Where: 211 West 6th Street (corner of 6th and Lavaca Streets in downtown Austin)
When: 5:30 to about 7:00 PM
Who: MoveOn members and any like-minded individuals who are tired of the same tripe from conservative talking heads and their supportive media. Kids are welcome! This is a great opportunity to show them what activism really means.
Agenda: we will be gathering near Senator Cornyn's office, using the intersection of two one-way streets and a busy sidewalk at getting-out-of-work time to educate the public on the myths being propagated by those opposed to a green energy economy. We will have several visuals to include large signs depicting 100 new coal-fired energy generation plants allowed by the recently-passed American Clean Air and Security (ACES) Act. It passed the House by a vote of 219 to 212, but was so watered down by both Democratic and Republican Congressmen, that it barely defends our environment and hardly makes a dent into the joblessness in Texas and the country.
One particularly onerous provision is that this bill allows the construction of up to 100 new coal-fired energy plants in the future. There is no such thing as "clean coal," and these plants will only contribute to the environmental mess we are presently in.
You can also help by handing out our recently-developed informational flyers to passersby and motorists. These flyers take the more in-your-face, false statements that attempt to convince people that a green energy economy is too costly and counter-productive for our country and present the truth from past studies and scientists and economists about what the real effect will be if we don't do anything.
Please join us. We are inviting the press to a release of this document and want Austin to understand the stakes in not doing anything. We can't allow Texas' and our country's economy and environmental future to be determined by Big oil, Dirty coal and the Senators and Representatives they buy with their political contributions.
(An interesting take on Cap and Trade. - promoted by Matt Glazer)
The Cap and Trade Bill (HR 2454) is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent by 2020 and create 'green' jobs, by putting a limit on the amount of pollution large industrial industries can output, and then if they go above that, they have to buy pollution permits. If some companies do not need all that they are allocated, they can sell their permits to companies that do.
Texas U.S. Representatives Joe Barton and Pete Sessions continue their lying campaign about the "Cap and Trade" legislation by claiming that President Obama's proposal to curb greenhouse gas emissions would cost households as much as $3,100 per year. Their 'Party of No' says it is a "massive national energy tax." However Texans and Americans need to know the $3,100 figure they keep lying about is a complete misrepresentation of both President Obama's proposal and the studies from which the number is derived.
An EPA analysis (Environmental Protection Agency) of the draft version found that the 'cap & trade' policy has a relatively modest impact on U.S. consumers assuming the bulk of revenues from the plan are returned to American households. "The EPA estimates the average cost per household to only be between $98 and $140 per year.
The US House of Representatives passed HR 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, sometimes referred to as the Waxman-Markey Bill, or ACES, by a vote of 219-212. A majority in the House of Representatives in 218 votes.
While I wish I could say this vote went along party lines, it did not. 8 Republicans (none from Texas) voted for the bill, while an amazing 44 Democrats voted against President Obama, the environment, and green jobs (including three from Texas).
These Dems should be whipped and whipped hard. The consensus in the enviro community was that this bill was watered down and wouldn't meet the promise of a truly great energy and climate bill. But it would be the best we could get. The closeness of the vote shows that every compromise literally had to be made to get any climate bill passed.
As for our Texas delegation, we have good news and bad news. (more after bump)
NPR did a great story this morning on how this Climate Change bill has been watered down by the onslaught of lobbyists. Renewal energy targets have been reduced from 25% to 15%, and 85% of the pollution credits are actually given away upfront. For more information about Texas Climate Emergency Campaign, call them at 512/852-8776 or e-mail them at texasclimate@gmail.com. Their website is www.texasclimateemergency.org.
All Texas Congressional telephone numbers are at the end.
We are entering the final weeks of our campaign to provide security for future generations by avoiding the worst of coming climate chaos. House Speaker Pelosi has said that all the committees have to finish their work by Friday, June 19th, and on the week of June 22nd the Waxman-Markey (American Clean Energy and Security Act) (H.R. 2454) bill will go to the House for a vote.
However, the bill has been significantly weakened since it was first introduced in March. You can help make sure that the first climate bill to move through the House of Representatives actually takes meaningful steps to curb climate change. As written, the Waxman-Markey bill includes compromises that threaten to undermine the primary goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Waxman-Markey helps coal and oil industries instead of protecting consumers and the environment. Lawmakers have conducted closed-door negotiations with polluters, resulting in a bill that accommodates the financial interests of big energy corporations while squandering an opportunity to curb the coming climate chaos and doing little to help working families. Texas Climate Emergency Campaign is working with 1Sky, Friends of the Earth, Move On, Public Citizen, Greenpeace, and other groups in trying to strengthen this bill. Please ask your representative (numbers below) to work to improve the bill in three key ways:
1. Hold Polluters Accountable: By eliminating provisions that allow polluters to continue polluting at current levels for over a decade & by restoring authority to the EPA to mandate cleaner technology for power plants.
2. Ensure More Clean Energy for America: By increasing the renewable energy and energy efficiency standards. Require power companies to produce more clean energy than currently mandated. Wind and solar create more than twice as many jobs as coal and oil.
3. Create More Clean Energy Jobs for America: Limit giveaways to polluting industries, like Big Oil and Dirty Coal, and instead bolster green job development and protection of vulnerable communities.
LOCAL Washington D.C.
Henry Cuellar 956.725.0639 202.225.1640
Chet Edwards 254.752.9600 202.225.6105
Charlie Gonzalez 210.472.6195 202.225.3236
Al Green 713.383.9234 202.225.7508
Gene Green 281.999.5879 202.225.1688
Ruben Hinojosa 956.682.5545 202.225.2531
Eddie Bernice Johnson 214.922.8885 202.225.8885
Sheila Jackson Lee 713.655.0050 202.225.3816
Solomon Oritz 361.883.5868 202.225.7742
Silvestre Reyes 915.434.4400 202.225.4831
Ciro Rodriguez 210.922.1874 202.225.4511
Congressman Doggett yesterday introduced a proposal for legislation known as the Climate MATTERS Act, a response to the effects of global warming we are feeling every day now. Austin Mayor Will Winn hosted the event in the City Council chambers and was joined by leaders of the environmental and business community in welcoming Rep. Doggett.
Most of the bill sounds legitimate, including a strong 80% in CO2 emissions by 2050, science-based review of progress, auctioning of carbon credits and returning the money to the people and investments in efficiency and renewable energy. It also includes a provision to enact a carbon tariff on any country who does not join the next UN sponsored follow-up to the Kyoto Protocol, due to expire next year.
Full review of Doggett's bill, along with his press release and remarks after the bump. Please also vote in the poll if you favor action on global warming.
"this post does not reflect the views of anyone or any other organization other than Citizen Andy, and even then not all the time."
Those aren't the words of some crazy person off the street. They are the words of Cathie Adams, the president of the well-known conservative group Texas Eagle Forum, who is running for an open spot on the Republican National Committee.
The news on global warming just keeps getting worse.
There's an article in the latest Scientific American that suggests that the Antarctic ice sheet could be unstable, threatening to raise sea level worldwide.
It has been known for a while that if the ice sheet melted, it would raise sea level by 200 feet or more. But scientists have predicted that it would take decades or centuries for all that ice to melt. Now, it seems that the ice could simply slide off.
• The land-based ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica hold enough water to raise global sea level by more than 200 feet.
• A complex "plumbing system" of rivers, lakes and meltwater lies under the ice sheets. That water "greases" the flow of vast streams of ice toward the ocean.
• For millennia, the out going discharge of ice has been balanced by incoming snowfall. But when warming air or surface meltwater further greases the flow or removes its natural impediments, huge quantities of ice lurch seaward.
The rise in sea level that could occur if the ice sheets slide into the sea would create the greatest refugee migration in history. It would make the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina look like a picnic. This is a worldwide emergency, and we in Austin must spare no effort to reduce our impact on the climate.
I wanted to make sure the Burnt Orange community knows about the statewide global warming youth conference happening on the UT campus February 8-10. This is the first time students from colleges all over the state are getting together, creating a youth climate movement that will transcend individual schools.
And while the conference is aimed at students and young people, it is open to all. So even if you are not a currently registered student, you can still attend. Go to www.reenergizetexas.org for more information.
It's being put on by some of the same folks who organized PowerShift, the recent nationwide student conference that attracted over 5000 students and young people.
From the media advisory....
Hundreds of young adults from across Texas will converge in Austin February 8-10 for the first statewide youth conference on climate change. At the “Re-Energize Texas Summit, 300 college and high school students will learn about solutions to global warming and how to effectively put those solutions into practice.
"This is an incredible opportunity for young Texans to create a powerful youth coalition to make Texas a leader in safe, clean, just and affordable climate solutions,” said Praween Dayananda, Campus Field Coordinator for the National Wildlife Federation and one of the organizers of the Summit. “Students will learn what’s at stake and how to take action on campus and in their communities.”
Keynote speakers include wildlife biologist Dr. Camille Parmesan, Stonyfield Farm CEO Gary Hirshberg, commentator Jim Hightower, Reverend Lennox Yearwood of the Hip-Hop Caucus, Peter Illyn of Restoring Eden, Tom "Smitty" Smith of Public Citizen, Arlington mayor Robert Cluck, and Ted Glick of The US Climate Emergency Council. For more information, go to http://www.reenergizetexas.org/.
Al Gore has the best survival skills of us all for us all. He works very hard to try to save all of our families. As much as I really like our Democratic Presidential candidates, Al Gore has done more than all of them put together to try to steer clear of climate collapse and fund the building of new media to defend Democracy itself.
I noticed no one else had written about Al Gore's acceptance speech upon receiving the Nobel Prize for trying to save our butts. So, if you forgot, here it is:
Seven years ago tomorrow, I read my own political obituary in a judgment that seemed to me harsh and mistaken – if not premature. But that unwelcome verdict also brought a precious if painful gift: an opportunity to search for fresh new ways to serve my purpose.
Unexpectedly, that quest has brought me here. Even though I fear my words cannot match this moment, I pray what I am feeling in my heart will be communicated clearly enough that those who hear me will say, “We must act.”
The distinguished scientists with whom it is the greatest honor of my life to share this award have laid before us a choice between two different futures – a choice that to my ears echoes the words of an ancient prophet: “Life or death, blessings or curses. Therefore, choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.”
We, the human species, are confronting a planetary emergency – a threat to the survival of our civilization that is gathering ominous and destructive potential even as we gather here. But there is hopeful news as well: we have the ability to solve this crisis and avoid the worst – though not all – of its consequences, if we act boldly, decisively and quickly.
However, despite a growing number of honorable exceptions, too many of the world’s leaders are still best described in the words Winston Churchill applied to those who ignored Adolf Hitler’s threat: “They go on in strange paradox, decided only to be undecided, resolved to be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity, all powerful to be impotent.
