Weekly roundup 2/25/11: Standing Tall in Wisconsin and Around the Nation
Weekly roundup 2/25/11: Standing Tall in Wisconsin and Around the Nation
Coral in Danger
The rain forests of the sea could soon be no more. A study released this week says that coral reefs are headed for dire straits. Due to climate change warming the seas and ocean acidification from carbon dioxide pollution, over 90% of reefs will see substantial threat by 2030. Nearly all of them could be wiped out by 2050. Lauretta Burke, lead author on the report, "Reefs at Risk Revisited" says that the forecast looks dire, but taking action now could go a long way. Cutting greenhouse gas emissions is at the core of the necessary changes needed to save the livelihoods of 500 million people who depend on the reefs worldwide.
Rally to Save the American Dream
In response to the bill in Wisconsin that plans to destroy the collective bargaining rights of many public workers, 1Sky has joined in with a hefty coalition of organizations to cosponsor the "Rally to Save the American Dream," happening tomorrow, February 26. Join us at noon on Saturday at State Houses across the country to take a stand for the public workers who protect, educate and serve us every day.
Members of the Wisconsin state assembly are pushing to destroy unions, slash state budgets, and give tax breaks to wealthy corporations. A Buffalo Beast editor pranked Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker by posing as famed foe to climate, David Koch. The conversation that transpired underscores the serious danger we face as a nation as companies buy politicians and write off their corporate interests with a cheque. 1Sky campaign director Liz Butler has more:
What's happening in Wisconsin is a crucial, turning point moment for our country, especially those of us who care about climate and green jobs. MoveOn and others have been doing whatever can think of to support what's happening in WI, nationalize the pushback, and spread the fight. This fight is about the battle to dismantle the issues we all care about including climate related issues. Right now this is the leading edge of the fight against big corporations' effort to cut everything we care about."
Please sign on to the rally and work to get people out in the street since our American Dream to protect the climate is under threat right now, along with many other critical issues.
Electric Luxury
On the heels of The New York Times looking at the 5 year equation behind hybrid cars, Rolls Royce has released the first pictures of their 102EX phantom experimental electric car. The official unveiling for this electric dream on wheels will be at the 2011 Geneva motor show. Though it won't be available for mass market, this pilot vehicle will be used to test the future of EV's for Rolls Royce and gauge interest from their core buyers. As Grist points out, this is "basically straight-up eco-friendliness as status symbol," but a potentially huge step in hastening the electric car movement with the ever important cool factor.
Oil Prices hit $100 a Barrel
For the first time since 2008, Oil prices have reached the $100 dollar mark. The price has been driven by growing concerns about global supply, especially as still Moammar Gadhafi holds the reigns on oil-rich Libya. AP reports,
Libya's oil is a high-quality variety that produces valuable petroleum products like gasoline, jet fuel and diesel. Some refineries won't be able to run on Saudi Arabia's lower-grade crude, so a sustained shut down in Libya could start a bidding war for comparable kinds of crude."
With no defined end in sight to Mideast disruption in oil production, the financial toll could be significant on consumers worldwide.
Government Shut Down
March 4th is drawing nearer. To circumvent the looming shut down on critical agencies, lawmakers must pass a short-term resolution to continue funding the government. Democrats want to keep funding at the current levels for the 2011 fiscal year, but Republicans have sought to slash funding for the remaining months and make some serious cuts. The "compromise" the House Republicans have hatched up only allots $4 billion for a two-week resolution span. So where do these cuts fall the deepest?
1Sky Policy Coordinator, Jason Kowalski, gives a breakdown of the gauntlet the Clean Air Act runs through in light of the budget crisis. The House resolution is rife with provisions that end cash flow to key environmental protections - all of this while continuing billions of dollars in funding for oil companies. As an extra measure, it drops investment dollars in clean energy -- yes, with oil prices reaching $100 dollars a barrel.
Stunting the EPA in such a manner not only serves as the GOP's means to abandon the tougher pollution controls Big Coal wants eliminating and putting a death sentence on job growth.
The U.S. Chamber Doesn't Speak for Me
350.org launched their "The U.S. Chamber Doesn't Speak for Me" campaign this week and invites business owners to post videos expressing how differently they think than the chamber when it comes to global warming, energy and the environment. This nationwide campaign kicks off across the nation with volunteers canvassing local businesses from corner stores to cafes to collect signatures.
1Sky board member Bill McKibben posted a great overview of how the chamber has spent as much as $33 million to influence the 2010 midterm elections since the Citizens United allowing the flow of mass corporate funds to candidates. McKibben explains,
Still, the rest of us can stand up and be counted. We can tell the Congressional representatives taking their money that they don't speak for us. We can urge more big companies to act like Apple and Microsoft, which publicly denounced the chamber. (It's good to hear Levi Strauss, General Electric, and Best Buy making similar noises.) We need to hear from more dissenting chambers of commerce. It cheered me to find that the CEO of the Greater New York Chamber said, "They don't represent me," or to discover that just a few weeks ago the Seattle chamber cut its ties."
This is the action we need to cut the greed fueling dangerous policy the jeopardizes our health, welfare, environment and jobs.
