On Friday, the House is voting on the American Clean Energy and Security Act (the Waxman-Markey bill, HR 2454), the first climate bill to have any chance of getting congressional approval.
Our generation - and our world - needs America to take action on the climate crisis, but the current bill falls short of the reforms we need. We must make it stronger, and now is our chance.
For the first time EVER, a climate bill made it out of a congressional committee yesterday and is heading to a full House vote. Unfortunately the American Clean Energy and Security Act was badly weakened in the process, to the point that some of the most principled environmental organizations are opposing it. At Campus Progress we are still hopeful that it will be strengthened on its way to the President's desk, but it won't happen without your continued engagement.
It is still early to declare victory, but take some time to celebrate for this historic occasion. This could not have happened without all of you who took action in your communities. From PowerVote to PowerShift, from organizing town halls during the recess to clocking in thousands of phone calls from constituents, we managed to turn two 'Expected No' votes into yesses. Now let's keep this up and make sure that the final bill will be a much stronger, bolder and more just one.
Check out the Funding our Future blog for news about the bill's progress, resources and action opportunities and tell everyone you know that our climate legislation will be hijacked by King Coal if we don't step up to protect it.
Chris Bentley, a Campus Progress student rep from Weber State University in Utah, was featured on the most viewed local news program in the state for his amazing Earth Week events. Check it out here!
Our guest blogger is Rachel Fauber, Campus Progress Action Grantee and Campaign Director of Towson Energy Activists.
The Towson Energy Activists(TEA) are very proud to have just become part of the Campus Progress community and already have begun working for progressive changes when it comes to the environment. On November 14th, TEA paired with local Baltimore Rising Tide for a coal financers day of action in the financial district of the city. Students, young people and community activists, held huge banners, flyered, chanted and engaged in a mass action of shutting down Bank of America and Citibank accounts (video).
{Posted by Jeff Gustafson, Campus Progress Action Grantee and SustainUS delegate to Pland}
Of the many symbols of American culture, perhaps none is as iconic or sacred as the National Mall. The Mall is hallowed ground, the monumental core of the capital city. Stretching from the Capitol Building to the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall is truly the "people's park." This is where millions of Americans have come to rally, protest, and recreate; where powerful words were uttered that changed the nation's course forever; where the past and future collide and the "stage of our democracy" is set. Today, over 25-million people visit the National Mall every year - more than any other National Park.
Walking from museum to museum or monument to monument, it's easy to overlook one the most ubiquitous elements of the National Mall experience: trashcans.
Want strengthen the progressive movement on your campus, bring engaging speakers and films to jumpstart dialogue, and engage in activism on local and national issues?
Then join the Campus Progress Student Network for 2008-2009! We’re currently still accepting applications to join the team of Student Representatives from the across the country who work with the staff of Campus Progress to advance progressive causes at the local level and make their voices heard on the issues they care most about.
*** New deadline! Applications are now due by Wednesday September 3rd, so click here to learn more and to apply. ***
Since the earliest days of this administration, Young America’s Foundation has been reaching out to encourage strict enforcement of the Solomon amendment, in order to improve opportunities for students to serve their country and to force an accounting of institutions hostile to our military.
The Solomon amendment is the reason why schools and universities throughout the nation are forced to violate their non-discrimination policies at job fairs by allowing branches of the military to participate. Blockading military tables at job fairs has nothing to do with blocking opportunities for students to serve. It is about ending discriminatory 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policies, it is about changing a system that deceives young people into going to war, and it is about protesting an unfair and illegal war.
Ok, that might be a bit of a stretch, but some of this year's Campus Progress National Conference Award Winners did get some good press.
For example, you might have read about Justin Elliott, who won the CampusProgress.org Contributor of the Year award for his inquisitive interview with the Executive Director of a Pro-Israel lobby group.
Nick Owens and Vanessa Rozier stood out by emerging in an India Post article that praised their 'Black is Beautiful' event as a model for building a progressive movement.
Our Best Publication awardee, Cipher made it on an Oklahoman news site thanks to it's editor Matt Elmore who is originally from Norman.
Last but absolutely not least, our very own Campus Progress Student Representative of the Year, Adrian Shankerbecame (almost) a celebrity in New York websites for his great work year-round organizing events, building movements and speaking on panels.
Once again, congratulations to all of this year's award winners. Keep it up and let's turn this world into one we are proud to be living in.
On Wednesday, July 9, 2008 join the Campus Progress Advocacy Team, progressive partner organizations like the Energy Action Coalition and U.S. PIRG, and fellow young people from around the country for a lobby day on Capitol Hill that you won't forget. Choose from one of two issues to lobby about:
1. Tell Congress how they can make a difference in the economic lives of young people - college affordability, health care, jobs, etc.
2. Press Congress to work for an end to global warming and toward a clean energy future!
Never lobbied before? Don't worry. We'll provide the skills, materials, and schedule the appointments. Just e-mail us your name and the address where you are registered to vote and come ready to make your voice heard on the issues that matter to you!
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM The Center for American Progress 1333 H Street NW, 10th floor Washington D.C.
This event is free and open to all young people interested in turning their progressive values into action.
For too many years previous generations have allowed our pollution economy to continue to exacerbate social, economic and environmental inequalities in the world. It is time for our generation to take a stance and protect our future from droughts, floods, stronger storms, spread of tropical diseases, and, yes, the death of the polar bear.
The Energy Action Coalition, of which Campus Progress is a partner, launched PowerVote, a campaign to build a 1,000,000 youth movement to stop the most pressing issue of our generation
Check out this cool youtube video and witness the passion and enthusiasms of students involved in this movement.
The world's largest electricity importer, a nation famous for its sun-drenched olive trees and sailing tradition, decided to turn to Nuclear to supply its increasingly expensive grid.
One of the least reported but most important stories of this congress is their failure to renew the Renewable Energy Tax incentives necessary for industries such as wind, solar and geothermal to compete with the heavily subsidized death fuels (nuclear, oil, coal and natural gas). With the threato of a Bush veto and the inability to get enough votes to avoid a filibuster, the slim Democrat majority found itself in a stand-still.
Behind the heavy Republican opposition stand many of the big energy firms, from Big Oil, to large Utilities, desperately swimming against the current in order to maintain their profits in a rapidly warming world.
There is one corporation that is fighting back, and it shows a great example of how Market Capitalism can be regulated to make sure that Big Companies do Good Things.
I recently blogged about my perceived solution to climate change and my criticism of nuclear and coal solutions. Some people replied aggressively saying that Nuclear is 'safe and cheap' and calling me shortsighted.
I would like to share a couple of articles about nuclear energy that I read recently.
Most development experts will tell you that clean water scarcity is one of the greatest obstacles to lifting people out of poverty.
Check out this video from the winning entry of the "Innovate or Die" competition to develop a pedal powered device which has a positive impact on the environment.
Even though this isn't goint go solve the problem on its own, might not be practical or affordable or a believable solution (I really don't know enough about the product or the issue to judge), what I love about this is that it shows our potential to innovate sustainably.
The other day a friend from school asked me to help her find a climate change article for a class she is teaching. After lookingaround for a short while, I recalled reading one titled "Beyond the point of no return" by Ross Gelbspan, one of the most exciting authors on global warming. This is not the traditional "We can do it!!" article because Ross, along with most other climate gurus, recognizes that we are past that point. This article is a sobering reminder about the situation that we are in and our moral imperative to do something about it.
The first time I read this I was deeply touched and sent it to everyone I know. I feel that now is a good time to bring it back and urge all of you to read it.
If you had to read one and only one article on climate change, make it this one.
According to this article from the NYT, the recent spike in food prices sparked riots in "countries including Haiti, Egypt, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Uzbekistan, Yemen, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Italy."
Yesterday I went out to Sushi with my progressive co-workers and, as a good environmentalist, I sent them information about which fish are sustainable to eat along with a friendly message about how 90% of our fisheries are depleted. I didn't want to guilt trip, just educate, cause I don't think that people will change their habits because of gloom and doom heckling. Problem is, more I read about our fishy troubles, more I realize what a dire situation we are in and that however we can get people to change their ways, it needs to happen fast.
Please remember that Campus Progress' terms of use do not allow promoting or endorsing any particular political party or candidate for office. Posts or comments that do this will be deleted.
Posts
!
