Clean energy legislation gets a face lift and passes to the Senate

Last The House of Representatives has passed “landmark” legislation with the 219-212 vote for the American Clean Energy and Security Act. The bill serves to help revitalize our economy by creating “over 300,000 jobs by 2020,” according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Furthermore, the bill will increase national energy security by reducing dependence on foreign oil, and it establishes a legal limit on global warming pollution in our country.

“We have taken decisive and historic action to promote America’s energy security and to create millions of clean energy jobs that will drive our economic recovery and long-term growth,” said Chairman Waxman. “After more than three decades of being held hostage to the influence of foreign energy suppliers, this legislation at long last begins to break our addiction to imported foreign oil and put us on a path to true energy security.”

President Obama called the American Clean Energy and Security Act an “extraordinary piece of legislation that will finally open the door to decreasing our dependence on foreign oil, preventing the worst consequences of climate change, and making clean energy the profitable kind of energy.

The run up to this vote made clear how much difference a phone call or letter to Congress can make. Some Representatives reportedly based their decision to support the bill on the comments they received from constituents.

The bill contains the following key provisions:

* Requires electric utilities to meet 20% of their electricity demand through renewable energy sources and energy efficiency by 2020.

* Invests $190 billion in new clean energy technologies and energy efficiency, including energy efficiency and renewable energy.

* Mandates new energy-saving standards for buildings, appliances, and industry.

* Reduces carbon emissions from major U.S. sources by 17% by 2020 and over 80% by 2050 compared to 2005 levels.

Colin Hagan, Federal Policy Associate for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, said the narrow vote demonstrates how critical it is that we build strong support in the Senate.  “Friday’s vote means we are a step closer to having a 21^st century energy policy, but it is far from over.”

As far as ACES itself is concerned, many environmentalists – myself included – view this victory as somewhat bittersweet; from a historical standpoint, the passage of ACES is a remarkable achievement. The fact that so many representatives did vote for the legislation says something about how far the environmental movement has come. From a scientific point of view, however, the bill is hardly where it needs to be in order to make a significant and lasting impact on human-induced climate change. Before debates even began, targets were weakened, cap-and-trade regulations were modified, and, ultimately, the bill was reworked and restructured so that it would please officials and corporations rather than secure the future of our planet.

Perhaps the most notable of the naysayers was Georgia Rep. Paul Broun, who called global warming a “hoax” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxxE8n7xX_o&feature=related) and charged the scientific community with fabricating evidence and “perpetrating” a lie. In the words of Broun, “there is no scientific consensus” that climate change is a real and imminent threat to the livelihood of our planet. And unfortunately, Broun is not the only denier in the House – his comments were met with applause. A slight applause, but an applause nonetheless.

As both a student and one of Broun’s constituents, I am imaginably shocked and disgusted at his remarks. I urge Broun’s constituents (or anyone who is concerned, for that matter) to phone, e-mail, or fax (http://www.paulbroun.com/index2.html) Broun’s office to let him know how we feel. After all, it’s up to us to hold officials accountable and keep them informed on the opinions of their constituents.

Aside from blatantly denying the existence of global warming, Broun also misinformed his audience by stating that ACES would ultimately cost American families an added $3,100 in annual taxes. To be frank, this claim is absolutely false, as a study by the Congressional Budget Office (http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/103xx/doc10327/06-19-CapTradeCosts.htm) projects the rise in taxes to equal about $175 a year in 2020. In the words of the report itself, “overall net costs would average 0.2 percent of households’ after-tax income.” And this number, of course, does not include the money saved by families as households begin to transition to the budget-friendly, environmentally-conscious energy sources outlined in the bill. The same report predicts that some families may even see a net profit of $40 a year in 2020. This isn’t a huge amount of money, but at least it’s in the pocket of American families.
But let’s not dwell on the negative. Senate debates will begin this fall and we must urge the Senate to take action on this bill. Please contact your senators, write letters to the editor, blog posts, Facebook notes, or Twitter feeds. Involve yourself with campus organizations and volunteer to help spread the word within your community. Urge your family and friends to take action by following the same steps. More importantly, though, we must put pressure on elected officials to act responsibly and with consideration. Call their offices, send them e-mails, letters, or faxes. Do everything you can to make sure your voice is heard and it just might make a difference.

Although ACES may not be the most comprehensive, scientifically-grounded piece of climate legislation, it is, to be fair, a promising start to what I hope to be a long and progressive path of national and global climate change initiatives. Let’s get this bill passed! After all, we have to have something to show off at December’s Climate Conference in Copenhagen.
Sources:

*energycommerce.house.gov

*http://cleantechbrief.com

From Florida to France, New Nuclear Shouldn’t Have a Chance!

Southern Energy Network represented at the Institute for Environmental Energy Research Carbon Free Nuclear Free workshop last week in Washington, DC. Jessica Burris, one of our interning volunteers, and I spent 5 days learning all sorts of technical information about nuclear energy. We covered a broad range of topics, everything from reprocessing and uranium enrichment to nuclear disarmament. We held strategy sessions to further the Carbon Free Nuclear Free campaign, and then we all had the opportunity to make a presentation to the panel of scientists that work at the Institute. We also heard from experts (from France even!) about why nuclear in France isn’t the love affair we understand it to be.

Jessica and I worked together on a presentation that begins the initial research phases of a larger project that will become her Master’s thesis. She is looking at the Environmental Justice implications of nuclear energy in Florida. Our initial findings were that the existing nuclear reactors in Florida, as well as the new reactor proposals, are all located in communities that have a combination of the following characteristics: well below the average median income for the state, majority minority, well over median age, and very high unemployment. Other characteristics of the areas in which these reactors exist or are proposed: high rates of asthma, high infant mortality, high cancer rates, high percentages of Spanish language homes, and low rates of high school or equivalency attainment. Although we had to revisit some of the science that supported our initial conclusions, our overarching and supported conclusion was that the communities that have nuclear reactors in their backyard are full of people that already have a lot of socio-economic factors to contend with in their daily survival, and that the additional burden on their health and environment is a serious environmental racism and justice issue.

If you are still undecided about nuclear energy, here are some things to consider:

**Nuclear reactors produce tons of spent fuel, which is high-level radioactive waste that is harmful to all life for over 10,000 years.
**There is currently no long-term storage for all of this waste.
**Nuclear reactors also produce tons of low-level waste that creates another “safe storage” problem.
**Nuclear reactors are VERY THRISTY. In a world with increasing water shortages, we need less water intensive alternatives.
**Nuclear energy is risky business. Wall Street won’t invest in it, why should you? Many states, including Florida, are passing the capital costs onto you with “Early Cost Recovery” and “Construction Work in Progress” rate-increases on your energy bill. See Regress Energy for more information on how this is playing out in Florida.
**Thermal discharge from reactors endangers surrounding marine eco-systems.

For more on the science behind this madness, check out www.ieer.org

The Southeast currently has 13 new nuclear reactor proposals. There are a number of local, state, regional, and national groups getting organized to keep these expensive, risky, water intensive, dangerous energy sources out of our communities. Here are some organizations that you can plug into to take action:

Southern Energy Network–We are looking to build a team of passionate youth to organize our region out of risky nuclear and into renewables! Contact mandy@climateaction.net for more information.
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
Institute for Environmental and Energy Research

Preparing for a Summer of Action

Now that classes are over, exams are done, and grades are in, I – along with millions of other students across the U.S. – have finally begun to prepare for what will undoubtedly be an incredibly exciting summer. I’ll certainly be keeping busy with classes, work, and plenty of travel plans, but, to be completely honest, I’m excited about much more than beach trips, concerts, and spending time with my friends and family.

In recent years, climate and energy issues have gained considerable media momentum and have garnered the attention of politicians across the country. President Obama has spoken about the issue and people across the planet are beginning to take serious notice. As both a young person and someone who cares deeply about these issues, I have decided to spend my summer working with other young people to push for bold change in current U.S. climate policies. This is an incredibly exciting time for the U.S. and given what’s going on in D.C., this summer is the time for change.

Perhaps one of the most exciting events of the summer is California Rep. Henry Waxman’s climate bill, which was proposed earlier this spring. The bill, formally titled the American Clean Energy and Securities Act of 2009, is currently in the hands of the Energy and Commerce Committee, where it is being revised and edited. In its current state, the bill seeks to define “clean energy” and regulate it on the national level, plans to enforce a cap on carbon emissions, and promises to enact new efficiency standards for the transportation, construction, and energy industries. If anything, the introduction of this bill shows that our elected officials are beginning to realize that the demand for drastic change cannot be met with legislative inaction.

All said, aspects of the bill absolutely must be stronger and we, as advocates for a safer, healthier future, need to speak loudly and let our demands be known. We need a bill with renewable energy targets that mirror the numbers suggested by scientific research, we need a bill that does not give pollution handouts to dirty energy corporations, and we need a bill that will provide the appropriate funding and resources to fully support a nationwide transition to a clean energy future.

Our future is at stake and as both young people and environmental advocates, it’s our job to demand a strong bill that is hopeful and promises to make deep, lasting changes. It’s up to us to inspire our elected officials and although it won’t be an easy job, it’s certainly not impossible.

First, it’s up to us to hold our elected officials accountable for their part in the construction and movement of this bill. We need to contact our congressmen (by phone, e-mail, mail, fax, etc.) and demand that they request changes that reflect the interests of their constituents. We elected them, we are trusting them with a huge responsibility. It’s imperative that we tell them what we need and let them know that we’re paying attention.

We also need to raise public awareness by telling our stories. We can write letters to the editor, opinion editorials, blog posts, facebook posts, twitter feeds. Further, it’s critical that we speak about this issue whenever possible. Tell your friends, family, classmates, colleagues, and neighbors about the bill and explain what they can do to help. Let them know that they, too, can write a Letter to the Editor or phone their congressman. It may sound surprising, but one well-written editorial makes a difference, just the same as one vote can make a difference.

The key to inspiring change is a combination of awareness and action; we need to be knowledgeable of the federal goings-on while also encouraging our communities, universities, and local governments to fight for bold national change. It’s a tough job, but we proved ourselves with Power Vote and Power Shift. As young people, students, and individuals who care deeply about our country’s future, we create a strong, unified voice and we have all the ambition, intelligence, and creativity necessary to inspire change. Let’s talk about this bill, let’s write about this bill, and let’s prove that we’ve got a mission and a purpose. Now is the time to demand bold action and even bolder change and though the summer may be short, now is the time to make it happen.

Brittany Forrestal

Communications Fellow

Florida Green Fee: Legislation Fizzled, But Campus Campaigns Still Sizzle!

The Green Fee campaign in Florida has already seen so much activity this year! The statewide coalition of schools worked closely with Florida Senator Lee Constantine’s office to present a Renewable Energy Fund Bill in the Florida House and Senate. The bill would have provided the necessary legislation for universities in the state system to implement the Green Fee. Florida and Texas are two of the only states that require students to navigate the legislative process in their quest to create funds to increase sustainability on their campuses. For more info and a nice blog hit for the campaign, see this: New York Times Blog Hit for Florida Green Fee!

The legislation flew through the first two committees, and met strong adversity in the third Higher Education Appropriations Committee. This committee is chaired by Senator Evelyn Lynn, who refused to place it on the agenda, but admitted on the floor that her office had fielded “40 or more calls per day” in support of the Fee. She used our display of Green Fee support as a testament to her overall disapproval for raising student fees. Although this is commendable in the face of the economic challenges we currently face, many students feel they should be given the choice to invest in their energy future to support a green economy. Most would be paying less that $20 per year, and with the current maximum being set at $1 per credit hour, the most a student would pay is $30 per year. A minimal investment considering the current peril of our climate and energy security!

So, what now? Well, all of this excitement has stirred up new campus campaigns and reinvigorated old ones! We are going to have a meeting sometime around August to flesh the plans out, but it looks like we are going to redirect our energies back onto the campus campaigns. Having other campuses join University of Florida and New College as leading institutions advocating for the students will increase the pressure on the state legislature to give the students and their universities what they demand: A Green Fee to Support a Green Future in Florida!

For more information, check out: www.floridagreenfee.com

or, contact mandy@climateaction.net

Florida International University

UCF Wants the Green Fee!

Best 21st birthday present ever!

The view!

For months community members in Jenkinsville, SC have been meeting, organizing, and growing more vocal about their frustrations with the local utility that wants to build two more reactors in a community that already hosts one unit.  So when I spoke with community members who were itching to move beyond just organizing to Nuclear Regulatory Commission deadlines, we set a date two Tuesdays from that Sunday.  At the time, I didn’t realize that was the Tuesday of my 21st birthday.  When it hit me, I knew it was going to be perfect.

So last night, we met at the local park, proudly owned and operated by the same utility that owns and operates the nuclear facility in Jenkinsville.  It boasts a “scenic view,” and it sure is a view.  Down by the water’s edge are covered picnic tables, a bit of beach for the locals to enjoy, a fishing dock and right across the water sits VC Summer. Beautiful!  We gathered around one of the picnic tables, enjoyed the summer weather and a cooling breeze off of the lake.  And as we–community leaders, youth activists and other no nuke activists–plotted how to stop two more reactors from being built in this community, we pulled strength and determination from the vision of devastation that lay across the water.

A vision of economic and human health devastation.  SCE&G has stated in their own environmental report that less than 10% of new jobs will go to residents of the county let alone the surrounding community and that they do not expect any economic stimulation for the Jenkinsville area as a result of expansion.  Furthermore, cancer rates have increased since the introduction of the first reactor and many local residents live off of the land: home gardens, fish from the lake and rivers and local game, to feed their families.

So sharing that community and mutual passion, creating next steps and a plan we all worked on together, knowing that we were organizing to do something to humble that boastful and unsuspecting utility that built a park and thought their contributions to the community ended there, was the best 21st birthday gift I could have asked for.  Knowing that each one of us sitting around that picnic table was determined with our lives to stop this proposed expansion gave me goosebumps that I blamed on the water’s winds and that, in this southern heat today, I cannot excuse away.  To learn more about the community organizing efforts in Jenkinsville, email Sara Tansey at Sara@climateaction.net and stay tuned!

100s Rally, 44 arrested at Cliffside Coal Action

June Blotnick and other leaders about to get arrested. photo by Melanie Smith

44 activists young and old were arrested at Cliffside action in downtown Charlotte today.  Great action and rally through Charlotte stopping at Governor Purdue’s office, Bank of America and Duke Energy Headquarters.  Find out more about the event here and see more below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  April 20, 2009

44 Arrested for Protesting Duke’s Climate Hypocrisy
Energy Giant Talks “Green,” Then Builds More Coal Plants

CONTACTS: John Deans, Greenpeace, 919 829 5504 (c) 207 319 6850; Liz Veazey, Southern Energy Network, 919-619-5964

Charlotte, N.C.— Police arrested 44 people for participating in a protest of Duke Energy’s plans to add massive additional coal burning to the company’s Cliffside plant. Those arrested include: Jim Warren of NC Warn; Bo Webb Coal River Mountain and Mike Roselle from Climate Ground Zero in Appalachia; Larry Gibson with Mountainkeeper, and Mike McCoy-from Kentuckians for the Commonwealth; and several Rutherford County residents where the construction is underway. They will likely be charged with second-degree trespass.

Community members take back the dialogue!

If you just read the newspaper articles coming through The State paper in Columbia, you’d believe the rose colored pictures of a community opening it’s arms to welcome South Carolina Electric & Gas and their proposal to build two more (with one existing) nuclear reactors in the Jenkinsville, SC community.  You wouldn’t know that many living in the shadow of VC Summer Unit One have been organizing themselves to stop any dreamed of expansion.  But at a meeting hosted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, community leader and organizer Tangee Jacobs stole the show and had NRC and SCE&G representatives listening to her concerns and her questions.  And they weren’t the only ones.  The State paper finally reported the reality of a community frustrated by the patronization and appeasement tactics of regulatory bodies that aren’t listening.  But the frustrations are deeper.  The first nuclear reactor came into Jenkinsville 25 years ago, back when there was a grocery store and a handful of other local businesses.   Now Jenkinsville has nothing except higher than expected cancer mortality rates and a devastated environment, but they’re going to make sure that they don’t lose even more of their community to a greedy utility and an archaic energy technology.  To get more involved in supporting the community’s efforts to fight back, email Sara Tansey at sara@climateaction.net.  And check out the great article in The State featuring Miss Tangee Jacobs.

Citizens Gather for Biggest NC Climate Action in 2 Decades!

On the eve of one of the largest climate actions in North Carolinas history  activists and organizer young and old gathered  from across the country  at a charlotte Unitarian church today to prepare for the monumental action against Duke Energy’s proposed Cliffside coal plant expansion. People have shown up from over 20 states, including Massachusetts, Ohio, New York, California, New Jeresey, and most surrounding southern States just to name a few.

We gathered to go over logistics, but more importantly to discuss the issue and learn Non-violent strategy and its importance in this movements actions.  “non-violence is  a necessary  part of this action because it doesn’t allow the focus to shift away from the key issue, coal. In addition to showing your dedication and commitment, this non-violent direct action serves as an a opportunity to educate your peers, family, and public about the power we have to stand up to dirty energy” -Graymon Ward – Croatian Earth First Raleigh

The new proposed coal plant would use conventional, pulverized coal technology. This facility would have NO ability to capture or control carbon, which means all of these emissions will pump freely into our already warming atmosphere for at least the next 50 years. The new 800 MW coal-fired facility that would emit over 6 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. We expect a facility of this size will live at least the average of a 50-year lifespan, which means a total of 312 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere throughout its life. This grand total is equal to adding one million cars to the road each year!

Over the past few years as we have seen the imminent need for solutions to climate change, poverty, failing economy, and joblessness. These things, among others, have brought about a surging interest by citizens young and old and solution supporting organizations that have continuously stood by their fellow citizens putting their efforts behind real solutions, bodies, and freedom in the way of injustice and debilitating ways of thinking.

For those of us who can’t be with us in Charlotte you can follow the Greenpeace twitter via stopcliffside.org or subscribe to the Southern Energy Network Twitter feed.

Further show your support by calling into Duke’s Headquarters(704) 382-8000 & Governor Perdue’s office (919) 733-7350

Also

Gather photos from your friends and your campus visit http://powershift09.org/wevotedfor for details

During the week of April 20th, the first hearing around the American Clean Energy & Security Act (ACES) will take place – we’ll deliver thousands of photos to the hearing to make sure that our voices are heard, and that the faces of our movement are in the room.

FL YOUTH DEMAND TO BE HEARD! “Give us the Green Fee!!”

Many of you know that students in the University System of Florida have been rocking the Green Fee campaign all over! In fact, 10 out of the 11 universities in the state system are actively planning and campaigning to get the Fee on their campus. 5 schools have already passed student referenda in support of the Fee. This year, they took it to the state, working with Senator Lee Constantine to present the Fee in the form of and amendment to Senate Bill 1996. Following the Bill to the floor, students from 5 universities attended the original committee meeting, where it passed 3 to 1 with one absent. They were again present at the next committee meeting where the bill passed unanimously.

Late last night, we got the word that the Renewable Energy Fund amendment, along with Florida Senate Bill 1996 was stalling at the Higher Education Appropriations Committee. This committee is chaired by Senator Evelyn Lynn, who opposes the fee, which would allow schools that have approved the fee to implement it. It is not mandatory. The students are asking for it. It is their money!

If it passed, it would allow University of Florida to implement a mere 50 cent per credit hour fee, which would generate nearly $800,000 to be used to increase efficiency and invest in renewable energy. New College of Florida would also be able to implement the $1 per credit hour fee that their students and administration approved, which is the maximum that would be allowed under the legislation.

Please take time to show your support of the Green Fee in Florida! Send the email below, or your version of it, ask your friends to do the same! Help us make it viral! Link this in your Facebook, Twitter, or anywhere!

For more info on the history of this campaign, check out the Florida Green Fee Coalition.

Questions? mandy@climateaction.net

Dear Senator Lynn,

I, _______________________________, am a student strongly in support of the Green Fee currently being proposed for public universities across the state of Florida. Myself, as well as students at five other public universities within Florida, voted in support of referendums on our campuses dealing with funding for the Green Fee. Along with student backing from the remaining Florida institutions, the campaign has grown to all the public universities in the state over the past 2 years. The Florida Student Association has also endorsed the passage of this legislation. Students are not only willing, but eager to contribute financially to sustainability efforts on their own respective campuses.

With Earth Day quickly approaching, supporting SB 1996 would be an incredible effort in the fight against global climate change. With your support and this groundbreaking legislation, Florida will have the opportunity to be a leader in sustainability efforts on campuses across the country. Please support the concerns of university students in Florida by making every effort to see that the Green Fee becomes a reality.

Sincerely,
[name]

Owning Our Movement: Turning “Junk” into Action

Now more than ever grassroots fundraising is critical to keeping our organizations and campaigns strong. It’s also a great opportunity for us to both literally and figuratively “own” our movement. Ellie Johnston, SEN Steering Committee member, and other incredible activists in Asheville did just that and raised over $1,000 to support our work.

Students at UNC Asheville clean house and raise money to support climate action

Check out what Ellie had to say about their event:

So as people who want to work towards a just and sustainable future we often face a dilemma in how to get the money to accomplish our goals. Grassroots fundraising should compliment the grassroots organizing that we are doing, right? But how do you sustain and support an organization with grassroots fundraising?

The students at UNC Asheville have renewed an age old method of raising funds–the yard sale. Selling your stuff is a great way to get some dough. If your a college student though, who just wants to support an organization and doesn’t own a bunch of stuff that you can give up, what do you do? Sell other peoples stuff.

At UNCA we had planned to have a yardsale as part of our Greenfest week for months, but 10 days out we still hadn’t gotten any donations in response to the flyers we had put up. So, we took a more proactive approach to getting stuff to sell. We realized that people who have yard sales have stuff they want to get rid of and by the end of the yard sale they still are left with stuff they want to get rid of. So we offered to pick up people’s yard sale leftovers in order to get it out of their hands and more importantly away from the landfill. A day and a half spent picking up yard sale leftovers around town resulted in a ton of really great items that we could then sell at our own yard sale the following week.

Early on we had decided on two things about this yard sale. First this was going to be a yardsale for the Southern Energy Network who has supported our organization on a lot things throughout the year and is going through a financial pinch like the rest of the world. And second, that we weren’t going to dictate to anyone what they would pay for items.

On the day of the yard sale we had it all setup out on UNC Asheville’s Quad and waited for people to come. People came trickling on to the Quad in hopes of seeing the huge yard sale that we had advertised. At the register people would come up with their rollerblades, coffee makers, and flannel shirts while we explained that the proceeds from this yard sale were going to the Southern Energy Network and asked them to make an offer on what they were buying. No offer was ever turned down and many were really quite generous. In all we got just over $1000 from selling people’s leftovers, not bad eh?

People everywhere love a good deal. Now that the weather has warmed the bargain hunters are on the prowl and would love to support your favorite organization (especially when they find that Mt. Rushmore tea cup to complete their collection).

A huge thanks to Ellie and team! Also to Reagan Richmond and students in Tennessee for the $250 they raised for SEN through an art opening and raffle.

Feel inspired, support SEN and our work to promote a youth-led movement for a clean, just and sustainable energy future!