A Look Back At Opportunity Lost – And 72 Hours to Change Our Future

Before we talk about the next 72 Hours, let’s take a look back — all the way back to 2003. That’s when the U.S. Senate took its first vote on comprehensive climate legislation. The Climate Stewardship Act, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senators Joe Lieberman & John McCain, was defeated on a 43 to 55 vote.

So what’s happened in the roughly 60,000 hours since then?

• According to NASA, 2005 was the hottest year on record, with 2009 tied for 2nd. The 2000s were the hottest decade on record.
• Gas prices are up an incredible 82% since 2003.
• Our energy supply is less secure — even after eight years of expanded domestic drilling in the Bush/Cheney administration, and even after the recession brought U.S. energy consumption down sharply, we’re still importing 6% more oil than we were in 2003.

Where has the status quo gotten us since 2003? Deeper into the climate crisis. More money going to energy costs & less money going to job creation. Less energy security. And after all that, politicians & front groups in the pockets of big polluters have the gall to claim that it’s change to our energy policies that would pose a risk. Are they kidding?

Enough. Time to tell our Senators that we’re tired of the same old excuses, same old unwillingness to stand up to polluters, same old status quo of climate & energy inaction. Here’s how Robert Redford frames our opportunity to make a difference:

Many Americans are tempted to turn their backs on the DC infighting, but that would be a mistake. We still possess a powerful ability to influence our lawmakers. When we raise our voices loudly and fully enough, we can hit the core sensitivity of politicians: the desire for votes. They are still our representatives, after all, and they have to respond to public outcry.

From Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to Wyoming’s oil and gas fields, I’ve seen concerned activists demand the best of our lawmakers.

That citizen force is about to be unleashed again, and this time, it will be in support of the most critical environmental vote of my lifetime: passing clean energy and climate legislation in the Senate.

The National Wildlife Federation has joined with dozens of other organizations to make it easier than ever to take action. Just visit 72 Hours for Clean American Power and enter your contact information. We’ll call you, and after a few instructions, connect you directly with your senator’s office. Every call makes a difference!

Photo via Flickr’s Public Citizen

The Alliance for Climate Protection’s Repower America campaign is teaming up with the Hip Hop Caucus on a bus tour that will bring together leaders from the faith, business, and climate communities alongside entertainers and prominent figures, including DJ Biz Markie, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, actress Gloria Reuben, performers D. Woods and LaToya Luckett, and many others. The Hip Hop Caucus Clean Energy Now! Tour will assemble diverse participants to amplify the voices of the young people and communities of color that are calling for a transition to a clean energy economy. The Hip Hop Caucus Tour kicks off this week in New Orleans on Thursday, February 18 and rolls through Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio and the District of Columbia for a variety of events including community rallies, roundtables on college campuses, tours of clean energy job sites and musical events.

· Little Rock, AR: Friday, February 19

· Columbia, MO: Saturday, February 20

· Indianapolis, IN: Sunday & Monday, February 21-22

· Bloomington, IN: Monday, February 22

· Columbus, OH: Tuesday, February 23

· Washington, DC: Tuesday-Wednesday, February 23-24

“The Hip Hop Caucus Clean Energy Now! Tour will amplify and unite the voices of young people, African Americans, the Hip Hop community, and the faith community, around the critical need for clean energy jobs now and a clean energy future for our country,” said Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., President of the Hip Hop Caucus. “We are excited to work with the

Alliance for Climate Protection and numerous national and local partners on this historic effort. We anticipate this tour will go a long way to educate and mobilize communities for a brighter future through policy that will reduce poverty and pollution at the same time.”

“Our partnership is proof positive that people from all walks of life are united in their support for a shared clean energy future,” said Maggie L. Fox, President and CEO of The Alliance for Climate Protection.

“It is clear that our young people and communities of color will benefit greatly from the economic opportunities that come from investing in clean energy. Together, we support comprehensive new energy policies that will start us on the path to creating millions of new jobs, reducing our dependence on foreign oil and stopping the devastating effects of carbon pollution.”

“The clean energy choices we make today will have a profound impact on the environment of our young people and communities of color — the very people this tour is bringing together and the voices we need to hear,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “We’re going out and meeting people where they live, work and learn to talk about how we create clean energy jobs, protect our planet, and break our dependence on foreign oil.”

Studies show that clean energy investments will create up to 1.9 million new jobs, including those for entry-level workers, professionals and entrepreneurs. Investments in building insulation and other efficiency improvements will cut down on energy bills for low-income families. Moreover, limits on pollution will reduce medical bills and protect communities from the ravages of global warming.

For more information about the tour, visit:

http://wwwThe following organizations are partners on the tour:

Alliance for Climate Education

American Association of Blacks in Energy

Blacks in Government

Black Leadership Forum

Black Youth Vote

Campus Progress

Constituency for Africa

Energy Action Coalition

Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative

Green for All

Headcount

Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

Kids Vs. Global Warming

Leon H Sullivan Foundation

National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education

National Association of Black County Officials

National Coalition on Black Civic Participation

National Bar Association

National Black Caucus of State Legislators

National Congress of Black Women

National Council of Black Mayors

National Forum for Black Public Administrators

National Urban League

National Wildlife Federation

Rainbow PUSH Coalition

Rock The Vote

Sierra Club
Southern Energy Network

Student PIRGs

About the Hip Hop Caucus: The Hip Hop Caucus organizes young people in urban communities to be active in elections, policymaking, and service projects. The Hip Hop Caucus is a member of the Black Leadership Forum and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. With nearly 700,000 members around the country, in 2008, the Hip Hop Caucus created the “Respect My Vote!” campaign with recording artists T.I. and Keyshia Cole, and in 2004, Hip Hop Caucus President Rev Yearwood co-created the “Vote or Die!” campaign with P Diddy. The Hip Hop Caucus is a non-partisan, non-profit organization.

About the Alliance for Climate Protection’s Repower America: The Alliance for Climate Protection launched the Repower America campaign to galvanize the American public around a bold new clean energy plan and a revitalized national energy infrastructure that will jumpstart our economy and create millions of jobs; help end our dependence on foreign oil; reward innovation and job creation, not polluters; and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow the threat of climate change.

See what Clean, Green and Fair Solutions are included in the draft bill.

Everybody’s Movement: Environmental Justice and Climate Change

• 10 Keys to Sustainability Planning Success
• List of U.S. Cities and Counties With Sustainability Plans or Climate Action Plans
• Fact Sheet on Sustainable U.S. Cities and Counties
• What Is a Sustainability Plan?

Follow us on Twitter @fairclimate