Yesterday I joined the newly formed Board of Directors of , coinciding with a range of exciting new changes at the organization. I have been a supporter of 350.org since I first heard about the wacky plan to turn a wonky scientific target into a global people's movement, and I'm thrilled and honored to be officially joining the team.

A few weeks ago, 1Sky activists joined in the South Florida "King Mango Strut" with allies from across the state to bring attention to the BP Oil spill and shed light on the importance of clean energy. The day was packed with fun, theatrics and education.

I woke up Wednesday morning with a scratchy throat but also a whole lot of hope. This week was packed full of events, each one different, and each one inspiring. To kick things off, I was able to participate in a with community leaders, legislators, business executives and one of my personal heroes, , to talk about green jobs and the clean energy economy.

The Clean Air Act (CAA) was signed into law in 1963 and has since been amended several times. This law requires that all new power plants use the best available technology to reduce pollutants that are a threat to human health. The power industry argued that there was no need to regulate old power plants, since they would be replaced over time with new plants that meet the CAA requirements. The fact that this didn’t happen is both a lesson for how we need to regulate greenhouse gas emissions in the future and an opportunity to quickly begin reducing our emissions in the present.

Soon after passage of the CAA, it was clear that these old plants weren’t going away. To the contrary: Old plants were being “upgraded”, without meeting the requirements of the CAA. That’s why was added to the CAA in 1977. If an existing plant was modified such that there were significant increases in emission, then the plant would need to be brought up to the CAA standards and the best available technology for controlling emissions would need to be installed. Routine maintenance is allowed under new source review. During the Clinton administration, a battle royal was waged about the definition of “significant” and “routine”. For the most part power plants have only performed “routine maintenance” since 1977. Still, power from these old plants has increased by operating them more hours each year.

In the 1980s, acid rain was killing lakes and streams in the Northwest; Congress amended the CAA again in 1990 to address this problem. This time their approach included the old plants, forcing them to either clean up their emissions or buy permits. The number of permits would drop over time, driving their cost up until the demand dropped, which happens when a power plant installs sulfur dioxide (SO2) scrubbers or is shut down.

This is a market-based approach, sometimes called , that the Republicans brought forward and has been very successful in reducing SO2 emissions at a much lower cost than was predicted (which is almost always the case for environmental and safety regulations). The pro-market folks are now deriding the same basic concept for carbon dioxide (CO2).

What does the date 10.10.10 signify? To some merely a symmetrical date of repeating numbers; to others a very lucky and auspicious date to hold weddings and cultural events.

For hundreds of thousands of people at , 10.10.10 was 350.org’s to get to work seeking solutions to the climate crisis. Citizens from nearly every country in the world joined together to dig at local farms and community gardens, install solar panels, plant trees and carry out other community-improving and energy-conserving projects. These actions were meant to send a clear message to our political leaders: “if we can get to work, so can you!”

SACE staff and members were involved in numerous projects throughout the Southeast including in Oxford, MS and the Raleigh-Durham region in NC. Through , a joint project of SACE and 1Sky, we helped to coordinate or support numerous projects in Florida, including a tree-planting project on the campus of the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg, FL.

cialis dose

Last month, as we wrapped-up Independence Day celebrations, I recalled the meaning behind this important holiday, the birthday of our country. The Founders had a clear vision for this country based in the belief that all Americans are entitled to the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Today, our dependency on foreign oil and the effects of global climate change has put these fundamental rights at risk.

At first, it is hard to find a connection between life, liberty, happiness and energy, but if you look closely, the American way of life depends heavily on access to energy sources. With increasing demand for energy, it becomes a challenge to use energy in a responsible manner; therefore, we must consider the impact and negative repercussions of generating electricity burning fossil fuels.

cialis dose

My wife and I started Black Hills Solar about four years ago with the idea that we would build energy efficient and low maintenance homes for the people in the Black Hills area. To save the homeowners money every month on their energy bills, we used structural insulated panels for the exterior walls and blown fiberglass insulation in other areas. On the outside of the homes, we used products that don't need annual maintenance and have long warranties so people don't have to repaint and maintain their house every year.

As the housing market changed, so did our business. We went from building new homes to remodeling and fixing existing homes, but we still try to help customers lower their energy usage and make their home require less maintenance. We look for many ways to help customers reduce their energy demand, such as adding more insulation or installing new windows.

I always tell my customers that first you conserve energy and then you start making your own power. There are a lot of choices out there for solar and wind products, and I try to use products that are manufactured here in the U.S. For solar products I use a company that is starting to make solar thermal systems and solar electric (PV) panels in the U.S. They will also make evacuated tubes, which were once only made in China. The wind company that I deal with is a U.S. company but makes products overseas. I am also trying to work with a wind energy company that will be manufacturing in my hometown.

Solar and wind products bring lots of well paying jobs to the area. For example, when I install solar electric (PV), I get panels that are made in the U.S. and I also hire a licensed electrician to run the electrical and wire to the house. When I put up a wind turbine, I need to hire an electrician, and buy concrete and the turbine, which comes from a local manufacturer. Right now my business is small but in addition to the employees who work for me, we create jobs in other areas, such as manufacturing, shipping, and trained professional jobs.

cialis dose

By now, most of you have probably heard the double dose of bad news coming out of the Senate (It seems like political bad news too frequently comes from there). Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has and is still talking of scheduling floor time for Senator Rockefeller's (D-WV) reprise of Lisa Murkowski's (R-AK) .

There's a lot of implications to both of those actions, and I'm now beyond frustrated with the Senate, so let's step through why this extra delay from the Senate is absolutely dangerous for public health and welfare.

First, let’s address the delay of the climate bill. The Senate continues to show absolute cowardice in its unwilling to act, despite . Working on climate change issues has given me a healthy dose of reality regarding the Senate’s timelines and the frequent delay that’s involved. However, this delay has the potential to be more devastating than the others because, unless something changes, we’re looking at a minimum of three months of delay, but potentially 6-12 months in reality. This length of time is unacceptable to address one of the biggest issues of our time.

cialis dose

We were moms on a mission. We woke up at midnight Saturday morning to attempt the 14,411 ft summit of Mount Rainier.  We had a message for Governor Gregoire: close Washington’s largest toxic polluter and point source of deadly carbon — the TransAlta coal-fired power plant in Centralia.

We are not experienced mountaineers, but six months ago, when we brainstormed this crazy idea, we determined to meet an urgent challenge with radical action.  We each have children between the ages of 3 and 6, and our kids have taught us to be loud and persistent in our demands.  The Governor’s plan to burn dirty coal for fifteen more years is unacceptable.  The time to transition to clean energy is now.

cialis dose

Luck is the intersection of opportunity and preparation. Across the country, organizers, activists and lawmakers have been building infrastructure, creating momentum out of inertia and pushing the giant boulder of climate and energy legislation up Mt. Everest.