about. There were student experts on everything from Sustainable Agriculture to Mountaintop Removal to Sustainable Endowments; which provided an opportunity for lots of learning and a free flow of ideas. Continue reading

New Yorker compares fuel standards to helmets

new yorker picAmericans can’t give up the muscle and “safety” of their SUVs because we think they give us a competitive advantage over more fuel efficient cars, James Surowiecki argues in the New Yorker. It’s similar to NHL players in the 70s who chose the risk of head trauma because “not wearing a helmet conferred a slight advantage on the ice; crucially, it gave the player better peripheral vision, and it also made him look fearless.”

Read the article here>>

10 Secrets to Better Climate Organizing

On Saturday, Mike Tidwell led a training for the 40 people in Maryland, Virginia and D.C who have been trained to give the Al Gore slideshow.

“TEN SECRETS TO BETTER CLIMATE ORGANIZING” was designed to share six years of learning and lessons as to climate activism, practical real steps to move from awareness to action.

Adam, a Climate Project trainee and blogger was one of the attendees and wrote a very in-depth post on Daily Kos summarizing the event.

The training is available on the U.S. Climate Emergency website and will be available on the CCAN website soon.