Climate Capsule Week of May 18

 

House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) has moved comprehensive energy and global warming legislation to a markup and predicted that it will be approved by Memorial Day. 

 

“House Democrats are nearing a historic agreement that would clear the way for the Energy and Commerce Committee to pass a clean energy jobs plan by Memorial Day. We are witnessing a remarkable coalition united from oil patch states to the Rust Belt and beyond,” said Joe Mendelson, global warming policy director at the National Wildlife Federation.

 

“It’s clear now that there is massive momentum to deliver comprehensive climate and energy legislation to President Obama this year,” Mendelson said.

 

“Congress must act now to begin building a new clean energy economy that will generate millions of clean energy jobs, break our dependence on oil and reduce the carbon pollution that causes global warming.” 

 

 

“Rep. Barton, who’s received millions in campaign contributions from electric utilities and the oil and gas industries in recent years, has introduced a bill that’s nothing short of bailout for big polluters,” Mendelson said. “We don’t need more fat paychecks for oil executives – we need clean energy jobs for Main Street.

 

“Americans don’t want a return to failed Dick Cheney-style energy policies. They want a new direction – one that repowers America‘s economy with millions of clean energy jobs, breaks our dependence on oil and reduces the carbon pollution that causes global warming.”

 

Hunting, fishing and conservation groups voiced their appreciation for the dedicated investment in natural resources conservation and pledged to continue fighting for a more substantial investment as the bill moves forward.

 

“We thank Congressmen Dingell, Waxman and Markey for recognizing the important role wildlife and natural resources play throughout America, and the urgent need to safeguard them from the harmful effects of global warming,” said John Kostyack, Executive Director of Wildlife Conservation and Global Warming at the National Wildlife Federation.

 

“However, to keep ecosystems healthy for our local economies, and to conserve wildlife for our children and grandchildren, we will need a significantly larger dedicated investment.”

The Energy and Commerce Committee begins markup of H.R. 2454, The American Clean Energy and Security Act.
Watch live video via Webcast.

Markup of National Climate Service bill
Science and Technology Committee
10:00 AM, 2318 Rayburn 

EPA public hearing (Seattle, WA)
Endangerment and cause or contribute findings for greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act

Hearing on biofuels regulations
Small Business Committee
10:00 AM, 2360 Rayburn

Hearing on low-carbon fuels
Agriculture Committee
10:30 AM, 1300 Longworth

UAW Endorses Climate Bill
The United Auto Workers has endorsed the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

The bill that is moving in the House Energy & Commerce Committee would provide the struggling auto industry with billions of dollars in funding for advanced vehicles.

Under the bill, automakers would receive 3 percent of the federal government’s revenue from carbon emissions permits starting in 2012 -- allowances that could be worth $12 billion to $17 billion. 

The UAW “strongly supports” that aspect of the bill “to help auto manufacturers and parts companies retool facilities in the United States to produce advanced technology vehicles and their key components, including plug-in hybrids,” Alan Reuther, the UAW’s legislative director, said in a letter to Congress.

 

As Americans begin gearing up for the warm summer months they will discover many garden furniture brands claiming to be “eco-friendly,” “green,” or “sustainably harvested.” 

Unfortunately, few of these products have been rigorously audited to verify such claims. To help consumers make informed choices when purchasing garden furniture, the National Wildlife Federation has released its third annual Garden Furniture Scorecard. The scorecard catalogs retailers selling Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified garden furniture-the most rigorous system for distinguishing wood products in the market.

           

“We are pleased that more retailers than ever before have chosen to participate in our scorecard and that they are making better choices about the sources of wood in their furniture offerings,” said Eric Palola, Senior Director of Forests for Wildlife at the National Wildlife Federation. “Retailers now have an increased awareness about where their tropical wood products are being sourced from and they expect they will be asked about the sources of their tropical wood from consumers.”

 

According to the National Wildlife Federation, consumers who want assurance that their garden furniture is truly green should look for and ask for products with a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo, which means the wood is traceable to a sustainably-managed forest. An FSC distinction assures that wildlife and forest ecosystems are conserved through rigorous environmental and social standards that an independent company audits on an annual basis.

 

“Because Americans buy more wood and paper than any other country in the world, we can play a major role in helping to protect forest ecosystems and the wildlife and people who depend on them,” said Corey Brinkema, president of FSC-US. “Selecting FSC-certified garden furniture helps support responsible forest management in parts of the world where forests are particularly vulnerable to illegal and unsustainable logging.”

 

NWF plans to continue its annual surveys of major outdoor furniture retailers to track the progress of making FSC-certified products available to consumers. To download a copy of the Garden Furniture Scorecard 2009, click here. Look at www.fscus.org to find stores near you that manufacture or carry FSC-certified products.