by Komal Hiranandani | Jun 29, 2009 | Climate Justice, Global Cooperation, News
On June 26, 2009, the House succeeded in passing the Waxman-Markey Bill, which takes important steps towards addressing climate change. The bill narrowly passed with 219 ayes and 212 noes: we commend all the representatives who voted in favor of this key legislation, and urge the Senate to pass the bill before December 2009, when countries will be meeting in Copenhagen to discuss an international environmental agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol.
The Congressional Budget Analysis Office found that 1.7 million jobs will be created with the implementation of the legislation through the growth of clean energy jobs. Low income families will receive a $40 benefit from using more solar and wind energy in place of foreign oil. U.S. dependence on foreign oil will be cut, along with the hazardous effects of pollution- all for the cost of about one postage stamp a day for every family.
There are concerns about compromises made along the way to secure support for the bill. For instance, the Agriculture Committee has secured rights over the Environmental Protection Agency to oversee implementation among farmers, and pollution permits have been given for free to coal-burning utilities, oil refineries, automakers, and manufacturers struggling to compete with overseas production.
By imposing a higher price on carbon emissions, incentives are created to invest in green technology within the U.S. The bill is not strong enough to sufficiently thwart climate change, but it is an important step in the right direction, and a symbol of changing mindsets and modes of development. If even the current bill could not be passed, hopes for stronger measures tomorrow would be dampened significantly.
* ACT NOW in support of strengthened environmental protection policy!
To watch Obama speak on the passage of the bill, click here
For more information on the legislation, click here
To learn more about climate change, click here
by Citizens for Global Solutions | Jun 23, 2009 | Climate Justice, News, Peace & Disarmament
President Obama held a news conference in the Rose Garden on the afternoon of June 23, 2009, his first ever in this location.
He began by condemning the violent governmental response to protests in Iran, declaring that “…we deplore the violence against innocent civilians anywhere it takes place.” He also commended “the courage and the dignity” of the Iranian people, saying the nature of the protests show that “no iron first is strong enough to shut off the world from bearing witness to peaceful protests of justice.”
He stressed that “the Iranian people have a universal right to assembly and free speech” and advised that “if the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect those rights and heed the will of its own people.” He added that “it is not too late for the Iranian government to recognize that there is a peaceful path that will lead to stability and legitimacy and prosperity for the Iranian people.”
President Obama also discussed energy policy in his opening remarks. He referenced H.R. 2454 and noted the many benefits of adopting this legislation, including the development of incentives that “will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy.” He stated his belief that the bill “will open the door to a better future for this nation, and that’s why I urge members of Congress to come together and pass it.”
To read the full transcript of the press release, click here.
by Citizens for Global Solutions | Jun 17, 2009 | Climate Justice, Global Cooperation
On the 16th of June, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars hosted a panel to discuss healthy solutions to climate change with Dr. Paul Esptein and Dr. Amanda Staudt.
The first issue raised was the realization that the current development path exceeds worst-case scenario models that were previously projected. The developing world’s emissions are growing faster than was expected, and the efficiency of carbon sinks (oceans and forests) is less than what was thought. At this rate, the south-west U.S. and other places are on track to become arid, and 50% of the world’s wildlife species will be extinct in the next few years. Dr. Staudt warned that this was the critical moment to avoid many of the irreversible effects of climate change, and she called for solutions such as the provision of wildlife corridors to allow species to migrate when their habitats are threatened, and support for H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act.
Dr. Epstein elaborated on these effects by discussing how they negatively impact our health. Extreme weather events, like droughts and floods, affect the water, soil, animals, and insect breeding grounds, which indirectly harm our health. Increased carbon content reduces crop yields, increases weeds, and also makes some plants poisonous. Other harmful consequences include the release of methane (a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide) from the permafrost in the Arctic, which occurs when the ice melts. The adjoining image shows a professor digging through arctic ice and lighting a flame to demonstrate the methane content in the ice.
Dr. Epstein recommended that we stick to solutions that have been insured against harmful side effects. These include plug-in hybrid electric cars, smart grids, wind energy, solar energy and conservation tillage. However, alternatives such as biofuels, nuclear fission, and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) should not be developed until further studies and safeguards have been established. For instance, the production of biofuels releases harmful ozone by-products, and CCS leeches arsenic and lead, and disintegrates limestone.
In conclusion, the speakers stressed the urgency of the situation and called for regulation, public-private partnerships, and set rules. Dr. Staudt called this period a historic opportunity for us to change the course of development, and we hope that their perspectives and information on ways to address climate change will be heeded.
For more information, click here.
by Citizens for Global Solutions | Jun 17, 2009 | Climate Justice, Global Cooperation, News
On June 15, 2009, the White House released a comprehensive report on climate change, explaining that its affects are already being felt. It acknowledged the role played by humans in causing the phenomenon, and warned that coastal U.S. waters are already suffering. Heavy downpours, temperature increases, rising sea levels, melting glaciers, altered crop seasons, and other such effects are attributable to global warming. Such impacts on the U.S. are projected to grow. Drought, floods, and water quality problems are expected to be major concerns. Crop and livestock production will be compromised with the increase in heat, water stress, diseases, weather extremes, and more favorable conditions for pests. Erosion, flooding, and property destruction are severe risks due to sea-level rise. Human health will also be harmed by heat stress, water-borne diseases, poor air quality, extreme weather events, and pest-borne diseases. To this end, we must reduce emissions of heat-trapping gases and particles, and work to adapt to current changes.
For more information, visit the website of the U.S. Global Change Research Program.
by Don Kraus | Jun 4, 2009 | Climate Justice, Global Cooperation
Dear President Obama,
I write to you to urge you to inaugurate World Oceans Day on June 8th by taking leadership and speaking out in support of U.S. ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The first ever World Oceans Day will focus global attention on the challenges facing our oceans. This day provides you with the ideal moment both to demonstrate American environmental leadership and to promote our country’s security and economic interests.
You have already indicated support for the Law of the Sea convention and your State Department has listed it on the Treaty Priority List for the 111th Congress. The question is not “if”, but “when” you will urge the Senate to take action. At this moment we finally have the right Congress, certainly the right President, and broad support across all of the relevant sectors of our society. I believe now is the time for you to engage.
Joining the Law of the Sea convention, widely supported on both sides of the aisle, would, to use your words, advance “the long tradition of bipartisan foreign policy that has been the hallmark of America….” The United States has not joined a major multilateral treaty since the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1997. Ratification of the Law of the Sea will demonstrate U.S. commitment to working cooperatively with the international community and prepare the ground for ratification of other important treaties, including the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the Convention on Elimination of Discrimination in All Forms Against Women.
As you well know, the Law of the Sea convention has been endorsed by prominent leaders ranging from former President George W. Bush and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and by organizations ranging from the American Petroleum Institute to the World Wildlife Fund.
However, the Senate is not likely to adopt any major treaty without your Presidential leadership in raising the issue and pushing it to the floor. This should be done before the August recess. The Senate will be busy with many competing priorities in the Fall. Delaying beyond that would put us into 2010, and we witnessed in 2008 how difficult it is to advance a multilateral convention in the highly political context of an election year. While there will never be a convenient time to engage in this issue, I cannot think of a more appropriate time to do so.
Mr. President, by failing to ratify the treaty until now, we have prevented ourselves from taking advantage of its benefits, including the ability to stake claims in the resource-rich Arctic seabed. Delaying ratification postpones the expansion of U.S. control over an area larger than the continental United States. Holding up ratification defers assurance of U.S. rights to navigate the world’s oceans safely and freely, one of the priorities that drove the U.S. to take a leadership role in the treaty’s development. Slow ratification impedes our nation’s capacity to protect marine life, conduct research, and prevent marine pollution in order to keep the seas clean and safe for future generations.
Our nation has waited too long to reap the many advantages that membership in this convention will provide. On June 8th, as the international community celebrates the first annual World Oceans Day, there is no better time to announce your support for U.S. ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. Now is the time to engage members of your administration to clear the path for rapid U.S. ratification of this treaty. Mr. Obama, please steer the Law of the Sea towards ratification and urge the Senate to act before Congress goes home for the summer.
Respectfully,
Don Kraus, Chief Executive Officer
Citizens for Global Solutions
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Want to take action? Go to http://globalsolutions.org/action/oceansday
by Citizens for Global Solutions | May 13, 2009 | Climate Justice, Global Cooperation
Former President Jimmy Carter spoke at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, May 12. During the hearing it seemed the panel’s main goal was to hear what Carter had to say about the current climate crisis and how it affects United States foreign relations.
Senators Kerry and Lugar made it a point to highlight the nation’s addiction to oil, as well as the resulting need to create and use new forms of clean energy. This is caused by our relationship with OPEC members who supply the U.S. and other countries with oil. Our dependency on the resource has made foreign relations issues regarding national security and the import deficit more difficult to negotiate.
Both Senators praised Carter for his efforts to bring about change in how we use energy during his administration. Even though Carter had already made it clear that climate change and new renewable energy sources needed to be addressed, following Carter’s presidency, Reagan and other presidents decided climate change was not a priority. In his testimony, Carter used examples of other countries that have already made the change. He cited Spain, which is now close to using wind energy for almost 50% of its energy sources. Carter also asserted that the President himself needs to make the push for change in renewable energy sources in order for anything to really happen.
Finally, Carter asserted that the United States needs to get other countries, such as China and India, on to the same agenda as the U.S. regarding clean energy. He also stated that the nation needs to take a firm stand as a leader in the upcoming Copenhagen meetings; this would be the best chance for the United States to take a lead role for climate change efforts in the international arena.
