Climate 411

Clean Technologies: The Race Is On!

Tony KreindlerThis post is by Tony Kreindler, media director for the National Climate Campaign at Environmental Defense Fund.

The main reason to pass climate legislation as soon as possible is that the fate of the world is at stake. We’re in a race against time to stop global warming, or face irreversible climate catastrophe.

But there’s also another race – the race to develop the clean energy technologies that will power our future. The world is at the dawn of a technological revolution, and we need the economic incentive of climate legislation to fully participate.

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Top 5 Reasons Why the Senate Must Act

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an online writer and editorial manager at Environmental Defense Fund.

Operation Climate Vote

This post is part of a series on the work of the Environmental Defense Action Fund to enact an effective climate law. You can help by writing to Congress.

The Senate is set to vote on landmark global warming legislation in early June – just a few short weeks away. Here are our top five reasons why they must act now.

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The Final Farm Bill: Global Warming Tally

Britt LundgrenThis post is by Britt Lundgren, an agricultural policy specialist at Environmental Defense Fund.

Last month I posted about the gridlock over the 2008 Farm Bill, and discussed how different programs in the Farm Bill might impact global warming. The conference report (final version of the bill) has now been issued, and Congress is scheduled to vote on it today.

How did it turn out? The final bill includes important new investments in conservation, but doesn’t do enough to expand and improve conservation programs, or reform our antiquated system of farm subsidies.

Here are the details.

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Do These Videos Make the Point?

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an online writer and editorial manager at Environmental Defense Fund.

We’ve created some 30-second spots on the importance of passing climate change legislation, and we’d like your feedback on them.

The "American Voices" videos, which will run on WashingtonPost.com, feature regular Americans talking about how climate change affects them personally:

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/UaDaLGcm9vk" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

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Global Warming Bill in Connecticut

Derek WalkerToday’s post is by Derek Walker, deputy director of the State Climate Campaign at Environmental Defense Fund.

Connecticut will soon become the fifth state, after California, New Jersey, Hawaii and Washington, to enact a mandatory cap on greenhouse gas emissions. The state’s Republican Governor, Jodi Rell, announced this week that she will sign the global warming bill passed by Connecticut’s House and Senate. Called Act Concerning Connecticut Global Warming Solutions (HB-5600), the bill has much in common with the California legislation, Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB-32) – also signed into law by a Republican governor.

We at EDF and our allies in Connecticut (Connecticut Fund for the Environment, Environment Northeast, Environment Connecticut, Clean Water Action, the Nature Conservancy and others) almost decided to delay our push for AB-32-style legislation until 2009. The state’s economic performance and job growth has been stagnant, and our initial assessment of the legislative appetite for a strong global warming bill was not encouraging. In spite of these choppy seas, we decided to set sail this year even if it became a two-year fight.

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Ride Your Bike to Washington, D.C.

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an online writer and editorial manager at Environmental Defense Fund.

Got a bike? Got strong thighs? Want to tell Washington what you think about climate change?

Sign up for Climate Ride 2008, a 5-day, 320-mile bike ride from New York City to Washington, D.C. on September 20-24. Expert speakers will educate riders along the way about solutions to climate change. The ride will conclude with a celebration near the steps of the Capitol building. The organizers call it “a fundraiser and climate conference on wheels.”

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