It’s Getting Hot In Here

As the Power Past Coal project launches, we see some big news from Capitol Hill and the media regarding the demise of so-called “clean coal.”

First, in the Senate confirmation hearing for new Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, longtime West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller (pictured) started a ramble about energy politics that surprised all in attendance when he remarked, “Coal is dirty. ‘Clean coal’ is dirty.” (You can watch a video and read an analysis by our friends at WonkRoom here) While Sen. Rockefeller was incorrect in his speech when he claimed that there are two coal-fired power plants in the country that sequester their carbon emissions (in reality, no such plants exist), we can hope that his new-found distaste for coal can help us guarantee that we transition coal out of America’s energy future.   Continue reading ‘NYT and Sen. Rockefeller Agree: “‘Clean’ Coal is Dirty”’

This week my 2 million closest friends and I froze half to death on the Washington Mall to say goodbye to President Bush and scream a breathless, extended cheering, crying, dancing, hugging, being nice to strangers, delirious from lack of sleep hello to Barack Obama.

While were were there, we were greeted by the Reality Coalition’s most recent Ain’t No Clean Coal ad in the metros, which about a million people rode on Tuesday.  Bigfoot, Mermaids, and Aliens were touting clean coal, ha ha ha!

Despite how fun these ads are, recently leaked Coal Sleaze memos reveal a serious battle is coming. Our work for clean energy is gaining amazing momentum–and they are scared. We’re going to need more than funny ads on our side. Coal Sleaze power got new Energy Secretary Stephen Chu to go from “Coal is my worst night mare” to being “…hopeful and optimistic that we can figure out how to use coal in a clean way…”

As we move forward, it’s going to take serious work, we need to band together with new efforts from  Power Past Coal to Powershift–to show the power and cacophony of our thriving grassroots movement that values health and real prosperity over money.  Viewing the 2 million people standing around me at the inauguration, it seemed so easy. Here’s what our new President had to say about it, in some of my favorite parts of his first big speech as president.

Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America…

Continue reading ‘Barack and Bigfoot, an Inauguration Story’

Wondering how to get people registered for Power Shift 2009? Call them!

Here is a lovely display of our team hard at work on the OSU campus. We told everyone to bring phone numbers, divvied everything up, and went to work. It’s important to do a little prep first though, so people feel comfortable pitching Power Shift on the phone. You can use this sample phone script, or just shoot from the hip and talk about whatever you’re most excited about (climate justice, 10,000 young people, career fair, etc.).

What’s working for you?

This Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 2009, join Rising Tide Boston (RTB) in demanding that Bank of America stop its funding of the dirty and deadly coal industry and demanding, in solidarity with City Life/Vida Urbana, stop its unjust foreclosures and evictions of working families. Closing your account with Bank of America (BoA) is an important step in bringing closure to this unhealthy relationship.

We have a lot of new updates for the Day of Action! We’ve released a set of resources on our website, http://www.risingtideboston.org (just click the banner at the top to get to our BoA section). Continue reading ‘Bank of America, We’re Still Breaking Up With You’

We’ve been dealing with the “clean coal” mythology for some time now, and you’re probably all very well-versed in de-bunking pro-coal propaganda. I just came across this ad (see page 12) in CitiesGoGreen‘s January edition and it got me thinking. Ever heard of E-Coal? The product’s inventors have a whole new way of approaching the coal industry.

“Don’t be fooled by the name, there is no fossil coal in E-Coal. It is only called E-Coal to help the electric power industry executives make the needed mental paradigm shift” says NewEarth Renewable Energy, the promoter of E-Coal and E-Oil.

To me this posits some interesting questions: Could we kick coal by firing traditional coal generators with biomass? Could we save mountaintops from coal miners without shutting down the whole coal power industry? Might there be a place for combustion in the clean energy economy? I don’t know the answers, but I know that if you’re an energy wonk, you might find this interesting.

So here it goes, the unveiling of the Global Youth Climate Movement’s work in Poznan, Poland, for COP 14 at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change:

To Download this video click here. It’s the video labeled COP14 (Say What You Want).

And the other video:

To download this video click here. (teardrop) It is labeled COP 14

Cross-posted from WattHead – Energy News and Commentary

[Correction appended, 1/22/09]

In one of his first actions upon taking office, President Barack Obama signed an executive order to put the breaks on all pending “midnight” regulations pushed by former President Bush in his waning days in office (God it feels good to write that!). That includes the slough of “loot and run” environmental regulations advanced by Mr. Bush, including efforts to relax air emissions standards for coal plants, make it easier for coal companies to expand the dastardly practice of mountain top removal mining, and more.

According to the Associate Press, “The order went out shortly after Obama was inaugurated president, in a memorandum signed by new White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.”

All’s fair in love and politics apparently: according to AP, Bush did the same thing when entering office in 2001, putting a halt to dozens of regulations and executive orders advanced by outgoing President Clinton, “who in his final 20 days in office issued 12 executive orders,” AP reports, “including directives on migratory birds and the importation of diamonds from Sierra Leone.”

Unfortunately, it was too late for some regulations, which Mr. Bush and his administration cronies were able to finalize before Obama’s inauguration day, including rules regarding the Endangered Species Act.
Continue reading ‘Obama Puts the Brakes on Bush’s Midnight “Loot and Run” Environmental Tactics’

The First 100 Days of the new administration are here. The short time frame that we have to achieve significant action on cutting warming pollution coincides with a unique political opportunity to change our nation.

The first of these opportunities is February 5th. The National Teach-In on Global Warming is connecting campuses, congregations, and communities directly with their US representatives via video-dialogue. In addition, the NTI will produce a webcast, available for free download anytime after January 30, featuring EAC and climate movement leaders, including Billy Parish and Wahleah Johns (below).

Jessy Tolkan of the Energy Action Coalition will be headlining the January 21 National Teach-In nationwide organizing call. Jessy will motivate us all to prepare for Power Shift, and give us her most recent thoughts on the movement. The call is at 12 Eastern or 9 Pacific, Call-in number is 218-486-8700, passcode 020509.

There are now 155 schools around the country who have asked their congressperson to engage in direct video-dialogue on February 4th or 6th, and we are shooting for HALF of Congress. Over the course of these three days, Congress will hear from their constituents in-district about climate change, providing a powerful counter-point to the lobbyists housed across Pennsylvania Ave.

Continue reading ‘The First 100 Days Call Us to Action’

Cross-posted on WattHead

Today Barack Obama took the oath of office and became the 44^th President of the United States of America. He identified grave challenges our nation faces and called on all of us to unite in facing them.

George Bush is moving back to Texas, Henry Waxman (D-CA) is the chair of the House Energy and Commerce committee and our movement is stronger than ever. What are we going to do with it? Now is the critical time to make big plans, build the movement and make all the changes that have been out of reach for eight years a reality.

President Obama explicitly referenced harnessing “the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories,” but the message I heard is that we must harness a new American energy – the energy of an awakened citizenry sensing the urgency of this moment – to power a global transition to a more just and prosperous clean energy future.

We are that energy. Here are three things you can do today to harness it:

1. Register now for Power Shift 2009 Feb. 27 – Mar. 2 in Washington, DC, get ten friends to come with you and visit your representatives in Congress where they work.

1. Call your representatives in Congress today and tell them the stimulus package must include green jobs. Congressional Switchboard: (202) 225-3121. You can also send an email through MoveOn, 1Sky or Green For All.

1. Start organizing a town hall on energy as a part of Focus the Nation 2009, a nationwide event to focus on our energy future on April 18^th. Get your campus, your community and your representatives in Congress together and turn our national conversation on energy into action. Contact your regional organizer to find out more.

I am proud to unveil a (second annual) project I did during the holiday break called Looking Back, Turning Forward: the words of 9 student leaders.

It is a popular education project identifying the problems, solutions, needs, and next steps of student sustainability groups in Ohio. The OSEC Resources working group plans to turn this into a zine for distribution to Ohio students at Power Shift 09.

Continue reading ‘Looking Back, Turning Forward: the words of 9 student leaders’