CCL Update
CARBON FEE AND DIVIDEND ACT - Citizens Climate Lobby this week unveiled proposed legislation to address the looming crisis of climate change and produce jobs in a clean energy economy. Known as the Carbon Fee and Dividend Act, the CCL proposal establishes as a target reducing the level of carbon-dioxide in our atmosphere to 350 parts per million. To achieve this goal the bill would place a steadily-increasing fee on carbon-dioxide at the source so that clean energy will become competitive with fossil fuels within a decade. Revenue from the carbon fee would be returned to all households in the form of a monthly dividend to shield people from the economic cost of switching to clean energy. CCL volunteers will take this proposals to members of Congress and their staffs during the Easter recess in order to gain support for the proposal.
ON CAPITOL HILL
Climate bill not ready yet: The much-anticipated climate bill from senators John Kerry (D-MA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) probably won’t be released until after the Easter recess. The Hill is reporting that meetings were held this week with Senate leadership on the status of climate/energy legislation. The KGL bill, as it is known, would divide carbon emitters into three sectors – utilities, transportation and manufacturing. Utilities would come under a cap-and-trade. Transportation would have a fuel tax. Manufacturers would have limits placed on their emissions at a later date. Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), chairman of Energy and Natural Resources Committee, is calling for a separate energy bill this session if agreement can’t be reached on a bill to limit greenhouse gases.
Cantwell and Collins not happy: Meanwhile, senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) held a briefing for their legislation, the CLEAR Act, which would employ a cap and dividend system that auctions pollution permits and returns most of the revenue to households in the form of monthly dividends. The two senators don’t agree with KGL about the pricing mechanism for carbon. Cantwell was quoted in a Reuters article:
"We probably still have a difference of opinion on creation of trading platforms. There are some who believe that you actually have to have trading to have liquidity. I think a clear price market signal without volatility will unleash the investment."
TAKE ACTION
Meet with your members of Congress. CCL groups should arrange for meetings with members of Congress during the spring recess (March 29-April 9). Purpose of these meetings will be to enroll senators and representatives to support the most effective legislation to address climate change. Ask them to support Citizens Climate Lobby’s Carbon Fee and Dividend Act.
Oppose Murkowski resolution and Rockefeller bill: Write or call your senators now and ask them to oppose Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s resolution of disapproval on EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gases. Ask them to also oppose Sen Jay Rockefeller’s bill to impose a two-year moratorium on EPA’s authority to limit greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources. See our current action page.
COMING UP
Economist Robert Shapiro on next call: Dr. Robert Shapiro will be our guest speaker on the April 3 conference call (1 p.m. EDT). Shapiro was U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs in the Clinton Administration. He also served as chief economic advisor for Al Gore and John Kerry during their presidential campaigns.
CCL National Conference in Washington: Citizens Climate Lobby will hold it’s first National Conference in Washington June 20-22. Keynote speaker will be Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute and author of “Plan B: 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization.” Join us in Washington to meet other climate activists from around the nation, learn the skills to be a successful climate activist and lobby on Capitol Hill for effective legislation to stop climate change. Register online starting next week.
CCL IN ACTION
Meeting with Sen. Nelson’s aide: Six volunteers from CCL’s Tallahassee group met by telephone conference with Sen. Bill Nelson’s aide for environment and energy, Stratton Kirton. They spent an hour with Kirton talking about CCL’s Carbon Fee and Dividend Act. Kirton promised to take the proposal and “run it up the flagpole” with Sen. Nelson.
CCL MEDIA
In print: Marshall Saunder’s oped, “A Climate Bill Worthy of Support,” was prominently featured in the opinion pages of the San Diego Union-Tribune last Friday. Letters responding to Marshall’s piece, from CCL volunteers Jean Seager and Judy Berlfein, were published in Thursday’s edition of the Union-Trib.
On Twitter: Citizens Climate Lobby now has 150 followers on Twitter. One of those followers invited CCL Communications Director Steve Valk to appear last Monday on EcoChat, a web-based program. Go to https://twitter.com/citizensclimate to follow CCL’s tweets and retweet to your followers.
ARTICLES WORTH READING
“Global Warming is Fact, and Denial Won’t Change Climate Back.” In this column appearing in U.S. News and World Report, Joseph Romm admits “trivial mistakes” but says the green house is heating while we argue.
“Two Tactics on Climate Change.” This report on Congress.org examines the two camps on climate legislation – one that wants to enact a bill this year and one that is building support for a stronger bill later.
“Curb Population Growth to Fight Climate Change?” In USAToday’s Green House, conservationist Jane Goodall makes the case that we need fewer people if we’re going to stop climate change, a view also espoused by Lester Brown in “Plan B: 4.0.”
