Today’s New York Times includes a fine column by Thomas Friedman, in which he explores the exploding solar panel industry. He finds to his dismay that it’s all overseas. He concludes, “So, if you like importing oil from Saudi Arabia, you’re going to love importing solar panels from China.”
We’ve been saying this for years, and it’s still true: The best way to create clean energy jobs right here in the U.S. is to cap global warming pollution. Here’s more on how a cap will create jobs.
There’s a lot of news about the clean energy bill now that Congress is back in session, but we wanted to make sure you didn’t miss this announcement: EDF has joined dozens of other groups to create the Clean Energy Works Coalition.
The five dozen groups represent more than 12 million Americans from all walks of life — faith groups, veterans groups, sportsmen, business communities and youth groups as well as environmental advocates (see the entire list below). All of them are pushing for a comprehensive clean energy and climate plan that will deliver their priorities for our future — more jobs, less pollution, and greater national security
EDF is proud to be part of this unprecedented effort. Take a look at what people are saying:
We have a lot of activities planned for the next few weeks, and we’ll let you know about them as they unfold.
Clean Energy Works members:
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) * American Federation of Teachers * American Hunters and Shooters * American Values Network * Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now * Audubon * Blue Green Alliance * Business Forward * Campus Progress * Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good * Catholics United * Center for American Progress Action Fund * CERES * Chesapeake Climate Action Network * Clean Economy Network * Clean Water Action * Climate Protection Action Fund * Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life * Communications Workers of America * Community Action Partnership * Defenders of Wildlife * Democracia Ahora * Earth Ministry * Earthjustice * Economics for Equity and the Environment * Environment America * Environmental Defense Fund * Faithful America * Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund * Green Faith * Green for All * Jewish Council for Public Affairs * Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) * League of Conservation Voters * League of Rural Voters * League of Women Voters * Live Earth * Marianist Environmental Education Center * My Rural America * NAACP * National Security Network * National Wildlife Federation * Natural Resources Defense Council * Ohio Interfaith Power and Light * Pew Environment Group * Progressive Future * Restoring Eden * Service Employees International Union * Sierra Club * Sierra Student Coalition * Southern Energy Network * SustainUS * The Regeneration Project * The Wilderness Society * Truman National Security Project * Union of Concerned Scientists * Union for Reform Judaism * United Steelworkers * US-CAN * Utility Workers Union of America * Veterans and Military Families for Progress * Veterans Green Jobs * VETPAC * Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy * Virginia Interfaith Power and Light * Virginia Organizing Project * VoteVets * Working America * World Wildlife Fund
For those of you wondering what the story is with a Treasury Department document that purports to estimate the cost of climate legislation: it doesn’t.
The Treasury Department analysis simply quantifies the potential revenue from a hypothetical auction of all pollution permits under a cap and trade bill.
Opponents of climate change legislation are now firing up the fuzzy math machine again, dividing that figure by the number of people in the country and concluding that cap and trade will mean high costs for households. Sound familiar? That’s how House Minority Leader John Boehner arrived at his roundly dismissed $3,100 figure.
It’s a flawed analysis of a non-existent proposal.
Even if a 100 percent auction was a live legislative proposal, which it’s not, that math ignores the redistribution of revenue back to consumers. It only looks at one side of the balance sheet. It would only be true if you think the Administration was going to pile all the cash on the White House lawn and set it on fire.
The bill passed by the House sends the value of pollution permits to consumers, and it contains robust cost-containment provisions. Every credible and independent economic analysis of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (such as those done by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the Energy Information Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency) says the costs will be small and affordable — and that the U.S. economy will grow with a cap on carbon.
For more info on what well-designed cap and trade legislation will actually cost, please visit http://www.edf.org/climatecosts.
EDF’s Vice President Marcia Aronoff just got back from Troy, New York, where she got to show off the latest addition to www.LessCarbonMoreJobs.org to two Congressmen, a college president, green business entrepreneurs, and the media.
Marcia was invited to speak at Rep. Scott Murphy (D-NY-20) and Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY-21)’s news conference on clean energy. The Congressmen, both big supporters of the American Clean Energy and Security Act, were at Hudson Valley Community College to see a new solar panel installation built by students in the Green Jobs Training Program.
Marcia unveiled the brand new New York state map on www.LessCarbonMoreJobs.org. New York is our 21st state to be added to the site, and it’s one of the richest for clean energy companies. The map shows 200 businesses that are working in the energy efficiency or renewable energy markets. But, as Marcia said:
Those businesses are poised to grow under a clean energy bill, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg. A clean energy bill that puts a cap on carbon pollution will put American ingenuity to work, and will help launch businesses and create jobs here in New York. We can put our renewable energy resources to work for us and revitalize our economy.
See a short video clip of the news conference here.
Two groups of American veterans, military and national security leaders are calling on Congress to take action on clean energy legislation.
Last week we told you about Partnership for a Secure America — a new group that’s calling for a climate bill for the sake of our national security. Now the group has released a signed statement calling for “a clear, comprehensive, realistic and broadly bipartisan plan to address our role in the climate change crisis.”
The statement is signed by 32 heavy-hitters from national politics and the military, and from all over the political spectrum.
At the same time, our friends at Vote Vets are launching a new national TV ad campaign. From their website:
Featuring Iraq War Veterans, (the ad) makes the case that oil profits to the Middle East fund the same terrorists we’re fighting, and closes with the line that “It’s not just a question of American energy, it’s a question of American power.”
Vote Vets has also sent more than one hundred veterans to Washington D.C. this week to push for passage of a bill. They are working with a coalition of other veterans and security groups called Operation Free.
Environmental Defense Action Fund’s latest TV ads are setting the record straight about capping carbon pollution.
The ads counter misleading claims from oil companies and special interests — and let viewers know that we can reduce pollution while also creating new jobs if we pass the clean energy bill.
As EDAF’s Keith Gaby said:
Businesses, citizens and environmental groups around the country are working hard to support Congress in this effort, and the biggest obstacle they face is that big polluters are spreading outright lies. It’s time they stopped making up facts.
The ads are already running in more than a dozen TV markets around America.
