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The Climate Vote: What a Difference a Year Makes

2009-06-30T17:46:50Z

As I savor last Friday's historic House vote to pass clean energy and climate legislation, I can't help but think about last June, when leaders in the Senate tried to pass a groundbreaking climate bill. What has changed since then?

Almost everything.

The single most influential difference is the arrival of President Obama. Last June, the Bush White House had no interest in confronting global warming. Obama came into office with energy and climate in his top tier of priorities. He explicitly backed the bill, and deployed his cabinet and White House staff to the Hill on its behalf. And when the bill passed, he changed the topic of his Saturday radio address from discussing health care reform to singing the praises of the House bill.
We need a new economic engine now more than ever. Last June, we knew the nation was headed toward financial trouble, but we didn't know the scope of it yet. Now lawmakers recognize that shifting to clean energy and confronting global warming would create almost 2 million new jobs, attract private investment, and make America the leader in new technology.
The deadline of the international climate negotiations is looming ever closer. At the meeting in Copenhagen this December, the nations of the world will turn to see whether or not the United States has stepped up on climate. While that may not influence many members of Congress, it is a motivator for the Obama administration. They don't want to arrive in Copenhagen empty handed. Nor do they want to relive the mistakes of Kyoto, when President Clinton never asked the Senate to ratify the agreement because he knew it did not have Congressional support.
The scientific evidence of global warming keeps mounting. The past year has brought an avalanche of climate data, culminating with the administration's own analysis that the effects of warming are already upon us and the MIT study cited by Paul Krugman this week that concludes earlier estimates of temperature increases were too conservative. The scientific consensus may not have persuaded some members of the House, but I can say with certainty that it has mobilized the environmental community and citizen activists, who in turn put the pressure on lawmakers.

The More Things Change

Many things have changed since last June, but one constant remains in the political arena: short term interests often trump long-term gains.

Generally speaking, there were two key groups opposed to the ACES bill. The first included climate deniers who continue--even at this late date--to bury their heads deeply in the sand.

The second group consisted largely of lawmakers concerned about near-term economic impacts in their districts and their vulnerability in the next election cycle.

It is right for elected officials to look out for the financial interests of their constituents, but countless economic analyses have been done, and the data reveal that:

ACES will help spur more than $150 billion in clean energy investment, which will create good-paying jobs throughout the United States.
It also saves consumers money on energy bills. Americans in nearly every state will save on their monthly electricity bills under ACES, thanks to its energy-efficiency and consumer protection provisions.

So if the data says ACES will create economic opportunity, why were some lawmakers shying away from it? Because those opposed to climate action have run a campaign of fear mongering, using hyperbole and misinformation to frighten constituents and intimidate lawmakers.

As the bill moves into the Senate, we will need bold leaders to proclaim that the long-term health of our economy and planet are of greater value than the attack ads of next year's election cycle.

We will need leaders to recognize that visionary efforts to unleash American ingenuity and prosperity will not only create jobs today but will pay off for generations to come.

And we will need leaders to accept that a sea change in American politics has occurred since last June's climate vote.

Video of Frances Beinecke on Clean Energy and Climate Vote

2009-06-26T19:38:15Z

The House has just passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, a bill that would start America down a path toward prosperity, job creation, sustainable energy, and enhanced climate security.

This is a historic moment. But work still lies ahead. We need to strengthen the bill as it works its way through the Senate and on to the White House.

Watch this NRDC video to find out more about the significance of this legislation and where we need to head next.

The House Climate Vote Defies Expectation

2009-06-26T19:01:29Z

The House just passed its first-ever bill designed to unleash clean energy opportunities, create millions of jobs, and combat global warming.

This historic vote defied expectations. Back in January, few people believed that six months into a new session and a new administration--and in the midst of an economic meltdown--we could pass transformative clean energy legislation in the House.

Well we did it. And we did it because this is America's quickest path toward a cleaner, more prosperous future.

House leaders Nancy Pelosi, Henry Waxman, and Ed Markey deserve a great deal of the credit for this success.

This was not an easy fight. The bill touched off regional differences and challenged Big Oil's and Big Coal's stranglehold on America's energy supply. Waxman, the chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, had to corral many opposing interests to create a bill that would get out of committee and survive the bumpy journey through the Senate and on to the White House.

The bill that made it past the House will help America begin to address the climate crisis. I hope that the bill will become stronger as it progresses along the legislative process, but as Waxman said at a recent press conference: all the essentials for fighting global warming are already in the bill. (Watch the video release NRDC produced on the significance of this bill.)

One of the keys to this bill's success was that Americans from all walks of life urged their lawmakers to back climate action. (Click here to learn about the cross-section of Americans who came to a DC rally in support of the bill on Wednesday.)

I saw it for myself. In the past year, I traveled the country to help build momentum for national climate legislation, and the people I talked to--from clean energy entrepreneurs in Cleveland to labor organizers in Chicago, from national security experts in Georgia to religious leaders in New York-- all believe that building a clean, sustainable energy future will unleashing enormous opportunities for Americans. I agree, and that is why I am thrilled that the House passed this bill.

But I also recognize that this is just the beginning. We need to improve this bill and get it through the Senate and on to the president's desk, and we need to do it before the international climate negotiations begin in December in Copenhagen.

The fight in the Senate will be challenging. But just as we defied expectations in the House, we can defy them in the Senate.

In the coming weeks, my NRDC and colleagues and I will be turning all our attention to this final push. The House's historic passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act just gave our efforts powerful momentum.

Time to Take a Decisive Step: Climate Vote Scheduled for Friday

2009-06-24T23:02:05Z

This Friday the House of Representatives will consider one of the most important pieces of legislation of our time: a bill that would simultaneously jumpstart our economy, create millions of jobs, lay the groundwork for a clean energy future, and confront global warming.

In the nearly two decades I have been advocating for climate solutions, I have never witnessed a more urgent moment or stronger leadership.

The scientific evidence is clear: to prevent severe, widespread, and irreversible impacts of global warming from dominating our future, we must act now--not in a year or two.

The economic analysis is equally clear: according to the EPA, and even some of the scenarios peddled by climate action opponents, the economy, personal income, and job creation grow robustly under a climate bill. Our economy--and the planet--needs this bill.

Fortunately, both the White House and members of Congress have responded to these findings. Representatives Henry Waxman and Ed Markey have drafted the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) and shepherded it to the floor for a vote on Friday. President Obama has pledged his support for the bill; here is his comment on it from Tuesday's press conference:

ACES Is a Good Start

Keep in mind: the ACES bill isn't the last word on climate action. But it's a decisive one.

Transitioning our entire energy structure to cleaner, more sustainable sources is an enormous undertaking, one that cannot be completed with one policy, one fiat, or one declaration. But it can start here, with the ACES bill.

Not only will we endeavor to make the bill stronger as it works its way to the White House, but the bill reflects the unfolding nature of climate change. ACES includes something called science look-backs: if, after the bill has passed, new scientific data calls for stronger action, our lawmakers have room to strengthen regulations and clean energy opportunities.

In the meantime, ACES gets us headed in the right direction. The legislation:

Sets a declining cap on emissions, reaching 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050.
Launches an energy efficiency plan, which the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy estimates could save approximately $750 per household by 2020.
Creates new incentives for clean energy. The Center for American Progress estimates that, combined with the stimulus package, ACES can create 1.7 million clean energy jobs.
Reduces our oil dependence by investing in the next generation of vehicles and supporting the development of smarter transportation plans.

I personally hope the bill gets strengthened as it moves through the legislative process, but I am happy that it already includes these critical elements.

We Mustn't Squander This Brief Moment

Still, the window of opportunity for this bill could close quickly. We face two looming deadlines.

First, the international climate negotiations are scheduled in Copenhagen this December. If we don't arrive with a strong commitment to cut global warming pollution at home, the global consensus could be deeply undermined.

Second, pressure for health care reform is mounting here at home. President Obama has said repeatedly hat he wants Congress to send him clean energy and climate legislation, but the media and the public are beginning to get caught up in the health care debate. If Congress acts swiftly to pass ACES, it can devote its attention more fully to health care.

I urge everyone who cares about the health of the planet and the prospect of sustainable prosperity to tell their representatives to support the American Clean Energy and Security Act. Click here to do so.

Reports Show Global Warming Is Already Hurting America; Fighting It Will Heal the Economy

2009-06-18T22:13:19Z

I have received many briefings from climate scientists over the past 10 years. At first, most were based on modeling and projections, but more recently, they have included an alarming element: empirical evidence that global warming is interfering with America's water supply and agriculture right now.

The report released this week by several federal agencies came to the same conclusion. The study outlines current signs of global warming across the United States.

It also includes the most urgent language about climate change ever to be issued by any White House.

I am relieved that the Obama administration grasps the pressing nature of this crisis. Even among proponents of climate action, many still view global warming as a future threat.

This report makes it clear that when it comes to the impacts of global warming, it's not about maybe or later. It's about definitely and already. We can debate the policy of global warming, but we can no longer debate the scientific reality that global warming is hitting us today.

To find out how climate change is altering your region, click here. And to find out what these changes might do to the American economy--including food production, health-care costs, and transportation disruptions--see this post on the Green, Inc.

Silver Lining: New Reports Find Significant Job Potential

But if you are looking for some good news in the midst of these climate clouds, take a look at two other reports that came out this week.

The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy, prepared by the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at UMass and the Center for American Progress, found that the combined impact of the stimulus package at the American Clean Energy and Security Act could serve as a foundation for bringing total clean-energy investments in the United States to $150 billion per year.

This public spending and private investment would produce a net gain of 1.7 million new jobs.

The second report, released by the PERI, NRDC, and Green for All, shows that shifting from traditional fossil fuel to clean energy will improve the standard of living for millions of Americans across all skill and education levels, especially among lower-income families.

Urgency Plus Opportunity Equals Immediate Action

I am glad these three reports came out in the same week. The administration's report reveals the severe threat posed by unchecked global warming. The PERI reports illustrate the many economic benefits that will arise from combating climate change.

Taken together, the message couldn't be clearer: we can solve global warming, and doing so will create American jobs and prosperity.

I am also glad these reports were released when leaders in both the White House and Congress are willing to take the bold action needed.

Within weeks, the House will be debating the American Clean Energy and Security Act. Click here to tell your representative that you support this effort to create jobs, protect the planet, and restore America's leadership.

New Film Captures Link between Imperiled Oceans and Climate Change

2009-06-16T21:21:01Z

Last week President Obama called for a national ocean policy to protect critical marine ecosystems. At the same time, climate negotiators wrapped up a major international meeting in Bonn. These may seem like two unrelated events--one is about water, after all, and the other about air. But in fact, the global warming talks and the health of the oceans are deeply intertwined.

A new film called ACID TEST powerfully illustrates the fateful connection between global warming and our oceans. ACID TEST will be featured on the Discovery Planet Green in August, and the channel just released a trailer for the film. You can watch it here.

I am very proud of this film. It was co-directed by NRDC's Daniel Hinerfeld, and it is narrated by my college roommate and dear friend Sigourney Weaver. It also draws on the expertise of NRDC's Dr. Lisa Suatoni to explain what has only recently emerged as a serious threat.

As Dr. Suatoni explained in a recent post, we have known for some time that oceans are like giant sponges that absorb carbon dioxide. Scientists used to think this was a good thing, since it reduced the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. But the pace and volume at which carbon dioxide is being pumped into the seas have grown so dramatically that the oceans are becoming overburdened.

High carbon dioxide levels are changing the ocean's pH and making the water more acidic. As water becomes more acidic, it causes a drop in the amount of carbonate -- a key component of shells. When carbonate levels fall, it is more difficult for organisms to make their shells, which become thinner and more brittle.

Corals will be especially hard-hit. Coral reefs are already suffering a death of a thousand cuts from pollution, warming temperatures, and overfishing. Many scientists worry that more acidic water will deliver the final blow that pushes corals into extinction.

But a central thrust of ACID TEST is that solutions exist. Marine biologists have noticed that coral reefs undamaged by pollution and fishing are still thriving despite warmer water and lower pH levels. This means ocean life that remains healthy has a better chance of weathering the onslaught of global warming than species weakened by other environmental impacts.

NRDC is pushing Congress to ensure that ocean protections are included in any global warming legislation it passes.

We must act now to cut carbon dioxide emissions, which will protect all life on the planet, including in our vast oceans. And we must act now to convert to clean energy solutions. As Sigourney Weaver says in the film, "We can go on as we have, or we can move beyond fossil fuels. We have to choose."

NRDC has also been pressing federal agencies for years to help revive ailing ocean ecosystems by halting overfishing, reducing pollution, and creating marine reserves-the equivalent of national parks in the oceans. The Presidential Memorandum Obama released last Friday could be an excellent start.

You also have a role to play in protecting the world's oceans and their marine life. You can tell your representatives to pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act--a bill to reduce global warming pollution that will likely go to a vote in the next month or so. You can also click here to tell your representative to co-sponsor the Healthy Oceans Act.

And don't forget to check with Planet Green about local air times for ACID TEST.

Greening Ohio: Bringing Clean Energy Jobs to the Midwest

2009-06-10T17:25:12Z

Last week I had the honor of speaking at the famous City Club in Cleveland, Ohio. In its more than 100 year history, the City Club has hosted every candidate who has run for president. I am not running for office, of course, but I am traveling the country these days talking about how clean energy and climate legislation will solve Americans' number one concern right now: jobs.

That's why Ohio was such a good place to go. It has enormous potential to become, as Ohio's Senator Brown likes to say, the Silicon Valley of clean energy technology.

Now that might surprise some people. After all, Ohio is home to multiple energy-intensive industries, and it gets a shocking 85 percent of its electricity from dirty coal.

I am under no illusions that Ohio will rid itself of coal power overnight. That will be a gradual process, and it will require federal incentives for capturing global warming pollution from coal plants and storing it underground.

But in the meantime, Ohio is taking steps to shift toward greener energy. NRDC's Midwest Program has been working for the past few years in Ohio in support of the state's excellent energy efficiency programs and its new renewable energy requirement.

These initiatives are a good start, but a national climate law that increases demand for clean energy technologies would dramatically expand the number of good paying jobs in Ohio.

We are well aware of how critical the jobs issue is in Ohio, and we know that a national clean energy agenda has to demonstrate its ability to generate new jobs. We are confident that it can.

The University of Massachusetts, for instance, has estimated that Ohio alone could produce over 80,000 clean energy jobs. These include jobs for steelworkers who build wind turbines, electricians who install solar panels, construction workers who retrofit buildings and homes to make them more energy efficient.

Why so many opportunities? Because clean energy jobs are more labor intensive and require more domestically-made materials than the fossil fuel industry. Studies show that for every $1 million spent on clean energy, we can create 3 to 4 times as many jobs as if we spent the same amount on fossil fuels.

My NRDC colleague, Pete Altman, knows an Ohio man named Wes McGuire who got laid off when his factory closed down. Wes decided to take a two-week training course in green technology that was offered by his county career center. The course led to an interview with a Springboro, Ohio company called Cobasys, which makes batteries for hybrid vehicles. Now Wes is a maintenance technician and CWA-IUE member at Cobasys.

If the American Clean Energy and Security Act gets passed by Congress in the next month or two, more people like Wes will find jobs at Cobasys, because the bill includes provisions that will expand the market for hybrids. Cobasys will need to ramp up production to meet the rising demand, and that means more jobs in Ohio.

While I was in Cleveland, I talked with a number of community leaders and business executives, and each one of them said they want Ohio to be a leader in the clean energy economy.

They have the ability, because a national push for low-carbon technologies will tap into Ohio's traditional strengths. Ohio has a remarkable industrial base, dense networks of upstream and downstream suppliers close to R&D facilities, and a well-trained work force.

Look at Toledo. The former glass capitol is converting factories to make solar panels. There are already 90 companies in Ohio that manufacture the 8,000 parts it takes to build a wind turbine.

The clean energy economy in the Midwest will be about using what you have, but changing what you do with it. The jobs will follow.

Historic Vote Moves America Closer to Clean Energy and Climate Solutions

2009-05-22T15:27:20Z

I felt like celebrating last night. After more than 10 years working to stop climate change, I welcomed this historic development: the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, a bill that will make significant investments in clean energy and reduce global warming pollution.

Not only did the bill clear a major hurdle on Thursday night--moving out of committee and closer toward the House floor. But it did so with the backing of lawmakers from across the nation, representing a wide range of energy needs. The bill was also endorsed by many environmental, business, labor, and other organizations.

I view this broad support as a testament to the bills immense economic and energy potential.

This bill has the power to jumpstart whole new industries, create millions of good-paying American jobs, and generate hundreds of billions of dollars in energy savings and benefits to low-income families. It will also demonstrate American leadership as the international community crafts a new agreement to protect our planet in Copenhagen later this year.

Thursday's vote was the culmination not just of a week of marathon debate within the committee, but months of negotiation and years of planning, strategizing, and mobilizing. Even before Waxman and Markey released their first draft in late March, an incredible team of NRDC experts were working with congressional staff on the policy details that shaped this nearly thousand-page bill.

The vote last night is a validation of that work. It also validates the work NRDC has put into partnerships like US Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) and the Blue-Green Alliance of environmentalists and labor unions.

This victory is significant, but it is just the beginning of the huge effort that lies ahead to get a strong bill to the President's desk.

Over the next couple of months the bill is expected to be referred to eight other House committees before going to the floor for a vote. While some committees do not plan on scrutinizing the bill, others will consider it carefully, so our team will be tracking these deliberations closely. If everything goes as planned and the bill passes the floor vote, then the Senate will take up the bill in the fall and we start all over again. (See my recent post about the critical importance of getting a House vote before the August recess.)

I look forward to continuing to push toward a signing ceremony at the White House in the near future.

Why We Need a Vote on Climate Legislation This Summer

2009-05-21T18:15:00Z

It has been a good week in the Countdown to Copenhagen. We have seen a remarkable amount of climate action in the past few days, and if this pace keeps up, the United States might actually arrive at the international negotiations in Denmark with some impressive commitments in hand. The challenge now is to sustain this momentum until we get a final vote on climate legislation this summer.

Thanks to the leadership of Reps. Henry Waxman and Ed Markey, we are picking up speed. This week, the Waxman-Markey bill has been undergoing the markup process, in which members of the Energy and Commerce Committee can propose and debate amendments to the draft legislation.

Committee Chairman Waxman has done a good job of keeping the bill on track--even in the face of Republican delay tactics.

House rules dictate that for every amendment offered, all members have the right to speak for 5 minutes. Rather than engage constructively, Republicans leaders have filed more than 400 amendments designed to weaken the bill and slow the pace down. Luckily Waxman appears unfazed. He kept the mark up running until nearly midnight on Tuesday and Wednesday. Now it looks like he might be able to get a vote by Thursday evening.

The next step in this bill's life will be a pivotal moment as we move toward Copenhagen. We need to get this bill to the House floor for a final vote, and we need to do it before the summer recess in August.

Why? Because support for climate action is reaching a crescendo. President Obama has clearly stated his desire for global warming legislation. Likewise, leaders from across all sectors--Fortune 500 companies, environmental groups, energy giants, labor unions, and most recently the influential utility American Electric Power--have declared their support for the Waxman-Markey bill.

This is a moment we can't squander. Congress must vote on climate legislation while the spotlight is still shining. If we wait until after summer, the focus might shift to other items on Congress' long list of priorities, including healthcare reform. In likelihood American would then go to Copenhagen empty handed, and the chances of reaching an international agreement to confront the global climate crisis diminish dramatically.

A vote before August will help avoid this fate. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she will bring Waxman-Markey to the floor before the recess, and NRDC and our partners in the USCAP will hold her to that.

Fortunately, the White House keeps nudging lawmakers toward passing climate legislation. The most recent prod came from the announcement this week that the federal government will raise the fuel efficiency standard for cars and trucks and regulate global warming emissions from vehicle for the first time.

This historic development can move climate action along in two ways. First, it delivers concrete and final action. There are no more lawsuits to file and no amendments to debate. Starting in the year 2012, America will have more efficient cars on the road, end of story.

Second, this is yet another reminder to industry that the alternative to the climate legislation isn't doing nothing. The alternative to federal climate legislation is having the EPA regulate carbon emissions source by source.

The days of ducking responsibility for global warming pollution are over. And that is why more industry leaders are throwing their support behind climate legislation--behind a comprehensive and clear law, rather than piecemeal regulation.

While going to Copenhagen with evidence of federal regulation shows some signs that America is taking global warming seriously, a climate law would be far more persuasive. I hope you will join me in encouraging your representatives to pass such a law and make America a leader going into the international climate negotiations.

Everybody Wins with Obama’s Clean Cars Plan, Including a California Teacher

2009-05-19T20:49:00Z

Tuesday I went to the White House to hear President Obama announce his plan to issue new greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards for cars and trucks. This plan, based on California's groundbreaking emissions law, makes everybody a winner.

Drivers will save money when they fill up their tanks. The auto industry will become more competitive by making the clean, high-mileage cars of the future. America will reduce its oil dependence and stabilize its national security. And our planet will have fewer global warming emissions to contend with.

NRDC and other environmental groups have long called for federal regulations of global warming emissions from cars. But it is heartening to see the auto industry finally back such an effort as well.

Car makers welcome Obama's plan because it creates nationally uniform standards. No matter what state you buy a car in, by the year 2016 it will release 30 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than it does today.

I was pleased to be invited to the White House for this historic breakthrough. It was an honor to be with President Obama, Governor Schwarzenegger, and other leaders who support this clean car transformation.

But in my view, the real hero of the day was Fran Pavley, the former state legislator who wrote the California law upon which this national plan is modeled.

Pavley spent 25 years teaching history at a middle school north of Los Angeles. Over the years, she had seen many of her students suffer from asthma, using inhalers in class and missing school. Hot summer days made the air quality worse in her community. As Fran learned the connections between carbon dioxide, global warming, and rising temperatures, she decided to do something about it.

When she went to the state legislature in 2000, she used her first term in office to draft--along with NRDC--a bill that would slash global warming pollution from cars and trucks. It was a noble effort, but few in the legislature took it seriously. Here was this freshman legislator taking on the automobile industry. How could she win?

She won by using her main skill: teaching. She educated the other legislators, one at a time, about why global warming was so important to the future of California. As one of her fellow state senators said, "You know she doesn't have any leverage, except for the truth." Once other legislators started learning the truth, they were persuaded.

In 2002, California passed what is now know as the Pavley bill, which cut global warming emissions from vehicles by 30 percent.

Now, thanks to Pavley remarkable, underdog victory, all of us will win the benefits of cleaner air, better cars, and lower gas bills.

Just What the Doctor Ordered: Climate Change, Public Health, and Clean Energy

2009-05-18T18:16:28Z

Six years ago, the only people I talked to about global warming were other environmentalists. Now it is the top of the agenda for everyone from corporate CEOs to national security hawks. Last week, another sector joined in the growing chorus to confront the climate crisis: public health.

The Lancet, one of the world's most prestigious medical journals, just released a report along with the University College London that calls climate change "the biggest global health threat of the 21st century."

That makes it bigger than AIDS, bigger than malaria, and bigger than pandemic flu. And that's why the authors are calling for an international public health advocacy movement dedicated specifically to curbing global warming. The doctors' prescription is clear: low-carbon living will generate major health benefits.

The link between global warming and human health was brought home to me last summer when I traveled through the Arctic Ocean on an expedition to see the signs of global warming up close. As I expected, there were several climate scientists on the ship as well as US lawmakers and environmental leaders. But I was surprised to discover that the director of the Center for Disease Control was also onboard. Health officials at the highest levels are beginning to take global warming very seriously.

The Lancet report indicates why. Its findings include:

Extreme heat waves will cause more deaths; in 2003, Europe got a hint of this when up to 70,000 extra deaths were linked to intense heat waves across the continent.
Changes patterns of infections and insect-born disease will threaten could have devastating impacts on human health.
Reduced water and food availability will lead to malnutrition and diarrheal disease, which can be deadly in impoverished communities.
Within the next 20 years, declining crop yields--brought on by climate change--could increase food insecurity. And by 2100, half of the world's people could face severe food scarcity, as rising temperatures take their toll on farmers' crops.

The Lancet makes it clear that these impacts will land disproportionately hard on the poorest among us. This includes the victims of the Darfur genocide, the millions of people living in the flood plains of Bangladesh, and the inhabitants of Lagos, Mumbai, and other low-lying cities who are too poor to move away from rising seas.

These looming realities give a moral urgency to stopping global warming. The climate crisis was caused by humans, and I believe we can solve it as well. But at the same time we are fighting to put low-carbon solutions in place, we also have to pay close attention to ways human health is already being endangered.

NRDC's Global Warming & Health Project is fast at work on this. As my colleague, Dr. Kim Knowlton points on in her recent post, NRDC reports have already charted future changes in unhealthy ground-level smog, elevated heat-related deaths, and changing climate-ozone-pollen patterns. You can find overviews of this work at the NRDC's Global Warming and Health website.

And as you read NRDC's information and the Lancet findings, remember that we can stave off the worst of these health problems by reducing our global warming pollution.

The clean energy bill that is moving through the House right now is just what the doctor ordered.

House Democrats Close to a Deal on Clean Energy Bill

2009-05-14T00:52:02Z

On Wednesday, before President Obama answered reporters' questions about his new health care plans, he took a moment to praise House Democrats "who've made such extraordinary progress in reaching a deal on comprehensive energy reform and climate legislation."

I echo Obama's praise. He was referring to the fact that Rep Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is close to a deal on a draft bill that will move America toward a clean energy future, create millions of jobs and whole new industries in America, and reduce global warming pollution.

The past few weeks of negotiations have been tough, but Waxman has addressed the concerns of key legislators on how to craft a bill that the 59-member committee can approve.

Judging from what Waxman said on Tuesday night, several key issues have been agreed among Committee Democrats, and Waxman is confident the bill will pass out of Committee next week and head to the House floor for a vote.

The working draft now:

Creates a cap on carbon emissions-requiring a 17 percent reduction in the pollution that causes global warming by 2020, and 80 by 2050
Sets a timeline for implementing carbon-capture-and storage technology for new coal plants
Calls on all states to generate 15 percent of their electricity demand from renewable sources such as wind and solar by 2020 and to reduce energy use by 5 percent by 2020 by improving energy efficiency
Establishes a system for distributing allowances to release carbon pollution that includes a mix of auctions and free allocations designed to benefit consumers and the competitiveness of U.S. industries

Although the bill contains compromises, the legislative process is by its nature one comprised of multiple interests. The top priority for NRDC remains setting firm limits on carbon pollution that will unleash energy investments that take us down a cleaner energy pathway. This bill will get us moving in that direction.

It also sends a message that the world has been waiting to hear. In the past few months, I have met with various international leaders, from Minister Xie Zhenhua, the lead climate negotiator for China, to Connie Hedegaard, the Danish minister of the environment. Each one of them has asked me if Congress is serious about addressing climate change.

After years of delay due to big oil and other special interests, Congress is finally moving forward and fulfilling President Obama's vision of America's clean energy future. Now let's get this through the committee and to the floor. More work lies ahead.

Tales from the Arctic and Obama’s Polar Bear Decision

2009-05-12T19:40:00Z

Last Friday, two intrepid explorers finished their trek across some of Greenland's most remote territory. The travelers, Larry Lunt, a member of NRDC's Global Leadership Council, and Alain Hubert, the founder of the International Polar Foundation, set out on this expedition not only for the time-honored reasons of adventure and challenge, but also to draw attention to how much the Arctic is already transformed by global warming.

Read their dispatches and trace their journey at OnEarth Magazine's site.

I deeply admire Larry and Alain's fortitude. Like the vast majority of the world's population, I have never been to Greenland myself. But I've come close. Last summer, as a member of the Aspen Institute's Commission on Arctic Climate Change I got to travel by boat through the Arctic Ocean east of Greenland.

I was struck by what a profoundly harsh environment it is. It is a world of white, steel gray and blue, with very little of the familiar green plant life that orients us humans. Yet the Svalbard archipelago I circled has long been a jumping off point for polar exploration. We met a man who was trying to kayak to the North Pole, and I had newfound admiration for the conditions these explorers endure.

That is what Larry and Alain faced in order to tell the story of Arctic melt, and I am deeply grateful. Yet as they join the ranks of illustrious polar explorers, they are facing a dramatically new terrain.

A few years ago, I spoke at the Explorers' Club in New York City, and I saw the dog sledge that Admiral Peary used to cross the frozen ice on his way to the North Pole 100 years ago. Today, thanks to global warming, he would need a boat to get there.

Why We Need Arctic Dispatches

A monumental and potentially catastrophic change is happening in the North, and yet most of us have no idea what it looks like or what it means for our lives down here. Larry and Alain are helping bring that back home to us.

We need to hear what they have to say now more than ever. Decisions are being made today that simultaneously set the course for the Arctic's future yet ignore the reality of the Arctic present.

Just look at the Obama administration's decision last week to retain a controversial Bush-era ruling related to protecting polar bears under the Endangered Species Act. The ruling means that federal agencies must exclude the effects of global warming pollution on polar bears when there are drafting their protection plans. Yet government scientists agree that global warming is a primary threat to these bears!

Working to Prevent an Arctic Gold Rush

It is because of this kind of dissonance in decision making that the Aspen Institute convened the Commission on Arctic Climate Change. The commission is trying to create a conservation and governance structure for the region as a whole.

We need a comprehensive approach, especially since eight different nations have Arctic territory, and each one of them is eager to lay claim to the oil, gas, fish, and shipping routes that have been uncovered by global warming's melting ice.

To protect the increasingly fragile Arctic environment, the Aspen Commission is looking at three issues:

Protecting the living resources, including the fish and wildlife
Establishing criteria for industrial activity
Identifying what kind of governance regime will work best

This past spring, Dr. Gro Harlem Bruntland joined the commission. I met Bruntland at the international climate negotiations in Bali last year, and I have great respect for her. She was the Special Envoy on Climate Change to the United Nations Secretary General and the former Norwegian Prime Minister. I am confident she can help integrate the latest climate science with real-world governance.

I just hope we put these better management plans in place as soon as possible. If we don't, the explorers who follow in Larry and Alain path will confront a terribly altered Arctic environment.

Growing Green: Honoring Leaders Who Are Changing the Way We Farm and Eat

2009-05-08T20:01:08Z

Tomorrow night NRDC will do something it has never done before: give out the inaugural Growing Green Awards to leaders in the sustainable food movement. Selected by a panel chaired by Michael Pollan, the best-selling author of the Omnivore's Dilemma, the winners will be celebrated at NRDC's San Francisco benefit.

Why is an organization better known for its policy papers than its culinary expertise wading into foodie territory?

For two critical and timely reasons. First, food production takes an enormous toll on the environment--from spilling pesticides into our drinking water to releasing fossil fuels into the atmosphere. NRDC's Growing Green Awards recognize that sustainable food is potent way to solve multiple ecological challenges at once.

And second, we want to honor the people who have fed America's growing interest in better farming and eating. From the White House garden to the school cafeteria, more and more people want healthier options for their families.

I myself have recently embraced new habits. Two of my daughters are serious sustainable agriculture enthusiasts, and last year, they inspired me to plant a garden in our yard in the Bronx. Now, in addition to the deliveries from our community sustainable agriculture program, we have homegrown kale, chard, lettuce, carrots, and, unlike President Obama, beets.

We also eliminated beef from the family diet. Between the environmental devastation from factory farms and the large carbon footprint that comes from the beef industry, my family decided this was the right commitment for us to make.

Just five years ago, these choices would have seemed unusual outside of a few progressive centers. But today, they are becoming mainstream. Farmers markets, organic food sections in supermarkets, and locally sourced menus are commonplace now. (Click here to see which local foods are available in your area right now.)

The Growing Green Awards celebrate the people who helped unleash this transformation. These are the people who roll up their sleeves and give us the models for how farming and food preparation can best nurture us and the planet.

Here are the winners of this year's Growing Green Awards:

Will Allen has won the Growing Green Award for food producers. As the founder of the Growing Power National Training and Community Food Center, has pioneered a closed-loop system in which water from fish tanks is used to fertilize organic vegetables--all in the heart of urban Milwaukee. (Read this feature on Allen's award in the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal.)
Fedele Bauccio has won the Growing Green award for business leaders. Bauccio, the founder and CEO of Bon Appetit Management Company, has been a pioneer in the food industry, and offered an excellent example that even large food industry companies can embrace sustainable practices.
James Harvie has won the Growing Green award for thought leaders. Harvie, a founding member of Health Care Without Harm, works to remind the health care industry what should be obvious but isn't: health care institutions should promote food that keeps our bodies and our environment healthy.

The White House Climate Meeting: Obama Reassures Swing Voters

2009-05-07T18:03:35Z

For the first time ever, the president of the United States invited a group of House Democrats to the White House on Tuesday to urge them to agree on draft climate legislation. The meeting achieved some concrete results, but more importantly it sent a powerful signal: passing a national law to solve global warming is a priority for President Obama and he is willing to engage in the process.

This was a welcome development. I have appreciated the fact that Obama endorses clean energy and climate legislation every chance he gets. But the meeting took it to another level.

How Obama's Actions Can Reassure Swing Voters

Obama called the meeting to reach out to the 36 Democrats on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which is currently revising the Waxman-Markey draft climate legislation.

Some swing voters on Capitol Hill are concerned that even if this climate bill passes the House, it will die in the Senate, and yet they will still be attacked for supporting it in the first place. They say, "Don't make me walk a plank if we are not going to succeed."

Having the White House involved helps change that dynamic. President Obama's engagement could reassure skittish lawmakers that he is seriously committed to passing climate legislation and will throw his support behind it.

The truth is we need presidential leadership to get a climate bill passed. We saw what the absence of leadership did for the United States during the Bush years: it wasted eight critical years and stalled Congressional efforts. Obama needs to get out front on global warming, and the meeting with the House Democrats showed that he is getting there.

A Climate Game of Chicken

And believe me, the world is watching Obama very closely. This week I met with Connie Hedegaard, the Danish minister of the environment. As the host country for the international climate negotiations in Copenhagen this December, Denmark has a role in framing the conversation.

Hedegaard came to me in part for intelligence on what is likely to happen in the United States and how the White House and Congress are influencing one another.

As we lead up to the international talks, it seems like the key nations are holding off on making commitments until they see what the next guy does. Who will be the first to blink? As one of the world's leading global warming polluters, the United States should step forward and lead.

We should show the world that Congress has made a commitment to reduce our emissions here at home. If we don't, we will lose whatever "Obama bump" in credibility we got after the inauguration, and we could deeply undermine the world's next climate agreement.

Why So Much is Riding on the House Right Now

The best hope for avoiding that fate rests on the House of Representatives. Last year, the Senate tried to pass a law to limit global warming pollution, but this year it is emerging from the House, in part because of the bold leadership of Reps. Henry Waxman and Ed Markey, and in part because of internal structure.

The House has one committee with the authority to draft comprehensive climate legislation: Waxman's Committee on Energy and Commerce. In the Senate, five separate committees have jurisdiction over the issue, and when you have five different players, no one is on first. So the action has moved to the House.

But right now, the outcome rests on a few swing votes and on Waxman's efforts to secure those votes while still maintaining the integrity of the bill.

What could help persuade those swing voters to support strong climate leadership? Hearing from their constituents could help. If one of these committee members is your representative, let them know how much you care about this issue.

But getting a deadline from Obama would also help. I welcome what Obama has said about climate legislation so far, but I would like to hear him say that he wants Congress to pass a bill THIS YEAR.

That timeframe will reassure lawmakers that their climate vote is backed by the president. And it will also reassure the world that America is ready to enter the Copenhagen negotiations with firm commitments at home.