Climate 411

This post is by Wade Crowfoot, EDF’s West Coast Political director.

Loud, bipartisan clamoring for a federal climate bill resonated here in Los Angeles as Governor Schwarzenegger and governors from around the world gathered to talk climate.

“The time for debate is over,” proclaimed Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, one of several U.S. governors calling for immediate federal action on climate.

The impressive three-day gathering, dubbed the “Governor’s Climate Summit 2…On the Road to Copenhagen,” features leaders from around the globe. Governors and leading thinkers from 70 countries on six continents are represented. New international partnerships are being announced what seems like each hour, from an African ‘Green Deal’ to Mexico reforestation projects.

Everything on day one of the summit has pointed to the importance of getting the federal bill passed so American leaders can head to Copenhagen in just two months time with a mantle of leadership.  It’s a powerful message, considering the thousands of attendees and dozens of mainstream corporate supporters helping to amplify this message on the need for American leadership.

Just nine months after his first international summit on climate action, Republican Governor Schwarzenegger highlighted the first day of this sequel gathering with a rousing speech about the green revolution’s impact on the California economy:

Since 2005, green jobs have grown ten times faster than the rest of California’s job market.

He explained how California’s policy on tailpipe emissions, a low carbon fuel standard, and cap and trade have generated sustained job growth in an otherwise gloomy economic climate.

Schwarzenegger was joined today by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, who announced a landmark EPA rule requiring large facilities (those emitting over 25,000 tons of CO2 per year) incorporate new pollution reduction technologies.  “The journey toward a cleaner, healthier future is underway” said Jackson. Her comments made it clear that while the Obama Administration is working hard to pass the climate bill, the EPA is not waiting on Congressional leadership to tackle greenhouse gas pollution.

As Senators Boxer and Kerry introduced their climate bill in the U.S. Senate, the message from around the world is clear: The time to act is now.

After the House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act in June, well-funded opposition groups went on the attack against members who voted for it.  In addition to negative TV ads, there was lots of well-publicized screaming at town hall meetings.  The conventional wisdom was that supporting the clean energy bill was a politically perilous move.

We decided to find out if that was true, and asked Hart Research to conduct some polls.

We picked three members of Congress who voted for the bill and would, according to the theory, be most likely to be hurt by the vote:  Rep. Heath Shuler,  a conservative “Blue Dog” from North Carolina; Rep. Baron Hill, a coal state moderate from southern Indiana; and Rep. Tom Perriello of Virginia, a freshman member who had the closest race in the nation in 2008.  All three are from districts won by John McCain.

The results?

All three are politically stronger for having supported the clean energy bill and its cap on carbon pollution.  By margins of 3:2 or greater, their constituents said they feel more favorably about their congressman because of his “yes” vote.  Apparently Americans like less imported oil, less pollution, and more clean energy jobs.

So, Senators take note: Clean Energy: 3, Scare Tactics: 0.

Here are more details on the polls [PPT].