Trying to Block Global Warming Action
It's a New Year, but it's the same old obstructionism from big polluters. This time it's via an amendment from Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Her amendment would dismantle the Clean Air Act (CAA) and put the public's health and safety at risk by blocking CAA and Environmental Protection Agency authority to regulate global warming pollution.
The vote could very likely happen on January 20. And no surprise here, looks like some dirty energy lobbyists wrote the amendment for her.
Have you told your senators to vote NO on this amendment yet? Do it now!
Big Coal & Big Oil Throw Their Weight Around
As we learn about energy lobbyists for the coal and oil industry writing the Murkowski amendment, it’s sad that it’s not a huge surprise these industries continue spending big and working hard to block any global warming action.
Indeed, read this sad but true Rolling Stone article entitled "As the World Burns: How Big Oil and Big Coal Mounted One of the Most Aggressive Lobbying Campaigns in History to Block Progress on Global Warming."
Need Some Good News?
Phew, that was depressing stuff, so how about this: The White House estimates that the clean energy components of last spring’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act “have directly saved or created approximately 52,000 clean energy jobs as of the fourth quarter of 2009, and supported another 11,000 jobs of all types throughout the economy."
The Obama administration released its "Economic Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 -- Second Quarterly Report" and it’s chock full of good news. Check it out! (PDF – the clean energy section begins on page 31)