Canadian pharmacy viagra » The Best Online Pharmacy » Canadian pharmacy.

Luis Hestres — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:09:45 +0000

I was going to devote this blog exclusively to the energy speech President Obama delivered at Georgetown University, but there are some disturbing reports in the press today that I need to address first.

Despite public denials from the White House, the AP reports that behind the scenes the president's team is insisting some Republican proposals to gut the Clean Air Act must be included in a bill to fund the government through September 30th. If these reports are true, this would be a betrayal of the American people's demands for strong protections against all kinds of pollution -- not to mention a betrayal of millions of voters and volunteers who supported the president in 2008 because of his positions on climate change and the environment.

First, the president failed to push through Congress a comprehensive climate and clean energy bill as he promised he would. Now he seems willing to sell out his own EPA's regulations of climate pollution -- the best tools we have right now to deal with climate here at home -- to get a spending deal from Congress. Every American who cares about clean air, healthy communities and the dangers of climate change should be outraged that this giveaway to dirty polluters is even being discussed -- I know I am.

The health and welfare of every community in this country and around the world will be jeopardized if Obama allows Congress to gut the Clean Air Act. Shame on you, Mr. President, for even putting this on the table.

And now, on to the the president's speech:

On Wednesday, President Obama addressed the energy crisis in a national speech from Georgetown University. As many have pointed out, this was a huge opportunity for him to reframe the energy debate, push for less dependence of fossil fuels, and remind the American public that high gas prices are part of a larger problem: a dependence on high-risk fossil fuels like oil and coal.

The president not only missed the opportunity to fight for a clean energy future, he actually turned his back on it. In his only mention of potential energy sources, the president placed dirty coal, wind, and solar in the same category of clean energy alternatives. To lump coal together with truly clean energy sources like solar and wind is just ridiculous. Coal has never been and will never be a clean energy source, unless you count pumping billions of toxic tons of carbon pollution, lead, arsenic, and mercury into the air as "clean." As a mom, I would say that is about as far from the "clean" I want my son exposed to as we can get.

In addition to praising the virtues of dirty coal, the president took the opportunity to pose a "solution" to our energy problems: more drilling. Reduce our dependence on big oil? No, that would hurt profits and CEO bonuses. Drill more? That will apparently solve all our problems. The president was right on one point: the reason we keep seeing seesawing energy prices is because we are dependent on high-risk dirty energy that hurts our wallets, our families, and our climate. But the solution is not to transfer more of that risk home; it is to find less risky sources of energy.

Though I was happy to hear the president specifically mention climate change and the need for the U.S. to rise to the challenge of a cleaner energy future, the fact is it just isn't enough. Even what little he mentioned was for the larger priority of drilling for more oil. I am outraged that it all sounded like a page from the Koch brothers' "Americans for Prosperity" policy manual. We know their messaging is strong, but that's all the more reason for President Obama to push back on it. We need him now, more than ever, to stand up forcefully for a clean energy economy and climate action.

Look, we get it: pressure from industry is mounting to all-time highs, with money pouring in at record levels. The election season is, as always, right around the corner. Just last week, when our volunteers hit the Hill to talk to their elected officials, we heard it time and time again: industry is killing us on this -- where are folks on the ground?

So yes, we are deeply disappointed. But the thing is, we also should be disappointed that we, as people who care about climate change, weren't louder on this issue. It's time for us to also rise to the standard we ask of the president -- to stand stronger, louder, and more united. We have to give the president something to respond to rather than just something to lead on by building a stronger movement. That's our calling right now. The world depends on this movement getting stronger and louder.

This speech, along with reports about the possible gutting of the Clean Air Act as part of a spending bill, must force us to work harder to build the grassroots climate movement we need. We are at a crossroads. Our words alone are not strong enough to counteract the money poured into our politics by big polluters: it is time to organize and act.

Will @BarackObama sell out the #CleanAirAct for a deal with Congress?

Canadian pharmacy viagra » The Best Online Pharmacy » Canadian pharmacy.

Molly Haigh — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:22:27 +0000

This week the Senate could potentially hold the first set of major climate votes of the 112th Congress on up to four Dirty Air Acts: McConnell-Inhofe, Rockefeller, Baucus, and Stabenow. For years now the Senate has delayed comprehensive action on climate and clean energy - the only major votes held on climate have been votes on polluter-endorsed bills that would gut the Clean Air Act. This vote could set the stage for further Clean Air Act and climate fights as the 2012 election cycle approaches. The vote count in the Senate is not expected to be strong enough to override a veto from President Obama. The goal of big polluters and their allies in Congress is to put political pressure on the president, forcing him to cave on his climate promises and compromise the Clean Air Act.

Senate Dirty Air Act Votes

The Senate is currently considering three or four measures to weaken the Clean Air Act, introduced as policy riders to an unrelated small business bill. Big polluters and their allies in Congress have been pushing for a vote on these bad bills for over a year now, and Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) has finally caved and will allow votes to proceed.

Dirty Air Acts: each of these bills will put a halt to work underway at the EPA to cut carbon pollution from major emitters like coal plants.

McConnell-Inhofe-Upton (R-KY,OK,MI), Amendment #183 - guts the Clean Air Act indefinitely for carbon pollution, overturning EPA's scientific finding that climate change is a threat to public health.
Rockefeller (D-WV), Amendment #215 - guts Clean Air Act provisions that regulate big polluters like coal plants. It's branded as a two-year "delay," but it would likely result in an indefinite halt to coal plant regulations.
Baucus (D-MT), Amendment #236 - weakens climate rules for industrial polluters and big agriculture.
Stabenow (D-MI), floated last night, this measure would include similar rollbacks to Rockefeller, but with extra exemptions for big agriculture, and funds for manufacturing. It's unclear whether or not this bill will receive a vote.

Outside groups have been anticipating this vote for a long time given its potential to set the tone for climate and energy policy leading up to the 2012 elections.

Koch-supported astroturf campaigners at Americans for Prosperity are encouraging senators to support only the McConnell-Inhofe amendment, presumably to help brand bad bills led by Democrats as more moderate.

1Sky and our allies have been crystal clear in our opposition to any bill that rolls back the Clean Air Act. We have held hundreds of actions and made thousands of phone calls over the last year and a half demonstrating a broad base of support for protecting the Clean Air Act, including rallies in 17 states just last month.

Obama's Wyoming Coal Giveaway

Last week President Obama's Department of the Interior approved a massive expansion of coal mining on public lands in Wyoming - 2.35 billion tons of new coal, equal to the annual emissions for 300 coal-fired power plants.

This announcement is ironic given the Department of the Interior's (DOI) past commitment to renewable energy. The DOI touts 4,000 MW of renewable energy capacity approved this year, with 12,000 to be approved for next year; yet this new coal giveaway essentially enables 300,000 MW of new coal capacity to come online - overall that's 30 times more dirty coal than clean renewables.

Sierra Club's Michael Brune is critical of Obama's mixed message on clean energy, read more on it here.

Prepared by Jason Kowalski. Please direct questions or comments to jason@1sky.org.

Canadian pharmacy viagra » The Best Online Pharmacy » Canadian pharmacy.

Molly Haigh — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:26:57 +0000

Last week Republicans in the Senate threatened to force a vote on the Upton-Inhofe Dirty Air Act. A vote will be delayed until after the one-week recess but it goes to show how committed big polluters and their allies in Congress are to gutting the Clean Air Act every chance they get. Energy-related disasters and conflicts in Japan and Libya continue to influence the U.S. dialogue on energy and climate policy.

Dirty Air Act Rider Added to Senate Small Business Bill

Anti-Clean Air Act amendments tacked onto last week's small business bill put moderate senators on the defensive. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) entered the Upton-Inhofe Dirty Air bill as an amendment to an unrelated small business bill, sending moderate senators scrambling toward Senator Rockefeller's (D-WV) Dirty Air Act - which also guts key Clean Air Act regulations but is seen as more moderate by some senators.

Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) has personally vowed to attach his Dirty Air Act to every bill he can.
Senator Jay Rockefeller's (D-WV) Dirty-Air Act would derail the Clean Air Act for two years, but likely much longer. David Roberts explains why the Clean Air Act is "screwed" if Rockefeller's bill passes.

NRDC's David Hawkins is disappointed that that the Clean Air Act is coming under bipartisan attack in the Senate despite its history of garnering bipartisan support. Analysis from NRDC suggests that the Inhofe-Upton Dirty Air Act would increase profits for oil companies without cutting gas prices at the pump -- the opposite of what Upton and others claim.

Consideration of the Upton bill in the House is part of a broader plan to keep political pressure on President Obama and moderates in the Senate. In the coming weeks, Upton's Dirty Air Act will likely receive a full House vote, where it is expected to pass. They already voted on essentially the same bill during the first round of budget fights when the anti-Clean Air Act Poe Amendment passed.

Nuclear Disaster in Japan Status Update:

The Fukushima Daiichi plant's six reactors were all damaged during the earthquake and tsunami. Two of the reactors are presumed to have partially melted down due to damaged cooling systems. For the other reactors, the primary issue is spent fuel rods emitting radioactivity directly into the air. The situation is continuing to develop, and a 12 mile radius has been evacuated.

This has all lead to reassessment of nuclear power in the U.S. In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) is calling for closure of the Indian Point nuclear plant whose "plume exposure" radius of 50 miles includes most of New York City. Meanwhile, Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Ed Markey (D-MA) is using this moment to remind Americans that renewables are safer than nuclear power. Even conservative Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) supports re-examining the safety of nuclear plants. If you are interested in seeing where nuclear power facilities are located across the US, CNN has a great map.

Other news and opinion around nuclear power this week:

David Roberts challenges the conventional wisdom that nuclear power and renewables should be deployed in tandem in a great blog post.
The Fukushima Daiishi plant was recently granted a 10-year extension despite reports of faulty backup reactor cooling equipment. Such a massive oversight bears eerie resemblance to the BP oil crisis at the Deepwater Horizon rig.
Political cartoonist Tom Toles connects Japan, BP, and climate in a great cartoon.

Power Shift 2011 in 3 weeks:

April 15th-18th: 10,000 youth leaders will come to D.C. from across the country for Power Shift 2011.

Please direct questions or comments to jason@1sky.org.

Canadian pharmacy viagra » The Best Online Pharmacy » Canadian pharmacy.

Naima Pearce — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:46:42 +0000

This week's energy conversations have been dominated by the nuclear disaster in Japan. At one particular plant, three reactors are in danger of melting down if not properly cooled by the emergency efforts. Most U.S. politicians are sticking to their former stances on nuclear power, including President Obama, who remains supportive of building new nuclear facilities in the U.S. Anti-Clean Air Act bills in the House and Senate continue to inch forward, with a House vote possible in the coming weeks. The short-term spending bill funding the federal government will likely be punted another three weeks down the road this week to allow time for compromise.

Nuclear Disaster Strikes Japan

The tsunami and earthquake struck multiple nuclear plants, but the most dire situation involves three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant closest to the epicenter of the quake. Meltdowns for all three reactors are not out of the question. Such a disaster would be unprecedented, even compared to Chernobyl or Three Mile Island. Germany and Switzerland are suspending plans for new nuclear plants.

Joe Romm has been compiling great coverage.
Grist has a simple overview of exactly what went wrong.
A great graphic from the Washington Post.

So far President Obama is sticking to his support for expanding nuclear power in the U.S. Leaders in the House, Representatives Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Ed Markey (D-MA) are asking for an independent study of U.S. nuclear facilities.

Upton-Inhofe Dirty Air Bill - House vote within weeks

Representative Fred Upton's (R-MI) Dirty Air Bill passed a key House subcommittee last week and will receive full consideration in the Energy and Commerce Committee today. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) has promised a House floor vote "within weeks." The Upton bill is very similar to the Poe Amendment passed weeks ago by the House during the last round of budget amendments. Two hundred forty-nine members of the House are already on record in support of gutting the Clean Air Act..

Upton claims that gutting the Clean Air Act and permanently stopping regulations for big polluters like coal plants will "stop rising gas prices." The nonpartisan fact-checkers at Politifact disagree.
Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Henry Waxman (D-CA) will use Upton's attack on the Clean Air Act as an opportunity to force a vote on climate science.
On the Senate side, an identical bill authored by Senator Inhofe (R-OK) has 44 cosponsors, including one Democrat: Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), who faces reelection in 2012.

Budget Fights Continue

After two weeks of stalemate, Senate and House leaders are expected to pass yet another short-term spending bill, funding the government through April 8th. The short-term bill will not include attacks on the Clean Air Act. Extending budget deadlines is taking its toll on party unity amongst House Republicans, who are split on how far to go in their efforts to use budget deadlines as leverage. Failure to strike a deal on yet another short-term spending bill could result in a government shutdown. The outlook for consensus on spending through September 2011 remains uncertain. However some key voices have come out in recent weeks favoring a "clean bill," that cuts spending without blocking key regulatory measures like the Clean Air Act.

Please direct questions or comments to jason@1sky.org.

Canadian pharmacy viagra » The Best Online Pharmacy » Canadian pharmacy.

Naima Pearce — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:10:49 +0000

Politicians continue to attack the Clean Air Act on a daily basis as budget fights, science hearings, and consideration of anti-climate bills persist on Capitol Hill. The government is currently only funded for two more weeks, forcing a major budget compromise by March 18th. House GOP leadership is signaling that they are willing to back down on their most egregious anti-climate riders, but Clean Air Act-blocking legislation continues to be considered in the House and Senate with the introduction of the Upton-Inhofe bill.

Upton-Inhofe Bill Introduced

Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) formally introduced his Dirty Air bill last week alongside an identical Senate complement by Senator James Inhofe (R-OK). Their bill is designed to halt EPA's Clean Air Act programs for big polluters, blocking regulations that are cutting climate pollution and protecting public health.

In the House, cosponsors of Upton's bill include two key Democrats: Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN), and Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV), Ranking Member on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Inhofe's Senate bill was introduced with 44 cosponsors, including one Democrat, Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia.
House Subcommittee could begin moving the bill on Thursday.
Last week over 100 people rallied in Upton's home district to protest his unprecedented attacks on clean air and climate.
Ranking Member Henry Waxman (D-CA) discusses how Koch industries is influencing climate denial and Clean Air Act politics in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

In the Senate, key moderates like Senators Scott Brown (R-MA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) are not yet cosponsors of this attack on the Clean Air Act, but they both voted in support of Senator Murkowski's (R-AK) Dirty Air Act last year.

Senator Scott Brown was recently caught on camera effusively thanking David Koch himself for campaign contributions last year. Brown reminds Koch that he's up for re-election and asks Koch for another round of campaign contributions.

In Ohio, a group of 30 rallied outside Senator Sherrod Brown's (D-OH) Cincinnati office last week in light of signs he would support compromising the Clean Air Act to help big polluters in his home state.

Budget Update

The government is currently funded through March 18th via a short-term spending bill passed last week. Lawmakers in the House and Senate have two weeks to form a consensus before the government shuts down.

The Senate will consider a series of bills this week designed to refute the extreme spending bill passed by the House laced with anti-climate riders. The Senate bills are not expected to contain any flagrant attacks on climate policies or the Clean Air Act. Negotiations on the final Senate bill will set the stage for broader negotiations with the House and President Obama next week.

Key House Republican Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) said he would be willing to drop the series of anti-climate riders attacking the EPA in order to cut a deal with the Senate -- good news for the climate movement.

Climate News

Utah climate activist Tim DeCristopher was found guilty last week for intentionally bidding on an oil and gas lease to stop fossil fuel extraction and stand up to climate change. His trial has attracted high profile media attention and solidarity from throughout the movement.

Bill McKibben, Phil Radford, and Rebecca Tarbotton are using this moment to call for more nonviolent climate protests.
More background on Tim's climate trial.

The Lancet medical journal and the University College London (UCL) Institute for Global Health released a study declaring climate change "the biggest global health threat of the 21st century." Joe Romm from ClimateProgress says this represents "one of the most definitive statements to date on the current and future health impacts of global warming."

Oil Price Politics

Experts are predicting higher oil prices this summer in light of unrest in the Middle East, prompting leaders within the House GOP to push for more drilling in the U.S. despite analysis that expanded drilling would have a minimal effect on short-term gas prices.

Tar sand development in Canada stands to benefit from a summer of high gas prices.
Nate Silver analyzes the political ramifications of high gas prices to incumbents, concluding that high prices are not always political losers for sitting presidents.

The big #DirtyAirAct is on the table in Congress. Also, urgings for creative action after #Bidder70.

Canadian pharmacy viagra » The Best Online Pharmacy » Canadian pharmacy.

Naima Pearce — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 19:13:10 +0000

Rallies sprung up nationwide this weekend in solidarity with the workers in Wisconsin. Much of the opposition faced by unions is from the same polluter-funded front groups that have opposed climate legislation for years. The protests in Wisconsin have the opportunity to be a key turning point in the fight against corporate influence on our politics. The House and Senate will return to D.C. this week for further consideration of short-term spending bills. The government is currently funded only through Friday, March 4th, but a compromise that continues current funding levels for two weeks is likely to pass.

Wisconsin and Climate

Rallies took place in state capitals and major cities all over the country this weekend. A climate organizer with 350.org gives us a taste of what it's like to be in Madison, Wisconsin right now.

As co-sponsors, 1Sky, 350.org, Green For All, and other allies were put up on one of Glenn Beck's infamous chalk boards on Fox News. Some groups were even labeled with red communist flags. Bill McKibben with 350.org writes about his new life as a communist.

Politico noted that the Wisconsin fight was years in the making for conservative grassroots groups as they have long been focused on building a base of support in Wisconsin. They have spent over $340,000 on ads in just the past three weeks to mobilize their base.

The same polluter-backed front groups attacking labor unions in Wisconsin have been attacking climate legislation for years: the Koch brothers, via Americans for Prosperity, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who claim to speak for American small businesses. To chip away at the Chamber's influence, 350.org is launching a new campaign: "The Chamber Doesn't Speak for Me."

Congressional Budget Fights Continue

A short term resolution to fund the government for the next two weeks is likely to pass this week, giving the House and Senate time to compromise on a spending bill to fund the government from March through September. Unlike the House spending bill, the short term bill won't attack bedrock climate policies like the Clean Air Act -- just "energy earmarks, including funds for nuclear energy research, energy efficiency and fossil energy research."

The longer-term House bill that passed last week gutted key climate and clean energy policies, namely the Clean Air Act. Climate advocates will be on high alert in the coming months to make sure any compromise reached by the House, Senate, and President Obama does not include the egregious attacks on climate policy passed by the House.

Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) is under attack in his own district for his role as the leader of the anti-climate legislation and budget riders in the House.

Greens are running ads targeting Upton and others.
1Sky volunteer organizers from Upton's district held an event in Kalamazoo this weekend.

Obama Under Pressure to Weaken Key Climate Rules

After months of intense pressure from polluting industries and their allies in Congress, President Obama's EPA offered a new set of rules for air toxics from industrial boilers. Though the new rules are more moderate than many climate advocates might like to see, they will still have a profound impact on both toxics (mercury, acid gasses) and climate pollution (carbon dioxide), similar to many of the Clean Air Act rules being updated by the EPA. Dave Roberts from Grist has a post about the economics (and the politics) of smart pollution regulations.

Under pressure from energy-intensive industry in Ohio, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) wrote President Obama yesterday asking him to "reevaluate" (i.e. weaken) specific Clean Air Act standards for big polluters.

1Sky and our allies at 350.org, Greenpeace, and the Energy Action Coalition organized a 30-person rally outside Senator Brown's Cincinnati office calling on him to stand up against pressure from big polluters and stop compromising on the Clean Air Act.

Please direct questions or comments to jason@1sky.org.

How #climate fits into everything going on with the #WIunion protests and GOP budget cuts

Canadian pharmacy viagra » The Best Online Pharmacy » Canadian pharmacy.

Naima Pearce — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:46:02 +0000

From Wisconsin to D.C., the talk of the town this week has been conservative budget bills and their potential consequences. In Congress, the GOP-led House amended their spending package to include a complete shutdown of climate and clean energy programs ranging from subtle tweaks to all-out gutting of the Clean Air Act and state-based climate law enforcement. The budget agreed upon by the House is so drastic that leaders in the Senate will likely scrap it and start from scratch with their own version. Right now the government is funded through March 4th. If the House, Senate, and the White House can't agree on a budget we will see a full-on government shut down.

What does this mean for climate? It means our issue is caught in the middle of a 3-way stand off with big polluter allies in the House facing off against the Senate and President Obama. The House bill would gut the tools we have left to tackle climate change. Now it's up to the Senate and President Obama to stand up for the Clean Air Act, climate policies, and a clean energy future in the face of polluter-funded opposition in the House.

Anti-Climate Rampage In House Spending Bill

The House spending bill (H.R.1) will fund the government from March 4th though the fall. For a final bill to be agreed upon, a compromise will need to be struck between the House, Senate, and President Obama. The monstrous cuts to key climate-related laws and services proposed by the House are merely an opening bid in an ongoing debate that may or may not result in an actual government shutdown. The anti-climate riders aren't good news, but they do present us with an opportunity to hold members of Congress accountable.

Key votes taken on anti-climate amendments:
Representative Ted Poe (R-TX) amendment: halts regulation of carbon pollution under the Clean Air Act: passed, 249-177 with two R's against and three D's in favor.
Representative Mike Pompeo (R-KS) amendment: guts reporting requirements for big polluters (GHG registry): passed 239-185 with nine R's against and 11 D's in favor.
Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) amendment: eliminates research funding for the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): passed 244-179, with three R's against, and nine D's in favor.
Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL) amendment: eliminates funds for breakthrough clean energy research at Darpa - rejected, 170-262, with 75 Republicans against.

Brad Johnson has compiled comprehensive lists of climate-related amendments:

Polluter-friendly provisions in the spending bill drew harsh criticism from the public health and environmental community:

American Lung Association
NRDC
New York Times editorial: the House agenda described as "breathtakingly negative."
Appalachian Voices

The key to making sure these over-the-top attacks on climate policy are not signed into law will be a strong public response from the Senate and President Obama. We especially need the president to stand up and publicly declare his support for the Clean Air Act, climate policy, and safeguards for the health and safety of American families.

Jonathan Chait at The National Review thinks that Democrats should be louder in response to EPA attacks given recent polling suggesting that the agency is wildly popular with the public - even in relatively conservative areas. And President Obama released a strongly-worded formal veto threat, but failed to mention climate and clean energy-related attacks. With some degree of compromise inevitable, we need President Obama to be an outspoken champion of the Clean Air Act and climate policy.

Grassroots response:

1Sky leaders will be visiting with members of Congress and holding rallies in key cities to defend the Clean Air Act against big polluter-led attacks.

One example from Colorado
National green groups are joining forces with the public health community to hold members accountable for recent anti-climate votes.
Our partners at 350.org are taking the fight to local businesses who are part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, one of the strongest national front groups for big polluters trying to fight climate regulations with budget riders.

Check out the "U.S. Chamber Doesn't Speak for Me" campaign.

Wisconsin Standoff Fueled by Big Polluters

The same groups behind attacks on climate policy are now organizing historic attacks on organized labor, led by the Koch Brothers, the Club for Growth, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Prepared by Jason Kowalski. Please direct questions or comments to jason@1sky.org.

Canadian pharmacy viagra » The Best Online Pharmacy » Canadian pharmacy.

Naima Pearce — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 22:11:35 +0000

The Clean Air Act and climate change-related policies are under attack from all sides in D.C. this week. In an ongoing showdown, the House Energy and Commerce Committee is considering Chairman Fred Upton's (R-MI) "dirty air" bill. Meanwhile, the full House is pulling climate regulations and clean energy investments into a fight over the budget. Rhetoric suggests that the Clean Air Act and climate policy generally will continue to be points of contention throughout the upcoming budget process. In the coming months, it will be critical for President Obama and leaders in Congress to stand up to these big polluter-led attacks with a full-throated defense of the Clean Air Act.

Three Battles

Upton's "Dirty Air" Bill in the House: The primary stand-alone vehicle for polluter-led attacks on the Clean Air Act and climate policy;
House Continuing Resolution (spending bill) for FY 2011: Funding the government from March 4 through September 30, 2011;
The FY 2012 Budget: Funding the government from October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012.

1: Upton's "Dirty Air" Bill in the House

Chairman Upton's new "dirty air" bill targets the Clean Air Act, halting updated green house gas regulations for big polluters like Dirty Coal and Big Oil.

Timing: The House Energy and Commerce Committee may vote on the bill as early as next week. From there, it could make it to the House floor, where it is likely to pass, in a matter of months.
Climate Implications: This bill is the primary vehicle for polluter-led attacks on the Clean Air Act and climate policy. Fighting this battle in the House is key. The Obama Administration has promised a veto threat, so a stand-alone bill is unlikely to become law; nonetheless, parrying legislative attacks on the Clean Air Act will be crucial for demonstrating support for strong enforcement from the Obama EPA. Obama's veto threat does not encompass anti-Clean Air Act riders, like amendments to spending bills.

Upton's role as Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee makes this the most serious in a string of House-initiated Clean Air Act attacks. The draft bill is called "The Energy Tax Prevention Act," released in partnership with anti-climate crusader Senator James Inhofe (R-OK). Upton's Subcommittee on Energy had a hearing on the the bill last week where EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson faced down her critics and defended her work under the Clean Air Act.

On a positive note, polling suggests 63% of Americans want the EPA to do more to hold polluters accountable, and Jackson suggested that the president would veto the bill if it reaches his desk:

What has been said from the White House is that the president's advisers would advise him to veto any legislation that passed that would take away EPA's greenhouse gas authority. Nothing has changed."

She has kept her message strong in the face of harsh criticism.

2: House Continuing Resolution (spending bill) for FY 2011

The so-called "continuing resolution" or spending bill would fund the government from March 4 through September 30, 2011. Last year Congress failed to pass an appropriations bill, leaving the government funded by a so-called "continuing resolution" at 2010 levels through March 4, 2011. The new proposed resolution includes massive cuts to regulatory agencies, clean energy investments, and a section that cancels Clean Air Act regulations for big polluters.

Timing: The GOP-led House has a spending bill ready for floor consideration this week. The March 4 deadline will likely be extended by the Senate.
Climate Implications: The House spending bill includes a provision that would block updated Clean Air Act rules for big polluters. The Senate won't likely include this language in their bill, and the House leadership won't risk a government shutdown to make sure it's included. This is a threat to the degree that the Senate or President Obama compromises over short-term budget cuts to climate and clean energy programs or anti-Clean Air Act riders.

The spending bill proposed by House leadership would cut total FY 2011 spending by $61 billion. This bill was proposed after a week of internal wrangling over budget math in hopes of hitting the somewhat arbitrary target of "$100 billion in cuts." Overall the bill would put a halt to Clean Air Act climate rules and cut investment in clean energy programs by 30%. The Center for American Progress has a detailed analysis of the cuts and their implications. Analysis from the Obama Administration suggests broad implications for such drastic cuts in funding, including widespread uncertainty for major clean energy projects resulting in "thousands" of lost jobs. The GOP's bill would cut the EPA's budget by $3 billion dollars.

3: The FY 2012 Budget:

The FY 2012 budget is a draft for funding government programs from October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012. Obama's 2011 State of the Union and proposed FY2012 budget lay out his opening bid in the ongoing fight over future federal appropriations for climate-related policies.

Timing: The president released his budget this week. House and Senate Budget Committee debates will kick off in another couple of months once the House releases their budget.
Climate Implications: President Obama's budget includes increases in clean energy investments and increased oversight budget for the EPA to effectively administer updated Clean Air Act rules. The budget committees will set the overall size of the pie, and then appropriators will decide how it's divvied up. Like the 2011 CR, much of the final package will be dictated by compromises reached in the Senate or compromises made by the Obama administration.

Overall, President Obama's FY2012 budget cuts subsidies for fossil fuels by $3.6 billion while increasing clean energy investments by $8 billion. The budget included small cuts to many programs, but modest increases to climate and clean energy programs.

Under Obama's plan, the EPA's budget would be cut by $1.3 billion but the climate budget within the EPA would be increased by $46 million, up from $140 million. Unfortunately, in addition to clean energy investments, the budget also includes $36 billion in loan guarantees for new nuclear power.

At a recent address to students at Penn State, President Obama gave a preview of a new commercial building energy efficiency program that will be included in his new budget. This new "Better Building Initiative" calls for a series of tax credits, loan guarantees, pilot projects, and labor partnerships. The administration estimates that the proposal would save almost $40 billion per year in energy costs. In conjunction with the new budget, Obama's executive agencies have announced strong clean energy goals:

Obama's Department of Energy announced the goal of reducing solar panel costs by 75% this decade;
Obama's new budget lays the foundation for a broader plan to spend $53 billion on high speed rail over next six years.

Please direct questions or comments to jason@1sky.org.

Canadian pharmacy viagra » The Best Online Pharmacy » Canadian pharmacy.

Molly Haigh — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:34:49 +0000

The Obama administration seems to think "climate change" is too divisive to mention, but underwriting clean energy tech? That's bipartisan.

Surprisingly, conservative commentators didn't seem to buy it. Why? Government intervention, absent a large-scale emergency, goes against basic conservative philosophy. All they see is needless government intervention into energy technology, and they have a point. Absent climate change, where is the urgency?

Let’s take coal. Absent climate change, what’s wrong with coal? OK, maybe quite a bit… For one thing, coal plants pump toxic chemicals into our air: arsenic, lead, mercury, and carbon dioxide (or global warming pollution for you climate buffs) for starters. The health effects of mercury alone have gotten more than a few communities riled up.

But we can solve that. Maybe not scientifically, but with a few dollars here on PR, and a few dollars there on lobbying, and voilà! Dirty coal is “clean,” and now it’s a part of our clean energy future. That sounds great! Oh wait, that technology is untested, unproven, dangerous, and we aren’t really sure it exists.

Well, absent climate change issues, we're still talking about competitiveness and jobs, right? Actually, coal barely rivals wind in job production. Yup, that’s right: coal, responsible for 50% of our energy, can barely rival the jobs in the wind industry, responsible currently for less than 15% of our energy.

No jobs AND weird toxic chemicals? We should intervene! That can’t be a good investment, certainly not with the competitiveness of our nation on the line. Let’s jump to David Roberts over at Grist:

…the argument for strong, focused government policy in support of clean energy -- in the absence of climate change -- is no stronger than the argument for supporting pharmaceuticals, or telecom, or any other industry that's likely to be big in the 21st century."

It’s hard to overcome the greater good argument: coal has created a health crisis, but we can’t just eliminate 50% of America’s energy. Why should the government play favorites? Back to David:

What could add the exogenous pressure to overcome the U.S. elite's general distaste for government meddling? What could add the sense of urgency necessary to justify immediate and substantial public spending? What elevates the need for RD&D in clean energy above the need for RD&D in other industries and technologies? Right: the looming threat of climate change.

Well put, David.

Right: climate change. This is your call to action. Don’t let climate change slip away. Don’t let them tell you that it’s a battle not worth the fight. There is a reason why intervening in support of clean energy is different that intervening in other industries: because coal plants are expelling excessive amounts of carbon pollution responsible for even more than millions of asthma attacks in small children: they are contributing to a full-on climate crisis. Floods, cyclones, tsunamis, droughts: all of it.

This is your moment, so yell it from the rooftops. There is a climate crisis happening right now. Right on, David:

We won't act with the scope, scale, and speed necessary unless the threat of climate change is widely understood to be real and urgent.

The Obama administration seems to think "climate change" is too divisive

Canadian pharmacy viagra » The Best Online Pharmacy » Canadian pharmacy.

Naima Pearce — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:11:31 +0000

Last week President Obama delivered a tone-setting State of the Union Speech before the new Congress and 48 million viewers nationwide. Widely regarded as a move to the political center, Obama's speech addressed many criticisms levied on the president by Republicans and the business community. The president spoke at length about the promise of "clean" energy, yet he included nuclear, natural gas and "clean" coal in his definition (everything but old coal plants). The president mentioned "the planet" in passing but failed to connect the dots between clean energy and the need to stop climate change. While Obama's "clean" energy rhetoric frames the energy debate that may follow in the coming year, the GOP-led House has their sights set on scrapping Obama's most powerful weapon against climate change: The Clean Air Act.

State of the Union

President Obama's energy rhetoric fell into the frame of "Winning the Future," cited as key elements of building a more competitive nation in a global economy. New energy technology was linked to new education policies and a push for public investment. The speech included the following energy commitments, clarified in a White House fact sheet.

80% of U.S. electricity from "clean" energy sources by 2035

President Obama's definition of "clean" includes nuclear power, "clean coal," and some natural gas. The White House calls this "a doubling" from current levels, and will include extra funding and regulatory measures to achieve these goals. If energy efficiency policy succeeds in flattening demand, this policy could result in the retirement of a significant portion of our existing coal fleet. David Roberts of Grist explains the potential impact.

Access to high speed rail for 80% of Americans by 2035

This "significant down payment" will be included in the president's budget. Additionally, one million advanced technology vehicles by 2015, is a part of the plan, to be supported by new funds for manufacturers, consumers, R&D, and community infrastructure grants.

An "end" to fossil fuel subsidies

This would cut $4 billion per year in subsidies to oil, gas, and coal. Outside estimates suggest there are currently $15 billion per year in fossil fuel subsidies.

Despite these firm policy goals, the president's vision faced criticism from the climate community:

In the lead up to his speech the climate and public health community called on the president to stand up for the Clean Air Act in his speech, to defend against attacks from polluting industries.
While the president committed wholeheartedly to "clean" energy, his vision of "clean" included nuclear power, natural gas, and "clean" coal in addition to traditional renewables like wind and solar.
David Roberts argues that clean energy is no substitute for climate change. Roberts says that ignoring climate change may work in the short term, but eventually the case must be made connecting the two.
Energy rhetoric aside, one of the most historic developments in this year's State of the Union was the new seating arrangement. Many members of Congress chose to sit in pairs with a colleague from the opposite party. The New York Times gives us the full view of the seating chart.

Attacks on The Clean Air Act

The House is on recess, but the Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) is set to consider legislation to gut the Clean Air Act in the next three to five weeks.

Potential presidential candidate and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich supports dismantling the EPA altogether, according to a remark made in Iowa last week.
Members of Congress in the House and Senate are considering a bill called the REINS Act that would require congressional approval for all major administrative actions. A bill like this could cripple Clean Air Act programs and other public health regulations.

The infamous conservative funding duo, the Koch Brothers, held a strategy session in California last week that was protested in the face of their attacks on climate policy.

Our friends at Greenpeace dropped by with a blimp.

Last week Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) reached an agreement over minor changes to Senate rules. Though their agreement fell far short of fixing the filibuster, their compromise will hopefully result in less gridlock this Congress: The majority will make it easier for amendments to be offered, and the minority will give up some of their power to stall legislation on its way to the floor.

Climate News

Joe Romm at Climate Progress notes that the riots in Egypt and Tunisia were driven in part by the spike in global food prices, which were driven up by high oil prices and extreme weather events.
Our friends at MoveOn.org and Avaaz are calling on leaders worldwide to show solidarity with the Egyptian people.
The Guardian posted a great map of global carbon emissions.

Prepared by Jason Kowalski. Please direct questions or comments to jason@1sky.org.