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I am glad that people are looking to take some action regarding the
December, 2009 Climate Change meeting in Copenhagen. If that is what
stirs up attention, then it is good, because climate change is the
biggest problem that we face as a nation, in the long run much more
significant than health care. <br>
<br>
In fact, with the prospect of the meeting in Copenhagen providing the
replacement for the failed Kyoto accord, the key events start today.
Today we are supposed to get the first released copy of a new climate
change bill that bears the name of Barbara Boxer and John Kerry. From
what I have read, this is a stronger bill than the one that was passed
by the House of Representatives.<br>
<br>
What to do:<br>
Make sure that you are working from a base of knowledge, not just
reacting to the latest stir-em-up notification. The easiest way to do
so is to follow one of the following blogs:<br>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://climateprogress.org/2009/09/30/john-kerry-on-the-clean-energy-jobs-and-american-power-act/">Climate
Progress</a> - owned by Physicist Joseph Romm, Sr. Fellow in the Center
for American Progress. The link takes you to his announcement of the
Boxer - Kerry bill. aka Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act.</li>
<li><a href="http://westcoastclimateequity.org/?p=3723">West Coast
Climate Equity</a> - A British Columbia based, low volume cite with
strong backing. Dr. James Hansen (N.A.S.A.) and Bill McKibben are on
the board. The link provided is to a post that contemplated the
possibility of failure in Copenhagen, something that Romm's optimism
will not allow him to do.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.realclimate.org/">RealClimate</a> - This is
for those who want to understand the facts about the climate change
events themselves and how to interpret the data. It is written by and
for climate scientists and those in the media who need to know the
facts. <br>
</li>
</ul>
There are two very serious problems inherent in the entire process. <br>
<br>
One deals with the possibility that the the US delegation will have to
go to Copenhagen without having a bill through Congress. The
Republican delaying tactics that you now see in the Health Care process
will surely be used to prevent dealing with Climate Change in any
substantive way. Boxer and Kerry will be pressured to water down their
bill just to get any bill through Congress before Copenhagen. In
particular, with an exact 60 votes, the Democrats will need the vote of
the King of Filibusters, Robert Byrd, to invoke cloture and shut off
debate. Byrd is from West Virginia and will sell his vote for removing
any and all restrictions on coal... the biggest source of CO2 in the
US. Note: Sec. of Energy Chu has been quoted that he would rather his
family live next to at nuclear power plant than one that burn coal. <br>
<br>
The second problem is the fact that Boxer - Kerry still has provisions
for fossil fuel subsidies and nuclear loan guarantees. At Climate
Progress, Romm has expressed the opinion that nuclear is so completely
expensive that no more nukes will be built anyway, so having something
in the bill is not a very big issue. I disagree... or let me say that
he trusts Congress more than I do. Both of these would have to go
before I would support the bill. <br>
<br>
Then, if we really believe that Green Jobs as promoted by Van Jones, is
part of the solution, if we really believe that individuals should have
the right to generate their own solar / wind power and sell that back
to the local utility, if you really believe, as did presidential
aspirant Kent Mesplay, that radically distributed power sources is a
national security goal, then we need to pressure the California State
Legislature to pass AB 560, which the Democrats allowed to die in the
State Senate Committees this past term. Current law cuts off net
metering for individuals when the amount of power sourced in that
manner reaches 2.5%. We will reach that next year for PG&E. AB
560 would raise that to 5%. It is time that every member of the state
legislature gets to know us personally, since we need to camp in their
office until they agree to get this done. That is the essence of
thinking globally, acting locally. It is the essence of community
based economics. <br>
<br>
Last night, I <a
href="http://cagreening.blogspot.com/2009/09/boxer-kerry-climate-change-bill-nearly.html">posted</a>
information about the nuclear position in Boxer - Kerry. I will
continue to use California Greening to post positions regarding global
warming and California's water crisis along with actions that need to
be taken to pressure our legislatures, both state and national, to act
for the people and not just troll for contributions. <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="80">--
"Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don't, then you are wasting your time on this Earth" Roberto Clemente
Wes Rolley
17211 Quail Court, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.refpub.com/">http://www.refpub.com/</a> -- Tel: 408.778.3024</pre>
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