The Storm 2010

Senators John Kerry (MA), Lindsey Graham (SC) and Joe Lieberman (CT) had committed to releasing the outline of their long-awaited climate bill yesterday. Instead, the release has been delayed due to ongoing partisan disputes in Congress.

By Jamie Hogue, Oregon Field Representative for Climate Solutions. -- Luis

Last Friday we received some very bad news.

After all of our efforts to persuade Congressman Kurt Schrader (D-Salem) to support a healthy climate -- including our most recent “Storm” event where we delivered an amazing care package -- Congressman Schrader, signed onto the “Skelton Resolution.” For those who don’t know about the Skelton Resolution, it’s one of the “Dirty Air Acts,” a set of bills that would take away the EPA’s ability to regulate carbon.

By Lauren Schuster, 1Sky organizer at NYPIRG. -- Luis

Last Friday, students and local activists from NYPIRG chapters at Nassau Community College and Stony Brook University took Congressman Peter King's (R, NY-03) office by storm. Fifteen students and an handful of staff members gathered outside King’s Massapequa Park, Long Island office to demand that he protect the Clean Air Act and support clean energy legislation. King, one of the only members of the NYS congressional delegation to vote against the House passed climate bill, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, has already signed onto any of the "Dirty Air Acts" in the House, and local activists want to make sure he knows that they won't let the issue drop. (See pics from the event below or on Flickr.)

By Elaine Bello, a volunteer 1Sky Regional Coordinator in New Hampshire. -- Luis

Having been involved with 1Sky for many months now, I have already participated in several events. As a new Regional Coordinator, my first action came last week on April 16th, in the form of a demonstration called “The Storm”. Our team gathered 21 people in front of New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg’s state office to make sure he knows about our hopes for the climate bill.

After finding myself stranded in London over the weekend as a giant cloud of volcanic ash covers the European skies, I'm glad to finally be back in U.S. soil in time for Earth Day.

By Jonathan Henderson and cross-posted from the Gulf Restoration Network's blog.

1Sky Louisiana came out in true New Orleans fashion last Thursday, April 8^th at the office of U.S. Representative Anh “Joseph” Cao. Participants in “The Storm” campaign donned lavish Second-Line umbrellas decorated with the number 350 and depictions of polar bears.

UPDATE (4/16/10):

We have confirmed that Rep. Schrader has signed onto one of the Dirty Air Acts, the Skelton resolution. This is a grievous disappointment and a major reversal in the commitment to a clean energy future he showed last summer by voting for the ACES climate bill. Resolutions to cripple the Clean Air Act remove its potential to contribute to an estimated $1.8 billion in investment revenue and 21,000 jobs in Oregon alone (PDF).

Please check back as we will keep you updated as we get more information. Needless to say, The Storm clouds just got a lot less friendly.

By Climate Solutions organizer Jamie Hogue – Alex

In the middle of a stormy Oregon day, I was joined by volunteers from Environment Oregon and the Sierra Student Coalition, as we "stormed" Congressman Kurt Schrader's office outfitted in rain gear and umbrellas, to deliver a "special care package" as part of a national effort to bring attention to the negative effects of climate change. We went to thank Oregon's Congressman for his tough vote last spring and also urge him to oppose the "dirty air acts" blowing around Congress.

By Geneva Boyer, cross-posted from Paint Brown Green. -- Luis

Last Thursday, we had a glorious march to Senator Brown’s (and Senator Kerry’s) offices to call for protection of the Clean Air Act and to deliver letters and petitions from constituents. Paint Brown Green was a proud co-host of this march. Here’s a write up (with pictures below):

Last week, more than 50 1Sky supporters 'stormed' Senator Michael Bennet's office in Denver, Colorado encouraging him to be more vocal in defense of the Clean Air Act. Following this event, a spokesperson for Senator Bennet told reporters that Bennet will "strongly oppose efforts to gut the Clean Air Act" in an article published in the New York Times this week. Said the spokesperson:

By Clean Water Minnesota organizer Darrell Gerber. -- Luis

Minnesota experienced an incredibly rare occurrence this year: for the first time in over 100 years, it has not snowed in the month of March. While other parts of the country are experiencing damaging snows and torrential rains, we have seen the other side of the coin. We can’t necessarily attribute this to climate change but it certainly has been on the minds of many across Minnesota.

It was against this backdrop that a group of dedicated activists showed up last Monday (3/29) on an unusually beautiful day at Rep. Tim Walz’s office in Mankato, Minnesota. They were there to thank him for his vote last year on the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act; the only comprehensive climate and energy bill to pass either body of Congress. (See pictures from the event below.)