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DEFENDING ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA
June 14, 2006
"Our coasts are simply too valuable to risk [drilling]. I can't depend on the president. The president is an oil man." - Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) in response to efforts to allow offshore drilling
(1) Sierra Club/United Steelworkers: Blue-Green Alliance Announced
(2) Offshore Drilling: Forcing States to Fight for Coastal Protections
(3) Take Action: 10,000 Tell Congress to Cut America's Oil Dependence - Keep it Going!
(4) Take Action: Storm in the Gulf: Host a House Party - Get a Free DVD
1. Sierra Club/United Steelworkers: Blue-Green Alliance Announced
On Wednesday, June 7, the Sierra Club and the United Steelworkers announced the formation of their historic "Blue-Green Alliance" to promote a new vision for American public policy. This vision includes the creation of new jobs by promoting smart energy solutions to global warming, reducing the risks from toxic chemicals in the workplace and the community, and building a responsible trade policy for America. The unprecedented alliance will chart a new direction for the nation's labor and environmental movements, bringing together almost 2 million members around a shared vision for the future. The Alliance will kick off its work with a "New Vision for America" tour designed to highlight the economic benefits of dealing with global warming, which will include events in cities across the country. Work will begin in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Ohio and Washington in the coming weeks, with plans to expand into at least 10 more states in the next two years.
Read more about the Blue-Green Alliance announcement. https://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,kt1o,o7l,jka6,e4t6,dazy,eylb
2. Offshore Drilling: Forcing States to Fight for Coastal Protections
A hearing is scheduled for tomorrow on Rep. Bobby Jindal's (R-LA) offshore drilling legislation that would immediately rescind the offshore drilling moratorium that the House just voted to maintain in May. Under this proposal, this 25-year bipartisan moratorium would be replaced by a complicated process that forces states to fight for coastal protections. Offshore oil and gas drilling is the slowest, dirtiest and most expensive way to produce energy. Permitting coastal drilling would do little to lower prices or make us more energy independent, but it would threaten our beaches with pollution and potential oil spills and put at risk billion-dollar coastal tourism economies and fishing industries. There are cheaper, cleaner, faster and longer-term energy solutions like energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy that will start saving consumers and businesses money today and protect our beaches, marine waters and coastal economies.
Learn more about protecting our coasts. https://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,kt1o,o7l,28sr,kzps,dazy,eylb
Take Action to protect our coasts from oil drilling. https://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,kt1o,o7l,a583,1wjy,dazy,eylb
3. Take Action: 10,000 Tell Congress to Cut America's Oil Dependence - Keep it Going!
Nearly 10,000 of you haven taken action in the last few weeks to support the Boehlert-Markey amendment to raise fuel economy standards to 33 miles per gallon by 2016! Despite being postponed several times, Congress is expected to vote in the coming weeks on this piece of legislation. Under this plan, the United States would save 2.5 million barrels of oil per day by 2025 -- an amount of oil equal to what the U.S. currently imports from the Persian Gulf. Your continued support is needed as this bill makes its way through the congressional process. If you haven't taken action yet, please do so. If you have, thanks for your support! https://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,kt1o,o7l,lay1,9ohd,dazy,eylb
4. Take Action: Storm in the Gulf: Host a House Party - Get a Free DVD
The newest episode of Sierra Club Chronicles tells the story of an unlikely group of local citizens who banded together to protect the Gulf Islands National Seashore after Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour announced his intention to open it to oil and gas exploration. This thin necklace of barrier islands is more than just a tourist destination; it also helps protect the mainland coast from the battering of ocean storms.
As we were filming this episode, Hurricane Katrina was gaining strength offshore, and we were forced to pull out. When we returned, we found massive devastation. Without the buffer provided by the barrier islands, the damage could have been even worse.
"Storm in the Gulf," episode six of Sierra Club Chronicles, will air Thursday, June 8 at 8:30 PM EST/PST and again on June 22 on Link TV (DIRECTV channel 375 and DISH Network channel 9410). Viewing information and downloads are available on our website: www.sierraclubtv.org. Host a house party and we'll send you a free DVD. https://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,kt1o,o7l,5ply,ftxh,dazy,eylb
"The global warming toll that's produced by my coal, is a very small toll," said he, "when compared to the cost and the profits to be lost by my air-polluting company." - Poem from "Irregular Times" describing the relationship between President Bush and the energy industry
(1) Global Warming: America's *Coal* Dependence?
(2) Campus Climate Challenge: Students Are Large and In Charge
(3) Take Action: Support the Boehlert-Markey Fuel Economy Legislation
(4) Take Action: Energy Week
1. Global Warming: America's *Coal* Dependence?
With high gas prices rightly on everyone's mind, much of the global warming talk has been focused on reducing America's dependence on oil. It's easy to forget that another huge source of global warming pollution is coal. Coal plants are responsible for nearly 40 percent of the carbon dioxide released in the United States. There are 114 new coal-burning power plants in various stages of planning and permitting in the U.S. today. Most of these new power plants plans do not make use of available technologies to limit pollution, which means the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air will certainly increase unless action is taken. Investments need to be made in safe, clean technology and clean energy alternatives. We cannot combat global warming unless we combat America's dependence on coal as well as oil.
Learn more about the effects of coal-burning power plants on global warming and what you can do to help. https://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,kppu,o7l,88nk,g25p,dazy,eylb
2. Campus Climate Challenge: Students Are Large and In Charge
Thanks to the Campus Climate Challenge four more schools have joined over 200 campuses in the U.S. and Canada in taking significant steps to reduce their global warming pollution. The University of California Santa Cruz, Bowdoin College and Duke's Fuqua School of Business have all agreed to purchase renewable energy certificates to offset 100 percent of their electricity usage. Central Oregon Community College has also agreed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, by purchasing renewable energy certificates for 75 percent of its electricity usage. The efforts of students on these campuses, as well as campuses across the nation are not only transforming schools, but also challenging our leaders to take action.
The Campus Climate Challenge is a joint campaign of 25 youth organizations aiming to transform higher education institutions into model sustainable communities by engaging students in working to reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions.
Learn more about Campus Climate Challenge. https://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,kppu,o7l,fluu,i5p5,dazy,eylb
3. Take Action: Support the Boehlert-Markey Fuel Economy Legislation
Despite being postponed several times, congress is expected to vote this coming week on a piece of legislation sponsored by Reps. Boehlert and Markey that would raise fuel economy standards to 33 miles per gallon within ten years. Under this plan, the United States would save 2.5 million barrels of oil per day by 2020 -- an amount of oil equal to what the U.S. currently imports from the Persian Gulf. Your continued support is needed as this bill makes its way through the congressional process.
Tell Congress to support the Boehlert-Markey amendment to raise fuel economy standards to 33 miles per gallon by 2016. https://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,kppu,o7l,mfvd,2fqh,dazy,eylb
Use our MPG Calculator to figure out how much you'd save if fuel economy standards were raised. https://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,kppu,o7l,kzjt,8c52,dazy,eylb
4. Take Action: Energy Week
Have you noticed recently that Memorial Day launches us into the so-called "summer driving season?" Well we on Capitol Hill sure hear it a lot as the Congressional leadership continues to use the phrase to fan the flames of consumer concern over higher prices at the pump. The House has already flagged the last week in June as "energy week," but don't expect any moves to put forward meaningful energy policy -- this is the week where we will likely see another proposal to try to "boost domestic supply" by offering up more of our natural heritage to drilling. Last week we saw them pass yet another bill to open the Arctic refuge to drilling; during "energy week" we expect a frontal assault on our coasts. Led by Congressmen Pombo (R-CA) and Peterson (R-PA), we expect the first authorizing bill designed to either lift the moratoria that protects our coasts from new oil and gas drilling offshore or a proposal that allows states to "opt out" of the Congressional moratorium.
Support a meaningful energy policy. https://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,kppu,o7l,a583,1wjy,dazy,eylb
"Now we are all learning what it's like to reap the whirlwind of fossil fuel dependence...Our destructive addiction has given us a catastrophic war in the Middle East and -- now -- Katrina is giving our nation a glimpse of the climate chaos we are bequeathing our children." - Robert Kennedy after hurricane Katrina
(1) RETURN OF THE HURRICANES: T-2 Days and Counting
(2) NATIONAL TRAILS DAY: Experience Your Outdoors!
(3) TAKE ACTION: Support the Boehlert-Markey Fuel Economy Legislation
(4) Take Action: Energy Week
1. Return of the Hurricanes: T-2 Days and Counting
As the hurricane season quickly approaches, many are beginning to wonder if we have learned anything from the devastation brought by last season's hurricanes. The Gulf Coast is still struggling to rebuild and many needed protections are not yet in place. Some of the best protection that can be offered to the communities on the coast occurs naturally. Nature has the ability to reduce the strength and impact of hurricanes as long as we don't impede its ability to do so by destroying natural habitats such as wetlands and barrier reefs. The Sierra Club and the Gulf Restoration Network have a taken an in-depth look at several coastal communities and what they have done to strengthen or weaken their protection from storms.
"The High Cost of Compromising Our Natural Defenses and the Benefits of Protecting Them" (.pdf) **This report will be available at 11am ET on May 31** https://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,kjxf,o7l,1z3f,ftkq,dazy,eylb sierraclub.org/gulfcoast/bigstorm.asp
Learn more about mitigating the affects of hurricanes. https://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,kjxf,o7l,doed,4vls,dazy,eylb
2. National Trails Day: Experience Your Outdoors!
June 3 is the 14th annual National Trails Day, a nationwide event supported by the American Hiking Society. Almost a million hikers are expected to turn out to enjoy and learn about trails in their area. All 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands and Canada are all participating in the event. Through 1,100 registered events nationwide, including workshops, demonstrations and trail and park clean-ups, National Trails Day seeks to encourage the public to take responsibility for their environment. This Saturday is a great way to give back to the trails and public lands that so many of you enjoy.
Learn more about National Trails Day events near you. https://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,kjxf,o7l,46vj,bjw0,dazy,eylb
3. Take Action: Support the Boehlert-Markey Fuel Economy Legislation
Rising gas prices are taking their toll on American families. With booming demand and limited supply driving prices up to around $3 per gallon in much of the country, the need to boost fuel economy for all new cars, trucks, and SUVs has never been clearer. Congress is voting soon on a piece of legislation sponsored by Reps. Boehlert and Markey that would raise fuel economy standards to 33 miles per gallon within ten years. Under this plan, the United States would save 2.5 million barrels of oil per day by 2020 -- an amount of oil equal to what the U.S. currently imports from the Persian Gulf.
Tell Congress to support the Boehlert-Markey amendment to raise fuel economy standards to 33 miles per gallon by 2016. https://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,kjxf,o7l,mfvd,2fqh,dazy,eylb
Use our MPG Calculator to figure out how much you'd save if fuel economy standards were raised. https://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,kjxf,o7l,m7il,9r9j,dazy,eylb
4. Dead Reckoning: Keep Your Bearings with Compass
Every weekday, Sierra Club's Compass brings you diverse news and opinion from a broad spectrum of environmental media. The frequently updated blog not only follows the latest headlines, it also weighs in on the cultural stuff: books, movies, tv and web sites. Often irreverent, never irrelevant, Compass is an enjoyable and informative filter on all things environmental. It's also a place for you to voice your opinion; visitors to Compass are always encouraged to post comments. https://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,kjxf,o7l,i9jk,8xhg,dazy,eylb
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