CCL Update: 4.2.10
CCL IN SOUTH FLORIDA
Welcome, Broward County. Please welcome our newest Citizens Climate Lobby chapter in Broward County (Ft. Lauderdale), Florida. They’ll be joining us for their first national conference call on Saturday.
ON CAPITOL HILL
Waiting on Kerry-Grahm-Lieberman: The House and Senate are on Easter recess. With health care reform in the rearview mirror, leaders are talking about the possibility of bring up climate legislation. The proposal with the most momentum in the Senate comes from senators John Kerry, Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman, the KGL bill, as it is known. It 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. Though a draft of the bill won’t be release until mid-April at the earliest, indications are that the bill will provide for more offshore oil and gas drilling, money for new nuclear plants, and money for carbon capture and sequestration research. Treehugger.com has some interesting handicapping on KGL.
The Cantwell-Collins option: Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), co-sponsor with Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) of the CLEAR Act, suggested this week that their bill could be combined with the energy bill already approved by the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Sen. Jeff Bingaman is anxious to get the energy bill to the Senate floor, and combining the two bills would create comprehensive legislation that would price carbon and also address energy concerns. The Hill has the scoop on Collins’ overtures to Bingaman.
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.
Send CCL proposal to legislative aides: Designate three people from your Group to make the following calls: One to each Senator, and one to your Member of the House. During that call tell them you will be sending them a copy of our bill by email. Explain to them why you believe a simple, transparent solution is the best thing for our country and the climate. To make these calls you can use the U.S. Capitol Switchboard phone number (202) 224-3121 and ask to be transferred to your Senators or Members of the House. Then ask to speak with the Legislative Assistant who handles Energy & Environment. Or you can use this link http://capwiz.com/fconl/dbq/officials/ to look up the names and telephone numbers of the Legislative Assistants for each MoC.
Earth Day outreach: If your community has an Earth Day celebration, designate someone in your Group to arrange for a table and schedule who is going to man the booth.
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. Eastern, Noon Central, 11 a.m. Mountain and 10 a.m. Pacific). 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.
Film/video contest: Citizens Climate Lobby will sponsor a film/video contest, offering a cash prize for the best film/video that educates the public about the climate crisis, Citizens Climate Lobby and fee-and-dividend solutions. Details on entry and rules will be posted to the Web site soon.
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 now!
CCL MEDIA
Letter in North County Times: Judy Berlfein, a CCL volunteer in the North San Diego group, had a letter to the editor published, “Military support for a green economy.”
CCL IN ACTION
Meeting with Rep. Duncan Hunter’s aide: Volunteers from CCL’s South San Diego group spent over an hour with an aide to Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter. Tim Kline reports, “It was one of the best meetings with a congressional staffer we have had.”
ARTICLES WORTH READING
“A Novel Approach to Climate Change Policy: A Tax Shift.” Bill Shireman of Future 500 writes on U.S. News and World Report about pricing carbon with a tax shift.
“Oil and Gas Ads Target “Energy Industry Taxes.” We knew it was coming. The New York Times reports on the fossil fuel industry’s PR campaign to fight carbon-pricing.
“Carbon Permits Said to Be in Excess in Europe.” The New York Times reports that the cap-and-trade system in Europe is not putting the anticipated pressure on polluters to reduce emissions.
