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