Jim Sconyers jim_scon@yahoo.com 304.698.9628
Remember: Mother Nature bats last.
--- On Wed, 9/23/09, Christina.Yagjian@sierraclub.org Christina.Yagjian@sierraclub.org wrote:
From: Christina.Yagjian@sierraclub.org Christina.Yagjian@sierraclub.org Subject: [energy activists] Updates and ACTION: Stop Obstructionist Amendments! To: Christina.Yagjian@sierraclub.org Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 5:34 PM
The Senate is currently considering their 2010 Interior appropriations bill. This bill aims to invest in a clean energy economy, support a cleaner, healthier environment, and pave the way for comprehensive climate legislation this year. Not surprisingly, numerous obstructionist amendments have been offered to derail these goals.
Please call your senators and ask them to oppose all weakening amendments to the Interior appropriations bill.
Find your Representative: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/findyourreps.xpd
Warm Regards,
Christina Marie Yagjian National Conservation Organizer Sierra Club, Global Warming and Energy 202.675.7911
__________________________________________________________________
INFORMATION BELOW Senate Climate Bill Senate Interior Appropriations Bill United Nations Special Session on Climate Change Latino Partnerships Materials
CLIMATE BILL
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and John Kerry (D-MA) are closer to introducing the initial draft of their version of comprehensive climate legislation. The majority of the bill has been sent to legislative council for review and we expect it to be introduced next week. The Environment and Public Works Committee will likely take up the bill some time in the second half of October.
Unlike the bill that passed the House earlier this year, we expect that the bill that Boxer will introduce will not limit the EPA?s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources like coal plants and oil refineries under the Clean Air Act (CAA). This is something that we are pleased with. We are still not sure how Max Baucus (D-MT) and Arlen Specter (D-PA) will react to leaving EPA authority over coal plants in the bill. Meetings with staff have not gone well.
Assuming that Boxer is successful, we expect the issue of EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the CAA will come under attack as the Senate debate gets underway, however, and we will work to defend it as the bill moves to the Senate floor. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) has agreed to lead a ?dear colleague? letter in defense of CAA authority for the Senate floor debate. We will circulate the draft letter when it is finished.
Phone bank to build support to strengthen and pass a Senate climate bill this year: Sierraclub.org/climateleaders
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
The Senate is currently considering the 2010 Interior appropriations bill. The bill which passed out of the Appropriations Committee provides the tools necessary to invest in a clean energy economy, support a cleaner, healthier environment, and pave the way for comprehensive climate legislation this year. Not surprisingly however, numerous obstructionist amendments have been offered to undermine this work. The Sierra Club is most concerned with an amendment filed by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) which will strip all funding for the EPA to fight global warming.
Call your senators and ask them to oppose all weakening amendments to the Interior appropriations bill. These amendments undermine our work to improve the health, security, and economic strength of our communities through investments in a clean energy future.
Find your Representative: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/findyourreps.xpd
Please see attached letter to the Senate from the environmental community to review additional amendments that we are watching.
UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL SESSION ON CLIMATE CHANGE By Justin Guay
In what was billed as a much needed momentum boost for the international negotiations on climate change the United Nations hosted a special session on climate change this week. The Alliance of Small Island Developing States (AOSIS), a block of low lying islands who are ground zero for climate change impacts framed the event with their new motto ?1.5 to stay alive? referring to the need to keep global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius to ensure their future survival. Sadly, key countries who were supposed to deliver at this summit, primarily the United States and China, failed to do so. The promise of ?game-changing? announcements were fulfilled with vague promises by the Chinese to ?cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by a notable margin by 2020? as well as a lack of new commitments from President Obama. True leadership at the summit came from the ?Japanese Obama?, Prime Minister Hatoyama, who reiterated Japan?s commitment to a 25% emissions reduction cut as well as unveiling his ?Hatoyama Initiative? which calls on developed countries, including Japan, to contribute new and additional public financing and promote the transfer of low-carbon technologies. The failure of the United States to seize this critical opportunity to provide momentum for Copenhagen demonstrates the need to demand action from the Senate. This is the only way to allow the President to make strong declarations in international forums. We can't afford these opportunities to keep passing by.
LATINO PARTNERSHIPS MATERIALS
Thanks to those who joined last night?s energy activist call. As promised, below are materials that should help in your work with Latino communities.
First National Poll on Latinos and the Environment: http://www.sierraclub.org/ecocentro/survey/default.aspx
Latinos and Global Warming Fact Sheet: http://www.sierraclub.org/energy/factsheets/globalwarming-latinos.pdf