When African American voters and particularly young voters of color turned out in record numbers in 2008, their vision for change was historic. Heading into the 2010 mid-terms, there is plenty of speculation about who is not going to turn out to the polls this year, presumably because the economy is still bad, or because we have not seen enough progress from Washington. These naysayers, however, have not been talking with our communities. We were not playing around in 2008, and we are not playing around in 2010.

African American voters, according to a poll released yesterday by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, are eager to stay informed about the upcoming mid-term elections and between 74 and 80 percent of African American voters say they are very likely to vote.

Complementing the Joint Center’s finding is another poll done by Frank N. Magid Associates in February of this year, which found that out of key progressive base voters – women, millennials (18 – 29 year olds), Generation X-ers, African Americans, and Latinos – African Americans are the most certain that they will be coming out to vote this fall, followed by Latinos.

The Joint Center poll that was released yesterday is titled “Opinion of African Americans on Climate Change and 2010 Midterm Elections: The Results of a Multi-State Poll.” It surveyed African American voters in four key states – Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas and South Carolina.

The poll found that African American voters believe climate change is a critical issue and it will impact how they vote in November. In every state, 3 out 4 respondents said that climate change is either very or somewhat important in choosing a US Senator. Yesterday’s poll follows a national survey by the Joint Center released last fall, which found that 58 percent of African Americans said global warming is a major problem.

The most poignant finding from the Joint Center’s four-state poll is that large majorities of African Americans in these states believe that everyone including the government and individuals can do something to reduce climate change. Specifically, they want Congress to enact climate change legislation.

I just spent seven days on the road talking with African American communities, mostly young people, in Indiana, Missouri and Arkansas about clean-energy, on the Hip Hop Caucus Clean Energy Now! Tour that we organized with the Alliance for Climate Protection’s Repower America campaign and over thirty national coalition partners.

In Little Rock, AR at Philander Smith College and Arkansas Baptist College, students at these two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), rallied for clean-energy jobs and a clean-energy future for our planet.

In Columbia, MO football and track athletes from University of Missouri canvassed a low-income neighborhood distributing energy efficiency kits with materials that will help residents save money on their energy bills.

In St. Louis, MO I spoke during the Sunday worship at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church, one of the fastest growing African American churches in the city, about fighting poverty and pollution at the same time by moving to a clean-energy economy.

In Indianapolis, IN we toured the Sheet Metal Workers Local 20 Training Facility, where workers were getting trained for clean-energy jobs, and then I spoke with Amos Brown at the local Radio-One station about the role Black Radio is ready to play in the clean-energy movement.

As African Americans we understand, perhaps sometimes better than others, that change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, and that we must be long-suffering in our struggles for justice.

The historic 2008 Presidential election was one victory, a very big one, but the Hip Hop Caucus Clean Energy Now! Tour and the Joint Center’s Opinion of African Americans on Climate Change and 2010 Midterm Elections poll, prove that we have not taken our eyes off the ball in 2010. As an energized and organized electorate, who cares deeply about our economy, our communities, and our planet, if we do not see real action on climate change and new green jobs now, we will carry this issue with us to the ballot boxes come fall.
Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr. is the President and CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus. He is a minister, community activist, and organizer, and one of the most influential people in Hip Hop political life. For more information on the Hip Hop Caucus visit www.hiphopcaucus.org and follow him on Twitter @RevYearwood.

Follow Rev. Lennox Yearwood on Twitter: www.twitter.com/revyearwood

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

(Denver, Colo. – February 25, 2010) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that the Northern Cheyenne Tribe will receive $200,000 to advance greenhouse gas reduction activities as part of the Agency’s Climate Showcase Community initiative. The Tribe is among 20 U.S. communities receiving a total of $7.8 million in grants for projects that will reduce greenhouse gases (GHG). These funds will help communities increase energy efficiency, saving consumers money and reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

To reduce the tribe’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Environment Department has partnered with the National Wildlife Federation to transform the Tribal Environmental Protection Office and Head Start building into an energy-efficiency demonstration and training project. The building is one of the most inefficient buildings on the reservation, making it a priority for retrofits and green power projects. Contractors will implement these projects with support from tribal college students and community members. A training program will cover three sessions on energy audits, energy efficiency and small scale renewable energy.

“These communities see the overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change and are working with EPA to fight back,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “We’re working on innovative, win-win strategies that reduce greenhouse gases and cut energy bills for families and businesses — strategies that can be put in place to fight climate change in communities from Utah and Ohio to China and India.”

The projects will target every aspects of a community’s carbon footprint, from increasing energy efficiency in homes and businesses, to helping residents save fuel by decreasing the number of miles they drive.

Preliminary calculations by the grant applicants estimate that by 2012 the projects will reduce about 135,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually—equivalent to the emissions from 25,000 passenger vehicles or 12,000 homes and save more than $4.5 million per year in energy costs. Several projects are expected to create or maintain jobs and provide green job training.

The funded communities are showing their commitment to combat climate change by contributing more than $5.6 million in matching or leveraged funds and committing to sharing lessons learned. Grantees selected for the Climate Showcase funds were also required to show their ability to achieve ongoing GHG reductions as well as to track, measure, and show progress toward their goals.

EPA will monitor the progress of grant recipients and will post quarterly updates about each recipient online. An additional $2.2 million is still under review and is expected to be awarded in the next few months to five additional local and tribal governments.

The Climate Showcase Communities Grant Program is administered by EPA, providing technical assistance, tools, and guidance to help state, local, and tribal governments implement policies and programs to mitigate climate change.

More on the Northern Cheyenne Tribe’s Energy Efficiency and Training Project: http://www.epa.gov/statelocalclimate/local/showcase/cheyenne-tribe.html

More information on the grants and the grant recipients: http://www.epa.gov/statelocalclimate/local/showcase/

More information about the program: http://www.epa.gov/statelocalclimate

After touring the nation and meeting with thousands of young people in urban communities along the way, the Hip Hop Caucus Clean Energy Now! Bus Tour brought its message of clean energy solutions to the steps of the Capitol for a closing rally. The tour kicked-off in New Orleans and traveled from Louisiana, through Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio – en route to Washington, D.C.

On Wednesday, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson joined the tour with Members of Congress and celebrities to lead the rally, encouraging people to rebuild our economy, regain our communities and restore our planet.

“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 Jackson.

Studies show that comprehensive clean energy and climate policies could create up to 1.9 million new jobs new jobs nationwide and save households up to $1,175 per year by 2020.

Click here for a clip from the event: Rep. Andre Carson addresses Hip Hop Caucus Clean Energy Bus Tour

Check out additional videos of Actress Gloria Reuben, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) & DJ Biz Markie at my YouTube account.

For more information about the tour, visit: HipHopCaucus.org.

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.

A Bus Ride for Clean Energy
By Gloria Reuben

Today, more people are talking about clean energy than ever before. On one level, we’re talking about technology like windmills, solar panels and advanced electric power grids. We all know that these are the technologies that can deliver safe, clean and affordable energy to our homes and businesses. But we must also go to a deeper level when we talk about clean energy. A human level.

In my work as an actress and an activist, I’ve spent many years working with low income communities and people of color who don’t always have a voice in our political process.

I’ve traveled to small towns where I’ve seen the terrible health consequences from environmental pollution. I’ve seen communities in West Virginia that once were vibrant and now are ghost towns. I met a remarkable young Native American woman who went to Capitol Hill to tell her story about a community dominated by oil refineries where there are also high rates of cancer.

When dirty, old-fashioned energy sources pollute our air and water, it becomes a blatant public health problem — one that is especially burdensome for low income and minority groups. When a community doesn’t have strong financial resources or political clout, the people who live there are often victims of environmental injustice. Corporations are poisoning our air and water, while at the same time lining the pockets of elected officials with political contributions.

Meanwhile, our communities are in dire economic straits. During this difficult financial time, the demographic hit the hardest is people with an annual household income of $12,499 or less. In this group, the recent unemployment rate is 30%.

We have to stop this madness. This is not America as it should be.

That’s why the clean energy movement is about empowering these communities. It’s about giving them a voice.

That’s why I’m excited to join the Hip Hop Caucus Clean Energy Now! Bus Tour, which kicks off in New Orleans this Thursday Feb. 18th, and will make its way to Washington, D.C. The tour is bringing together young people, communities of color, people of faith, entertainers and business leaders. What unites these diverse groups is their call for a transition to clean energy.

We all need a little more hope these days and clean energy is about putting hope into action.

Clean energy is about offering people the opportunity to do what’s right for themselves and the people they love. It’s about reducing the pollution that makes people sick. It’s about helping the low-income families struggling to pay their gas and electricity bills. It’s about opening new factories, starting new businesses, and creating new job opportunities for the millions of people who are out of work. It’s about building our communities.

We can create millions of new jobs by building the energy infrastructure of the future, using technology that is available today. This means putting Americans back to work by building and installing wind turbines, and creating jobs for people who retrofit homes and businesses to improve energy efficiency. There will be clean energy jobs for people out of high school and people with college degrees. There will be jobs for professionals and jobs for entry-level workers. New businesses that take advantage of these opportunities will open their doors and revitalize our neighborhoods, restoring pride into the hearts of all Americans … Black, White, Native American, Asian, Latino, Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist … all of us!

For too long, we’ve been sending our money to companies that destroy our environment and don’t give their wealth back to us. What we urgently need is to regain our self-esteem and a sense of control over our future. We need to discontinue the self-destructive behavior of borrowing money from China and giving that money to countries that don’t like us, all the while making them stronger while we become weaker and more dependent. We have got to quit our addiction to oil. We need to stop destroying our extraordinary natural beauty in this great country in order to burn fossil fuels.

A transition to clean energy is about making an investment in our future. We can take action today to put people back to work, make our communities prosper, and making life for everyone healthier and more prosperous.

We need to start now.

Join actor and activist Gloria Reuben and Benjamin Jealous, President of NAACP, and become part of National Wildlife Federation’s Fair Climate Network.

Watch the video