It’s Getting Hot In Here

By Teryn Norris
Originally published by AlterNet
July 8, 2009

The recent passage of the American Clean Energy & Security Act (ACES) through the U.S. House of Representatives drew different reactions from climate and environmental advocates. But one key perspective shared by most advocates is that, despite its weaknesses, the bill is a good first step. ACES builds a solid foundation for future progress on U.S. climate mitigation, the argument goes, and climate advocates will be well-positioned to strengthen the legislation in years ahead.

But what are the prospects for strengthening ACES in future years? This question is subject to many uncertainties, depending on the vagaries of the political climate. But a closer examination reveals that ACES could create a “super-lobby” of interest groups that will significantly diminish the possibility of achieving future reforms.

The newest climate lobby — and potentially one of the most powerful in years to come — is the financial industry. If ACES is signed into law, the global carbon market could become the largest commodity market in the world. According to Bart Chilton, Commissioner of the U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), “The potential size and scope of a structured carbon emissions market in the US is unequivocally vast. It is certainly possible that the emissions markets could overtake all other commodity markets.”

A growing number of analysts are expressing concerns about the emergence of a new financial climate lobby and the potential for gaming in a new U.S. carbon market. A recent report by Friends of Earth (FOE), “Subprime Carbon,” argued that cap and trade proposals like ACES could create a system with similar financial and political interests to the housing market bubble. Just as financial practices during the housing bubble caused deteriorating standards in mortgages, cap and trade could create “subprime” carbon offsets — offsets that do not represent actual emission reductions and carbon derivatives based on future carbon reductions with high risk of not being fulfilled.

Continue reading ‘New Climate Bill Could Create “Super Lobby” Against U.S. Emissions Reductions’

{Cross-posted from Funding Our Future}

There will be another congressional hearing about the climate bill tomorrow, and guess who is on the stand? Five people representing fossil industries, one faith leader, and an economist from the most corporatist ‘environmental’ organization around.

There are no young people on the panel and our only ally, Maria Castellanos from the United Church of Christ, is also the only witness who isn’t white, a man, and whose pockets aren’t lined with bloody fossil fuel cash. Wouldn’t it be nice to let these people know what we think they should be saying? I looked around for their e-mail addresses for you. Pick one person, and send them a quick note. I chose Mr. Keohane from the Environmental Defense Fund and this is what I’m writing him: Continue reading ‘Dear Hearing Witness, would you mind not selling our future?’

“We gave you 17 percent, what do you mean you want more?”

That was the response of Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers when I told him recently I’d like him to reconsider Duke’s actions to weaken the Waxman/Markey climate change bill. As the U.S. youth representative at a recent meeting of world business leaders in Copenhagen, I approached Mr. Rogers after the Executive Director of one of the world’s largest environmental organizations helped 4 other youth representatives and me “find” our way into the private conference dinner. Explaining my role as a representative of SustainUS and the Energy Action Coalition, I proceeded to tell him that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change calls for reductions of 25-40 percent from a 1990 baseline (not the weaker 2005 target in Waxman/Markey) to reduce the chances of catastrophic climate change that threatens future generations.  I told Mr. Rogers that the actions of Duke Energy are unacceptable to the youth climate movement, and that the survival of future generations is being endangered with such a modest climate bill that companies like his have tried to further weaken.

Written by OSU student Kaitlyn Maywhoor:
Yesterday morning, the Ohio Student Environmental Coalition held a protest outside of the American Municipal Power headquarters in Columbus.

The plan was to wash AMP’s windows to help them “See the Light” while holding murals depicting Ohio’s future with AMP’s proposed coal-fired power plant versus Ohio’s future with renewable energy. However, when the group arrived there were two police cars and a paddy wagon parked outside the headquarters.

After talking with the police officers, OSEC Steering Committee co-chairs Kristen Arnold (Freshman, OSU) and Leah Winnike (Sophomore, University of Dayton) were allowed a meeting with AMP spokespeople Jolene Thompson and Kent Carson.
Continue reading ‘Students Send Window-Washing Wakeup Call to Ohio Utility’

I’m in Charlotte, North Carolina this evening, where hundreds of organizers and activists from over 20(!) states have gathered for a major act of civil disobedience in opposition to Duke Energy’s Cliffside coal power plant. We have a crew of 10 from the Ohio Student Environmental Coalition here, taking notes to see what we can take back home with us.

The action starts at 10AM sharp tomorrow. Check back for updates and check Russ Anderson’s blog entry from earlier today for more info and background.

“Intel remains committed to the principle that Oregon continues to lead on the critical issues of carbon reduction and climate change. I hope and believe there will be legislation this year that delivers on that goal.” -Jonathan Williams, Government Affairs Manager for Intel Oregon

When the Wall Street Journal devotes page space to the concept of industry greenwashing, you know you’re looking at what might just be a change in public consciousness. More and more people are turning a critical eye to corporations that trumpet their own environmental concernedness far and wide, then turn around and pollute the air, destroy biodiversity, or fight government policies that would raise environmental standards. Nowhere is that more true than in my own environmentally-inclined state of Oregon. None of our Oregon-based companies quite made the Journal’s list of the “Top Ten Greenwashers in America.” But if you drew up a similar list specifically for corporations with close ties to the Northwest, you’d have to put Intel Corporation somewhere near the top.

While Intel, the largest computer chip manufacturer in the world, is technically based in California, Oregon is the company’s largest center of manufacturing in the US. And unsurprisingly, the Oregon branch of Intel has pulled out all the stops attempting to paint itself as “green.” But over the last year, I’ve worked with other student activists to look at just how Intel’s policies in Oregon match up with the company’s green rhetoric. And this is what we’ve found:

As the largest private employer in Oregon, Intel wields immense political power in this state. Yet as the Oregon legislature debates some of the most progressive climate policies in the country this year, Intel has been conspicuously silent. And for Intel, silence means giving a thumbs-up to those who would like to gut Oregon’s promising clean energy future. Why? Because Intel is one of the largest members of Industrial Customers of Northwest Utilities (ICNU) – a group that has consistently lobbied against progressive climate policy in Oregon. This year, ICNU has joined forces with a variety of other corporate interest groups to form Oregonians for Balanced Climate Policy – actually an anti-environmental conglomeration of the worst polluters in this state that now represents the single most powerful opponent to climate policy in Oregon.

Continue reading ‘Intel Oregon: Outstanding Achievement in Corporate Greenwashing’

English version follows

Confieso que, aunque yo era uno de los preocupados ciudadanos de Toronto que querían que el RBC (Banco Real de Canadá) invirtiera en energía renovable y dejara de invertir en la expansión de la industria petrolera en Alberta, no era consciente de cuánto habían jugado con su imagen medioambiental.

¿Qué es lo que RBC dice que hace por el medio ambiente? Para averiguarlo, fui al sitio web medioambiental de RBC. El párrafo principal de la página principal dice que RBC ha escogido tres asuntos medioambientales como “prioridades.”

1. El cambio climático
2. La silvicultura, biodiversidad e indígenas
3. El agua

Es evidente que el banco más grande de Canadá (por sus activos) que ha invertido cincuenta mil millones de dólares para la expansión de la industria petrolera ha manipulado la palabra “prioridad”. Veamos…

Continue reading ‘Las Mentiras de Un Banco Justo’

The mainstream media imagery that emerged this morning in London, England was largely focused on the violent demonstrations, graffiti and the broken windows at the Bank of Scotland. It seems that while holding to the mantra that destruction and violence sells papers, they missed the non-violent civil disobedience images of Climate Camp in the City.

Workshops, music, games and free vegan food were the order of the day outside the European Climate Exchange on Bishopsgate in London. Campers were spotted reading papers outside their tents, growing flowers, gardening bus stops and cooking meals. The camp was complete with a free vegan kitchen and composting toilets.

Despite the non-violent actions of all the campers, the police tactics changed abruptly after dark as they kettled the camp. (Kettling is a controversial police tactic to encircle the protest and not let anyone out or in, including families and children). After 3+ hours of kettling, those campers that were caught and wished to return home were allowed to go free. Several hundred chose to stay and were forcefully and violently evicted by the police early in the morning. Despite the police actions, the campers maintained a spirit of satyagraha until the end.

More images here (©Robert vanWaarden)

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The water poured off my hood and splashed on my lens, frustrating my attempts to clear the drops of Tennessee rain. Documenting the International Youth Climate Movement, had brought me to Knoxville, Tennessee. However, the raindrops, otter like hair and foggy glasses I had to deal with were minor issues compared to what I photographed today.

This afternoon, the March in March, an action organized by Mountain Justice and coinciding with the Mountain Justice Spring Break took place in front of the TVA headquarters here in Knoxville.

From the Mountain Justice website: “Local residents joined dozens of activists from across the country today in a demonstration at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s headquarters, which resulted in the arrest of 14 individuals, after participating in a “die in” in front of the building . This event was held in solidarity with communities affected by the destructive impacts of Mountaintop Removal coal mining and the survivors of the recent coal ash disaster in Harriman.”

The rain stops, the sun shines, the clothing dries and the cameras survive to shoot another day. What won’t survive is the coal industry.

See more of the images here (All images © Robert vanWaarden)

This past weekend the Billionaires for Coal threw a surprise party for Dominion at their Richmond, VA HQ.

Billionaires for Coal rally in support of Dominion Power’s dependence on coal

At noon on Saturday, February 7, approximately fifteen individuals identifying themselves as ‘Billionaires for Coal’ assembled in front of Dominion Power’s downtown offices to ostensibly voice their praise for the company’s many coal-fired power plants. Dressed in formal attire and sipping lemonade from Martini glasses, the group chanted pro-coal, anti-environment slogans and held signs expressing similar sentiments. In addition to rousing recitations such as, “Up with sea levels, up with profits,” the mid-day merriment included a live bluegrass performance by ‘The We Love Money String Band’ who frequently reassured their audience that they’re “only in it for the money.”

Addressing recent displays of opposition to Dominion’s proposed Wise County coal plant as well as the escalating presence of anti-coal activism on an international scale, Stan Sneezley, an alleged billionaire from Harrisonburg said. “I feel offended and assaulted by all of these people talking about asthma and climate change and their children’s future. These people obviously don’t care about me and my money at all! I say if a few million kids have to wheeze a little for me to breath easy, then so be it! I’m rich!”

The theatrical display at the corner of 8th and Cary bewildered and amused passing motorists and pedestrians. Though the group’s signs and chants kept on message with the façade of billionaires celebrating their controversial investments, leaflets distributed to on-lookers shed a different light on the events of the day. These half-paged documents revealed that the demonstration was in-fact organized by Blue Ridge Earth First! (BREF!), the same environmental organization that twice erected blockades of Dominion’s Tredegar St. headquarters in the Spring and Summer of last year, and participated with a number of groups in a blockade at the construction site of Dominion’s newest coal-burning power plant in Virginia’s mountainous southwest corner last September. Citing the impacts of mountain-top removal mining operations on Appalachian communities and coal’s role as the chief cause of climate-change among other grievances, the leaflets declared that BREF! holds a no-compromise opposition to all new coal-fired power plants. The leaflet also stated that the organization will continue it’s efforts to halt the Wise County plant, now in construction and planned to be operating by 2012, using “every tool in the activist tool-box” including civil disobedience and other forms of non-violent direct intervention.

Breaking character, Luis, an Earth First! activist from Charlottesville put it plainly, “Coal is dirty, dangerous and deadly. The public knows it and our political representatives are beginning to reflect our concerns on the matter. The one and only reason that companies like Dominion are still pushing for new coal plants is money. We know that from the mining, to the processing, to the burning and waste storage, coal is hurting people and the environment. By continuing to pursue a new coal-fired power plant in Wise County, Dominion is saying that the wealth of it’s investors is more important than the health and well-being of that area’s residents.”