Weekly Round-Up: Van Jones, Senators, Walruses, Rock Stars, and Other Non-Sequiturs

What a week! Work-wise, it was only four days long. Timewise, it felt like years! This week, we try to piece together stories ranging from Van Jones to Senate committees to walruses, and more.

The week started on Sunday morning for most of us, as we awoke to news about Van Jones leaving the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Enough has been said on the topic and we all look forward to Van's next steps in the coming months. We especially like Green For All's Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins inspired response to Van stepping down:

"While Van may have stepped down from his formal position, now is the time for all of us to step up. Thanks to Van and countless supporters like yourself, the foundation for change has been set. We must continue to strengthen it -- to build a more secure, clean and equitable future for our nation."

So, the Senate is back to work this week, hopefully working towards that future! Several committees are knee-deep in drafting their own mark-ups for a Senate bill. But some Senators don't seem too excited by the bill action going on right now. Senator Blanche Lincoln's (D-AR) recent appointment atop the Senate Agriculture Committee left some bloggers cold. The Wonk Room's Brad Johnson quotes Lincoln as being "violently opposed" to the Markey-Waxman House bill, stating:

"Lincoln continually makes the false argument that taking action for clean energy and fighting climate change is more dangerous than the status quo, worrying that the ACES Act 'could lead to really high, higher food prices in these economic times.'"

Meanwhile, Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) isn't helping out Democrats, either. The Politico's Lisa Lerer says Baucus' Finance Committee power-play over cap-and-trade issue with Sen Barbara Boxer's Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee could create a power struggle. Baucus, already the face of health care reform in the Senate, could have "unpredictable Montana Democrat control over legislative proposals that could define the Democratic Party for years to come." Grist's Jonathan Hiskes worries about "the lack of urgency Baucus has shown on both health care and climate change." Hiskes claims Baucus' committee "has held only one hearing on (climate and energy) this year, which he didn’t even attend."

This lack of urgency is a troubling theme for the bill. Your senator needs to hear from you soon on why we need a strong bill this year. Visit our call center to make a free call to your senators now; we need 10,00 calls in the next few weeks to help keep the push on the Senate.

And, the Senate better hurry, the climate can't wait! Just ask the thousands of walruses stranded on Alaska's northwest coast, their environment altered by climate change. The AP's Dan Joling says researchers have noted an alarming trend in the number and timing of the walruses landing on shore, due to the lack of sea ice in the Arctic:

"Federal managers and researchers say walruses hauling out on shore could lead to deadly stampedes and too much pressure on prey within swimming range. Projections of continued sea ice loss means the phenomenon likely is not going away."

Joling reports that the Center for Biological Diversity has petitioned to list the Pacific walrus as an endangered because of habitat loss due to climate change. Yet another reason to take action and call your senators now!

Finally, it's good that Green Day is again addressing clean energy with the NRDC. The mega-platinum band (who has worked with NRDC before) can help spur action for the movement. Check out the latest NRDC/Green Day video we found on YouTube as Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong explains why it's time for a clean energy revolution.

So, Van Jones is a green jobs "rock star", Green Day are "rock stars"... trying to pull together a line of thought after an long week. What do you think of these stories? Is the Senate moving as slow as ice, which disappearing quickly? Miss any other rock stars? Any other themes we missed this week? Leave a comment below... and call your senators! Rock on!