I can't think of a better way than this to wrap up this week in climate news. The Washington Post and ABC News released a new poll today that shows just how strongly the American people support bold action on climate and clean energy:
Nearly six in 10 of those polled support the proposed changes to U.S. energy policy being developed by Congress and the administration. Fifty-five percent of Americans approve of the way Obama is handling the issue, compared with 30 percent who do not. A narrower majority, 52 to 43 percent, back a cap-and-trade system; that margin is unchanged since June. A cap-and-trade system would set a ceiling for the nation's greenhouse gas emissions, and it would allow firms to buy and sell emissions permits.
After weeks of rumors, Republican Florida Governor Charlie Crist announced this morning that George LeMieux would replace retiring Republican Senator Mel Martinez in the US Senate. LeMieux, a longtime Crist ally and confidant (as well as former Crist chief of staff and campaign manager), will hold the seat until January 2011. Crist is favored to win that seat in the November 2010 elections.
We knew it was going to happen: the opponents of change are pulling out all the stops in their efforts to derail significant health care reform in this country. I work for Colorado Interfaith Power and Light, and while our issue is climate change, I also care deeply about health care reform; not only that, but I think the health care debate is a preview of things to come in the debate around climate change and clean energy jobs legislation. To some people, the ends apparently justify the means, to heck with civil discourse or respecting others.
By Roger Shamel, President of the Global Warming Education Network, a Lexington, MA – based nonprofit dedicated to spreading awareness and encouraging action to slow man-made climate change. -- Luis
In the effort to create effective U.S. climate change legislation, perhaps our greatest impediment is the knowledge gap between what scientists know and what the American public knows about climate change.
It's been clear for awhile that big polluters and their right-wing allies have opted out of having an honest debate on climate and energy, choosing to go the Astroturf route instead. Fine. But do they have to make it so easy for us to smoke them out?
We've touched on the fact that the new coal industry front group "FACES" has yet to come forward with a list of their members. Well, thanks to a few new media gumshoes, including our own Jamie Goodman and our friends at DeSmogBlog, we've learned that not only is FACES hosted by a K-Street firm called Adfero, but all of the "FACES" of coal are actually just istockphotos. They couldn't even get real photos of their supporters.
Today, 1Sky announced that more than 1,000 small business and community leaders are calling on the U.S. Senate to support a strong and comprehensive clean energy jobs bill this fall.
“A clean energy jobs bill will ensure that American businesses stay competitive with the rest of the world,” said Hunter Lovins of Natural Capitalism, Inc., based in Longmont, Colorado, which counsels clients around the world on 'greening' their business while improving their bottom line.
“It is very important that Congress understands the connection between clean energy investments and domestic jobs,” Lovins said.
There's no shortage of news articles, scientific reports, and even scientific documentaries issuing dire warnings about climate change. But sometimes it takes the emotional punch that only a big screen feature film can pack to move people to take action on a long term crisis like global warming. And that's the kind of emotional punch that The Age of Stupid will deliver when it hits U.S. theaters on September 21st.
The Age of Stupid is the documentary/drama/animation hybrid from Director Franny Armstrong (McLibel, Drowned Out) and Oscar-winning Producer John Battsek (One Day In September, Live Forever, In the Shadow of the Moon). Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite (In The Name of the Father, Brassed Off, The Usual Suspects) stars as an old man living the year 2055 -- in a planet ravaged by runaway climate change. . He watches 'archive' footage from 2008 and asks: Why didn't we stop climate change when we had the chance?
The movie will launch in the U.S. on September 21st 2009 from a solar-powered cinema tent in New York LIVE to 115,000 people in 400 movie theatres across the country. For more information check out AgeofStupid.net or RSVP for the world premiere on Facebook.
Hi. I'm Kimberly, 1Sky's Field and Online Organizer. I work with our supporters and Climate Precinct Captains (CPCs) to help organize local events for the clean energy bill. You've probably seen that 1Sky supporters all over the country are holding "Back to DC" actions next week (8/31-9/4). Well, I'm here to make sure that you have the skills so that this and all your future events are top-notch! That's why I've decided to start this Organizing Tip of the Week blog, starting with the Laws of Recruitment.
This week, the pro-climate grassroots began to step up to the challenge of scaled up Astroturfing campaigns. Though big industry and right wing think tanks are continuing to whip up a fake opposition to climate action outside of town hall meetings and at their own rallies, several environmental organizations have launched their own campaigns to stand up for clean energy and climate action at these important events. With half of the recess still ahead of us, we will need to continue to mobilize the majority of Americans that do want climate action and drown out the anti-climate hysteria.
