Mass Power Shift
Bank of America Coal Victory!
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Congratulations to everyone who has been working on the anti-MTR Bank campaign! Here’s just released from BoA Headquarters:
As Bank of America expands our support and commitment to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other low-carbon energy sources through our lending, investments, products and services, and operations, we recognize that at the present time, fossil fuels, and coal in particular, will continue to supply a significant amount of the energy needed to power our society.
There are environmental and other impacts associated with any energy source. For coal, these impacts result from extraction, processing and combustion. Bank of America continues to engage key stakeholders including coal producers, utility companies, leading universities, and the environmental community on energy, coal, the environment, and the necessary technologies to promote low-carbon energy. From these discussions, we have developed a policy that will ensure that Bank of America plays a significant role as a leading financial services company in promoting the responsible use of coal. Our policy is focused on the following elements:
Technology
Advanced technologies such as carbon capture and storage that capture carbon from fossil fuel plants and then sequester that carbon in geologic reservoirs will be necessary for addressing global climate change while enabling economies to flourish. Through our partnerships we will promote the necessary conditions for implementing carbon capture and storage on a global scale. We will employ our resources as a financial institution to promote the development and deployment of these advanced technologies to reduce the carbon emissions produced by the burning of fossil fuels.
Financial Services Policy
We will support, adopt, and adhere to leading practices for managing the environmental impacts associated with coal. Bank of America has taken a leadership position by committing to the Carbon Principles and reducing emissions associated with our utility portfolio as best practices for managing risks associated with coal.
Extraction
Bank of America is particularly concerned about surface mining conducted through mountain top removal in locations such as central Appalachia. We therefore will phase out financing of companies whose predominant method of extracting coal is through mountain top removal. While we acknowledge that surface mining is economically efficient and creates jobs, it can be conducted in a way that minimizes environmental impacts in certain geographies.
Maybe the nicest youtube movie I’ve ever seen
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf4RIieY1BI
Very slick youtube from ClimateCounts about purchasing power from consumers and the ability to move business.
And a group that organizes consumers to support a single store with collective buying power:
http://www.carrotmob.org/
American Transitions
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The country needs a new growth strategy right now. We are observing institutions which we thought were the strongest in the world crumbling into pieces from peak Everything. People are scared, and looking for solutions. What are these going to be? The visionaries who speak the loudest will define what gets done under new leadership.
Some Good Ideas:
America Needs a New Growth Strategy. It’s Getting Hot In Here, 11/11.
http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2008/11/11/america-needs-a-new-growth-strategy/
Organic Transitions: Beyond the Gloom & Doom of Economic Depression, Climate Change, & Peak Oil. Organic Transitions Campaign.:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_15140.cfm
How to Save the Coal Industry
Really interesting ideas from a Kos blogger. If coal moratorium is impossible, first step: Stop MTR.
Daily Kos
Where do we start?
Obama:
“I was just reading an article in the New York Times by Michael Pollen about food and the fact that our entire agricultural system is built on cheap oil. As a consequence, our agriculture sector actually is contributing more greenhouse gases than our transportation sector. And in the mean time, it’s creating monocultures that are vulnerable to national security threats, are now vulnerable to sky-high food prices or crashes in food prices, huge swings in commodity prices, and are partly responsible for the explosion in our healthcare costs because they’re contributing to type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease, obesity, all the things that are driving our huge explosion in healthcare costs. That’s just one sector of the economy. You think about the same thing is true on transportation. The same thing is true on how we construct our buildings. The same is true across the board. ”
-Barack Obama, NPR Interview 10/23/2008
Happy reading! Post vision comments here.
Job Opportunities (Paid and volunteer) to Organize for Power Shift 09
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The Power Shift ‘09 Steering Committee has created the following
structure of sub-committees to guide the planning of Power Shift ‘09.
Each of the following 5 sub-committees are led by co-chairs (one
coalition staff member and one coalition student). Each Sub-committee
ultimately reports to the Steering Committee, which is made up of both
staff and students.
Take a look at the Roles & Responsibilities document for a full
description of what each sub-committee is tasked to work on, and how
sub-committee members will be involved in Power Shift 09 planning.
How to join:
All calls are open to anyone who wants to join, however we are asking
for individuals who can make a COMMITMENT to regular participation.
If you can participate regularly in the call time listed below for the
sub-committee you are interested in contributing to, please complete
this QUICK form.
SUB-COMMITTEE CALL TIMES & CONTACT INFO.:
(NOTE: Call times may vary or be postponed during the week of the
election. Contact the co-chairs directly for call information, or
they will be in touch with you if you complete the above form).
Agenda & Program Sub-Committee:
Co-Chairs:
Kari Fulton (Staff), 202-210-1766, karifulton85@gmail.com
Rachel Guillory (Student), 985-768-8997, rachelleighguillory@gmail.com
Call Time: Sunday, 8pm Eastern
Outreach & Recruitment Sub-Committee:
Co-Chairs:
Jolea Bryant (Staff), 404-312-2860, BryantJ@nwf.org
Caroline Henderson (Student), 603-355-7039, chenderson07@gmail.com
Call Time: Tuesday, 2pm Eastern
Media & Communications Sub-Committee:
Co-Chairs:
Tommaso Boggia (Staff), 202-478-6322, tboggia@americanprogress.com
James Liao (Student), 202-841-8033, ebrealm@gmail.com
Call Time: Tuesday, 5pm Eastern (next call, due to election Friday,
Nov. 7th at noon Eastern)
March 2nd (Lobby Day, Rally, Actions, etc.) Sub-Committee:
Co-Chairs:
Christine Irvine (Staff), 704-813-3361, christinem.irvine@gmail.com
Aaron French (Student), 402-990-4170, french.aaron@gmail.com
Call Time: Tuesday, 3pm Eastern
Fundraising Sub-Committee:
Co-Chairs:
Liz Veazey (Staff), 865-637-6055 x17 (work), liz.veazey@gmail.com
Gabrielle Arrington (Student), 404-245-1988, garrington2@gmail.com
Call Time: Tuesday, 2pm Eastern
PAID POSITIONS UNDER THE BREAK. Do the words “Power Shift 2009 Coordinator” ring any bells to you?
Notable Environmental Issues on the ballot
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A great writeup by Grist today on the failure or success of different issues across the country:
Grist Election Central 2008
The outcomes of environmentally notable races and ballot measures
http://grist.org/feature/2008/11/03/election/index3.html
Obama will officially have a representative at the Poland talks next year. Congrats to 350.org, Greenpeace Project Hotseat, and all others who worked on this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_TD4OL-15U
The Secure Green Futures ballot initiative has won in EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT it appeared, and by a total landslide margin! At least 153,252 voters said YES to Secure Green Future yesterday, netting the ballot question an astounding 81.44% of the vote!
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/election_results/ma_localquestions/#Reduce%20greenhouse%20gasses
(they’re partying this Sunday, Music and Potluck:
Sunday, November 9th, 5PM
17 Trotting Horse Drive, Lexington)
Here’s to a new energy future!
90% of young people globally want action on Climate Change
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A recently released UN study polled young people age 12-18 in six different countries, finding that 90% agree that “World leaders should do whatever it takes to tackle climate change”.
Here’s a graph:
That’s a pretty cool number. Especially seeing as young people are the leaders of the future, and voters a la Power Vote, this is a number we can use in our effort.
Original report, United Nations Environment Programme: http://www.unep.org/pdf/survey_results.pdf
Cool survey? yes. Browse it, use it.
Google unveils massive Alternative Energy plan
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Hot clean energy gossip!
Especially to power their energy-intensive data servers, google’s nonprofit is investing in a 4 trillion dollar alternative energy construction, especially in wind and, get this, geothermal power. It is an investment to impact the Great Plains and desert Southwest regions, and would be in line with Google’s goal “to help cut 88% of fossil fuel use and 95% of carbon-dioxide emissions by 2030.”
How well do you know your Al Gore?
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With all this talk about a live Al Gore Webcast October 29th, now is a good chance to catch up on the climate maverick’s latest antics.
Of course, I could just link you to his website: http://www.algore.com. That might be sufficient.
- An inconvenient truth: His groundbreaking documentary has inspired millions of people to care about climate change. When our environmental group hosted a screening last year, it was one of the biggest turnouts we’ve ever had for an event. Official site: http://www.climatecrisis.net/
- On July 17, Al Gore challenged America to produce 100 percent of our electricity from non-carbon energy sources – and to do so within 10 years. His speech , and the resulting campaign is changing our understanding of what is possible. View the speech, share, join at link
- The We campaign is “a multi‐year, commercial‐scale, mainstream mobilization effort to bring public opinion past the tipping point, compelling our elected leaders to take action on climate change.” They are doing this through a huge advertising campaign, online mobilization, and partnering organizations (MAPS is one). Aside from the personal choices aspect of their campaign, they’ve coordinated huge letter-writing, press stunts, and research towards getting all of our electricity from non-carbon sources in 10 years.
- The democratic national convention speech was also wicked good.
- NOW, he’s partnering with Power Vote to speak to our generation through the full strength of this campaign. There’s going to be a LIVE WEBCAST to anyone with a laptop and/or projector on Wednesday the 29th. If We are going to RePower America, it’s going to take all of us being a part. Won’t you host an event ?
Social business fellowship opportunity
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Startingbloc Institute for Social Innovation:
—
StartingBloc is a global organization that educates, empowers, and connects emerging leaders to drive positive social change across sectors. StartingBloc’s Institute for Social Innovation is a fellowship program for undergraduates and young professionals anchored by four one-day conferences that teach corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, cross sector partnerships and sustainability from leaders in each field.
Applications to attend the February 2009 Institute in Boston are now being accepted at www.startingbloc.org. As an alumnus of the Spring 2008 Institute now working on the Boston alumni board, this is a great opportunity to meet some really amazing people.
—
The Green Jobs Piece
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Van Jones, the climate champion of San Diego-based Green 4 All (http://www.green4all.org), has brought to the mainstream the idea of Green Jobs. He has recently published a book on the phenomenon, which is on the path to becoming a New York Times Bestseller: http://www.vanjones.net/page.php?pageid=2. This concept has been sweeping the nation as a way to revitalize our economy, and it’s an idea interesting enough to really spend some time thinking about.
What is a Green Job?
In advocating for these changes in renewable energy, cutting fossil fuel consumption, and stopping the threat of climate change, so-called “green collar jobs” is the workforce that will make it happen. In building retrogrades, installing renewables, and community green space additions there could be 8 million, 12 million, and 6 million jobs requiring more than a high school, less than a college degree. It’s a new middle class workforce, working together to solve problems we need to as a race anyways.
Integrating the concept:
Van Jone’s message perfectly complements the legislative-side organizing for climate change by coming from a different angle with broader appeal. It ties the realities of climate change with a failing economy, and proposes a new solution to get out of the crisis. Green Jobs will work for a lot of people, and with a little legislative push, renewable energy companies are waiting to get to work. Let’s help out to make this a political, economic, and business possibility.
It’s important that we hold new “green” energy companies accountable for sustainable labor practices, as well as police the environmental impact of their work. “Greenwashing” cannot be allowed to happen in this area, as isn’t working together to build this new economy part of our vision? The nature of the work is more skilled than factory work, and provides jobs in high tech manufacturing right here in the US.
If you’re interested in learning more about the topic, Van Jones’ website is probably the number 1 source in the country right now:
Check out more about his book (and order it) at:
http://www.vanjones.net/page.php?pageid=2
And use this message when you need it for anyone who’s frustrated with the way things are going:
“Green Jobs are how we are going to rebuild our new energy economy. A green-collar job is new middle-class work that would be created in fields like renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and green building technologies. It’s important that we not only solve climate change, but also repower our economy and communities in a just way as well.”
–
Eddie Miller
Boston University ‘10
emiller@bu.edu
