[UPDATE: GreenPeace is opposing the bill in it's current form, as it has been "weakened" too much. See below.]
From the local Sierra Club:
Please call Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen today at (305) 668-2285 and ask her to vote FOR the energy and climate bill (American Clean Energy and Security Act (HR 2454) ). The vote is Friday or Saturday so please call now.
I might also recommend writing a short Letter to the Editor supporting today’s Miami Herald editorial position to: heralded@herald.com (include your name, address and call back number for verification purposes.) Send it soon so it has a chance of getting in Friday’s paper.
GLEE is urging you to act similarly - but including more names of Reps throughout Florida:
This Friday, we have the opportunity to pass a bill to help create a clean energy economy, curb global warming pollution, and generate thousands of green jobs. This is America’s chance to turn the tide on carbon dioxide emissions and slow the sea level rise that will change all of our lives.
The American Clean Energy and Security Act places new limits on global warming pollution and a value to its elimination. It mandates that our country produce more electricity from renewable energies like wind and solar and commits to using energy more efficiently.
Your Congressperson’s vote is crucial to ensure a clean energy future - Speak up now!!
*In Florida, this is especially important if you live in the district of Reps. Boyd (D), Buchanan (R), Grayson (D), Kosmas (D), Putnam (R), Rooney, (R) and Ros-Lehtinen (R). In each case, these are either Democrats leaning toward a no vote or Republicans leaving the door open with a glimmer of hope for a yes vote. We need each of these votes!
Use this link to email Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
Or call her local office directly at 305-668-2285
For other regions, use this link to find your House Representative contact.
Talking points: Unlike those in most other states, Florida has the potential to harness an endless supply of solar energy. I ask you to vote for the American Clean Energy and Security Act (HR2454) and improve it by:
1. putting more money towards clean energy;
2. protecting EPA’s authority to regulate emissions; and
3. making polluters pay for their carbon pollution.
Action now would provide business the certainty it needs to invest in low carbon technology, and give President Obama the soapbox he needs to lead global negotiations in Copenhagen in December.
Want a less official way to tell Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen your thoughts? @ her on Twitter! @IRL
From GreenPeace:
In advance of tomorrow’s vote on the American Clean Energy and Security Act in the House of Representatives, Greenpeace USA Deputy Campaigns Director Carroll Muffett issued the following statement:
“Since the Waxman-Markey bill left the Energy and Commerce committee, yet another fleet of industry lobbysists has weakened the bill even more, and further widened the gap between what Waxman-Markey does and what science demands. As a result, Greenpeace opposes this bill in its current form. We are calling upon Congress to vote against this bill unless substantial measures are taken to strengthen it. Despite President Obama’s assurance that he would enact strong, science-based legislation, we are now watching him put his full support behind a bill that chooses politics over science, elevates industry interests over national interest, and shows the significant limitations of what this Congress believes is possible.
“As it comes to the floor, the Waxman-Markey bill sets emission reduction targets far lower than science demands, then undermines even those targets with massive offsets. The giveaways and preferences in the bill will actually spur a new generation of nuclear and coal-fired power plants to the detriment of real energy solutions. To support such a bill is to abandon the real leadership that is called for at this pivotal moment in history. We simply no longer have the time for legislation this weak.
“With many others in the environmental, faith and consumer rights communities, Greenpeace has expressed tremendous concern about the role of offsets in this legislation. Unless strictly controlled, the abuse of offsets could prevent real emission reductions for more than a decade. The decision to move authority over offsets from EPA to the Department of Agriculture further reduces the likelihood that such controls will be maintained and increases the likelihood they will undermine real reductions.
This legislation sends a strong and unmistakable signal to the world that the United States is not yet ready to show the leadership necessary to reach a strong agreement at Copenhagen in December. Already, we are seeing the impact of this signal as one country after another retreats from the aggressive targets needed to avoid catastrophic climate change.
We call on the Congress to reject this bill and begin immediate and urgent work on legislation that treats seriously the dire threat of climate change. We call on President Obama to move beyond rhetoric and deliver on his commitments to “restore science to its proper place” and to lead the world in addressing climate change.
