Climate Capsule Week of June 1
Tuesday, June 2, 2009(National Wildlife Federation)
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Highlight of the
Week
Unprecedented Coalition Sets Stage for
Climate Bill to
Move to Full House
The race is
on in Washington and at
international talks continuing throughout the
year to bring the era of fossil
fuel dominance to a close. National Wildlife
Federation called the recent
passage of the American Clean Energy and
Security Act through the House Energy
and Commerce Committee’s “the vote heard
around the world.”
A strong (and
bipartisan) 33-25 vote in the
House Committee pulled the winning votes
together from a range of districts
around the country representing rust belt, farm
belt, and oil patch states that
so many doubters said would not deliver in the
end.
Winning in
itself is critical to keeping
momentum moving forward, but in the process,
the coalition that has formed lays
the groundwork for comprehensive energy policy
that is embraced in every corner
of the nation.
There is time
and room for improvement, but the
core of the bill is an agreement to steadily
reduce emissions of carbon
pollution by about two percent per year
starting in 2012. The legislation
includes a host of other important measures,
including: building codes that will
help cut the energy use of new buildings in
half by 2015, approximately $10
billion annually in new funding to
renewable energy and energy efficiency, and
a remarkably ambitious and well-funded
effort to reduce deforestation around the
world.
The elements form a
bolder whole that will slash our dependence on
oil; put our economy back on
track with millions of new, clean energy jobs
while shifting energy production
toward cleaner, cheaper and safer sources like
wind and solar; and dramatically
cut the carbon pollution that causes global
warming. It will create the
industries of tomorrow with America out front
and in the lead. It’s a sharp
departure from the past as the bill progresses
to its next phase in the House.
While it’s too early
to say for sure, preliminary indications are
that full House debate may begin by
the July 4th Congressional
recess.
Bipartisan
Congressional Delegation Presses for China-US
Climate Action
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) led a bipartisan Congressional delegation to China last week, urging that "we must work together" to address global warming. Pelosi noted
that the opportunity for US-China
cooperation on global warming requires urgent
action:
“The impact
of climate change has a tremendous
effect in the United States, in China, and
throughout the world,” she said. “We
don’t have that much time or margin for
error. We must come to agreement. We
must act.”
Happening This
Week Wednesday, June 3 Markup of National Climate Service bill House Science and Technology 02:00 PM, 2318 Rayburn Thursday, June 4 Hearing on shale gas potential House Natural Resources 10:00 AM, 1334 Longworth Hearing on oil spill research and development House Science and Technology 02:00 PM, 2318 Rayburn Markup of comprehensive energy bill Senate Energy and Natural Resources 09:30 AM, 366 Dirksen |
Quote:
“So
we've got a choice. We can remain the world's
leading importer of oil, sending
our money and our wealth away, or we can become
the world's leading exporter of
clean energy.”
—President Obama, regarding the need for American leadership on alternative energy, in a recent speech at Nellis Air Force Base. Economic Message of the Week Global
CEOs: Climate Action Key to Economic
Growth
Hoping to create a global carbon market, the organizers of a world business summit on climate change said 2 million new jobs would be created in the U.S. alone if it increased its reliance on cleaner sources of energy. Many CEOs speaking in Copenhagen -- who included heads of companies like PepsiCo Inc. and Unilever PLC -- said they were committed to greening their companies and cutting carbon pollution. Setting global targets will be
crucial in
creating a level playing field, especially for
energy-intensive industries.
Failure to set global targets, CEOs warned,
could lead to "green protectionism"
-- where industries in countries with tough
rules would lose out to rivals in
countries with less strict policies.
President, Governors Declare June Great
Outdoors Month
June is an especially good time to trade screen time for green time, and get outside with family and friends. For several years the President and most Governors have issued annual proclamations declaring June as Great Outdoors Month. On Monday, President Obama released his 2009 proclamation for Great Outdoors Month. This month,
children and their families can
enjoy the benefits of outdoor activities such
as camping, fishing, cycling, or
hiking, and National Wildlife Federation offers
resources to help plan an
afternoon at the park or a weekend in the
mountains. The new online database
NatureFind shows how easy it is to find green
spaces wherever you are, and users
can access maps with directions to parks, zoos,
wildlife refuges, hiking trails
and more—powered by your own zip
code. Visit www.nwf.org/naturefind
to begin
planning your Outdoors Month adventure.
Contact:
Patrick Fitzgerald, Senior Legislative
Representative, (202) 797-6821, FitzgeraldP@nwf.org
Dutch Lessons on Managing Rising
Water
Due to Warming
More than
half of the Netherlands is below sea
level, where 60 percent of citizens live and
where 65 percent of its gross
national product is produced, according to the
New York Times. This makes the
country extremely vulnerable to both sea-level
rise and river flooding.
“We came
here to learn about what the Dutch
have been doing for many years to protect their
people from the ravages of
flooding and how their system not only seems to
protect people from flooding,
but also has contributed to a high quality of
life,” explained Landrieu during a
press conference.
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