[GPSCC-chat] Fwd: President Obama steps to the plate

[Gerry Gras]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	President Obama steps to the plate
Date: 	Mon, 24 Jun 2013 20:38:33 +0000
From: 	Bill McKibben - 350.org <organizers at 350.org>
Reply-To: 	organizers at 350.org
To: 	Gerald Gras <gerrygras at earthlink.net>



Friends,

Well, some good news: five years in, we're starting to see at least the
outlines of a strategy from President Obama to deal with climate change.

He's clearly heard the clamor that you have raised, and Tuesday at 1:35
PM EDT, he will make a speech in DC laying out his plans.

*We hope you'll join in watching it -- there will be a 350.org virtual
watch party, hosted on our site, where you can watch and see analysis as
it happens via our Twitter account.* For those of you who use twitter,
tweet in with the hashtag #ForwardOnClimate to be a part of the
conversation on our site. If you can bring together friends or even some
coworkers around for a quick break to watch with us, that would be
excellent too.

*To join the watch party, just click here when the time comes:
act.350.org/thanks/watch-party-obama-climate-speech/
<http://act.350.org/go/3352?t=1&akid=3281.8388.T_AP3U>*

*If you'd like a reminder to tune in, just click this link and we'll
send you an email a little bit before the speech tomorrow:
act.350.org/sign/obama-watch-party-reminder/
<http://act.350.org/go/3353?t=2&akid=3281.8388.T_AP3U>*

*As for the speech itself, here's what I'm hoping for: tough action on
emissions from coal-fired power plants.* Local activists and groups like
the Sierra Club have done a great job in facing down the expansion plans
of the coal industry in recent years, blocking dozens of proposed coal
plants. The industry is weakened enough that the administration may be
willing to challenge it more directly with regulations on existing power
plants -- and this would be indeed be an important step forward.

*And here's what I'm not expecting: anything at all about the Keystone
XL pipeline.* That is still wending its way through a twisted
bureaucratic process. But if I was being optimistic, I'd say tomorrow's
speech makes eventual victory more likely: the President is above all a
logical man, and kicking off a climate action plan only to approve a tar
sands pipeline is like saying you're ready to quit smoking then buying a
carton of Marlboros.

At any rate, we'll do all that we can think of to keep up the pressure.
If this were a race, you can think of this speech as the starter's
pistol, after a long slog to get the runners all lined up. There is
still a race yet to run.

Your hard work made this possible. Given the siege of extreme weather we
now see daily around the planet, it's one of many steps we need to take.
But it is in the right direction, and that’s good news.

Bill McKibben

PS -- Since this seems to be an important moment, please share this
photo with your Facebook friends to let them know that this is all
happening tomorrow:

Click here to share this image
<http://act.350.org/go/3354?t=3&akid=3281.8388.T_AP3U>

<http://act.350.org/go/3354?t=4&akid=3281.8388.T_AP3U>

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