Climate 411

On Grist, Rep. Ed Markley shares his thoughts of the BP spill and clean energy.

“And finally, America must move to a safer clean energy future so that we don’t have to rely as much on oil to power our cars and our economy. The House has acted, passing the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy & Security Act. Every day we delay action, China moves ahead in wind technology. The Germans create more solar jobs. Worst of all, American consumers send half a billion dollars a day to OPEC and countries that wish us harm. In overwhelming numbers, the American people are ready to start working our way to a clean energy future. They want to wake up from BP’s oil spill nightmare to a future powered by clean, safe energy solutions.”

E2 has Senator Lieberman advocating for Reid to bring the climate bill to the Senate floor.

“You bring your best ideas to the floor then let the senators debate and negotiate,” he said. “And that’s what we want to see happen on the Senate floor.”

E2 also has the summary of the new EPA analysis of the American Power Act.

“A new EPA analysis of Senate climate change legislation estimates the plan would impose an average annual household cost of $79 to $146 over 40 years.”

Climate Progress showcases the new Environmental Defense Fund video of Glee’s “somewhere over the rainbow” with oil disaster images.

On Slate, Michael Levi and Trevor Houser take a look at how the climate bill will affect energy security.

“We found that, according to the chamber’s own definition of energy security risk, the bill would help America, nearly across the board.”

The Huffington Post– “BP Disaster: Wake Up American and Smell the Crude Oil”

By Christine Pelosi, Campaign Boot Camp author and California DNC member

“Most Americans do see a connection between the BP disaster and America’s addiction to oil that leaves us beholden to the hazards of extractive technologies and the perils of oil-rich dictators.”

“The public is there, the House Democrats are there — time for the President to move the Senate to ‘create a new energy policy that speaks to our dependence on foreign oil and deals seriously with global warming,’ Now that’s change I can believe in.”

The Huffington Post – “The President’s Oval Office Address and What’s Next”

By Al Gore, Former Vice President, Chairman of Current TV

“I applaud President Obama’s call for a comprehensive legislative solution to the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.”

The Huffington Post – “The Gulf Spill: Hitting Bottom in Our Addiction to Oil”

By Wendy Gordon, green consumer movement leader

“With the American Power Act, we have a bill in the Senate, finally, that uses market mechanisms to manage our energy use. If we want to get out of denial and reap the rewards of going into recovery–and ensure our children a life without this spiraling addiction–we each need to conserve energy, yes, but what we really need to do is support our Senators in passing a strong bill that puts a price on carbon.”

Politico – “Taking Environmental Responsibility”

By Rep. Mike Honda & Fabien Cousteau.  Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) is a member of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition. Fabien Cousteau, founder of Plant a Fish, a nonprofit organization that seeks to replenish undersea life in environmentally stressed areas, is a third-generation ocean explorer, filmmaker and environmental advocate.

“In 10 years, when we look back on the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, hopefully we can note that 2010 is when it all changed — when American policymakers and people finally figured it out.”

“The water, the air and the land won’t repair themselves anytime soon. We must foster advocacy, conservation and restoration of our natural world in every decision going forward.”

Marc Gunther makes the case to cut carbon by examining the health benefits of a low-carbon lifestyle.

“One argument we haven’t heard nearly as much is that acting to curb the climate crisis will be good for our health. This could be a relevant, personal and powerful message. What’s more, while the climate benefits of burning cleaner fuels, eating less meat or driving less won’t be felt for decades, the health benefits are immediate.”

E2 has an excerpt from President Obama’s email appeal to supporters, asking them to sign a petition in support of energy legislation.

“The House of Representatives has already passed a comprehensive energy and climate bill, and there is currently a plan in the Senate — a plan that was developed with ideas from Democrats and Republicans — that would achieve the same goal,” Obama said. “So I’m asking for your help today to show that the American people are ready for a clean-energy future.”

Denverpost.com – “Five Pillars of a New Sustainability”

By Henry Dubroff, a writer and entrepreneur, and by John J. Huggins, an entrepreneur and investor

“The environmental, economic and personal tragedy unfolding on the Gulf Coast is a clarion call to the country to redefine, expand and embrace the idea of sustainability.”

“There are five pillars of an economy that can grow and sustain itself for decades without bringing us to the edge — or perhaps over the edge — of an ecological catastrophe that was man-made and therefore utterly avoidable. Instead of tweaking a few regulations or adding a chapter or two to compliance manuals and pretending the problem has been fixed, the Deepwater Horizon debacle demands a major overhaul of our energy thinking.”

“Achieving a new balance of energy sources, environmental policies and economic stewardship won’t happen overnight. But “sustainability” broadly defined becomes both a solution and a goal for moving us forward toward a better future for ourselves, our children and our world.”