From the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Mike Tidwell, director
Compiled and edited by Ted Glick, CCAN Policy Director
April 2, 2010
The Chesapeake Climate Action Network has launched a weekly policy update about efforts to advance “cap and dividend” legislation in the U.S. Congress. The fight for this climate policy is currently being led on Capitol Hill by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME). Last December these Senators introduced the Carbon Limits and Energy for America’s Renewal Act, or CLEAR Act. Learn more at http://www.supportclearact.org.
March 29-April 2 Overview: Despite the U.S. Congress being on recess this past week (and next), interest in and support for the cap and dividend/CLEAR Act approach to climate legislation continues to grow. Newsweek columnist Jonathan Alter wrote positively about what he calls “cap-and-rebate” in his latest column. Mother Jones magazine carried a story on its website blog about “The Other Climate Bill.” Senator Susan Collins was interviewed by Clean Skies News; during the interview she suggested that the CLEAR Act could be paired with legislation, The American Clean Energy Leadership Act, passed by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last year. On Tuesday, March 30th, in what is probably the first such action in the country, the Santa Rosa, Ca. City Council unanimously passed a resolution in support of the CLEAR Act. And at the end of the week, on Good Friday, the Philadelphia Daily News came out with an editorial supporting the CLEAR Act.
Articles in This Weekly Report
– Philadelphia, Pa. Daily News editorializes in support of CLEAR Act
– Newsweek columnist Jonathan Alter: Cap-and-rebate could make energy legislation “very popular”
-Mother Jones article on CLEAR Act: “The Other Climate Bill”
– Senator Collins interviewed by Clean Skies News
– E&E story highlights Senator Collins suggestion to pair CLEAR Act with energy legislation approved in 2009
– Senators Cantwell and Collins issue press release on University of Massachusetts study
-Santa Rosa, Ca. City Council unanimously endorses the CLEAR Act.
Philadelphia Daily News: “Why not look at a simpler approach?”
On April 2 the Philadelphia (Pa.) Daily News came out with an editorial, “Obama Joins ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ Team. Criticizing Obama’s decision to open up vast areas off U.S. coasts to oil drilling, it went on to say, “Every day we delay in passing a comprehensive energy and climate-change bill, the more expensive it becomes and the more our planet (and this country) is threatened. An effective bill would include:
“A price on carbon that provides an incentive to lower emissions. If, as Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Wednesday, “Cap and trade is not in the lexicon anymore,” why not look closer at a simpler approach proposed by Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Susan Collins, R-Maine.
It’s called ‘cap and dividend.'”
For the full editorial click here.
Newsweek columnist Jonathan Alter: Cap-and-rebate could make energy legislation “very popular”
In a column, “1965 All Over Again”, in the April 5, 2010 newstand issue, Newsweek columnist Jonathan Alter says that “energy is just a few tweaks away from being a political winner. Changing cap-and-trade to the far more sensible cap-and-rebate (in which polluters’ fees go straight back to the public as checks) could make it very popular-and confirm the role of clean energy in rebuilding the economy.”
For the full article click here
Mother Jones article on CLEAR Act: “The Other Climate Bill”
A piece written by Mother Jones reporter Kate Sheppard published on March 25th overviews the CLEAR Act in relation to the efforts by Kerry, Graham and Lieberman: “Ready for the battle of the climate bills? As John Kerry, Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman hammer out climate legislation, their biggest challenge may not be coal-state Democrats, or Republicans who deny global warming-but a bipartisan pair of senators who believe they’ve already produced better legislation.”
For the full article click here
Senator Collins interviewed by Clean Skies News
In a 7-minute video, Sen. Susan Collins talks to Clean Skies News about The CLEAR Act. Among other points made, she explains why her plan should be included in Senate climate legislation, what she’s hearing about the Senate bill-writing process, and where she and President Obama have common ground on climate issues.
To view the video click here
E&E story highlights Senator Collins’ suggestion to pair CLEAR Act with energy legislation approved in 2009
A March 29th story by Robin Bravender and Katherine Ling for E&E News called attention to a statement made by Senator Susan Collins in her Clean Skies interview where she suggested that the CLEAR Act could be paired with “energy legislation approved last year by Sen. Jeff Bingaman’s (D-N.M.) Energy and Natural Resources Committee.” That legislation, the American Clean Energy Leadership Act of 2009, S-1462, calls for a variety of steps to be taken to advance clean energy, energy efficiency and other goals.
The March 29th story also reports on Senator Bernie Sanders’ “deep disappointment” with how the Kerry-Graham-Lieberman bill is developing.
For the full article click here
Senators Cantwell and Collins issue press release on University of Massachusetts study
Last week Senators Cantwell and Collins issued a joint press release calling attention to the study released by professors Jim Boyce and Matthew Riddle of the University of Massachusetts. In Senator Cantwell’s words, “This study validates one of the CLEAR Act’s key principles, that properly designed climate legislation can fairly distribute economic as well as environmental benefits to every corner of America.”
Senator Collins also emphasized the Act’s environmental and economic benefits: “The results of this study will help reassure the American public that we can accomplish the goal of putting a price on carbon without bankrupting American families and businesses. I applaud Senator Cantwell’s leadership. I am delighted to be working with her on this straightforward, effective and fair clean energy bill.”
To view the full press release click here
Santa Rosa, Ca. City Council unanimously endorses the CLEAR Act
In what may be the first such action in the country, the city council of Santa Rosa, Ca., the county seat of Sonoma County with a population of 161,00, unanimously passed a resolution in support of the CLEAR Act. The resolution called on the Mayor to send a letter to their congressional delegation urging them to support the CLEAR Act.
To view the agenda item as it was drafted for the city council click here
In this picture Mike Sandler and Ann Hancock are holding the large dividend check, flanked by the Mayor and Councilmembers. The check is for $350 (a climate science reference), and is made payable to
“Every Santa Rosan.” The memo line reads: “Dividend payment from polluters to every American.”
CCAN encourages readers of Cap and Dividend Policy Update to distribute it to others who might be interested. We welcome input on the content of this publication and ideas for what could be included. Send to Ted Glick at ted@chesapeakeclimate.org. To find out more about CCAN go to http://www.chesapeakeclimate.org.
