Nike, Starbucks, Levi Strauss, Sun Microsystems and Timberland Challenge Lawmakers to Raise the Bar for U.S.Climate and Energy Policy; Call for CO2 Emission Cuts, Clean Energy Investments, Coal Plant Limits

Cross-posted from WattHead - Energy News and Commentaryhellip;

Today, five leading US companies joined Ceres investment group to launch a new coalition of corporate citizens calling on Congress to quickly enact strong U.S. climate and energy legislation that will spark a new clean energy economy and reduce global warming pollution. The new coalition issued several key principles for climate policy today, including proposals to stimulate renewable energy, promote energy efficiency and green jobs, cap global warming pollution and auction 100% of pollution allowances, and limit new coal-fired power plants to those that capture and store carbon emissions.

The group, which includes Nike, Starbucks, Levi Strauss, Sun Microsystems and Timberland, calls themselves Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy, or BICEP for short, and aims to flex some lobbying muscle to support climate and clean energy action.

The coalition’s goal is to work directly with key allies in the business community and members of Congress to pass meaningful energy and climate change legislation consistent with the following eight core principles:

Recognizing that climate change will ripple across all sectors of the economy BICEP members aim to offer new business perspectives on climate solutions to balance the sometimes narrow viewpoints offered by some of the more engaged members of the business community.

BICEP members also apparently recognize that being a good corporate citizen requires more than just purchasing carbon offsets and building more sustainable products. Like individual citizens, a real commitment to a new energy future requires more than personal actions, it requires active participation in the political process.

“We can voluntarily change our own behavior in the hopes of mitigating impacts and are doing so,rdquo; said Hilary Krane, senior vice president of corporate affairs at Levi Strauss amp; Co., ldquo;but we also believe that U.S. government leadership is essential if we are to create an environment in which every U.S. company recognizes the role it must play in addressing climate change.rdquo;

ldquo;Nike understands the value of investing in innovative solutions to address the challenges of sustainability,rdquo; added Sarah Severn a corporate responsibility director with the company, ldquo;so we are proud to be part of a coalition of companies that believes legislative action on climate change and clean energy is not only urgent but imperative to creating positive, long-term change.rdquo;

As a native Oregonian, I canrsquo;t help but contrast Beaverton, OR-based Nikersquo;s active commitment to good corporate citizenship with Oregonrsquo;s other major employer: Intel. The microprocessor giant is Oregonrsquo;s largest private employer, and while it launches ads touting their efficient processor designs and issues press releases about renewable energy purchases, Intel quietly lobbies to block progressive energy and climate policy at the Oregon legislature.

Intel is a key member of the Industrial Customers of Northwest Utilities group, a state lobbying organization that represents large electricity and natural gas users in Oregon and Washington. ICNU has consistently been on the wrong side of good energy policy - from the Oregon Renewable Energy Act of 2007 to the statersquo;s efforts to lead on climate policy - and is now forming a front-group called something like Oregon Industries for Balanced Climate Policy, gearing up to block progressive legislation in the 2009 Oregon legislature.

Unlike Nike, who puts itrsquo;s lobbying muscle behind itrsquo;s clean energy commitments, Intel tacitly and at times actively supports ICNUrsquo;s efforts to stand in the way of Oregonrsquo;s transformation into a clean energy leader. Intel should take queues from fellow Oregonians, Nike, and their semiconductor competitors at Sun about what good corporate citizenship means, and actively distance itself from ICNUrsquo;s dirty deeds.

Until then, bravo to Nike and the BICEP members for leading the way.

We want to let you know about an exciting opportunity for college students, the Clinton Global Initiative University. This event challenges college students and universities to tackle global problems with practical, innovative solutions. It will be taking place from February 13-15th, 2009 at the University of Texas at Austin, but the final application deadline is December 12th, 2008.

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) is a non-partisan catalyst for action that brings together a community of global leaders from various backgrounds to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

The Energy Action Coalition was featured at the 2008 CGI annual meeting in September and is excited to see the push to include the future (college youths) in their internationally acclaimed program.

Apply Now for CGI U 2009

http://www.cgiu.org

- deadline is December 12, 2008 -

Space is filling up quickly for the second Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative University being held at The University of Texas at Austin, February 13-15, 2009. Visit http://www.cgiu.org today to apply to attend CGI U 2009.

The 2009 meeting-hosted jointly by President Clinton and The University of Texas at Austin-will focus on issues related to education, energy amp; climate change, global health, peace amp; human rights, and poverty alleviation. All attendees are required to make a Commitment to Action-a concrete measure to make a difference within any of these five areas.

Attending CGI U is free, and travel assistance is available for those who qualify. The final application deadline is December 12, 2008. However, applications are being processed on a rolling basis so please apply as soon as possible. We hope to see you there!

Cross-posted from WattHead - Energy News and Commentary

In a prepared video address delivered today at the Global Climate Summit in Los Angeles, CA, President-elect Barack Obama pledged to turn over ldquo;a new chapter in Americarsquo;s leadership on climate change.rdquo;

In the short address, viewed by an audience that includes leaders from around the nation and the world, Obama emphasized the importance of the upcoming international climate negotiations in Poznan, Poland, and said he was ldquo;looking forward to working with all nations to meet [the climate] challenge in the coming years.rdquo;

Obama reconfirmed his campaign commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 through a national cap and trade program and again pledged to ldquo;invest $15 billion each year to catalyze private sector efforts to build a clean energy future.rdquo;

Convened by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and other US governors on the forefront of global warming solutions, the Bi-partisan Governors Global Climate Summit convenes in Los Angeles today and begins two days of dialog designed to spur global cooperation on climate change in advance of the UN-sponsored talks in Poland next month. To this crowd of climate leaders, Obama said:

ldquo;Few challenges facing America mdash; and the world mdash; are more urgent than combating climate change. Many of you are working to confront this challengehellip;.but too often, Washington has failed to show the same kind of leadership. That will change when I take office.rdquo;

Watch the short video address below (full transcript below the fold):

Remarks as Delivered:

Let me begin by thanking the bipartisan group of U.S. governors who convened this meeting.

Few challenges facing America – and the world – are more urgent than combating climate change. The science is beyond dispute and the facts are clear. Sea levels are rising. Coastlines are shrinking. Wersquo;ve seen record drought, spreading famine, and storms that are growing stronger with each passing hurricane season.

Climate change and our dependence on foreign oil, if left unaddressed, will continue to weaken our economy and threaten our national security.

I know many of you are working to confront this challenge. In particular, I want to commend Governor Sebelius, Governor Doyle, Governor Crist, Governor Blagojevich and your host, Governor Schwarzenegger –all of you have shown true leadership in the fight to combat global warming. And wersquo;ve also seen a number of businesses doing their part by investing in clean energy technologies.

But too often, Washington has failed to show the same kind of leadership. That will change when I take office. My presidency will mark a new chapter in Americarsquo;s leadership on climate change that will strengthen our security and create millions of new jobs in the process.

That will start with a federal cap and trade system. We will establish strong annual targets that set us on a course to reduce emissions to their 1990 levels by 2020 and reduce them an additional 80% by 2050.

Further, we will invest $15 billion each year to catalyze private sector efforts to build a clean energy future. We will invest in solar power, wind power, and next generation biofuels. We will tap nuclear power, while making sure itrsquo;s safe. And we will develop clean coal technologies.

This investment will not only help us reduce our dependence on foreign oil, making the United States more secure. And it will not only help us bring about a clean energy future, saving our planet. It will also help us transform our industries and steer our country out of this economic crisis by generating five million new green jobs that pay well and canrsquo;t be outsourced.

But the truth is, the United States cannot meet this challenge alone. Solving this problem will require all of us working together. I understand that your meeting is being attended by government officials from over a dozen countries, including the UK, Canada and Mexico, Brazil and Chile, Poland and Australia, India and Indonesia. And I look forward to working with all nations to meet this challenge in the coming years.

Let me also say a special word to the delegates from around the world who will gather at Poland next month: your work is vital to the planet. While I wonrsquo;t be President at the time of your meeting and while the United States has only one President at a time, Irsquo;ve asked Members of Congress who are attending the conference as observers to report back to me on what they learn there.

And once I take office, you can be sure that the United States will once again engage vigorously in these negotiations, and help lead the world toward a new era of global cooperation on climate change.

Now is the time to confront this challenge once and for all. Delay is no longer an option. Denial is no longer an acceptable response. The stakes are too high. The consequences, too serious.

Stopping climate change wonrsquo;t be easy. It wonrsquo;t happen overnight. But I promise you this: When I am President, any governor whorsquo;s willing to promote clean energy will have a partner in the White House. Any company thatrsquo;s willing to invest in clean energy will have an ally in Washington. And any nation thatrsquo;s willing to join the cause of combating climate change will have an ally in the United States of America. Thank you.

##

So proud of my alma mater right now:

*Relax for a sec and watch the video.

Remember how we kept saying the real work would begin AFTER November 4?? Well, we meant it. We are not content to merely vote or create amazing change on our campuses and in our communities. We are going to fight until this country has 100% clean energy, millions of green jobs, every coal/nuclear/dirty energy facility is shuttered, and we have the boldest climate policies ever both here and internationally.

Carrying oversized welcome cards and gifts of model windmills, citizens across the country today are welcoming their members of Congress to office with a call to bold leadership on clean energy and climate change. Over 4000 grassroots climate activists in over 430 congressional districts in all 50 states will participate in the visits. Additionally, concerned citizens rallying in Washington, D.C. today have a special gift for the President-Elect: a giant plane ticket symbolizing their request to Obama to attend the crucial United Nations Climate Conference in Poland in December.

Organized by the 1Sky campaign, the youth-led Energy Action Coalition, 350.org, and a number of other local and national organizations, this nationwide “welcoming party” demonstrates the tremendous public support for bold climate action and a new green economy. Citizens and climate leaders are offering their encouragement to the nation’s new leaders as they work to re-engage the world, re-power America with clean energy, and re-build the nation’s economy.

Hundreds were expected at a noon rally in D.C.’s Upper Senate Park to show their support for clean energy, green jobs, and bold climate policy. Immediately following the rally,  some activists delivered the giant plane ticket to President-Elect Obamarsquo;s transition team, while others will descend on Capitol Hill to deliver welcome cards to every representative in the House and Senate.

Share your ldquo;welcome partyrdquo; stories on ItsGettingHotInHere.org! We wanna know the juicy details of what happened all over the country..

This past weekend youth from across the Pacific Northwest united in Seattle to continue planning, learning and networking to bring about a clean and just future.  More than 20 colleges and high schools and over 100 students represented.  The summit, called Re-Energize the Northwest, was sponsored by the Sierra Club and the Sierra Student Coalition and organized by the Cascade Climate Network, the regional youth climate network that has been growing steadily since its inception just over a year ago.  This was the second large youth climate summit the CCN has organized this year, following Cascade Powershift in Eugene, OR last February.  This is Power Vote follow up in action!

The summit was held in the Lutheran Center, the same building that the first ever NW youth climate summit took place in two years ago and where the first seeds for the CCN were first planted.  It is a tetament to the growth of this movement to see how far we have come in our organizational efforts in only two years.  Not only are we all talking to each other more often and more effectively, we are essential players in the growth of green jobs, clean energy, sustainable foods and transportation solutions.

Participants took part in discussions on green jobs, revolving loan funds, bike co-ops, corporate accountability, foods issues, and environmental justice in the Amazon.  Trainings took place on issues ranging from working with the media to framing and fundraising.  And it was all seemlessly meshed with student and community organizers, with 1Sky Washington, Oregon River Keeper, Global Exchange and the Sierra Club among others offering up presentations alongside student activsts.

The CCN is hard at work on a host of projects including kicking coal and Liquified Natural Gas out of the Pacific Northwest to set a precedent for the rest of the country.  We finished the summit with twenty huge letters adorned with our signatures and addressed to our newly elected officials and a long list of people wanting to go to Powershift 2009.  Wersquo;ll see you all there.

Thousands of Australians heard a passionate speech by 17 year-old high school student Sasha Hunt at yesterday’s Walk Against Warming in Sydney, Australia.

Having brought many of the Sydney crowd to tears, in her first public speech Sasha told the crowd that “We have the opportunity to create the changes that will sculpt the world in which we live.”

“Looming on the horizon is the destruction of my future,” Sasha said.

“It is by acting in unity that we will be able to divert our course from the horrors of climate change and avoid ever having to look into our childrenrsquo;s eyes and explain why we didnrsquo;t try harder.rdquo;

A Lismore High School student who finished her HSC just days ago, Sasha is a high schools organiser with the Australian Youth Climate Coalition.

She says that speaking at the climate change rally was one of the highlights of her life.

“It was an amazing experience speaking to that many people about climate change – an issue which I feel so passionately about.

“The fact that it’s now all across the papers and on the news has been overwhelming.rdquo;

Sasha volunteers from Lismore with the ‘Switched On Schools’ program is helping organise Power Shift 2009, a national youth climate summit for April next year.

Herersquo;s the transcript of her speech:



I would first like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation.

Good morning to all you incredible people here today who braved the weather to show your support for action on climate change.

I’m 17 years old and just finished my HSC, I am now a high schools organizer for the Australian Youth Climate Coalition.

I’m going to begin by acknowledging the crisis we face. Looming on the horizon is the destruction of my future. Before us is the suggestion of hard times and hunger, of environmental degradation to the point we are unable to turn back.

Yes, with great sadness I acknowledge these risks, but that is all. Because as Gandhi says: “Be the change you which to see in the world”

When I remember this quote, I think of an alternative vision for the future. I know that we still have the ability to change the world for the better.

It is this philosophy of active optimism that forms the basis of my speech today, because we have not all gathered here to dwell on the catastrophes of climate change but to embrace the opportunities.

My school motto- “Spectamur Agendo”- means “let us be judged by our actions.”

In one of the random synchronicities of life- these two statements combined one morning on my school shirt. Gandhi’s quote had become the motto of my Climate Change Action Committee and we wore the words on green badges, while the school motto was of course in my school emblem. Together the two read, “be the change you wish to see in the world” and “let us be judged by our actions”.

It is within these statements combined that I see true guidance and inspiration for action on climate change. Firstly, Gandhi encourages us to act in accordance with our moral standards by listening to and following our hearts.

Climate change poses a horrific threat to my future. To not act now would be an ethical disaster and we will have utterly betrayed our children and ourselves.

By looking into our hearts we are able to see clearly the changes we wish for the world, and realize the necessity of immediate implementation of strong carbon pollution reduction targets.

The Lismore High motto then reminds us that without action, all the good intentions of our hearts will go unnoticed.

It reminds the politicians that they can make their election promises and hold their political discussions but in the end they will be judged only on what they actually do, it reinforces to us that our children and grandchildren will want an explanation for the kind of earth that they inherit.

It is us, here in this time that have the choice. We have the opportunity to create the changes that will sculpt the world in which we live.

It is by acting in unity that we will be able to divert our course from the horrors of climate change, and avoid ever having to look into our children’s eyes and explain why we didn’t try harder.

I know that I will never give up, and from seeing you all here today I believe the same of every one of you.

So I say lets grasp this climate opportunity with both hands, and may we be judged by our actions.

Thank you

No sweeping toxins under the rug.

CHESTER, PA – Chester is rising some would say. Yet others might point out that it’s only risen but so far off the ground. Contaminated ground that is.

Throughout Delaware County and among charity givers Chester is seen as a place that is in constant need. In need of jobs, in need of adequate housing, political reform and quality education but not too many think about Chester’s need for a cleaner environment. It’s this lack of concern amp; knowledge that has allowed Chester’s industrial past to haunt it for so long. And even as the city experiences booming development along it’s waterfront it will not be able to continue it’s development without taking an added risk with the health of it’s residents that live along 291 between Flower and Ward Street.

Here’s Environmentalist Mike Ewall, founder of Action PA.



“The types of chemicals that are found at these sites and the amount of toxic chemicals that are there which in some places are a few feet thick … They’ve been pumping stuff out of there and trying to keep it from seeping into the Delaware River for years.”

Currently, Pennsylvania State, Delaware County and Chester City have all given green lights to the building of a Soccer Stadium that will be placed on top of an area that was once deemed unusable by the courts. This area has been coined the “Wade Dump” and it is located on Flower Street next to the Commodore Barry Bridge. In order to build there developers have promised to use a process they call Environmental Remediation. In other words they have promised to clean the toxic brownfield so that they can build both the stadium and a residential space for commercial profit.



“We have not done any of our deep plow foundations or any of that yet.”

Michael Hare is the Senior Vice President of the Buccini Pollin Group, the Stadium Developer.



“We’re in the process of finalizing our notice of intent to remediate to send to DEP.”

Environmentalist were put on red alert, in early October, when the Department of Environmental Protection announced that it was “fast-tracking” the development under it’s Brownfield Action Team. The concern is that the clean up may end up not all that clean if done quickly. BPG may get its stadium but residents may have their health once again put on the back burner of City priorities.

Mike Ewall.“Because they’re a big economic interest that wants to build a stadium and they don’t care about cleaning up the site properly and the only way they can do it is by using the very weak clean up standards that Pennsylvania has to do a quick and dirty clean up on paper not necessarily a real clean up but one that just meets some very basic and limited requirements so that they can declare it clean and go ahead and build somethin’.”

BPG the developer and Weston Solutions the remediation crew will both be cleaning and building simultaneously once the permit to do so is given. Despite the concern of community leaders and environmentalist the Department of Environmental Protection promises that the “fast-track” process they are using is routine and nothing to be alarmed about.

John Kennedy is the Assistant Regional Director of DEP

“ Expediting a BAT project does not mean that we’re gonna take any short cuts in the clean up of this site…. And that’s very similar to other sites that have been cleaned up in the region for mixed use or commercial uses.”

Regardless of promises from the developers some leaders in the community desire more transparency about the site’s cleanup. A plan to protect the residents that are surrounded by the current construction has been a key concern.

“Its just that residents are trapped within that general area.”

That’s Rev.Strand, founder of Chester’s Environmental Partnership.

“And they need to be taken into consideration. And make sure that there is a comprehensive plan to address that issue. At present there isn’t. How would you like to have billion dollar construction going on all around you… the noise, the dust… and your stuck down there in a little hole.”

As the soccer stadium is being built in a basketball town there are residents who question just who all of the development will benefit. Is it for the surrounding boroughs, Philadelphia and the townships or will it also be for the working class that currently lives here? But the hope is that as Chester Rises it considers lifting as many of it’s hard working residents as it can. It would be a shame to see even the most dedicated to C-Pride get left behind.

Yesterday, actions against mining companies, utility companies, Citibank and Bank of America swept the nation from coast to coast. You can read the first roundup of report backs here.

Today more actions are planned. Check out www.dirtymoney.org for details

Dr James Hansen said in support of the Day of Action: “The science is clear: a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants, and phase-out of existing coal plants, is essential if we want to preserve creation, the life on our planet, for young people and future generations.”

RAN Flickr Site: Lots of pics from yesterday and today.

Actions reporting back:

Las Vegas, NV:rdquo;On Friday RYSE Las Vegas had a table at Las Vegas Academy during lunch with stickers, information about Citi and Bank of Americarsquo;s destructive coal finance, and a petition. We even recruited some enthusiastic new members!rdquo;

Ventura, CA: RAN Ventura- “Four determined activists braved the heat, smoke, and winds in Ventura to get the word out that B of A is destroying communities and the environment by funding coal. One of our group wore a black tophat and “diamonds” to show how B of A is making money while others are suffering. The rest of us handed out literature and approached people to sign our petitions. Even though we are now dehydrated and exhausted, we are very proud of our efforts and hope others will join us for our next event.”

Los Angeles, CA:”It’s 92 degrees in LA today and there are brush fires burning out of control all over the place. Maybe that’s why people were so receptive to our message that Bank of America needs to stop investing in global warming. Our small band of activists talked to passersby and customers at the B of A just outside the UCLA campus and distributed over a hundred flyers and stickers. After I gave a sticker to one adorable little boy, his father told me that their whole house is about to go solar. When we asked another man to tell B of A to stop funding coal power, he said he already had - and that he’d closed all of his accounts. Overall, it was a fun afternoon spent in solidarity with activists across the country!”

Berkeley, CA: Activists flyered outside of the downtown Berkeley Bank of America.

Rotterdam, Netherlands:90 arrested at Greenpeace coal action in Rotterdam.

Austin, TX:”We had a great action in Austin today! A solid crowd of no less than 40 and account closures totalling over $60,000! We also had a few good media folks turn out, including a guy from the #1 talk radio station here and both of the major print papers.”

San Francisco Video-

The Global Day of Action against Climate Change has long been a set date in the calendar for seasoned climate activists. This year, however, with the first UK Youth Delegation to the UN talks in Poland, young people are stepping up their activity. Friday witnessed the launch of Our Time Is Now, a resource for young people across the UK to join a generational movement on December 6th - to say that our generation is ready;

Ready for a clean energy economy: An economy that’s based on reliable, renewable energy rather than Victorian technologies like coal.

Ready for 21st century transport: A modern public transport system that gets us from A to B without the hidden financial and environmental costs of flying.

Ready for green jobs now: Secure and well-paying green jobs that can never be sent abroad, turning the UK into a world leader in clean technologies.

The choices our leaders are making now will have impacts that will outlast their careers, but will shape our future. We invite you to be part of an exciting, positive and important movement of young people who have the guts to overcome the failed assumptions of the last century.

We are ready for change. Are you?

Our time is now.

The governments of Denmark, Poland, and France hosted a conference on Monday to discuss the role of the United States at this Decemberrsquo;s UN Climate Negotiations in Poznań, Poland. These negotiations will set the stage for a final post-Kyoto climate treaty to be signed in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2009. The Poland negotiations need to produce a robust roadmap with a shared vision that leads to a climate agreement in 2009. From the lead climate negotiator of Denmark, to the Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Strategic Planning from the UN, the message was clear. The United States must take the lead in ensuring a strong climate treaty by Copenhagen.

Paula Dobriansky, the lead climate negotiator from the US State Department also spoke at the conference; however, no one seemed interested in how the Bush Administration will approach negotiations in Poznań. The Bush Administrationrsquo;s approach to climate change over the past several years has already been made clear in its refusal to ratify Kyoto or establish federal legislation on GHG emissions reductions. All eyes are on President-Elect Barack Obama and the members of his transition team who are expected to attend the negotiations in December. Representatives of President-Elect Obama will likely be some of the most popular and sought-out people at the negotiations.

Denmark, France, and Poland have a similar set of expectations for the new administration. First and foremost, American leadership on a future climate treaty is essential. Second, all parties agree that, apart from American leadership, US domestic legislation is essential to a global treaty. Will the Obama administration be able to enact serious climate legislation in its first twelve months in office?



It is a daunting task but we have reason to believe, as we saw in federal governmentrsquo;s response to the financial crisis, that our government is capable of enacting swift, effective legislation in the face of crisis. Many would agree that climate change will prove to be an even larger crisis than the financial crisis if not addressed. As the ambassador of the European Commission, John Bruton, explained, approximately .05% of GDP is needed to respond to climate change, while the cost of inaction is around 5-20% of GDP. The choice is clear, the challenges are surmountable, and all hopes are pinned on Barack Obama.

Senator Obamarsquo;s election brings hope to millions around the world, especially those working on climate change, given his promise of a clean energy future. He has the ability to change the course of the US response to climate change and to react effectively to our generationrsquo;s most serious dilemma. Mr. Obama, seven billion people are counting on you to take the lead and secure the world for future generations.

SustainUS, the US Youth Network for Sustainable Development and many other international youth delegations will be present in Poland to hold governments accountable for securing our future. SustainUS, in particular, is there to represent the over 340,000 PowerVoters who helped vote Mr. Obama into office under the belief and hope that he will offer an about-face on US climate policy. SustainUS will lobby on behalf of all American youth to secure United Statesrsquo; leadership on the completion of a strong, legally binding climate treaty with science-based targets by December 2009.

In the early hours of November 11th Jasmine Zimmer-Stucky, a University of Oregon senior and member of Eugene Rising Tide, climbed up a tree in a park across from Governor Kulongowskirsquo;s office in Salem, Oregon. Jasmine plans to sit in the tree until a rally of rural and urban Oregonians join her on the Capitol steps on Friday to pressure Kulongowski to reject a Bush Administration logging plan.

ldquo;In terms of carbon per acre, carbon storage in the Pacific Northwest forests is among the highest in the world,rdquo; according to Mark Harmon, Professor and Richardson Chair of Forest Science at Oregon State University.

If Kulongowski wants to be a leader in climate policy, he needs to stand up and protect natural carbon sinks by saying no to the WOPR.

Tree-sit at Oregon Capitol holding strong for 4 days.

The Western Oregon Plan Revision (WOPR) would increase Bureau of Land Management logging in Oregon by 436 percent. Pending Oregon State Governor Kulongowskirsquo;s blessing, 70% of the new logging could be clearcut. Of the 2.6 million acres that the BLM manages, timber harvesting would occur on 1 million acres, including 100,000 acres of old growth. Governor Kulongowski has until December 8th to join Oregonianrsquo;s in rejecting the WOPR and protect these precious carbon sinks.

According to the BLMrsquo;s own figures, the WOPR would result in 180 million metric tons more carbon in the atmosphere, as compared to a plan that would conserve our forests as carbon storage systems.

This is equivalent to putting an additional 1 million cars on the road in Oregon for 132 years, according to Doug Heiken of Oregon Wild.

Because Oregon still has old growth forests (10% remaining versus 5% remaining nationwide) and its forests have such powerful carbon storage capability, the WOPR and Beyond Coalition contends that WOPR would be a lost opportunity to mitigate climate change.

Moreover, the WOPR clearly contradicts Oregonrsquo;s ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets set forth in HB3543, passed by the OR legislature and promoted and signed by Governor Kulongoski in 2007:

1. Arrest and begin to reduce greenhouse has emissions by 2010


2. Achieve levels 10% below that of 1990 by 2020


3. Achieve levels 75% below that of 1990 by 2050

Stories from across the country are coming in about some great actions to hold our elected leaders feet to the fire. BIG card deliveries, rallies outside of Capitols, lobby days inside. Check out just a few of the highlights below! And then start to plan your own, its not too late!

http://www.powervote.org/nov18

A post-election poll confirmed that ldquo;18-24 year-olds outpaced other age groups in their support for clean energy as a fix for America’s ailing economy, with 87 percent support.rdquo; Now that the election is over, we canrsquo;t let them forget it! Plan on action and tell us about it in the comments!

In the Rockies, Power Voters from Univ. of Northern Colorado and Univ. of Colorado, Boulder are printing out some big welcome cards, taking them to campus on Monday to get hundreds of signatures, then delivering them to their reps on Tuesday!

Students from four different campuses in Florida are headed to their State Capitol in Tallahasse where theyrsquo;ll get a lobby training and then meet with the offices of Representatives Boyd and Nelson, along with meeting with 6 state reps. Meanwhile events are sprouting up all over Flordia, notably in Miami and the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Folks with the Maryland Student Climate Coalition are joining DC residents, CCAN, 1Sky and a host of other allies on Capital Hill to demand Obama and the new Congress to take ldquo;Climate Action Now.rdquo; The rally will serve as an energizer for when they storm the Capitol Building and talk with as many reps as possible.

S.P.E.A.K. at University of Tennesse, Knoxville are creating a HUGE 15 foot greeting card. That card is going to be nearly as big as the stack of Power Vote Pledges they collected this fall.

Chelsea of the Black Mesa Water Coalition is working to secure a meeting with newly elected Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick.

A green jobs campaign is underway at Clark University, and students there are using the Nov. 18th to demand green jobs now of their representatives.

And this is only the beginning.  There are a ton of things going on out there.  Got something planned? Post it in the comments!

Cross-posted from WattHead - Energy News and Commentary

BREAKING NEWS: The Sierra Club just won a HUGE legal victory in a coal permitting case at the Environmental Protection Agencyrsquo;s Environmental Appeals Board.

The ruling in the Bonanza coal plant permitting case (pdf) ruled with the Clubrsquo;s lawyers that since the Mass. v EPA Supreme Court ruling said Carbon Dioxide is a pollutant under the Clean Air Act, new coal-fired power plants must implement ldquo;Best Available Control Technologyrdquo; (BACT for short) for CO2.

While the Sierra Clubrsquo;s legal team and other lawyers are still determining the full implications of the decision, it appears that this decision will essentially stop all new coal plant permitting dead in itrsquo;s tracks for at least a year as EPA decides what BACT means in the context of CO2.



The BACT provision of the Clean Air Act requires that new power plants must employ the most effective, readily available pollution control technologies for regulated pollutants in order to receive air quality permits required for development, ensuring that new power plants are progressively cleaner as new technologies become readily available. Until this ruling, BACT has only applied to NOx, acid rain-forming SO2, particulate matter, mercury and other noxious pollutants, but not carbon dioxide, which spewed freely from permitted power plants.

What BACT means for CO2 is therefore undefined, and the process of defining it will take time - time during which no new coal plants can receive permits. BACT for CO2 is unlikely to mean carbon capture and storage (yet), since itrsquo;s not readily available, but it will probably mean some combination of co-generation (making use of waste heat from electricity generation), efficiency improvements, and/or fuel switching/co-firing with biomass. Ultimately, President-elect Obamarsquo;s EPA gets to decide how BACT is defined for CO2, a process which will take at least a year.

In the meantime, 30 permits for new coal-fired power plants in the seven state directly regulated by the EPArsquo;s permitting process, plus projects on all Indian Reservations will immediately die because of this ruling. Other states that do their own permitting under devolution of authority from EPA will have to start their permitting processes over from scratch. They can either decide on a case by case basis what BACT means for CO2, or they can wait for EPA to rule on nationwide basis. The Environmental Appeals Board ruling says that decision is best made on a national basis.

In short, with this new regulatory uncertainty, itrsquo;s highly unlikely anyone will want to invest a dime in a new coal plant for the foreseeable future.

Of course, this will also leave President Obama with an interesting ruling to make with some real political ramifications. But Irsquo;d say Obama has plenty of cover since the coal industry has been so avidly touting how clean it is these days. The real bold move would be to require all new coal plants to meet an emissions performance standard that essentially means theyrsquo;d have to sequester at least half their emissions (as in CA or WA statersquo;s emissions performance standards), put an end to mountain top removal coal mining, and really tell the coal industry, ldquo;itrsquo;s time to put up or shut uprdquo; and make this ldquo;clean coalrdquo; thing they keep talking about a reality.

The Club will have a press release out latter today, and Irsquo;d refer you to the Warming Law blog for more detailed legal analysis no doubt coming soon. This was an unexpected ruling, so theyrsquo;re still sorting out all the ramifications.

The Beehive Collective, a Maine-based artist collective known for creating beautiful pieces of movement related visual art, are in the process of making a graphic about ldquo;The Story of Coal.rdquo;  After months of research, travel, conversation, sketching, deliberating and head-scratching, the Beehive Collective began to put together a complicated visual narrative that begins with coal 360 million years ago, travels through the streams and earth right into the global crisis known as climate change.

The Story of Coal will be a tool for organizers defending coalfield communities and fighting for a sustainable future, and a way to  start conversations about coal mining, energy policy, and climate change. It will tell a complex tale that includes: ldquo;Native folksrsquo; continued resistance and survival; a viable future urban/rural relationship; the tricky dynamics between local organizers and the mobile young activists that lsquo;parachute inrsquo; for short-term actions.rdquo;

It’s very inspiring and exciting to be part of a campaign and movement that the Beehive Collective is making into art.

Here are links to their Coal Graphic Blog, a link to the Coal Graphic in progress and their current tour schedule.

Coal Graphic Gallery

Coal Graphic Blog

Beehive Coal Graphic Tour Schedule (Coming to a town near you soon!)

Kennedy went to Berlin, Nixon went to China . . . Obama goes to Poland?

Letrsquo;s hit 50,000 invites today!

Calling All Climate Activists!

As COP 14 in Poznan draws ever closer, the Communications Working Group has been discussing how the global youth climate movement can most effectively communicate our ideas and priorities at the negotiations. We must speak with a strong, unified voice, with a consistent message coming directly from our movement.  Uniting youth under a message and talking points that represent our global diversity across borders, creeds, and race; we are vastly effective.

For participants traveling to Poznan as part of national youth delegations or as representatives of NGOs, donrsquo;t worry! This isnrsquo;t an attempt to dictate what your delegation says or does at the conference. The international message is what we plan to talk about when wersquo;ve stepped out of national delegation or NGO mode, and are speaking as international youth.

Together let us create a list of talking points and key issues that we can emphasize at this international conference.

Given the international nature of the climate crisis, what is it that makes the international youth message unique?

It is absolutely imperative to focus on the issues that affect young people all over the world, and particularly those that will disproportionately impact disenfranchised people like the global south, indigenous peoples, and low income people.

But the actual content of this message isnrsquo;t just for the Comms group to decide - thatrsquo;s up to you!

Post your ideas as comments in the thread below, Today!  Spread the word to make sure that as many young people as possible can participate in this process.

Please post your comments no later than November 21st, 2008

Looking forward to your ideas,

Malachai Chadwick and Shadia Fayne Wood

International Communications Working Group

Join Us

Busta Rhymes laid it out when he rapped, ldquo;Itrsquo;s all about the money, babyrdquo;. Whether itrsquo;s clean energy purchasing, an awesome bike-share program, comprehensive composting, water conservation, student sustainability internships and more, these projects all need seed funding to get going. Thatrsquo;s where Campus InPower comes in.

Campus InPower is a national training program that gives student organizers the tools to create revolving loan funds, green fee campaigns, and other funding mechanisms to pay for large-scale sustainability projects on their campuses. Check out the website at www.campusinpower.org. Irsquo;m Rachel Barge - I created the program, and herersquo;s what Campus InPower has to offer:

1. “Raise The Funds” Action Toolkit – brand-spanking-new funding guide for student organizers, co-published with AASHE. In its glorious 54 pages, it features SEVEN funding mechanisms to pay for wide-scale sustainability projects or create large, dedicated sustainability funds on campus. It is free to download at www.campusinpower.org

2. Trainings, Workshops, Speaking – as Director of Campus InPower, I am traveling the country, speaking at sustainability conferences and visiting schools. I have a travel budget, so I can visit any interested school and offer a unique training to their environmental group, student body, staff committee, etc on how they can leverage funds on their campus.

3. Strategy Consulting – I am available as a consultant, advocate and supporter to any group of students or staff who are working to establish a sustainability fund on their campus. That includes campaigns that are already underway, or plans that are still on the drawing board. I arrange conference calls, help perform research, and make personal visits to help advise campaigns.

Itrsquo;s Getting Hot In Here community: I need YOUR help! I want campuses across the country to know that this resource exists for them to tap into. Please pass this info along to your campus community, alma matter, or friends at other schools who might be interested. Send them to www.campusinpower.org or have them email me at rachel@campusinpower.org With your support, we can help make the existing awesome organizing on campuses even more financiall powerful!

A lil background to the program: As a student organizer at UC Berkeley, I realized fast that funding was the biggest obstacle to the transformative change I wanted to see happen on my campus. Thatrsquo;s why I worked to pass The Green Initiative Fund in 2007, a $5/student green fee that now brings in $200,000 per year for sustainability projects on the UCB campus.

I got so much interest from schools around the country who wanted to replicate the green fee model that I created Campus InPower after graduating this May. The goal is to bring together the best campus funding practices available and get those resources to as many students as possible. So far, about 50 campuses have passed such fees nationwide, but we can do better! Campus InPower is supported by AASHE, Big Ideas at Berkeley, Breakthrough Generation and Wild Gift. Thanks for your help!

Bill McKibben has a new column in Orion Magazine this month that makes a compelling case that creative and symbolic political action rather than individual life-style changes are our best shot at combating global warming. Donrsquo;t take my word for it though (I work with the guy and am a bit partial), check out the article and forward it on to the next person that tells you youth should worry about changing their light-bulbs not their politicians. Herersquo;s an excerpt:

ldquo;We naïvely believe that it takes 51 percent of the people to make change in a democracy, but it clearly doesn’t—5 percent is plenty, if those 5 percent are engaged in symbolic action that can force the kind of legislative change that resets the course for everyone. In the civil rights movement, for instance, the strategy was not to desegregate the country one lunch counter at a time—there were way too many lunch counters. Instead, you use the drama of the fight over one lunch counter to help drive the Civil Rights Act, which puts the full power of the federal government behind the idea that anyone can order a hamburger wherever they want to. And here’s the thing: I bet less than one-quarter of 1 percent of Americans took part in a protest during that great movement, but it was more than enough.rdquo;

Click on to read the whole column.

Multiplication Saves the Day - from Orion Magazine

by Bill McKibben

In my last column for the magazine I wrote about numbers. Now I’d like for us to do some math.

Let’s assume, generously, that 5 percent of Americans are deeply concerned about climate change— concerned enough that they will change all their light bulbs, scrimp and save to put a solar thermal hot water system on the roof (or really scrimp and save to put some photovoltaic electricity up there), unplug all their vampire appliances when not in use, cut the number of car trips that they make in half and use a hybrid for the remaining journeys, buy only local food in season, use a clothesline to dry their clothes whenever the temperature tops fifty degrees (1,016 pounds of carbon saved right there), cut their air travel by two-thirds and learn to enjoy the pleasure of “staycations,” take showers with an egg timer so they don’t stay under too long (350 pounds of carbon), and do all the other things that every website recommends for reducing your carbon footprint. And then let’s assume that they go buy offsets for the rest from a company like NativeEnergy, which will use the money to build windmills on Indian reservations.

Okay, add it up, carry the one, dum de dum, here we go, yes—the impact on the amount of carbon in the atmosphere is, hmm, zero. Okay, not precisely zero. Every bit helps. But if your concern is somehow slowing the onrush of global warming in the short window of time the scientists give us, then the number is close enough to zero that it gives you pause. Even if that 5 percent then hector their in-laws, each of whom somewhat grudgingly does half of what they could, the net effect is still, well, right around zero.

I mean, the head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Rajendra Pachauri, said recently, “If there’s no action before 2012, that’s too late.” By “action” he did not mean going down in the basement and adjusting the knob on your water heater to no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. James Hansen, our premier climatologist, recently said that “if humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, paleoclimate evidence and ongoing climate change suggest that CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm.” It is true that if you clean the coils beneath your refrigerator it will run more efficiently, and it is also true that it won’t do anything to “preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted.”

I am exaggerating here to make a point. Of course I believe in energy conservation. I’ve got a plaque that says I built the most energy-efficient house in Vermont, I drove the first hybrid Honda Civic in the state, I subsist mostly on food from my Champlain Valley. I’m typing this article with electrons currently assembling themselves on my roof. All these things are good. I highly support them. Please do them too.

But in a world where we need massive change at lightning speed, the usual equations are turned upside down. We’re used to thinking that being practical is what really counts—that you can only reduce carbon by, in fact, reducing carbon. Hence the light bulb, or the farmers’ market, or the hybrid car. If we think globally, to use the hoariest of green clichés, we should act locally. In the fight against global warming, though, the practical acts are for the most part symbolic, while the symbolic acts might just save the day. Say you have a certain amount of time and money with which to make change—call it x, since that is what we mathematicians call things. The trick is to increase that x by multiplication, not addition. The trick is to take that 5 percent of people who really care and make them count for far more than 5 percent. And the trick to that is democracy.

We naïvely believe that it takes 51 percent of the people to make change in a democracy, but it clearly doesn’t—5 percent is plenty, if those 5 percent are engaged in symbolic action that can force the kind of legislative change that resets the course for everyone. In the civil rights movement, for instance, the strategy was not to desegregate the country one lunch counter at a time—there were way too many lunch counters. Instead, you use the drama of the fight over one lunch counter to help drive the Civil Rights Act, which puts the full power of the federal government behind the idea that anyone can order a hamburger wherever they want to. And here’s the thing: I bet less than one-quarter of 1 percent of Americans took part in a protest during that great movement, but it was more than enough.

If people who care about climate change mobilize politically, 5 percent will be more than enough too—it will persuade senators, congressmen, and presidents to back strict legislation that will set real caps on emissions and fund real research on the technologies we need. If such laws pass, they would change the behavior of 95 percent of Americans, including reluctant in-laws. This kind of equation isn’t hypothetical. Two years ago, I helped organize a march across Vermont that called on our leaders to work for deep cuts in carbon emissions. A thousand of us walked the sixty-mile route—one Vermonter in six hundred. And yet that was enough to get all of our legislators, including the conservative Republicans, to sign on to our pledge. A year later we organized fourteen hundred demonstrations in all fifty states to call for 80 percent cuts in carbon emissions by 2050. They were the most widespread rallies about climate change to date, but even so they hardly reached one-quarter of 1 percent of the population. And yet the next week both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton put our goal at the heart of their platforms.

So here’s the thing. Along with spending a lot of time figuring out how to make your own life practically green (because, it’s true, how are you going to face your kids if you don’t?), spend at least a little time figuring out how to engage in the symbolic political action that might actually add up to something useful. In the United States check out 1sky.org and wecansolveit.org; since you’re a citizen of the globe as well, you also need to help us at 350.org. Putting up a clothesline is a fine idea: 1,016 pounds of carbon, remember. But if you join Project Laundry List to fight for the idea of clotheslines, you become, in essence, an Amway salesman for positive change. Yes, your Prius definitively rocks—but even if you can’t afford a Prius, you can accomplish considerably more by joining Al Gore’s campaign to push for the rapid conversion to renewable electricity, which can power the next generation of hybrid cars.

It’s not, I warn you, as immediately satisfying as installing a new tankless water heater or greasing the chain on your bike. You have to keep reminding yourself: multiplication, not addition. You have to keep reminding yourself that atmospheric physics and chemistry don’t give you points for doing the right thing—they only care about how much carbon is in the atmosphere. We have so little time that we can’t waste any of it. Screw in a new light bulb? Sure. Screw in a new global treaty? Now we’re talking.

In 2005, with GM and Ford teetering perilously close to bankruptcy, the Breakthrough Institute created the Healthcare for Hybrids proposal with Senator Barack Obama, Representative Jay Inslee, and the Center for American Progress, a plan which would have linked fuel-economy increases to relieving health care costs for U.S. automakers. Today, with the industry again on the brink of collapse, we invite you to join us is exploring a new question for the new era:

What will it take to reinvent the American auto industry?

We will publish the best responses on our home page, www.thebreakthrough.org.  Please submit your op-eds to oped@thebreakthrough.org and paste or type your content into the body of the message; please do not send attachments.

============

“As GM goes, so goes the nation,” went the old saying.  Let’s hope not.

The U.S. auto industry is in its last throes.  After decades of declining market share, sales have collapsed to 25 year lows, with total sales for October over 30 percent below last year.  GM sales have plummeted by 45 percent, and its stock price is down to its lowest level since 1950.  According to Deutsche Bank, GM may not be able to fund its operations past December.  An op-ed in yesterday’s Detroit News put it this way:

“It’s over, folks… It would be impossible to overstate the historic implications of this mdash; what it means for the national economy, the city of Detroit, the state of Michigan, the industrial Midwest, GM employees and retirees, suppliers, dealers, non-profits and the United Auto Workers.”

Should the industry be allowed to fail?  Obama, Pelosi and Reid don’t think so, and it appears increasingly likely that an additional $25 billion federal package mdash; on top of the $25 billion in direct loans included in the $700 billion bailout plan mdash; will be injected to prevent bankruptcy.  Obama and the Democratic leadership have indicated that such a deal would be contingent upon automakers’ willingness to transition the industry to produce more fuel-efficient and cleaner vehicles, but no further details are on the table.

Here’s the problem: not even $50 billion is enough to save the automakers.  The industry has been trapped in a downward spiral for decades.  In the 1970s, domestic automakers sold 90 percent of U.S. vehicles.  In 2007 they sold less than 50 percent, and their share is smaller today.  Even if a major bailout can hold the industry over until the end of the recession, there’s little indication that Detroit can ever again compete with foreign manufacturers.

Now is the existential moment for an American industrial archetype.  Is America ready to cut its losses?  Or are we willing to do what it will take to rebuild and transform this industry to become competitive in the 21^st century and create the clean, efficient American automobiles of the future?

The choice is ours – and ideas like yours can help determine the path we take. To join this conversation about America’s future, visit our website at www.thebreakthrough.org and submit your ideas in essay format to oped@thebreakthrough.org.

Not that readers of this blog need reminding, but just in case:

Breakrsquo;s over, folks.

The 2008 election has come and gone, but our work has only just begun.

Young people turned out in record numbers on November 4 (as the media have made very clear) and in the process we left an indelible mark on this country.

The world is taking notice. Theyrsquo;re listening. Now is the time to make sure our elected officials hear us very clearly. We want green jobs, a clean energy economy, and a secure climate absent of coal and smog.

And we want them now.

So to kick off the next several months of accountability, and lay the ground work for Power Shift 2009 when we go all in on Capitol Hill, wersquo;re going to throw a couple hundred parties around the country to remind our incumbent and newly elected leaders Whorsquo;s the Boss.

http://www.powervote.org/nov18

WHEN: November 18 - 21

WHERE: Wherever your elected officials are.

WHAT: Join youth around the country in welcoming our newly elected leaders to office and reminding them who they work forhellip;

WHY: Because our work didnrsquo;t end on November 4; it just got started.  Electing new leaders was the first step. Now we need bold leadership to turn our vision for a clean and just energy future into reality

HOW: Make a giant greeting card and throw a Greeting Party (or something else creative) for your member of Congress or state and local elected officials.

Make it happen. Your event doesnrsquo;t have to be hard or complicated.

Give your elected leaders a giant greeting card signed by everyone on campus, or invite your leaders over to listen to what you and your peers want.  Have your most local officials sign the card with you to send it to your state officials.  Have state officials sign it to send to federal.  Host a debate. Throw a concert.  The possibilities abound.  (And donrsquo;t forget to invite your campus and local media!)

Whatever you do, do something!  Do NOT let the opportunity to connect with your elected leaders pass.

http://www.powervote.org/nov18

When yoursquo;re done, donrsquo;t forget to publish photos and video so we can all link to you and make you even more cool.  Thatrsquo;s right.  Power Vote accountability actions will make you cool and popular.  You heard it here first.

Letrsquo;s get lsquo;er done.

Miriam lsquo;Mama Africarsquo; Makeba, South Africarsquo;s ldquo;first lady of songrdquo;, has passed away.

Her rousing songs and commentary about South Africarsquo;s apartheid goverment and against racism both in her home country and here in the United States were an inspiration to millions. I first got into her as a young teen, and her music was a memorable part of my political awakening.

The story of Makeba and so many otherrsquo;s victories in the struggle for justice is an important reminder that our movements thrive less on the statistics and figures, strategic plans, soundbytes, and position papers, and more by way of our stories, visions, values, and crucially the strength of our cultural leaders.

Whatrsquo;s the place of cultural work in our movement and are we giving it enough importance? Which songs, artwork, stories, or poems are inspiring you to action for climate justice today?

Amidst the flurry of media and rhetoric on the campaign trail, the historic events of Tuesdays election, and the looming questions of where we go from here, there is only one word that comes to mind: Satyagraha.

For me this strange sounding word