Coastal Residents Learn About Real Time Climate Solutions at Town Hall Meeting

The impacts of climate change are already apparent in Hampton Roads.  The state’s vulnerable coastline continually floods communities, impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people throughout the region. Coastal residents are eager to learn and act on solutions to protect the communities they love from the rising tides. On Tuesday, December 2, nearly sixty people came out to CCAN’s “Save Our Coast” town hall and book event to do just this.
Folks who attended the event first heard from Stephen Nash, author of Virginia Climate Fever. Nash spoke about the impacts of climate change on Virginia’s communities and the drastic need for clean energy solutions throughout the state. He warned that the average temperature in the state is on the rise, and Virginia could see double the amount of about 90ºF days by 2065. The first ten months of 2014 have been the hottest on record, since temperature monitoring began around 130 years ago.DSC_0275
Hampton Roads has it much worse though. The region stands as the most vulnerable climate impact zone in Virginia and could see triple the amount of 90ºF days by 2065 – a threat to their beloved ecosystems and public health alike. Even more frightening is the fact that the rate of sea level rise is accelerating along the state’s coast, and it’s already at the doorsteps of thousands of residents. Much of the development in Hampton Roads rests on subsiding land, putting the region at risk for higher rates of sea level rise than will be seen elsewhere along the Atlantic Coast.
This scale of climate disruption does not have to become a reality though, as Virginians can still take action to curtail its greenhouse gas emissions. Nash explained that Virginia can still make the switch to renewable energy at a fast pace to lessen the impacts of climate change on the state. If Virginia acts now to curtail its greenhouse gas emissions, the rate and extent of relative sea level rise will be significantly less than it will be if the state continues to ground its energy consumption on fossil fuels.
One person in the audience asked Nash what the most important thing to be done is. He proceeded to say that taking part in the public conversation is the most important thing for people to do if change is to occur. Mike Tidwell, CCAN’s Executive Director, also answered this question. His response, to which Nash conceded, was for the state to pass the Virginia Coastal Protection Act that would commit the state to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
Dawone Robinson, CCAN’S Virginia Policy Director, went on to explain the Virginia Coastal Protection Act and RGGI to coastal residents, activists and students alike who gathered for the town hall.  RGGI is a cooperative effort between nine states that caps carbon pollution from power plants while requiring them to purchase allowances for every ton of carbon pollution they emit in a given year. By committing to RGGI, the state of Virginia could see over $200 million in revenue by 2020. This revenue would then be appropriated as follows: (1) 50% to Hampton Roads for coastal adaptation efforts; (2) 35% to statewide energy efficiency and clean energy programs; (3) 10% to southwest Virginia for economic development assistance; and (4) 5% to RGGI for programmatic expenses.
Nash and Tidwell both touched on the difficulty of passing bills that support clean energy in Virginia’s legislature. Dominion, the state’s largest energy provider, is highly engrained in the state’s politics, often leaving the statehouse polarized on issues. However, the circumstances for reducing fossil fuel emissions in Virginia have changed radically with the EPA’s Clean Power Plan Rules that will be finalized next summer. The Clean Power Plan is calling on Virginia to reduce its carbon emissions by 38% by 2030, and RGGI stands as the best mechanism for the state to meet its emissions reduction goals while providing funding for essential climate adaptation, mitigation and sustainable development measures across specified regions of the state.
DSC_0271So what is the most important thing that needs to be accomplished to lessen the impacts of global climate change on Virginians? How can people on the ground help to push for climate solutions that will alleviate the sea level rise impacts that coastal Virginians are facing now, while protecting the future livelihoods of citizens across the state? Each of the featured panelists had a similar position on this question, which was asked by a dedicated activist who attended the town hall and book event. The answer? Get out there and join the public conversation. Talk to your friends, family members, acquaintances, and anyone else you can about bringing climate solutions to the state.
Teresa Stanley of Virginia Organizing, the first panelist that the group heard from on Tuesday night, spoke about the importance of collective action to make climate solutions a reality for the state. Communities need to be informed of the risks that Virginia faces under climate change, and communities need to be further mobilized to ensure that the state’s precious neighborhoods, culture and landscapes are protected from the projected devastating impacts.
Quan Williams of Virginia New Majority, the event’s second panelist, said that for her, the most important thing is to get the Virginia Coastal Protection Act passed. Climate change is an issue that know no races, borders, or classes. It will affect us all. And for many of us, climate change is a phenomenon that is capable of presenting itself in life or death situations. We must start acting now, together, to take charge of state initiatives that will turn the tide in the people’s favor.
The last panelist, Dr. Michelle Covi of Old Dominion University, spoke of planning and infrastructure initiatives that need to be updated to best prepare for sea level rise and climate change impacts along the state’s coast, home to the largest naval station in the world. Dramatic storm events are no longer the only driver on flooding in Hampton Roads; heavy downpours and high tides are now of high concern for flooding as well. Municipalities in Hampton Roads need to start working now to improve the resiliency of their highly prized social fabric. Evacuation routes need to be readjusted to include transportation to low-income neighborhoods and houses need to be raised to fight recurrent flooding.
But all of this will come at a cost. Improving infrastructure in Hampton Roads to combat the extensive occurrence of flooding that the region already experiences will need funding to occur, and fast. This is a problem that each and every single municipality in coastal Virginia is facing, and their solution may come sooner than expected. That is if the Virginia Coastal Protection Act passes. In a regular year, CCAN would not dream of getting this bill passed in such a short amount of time. But the fact is that the playing field has changed in Virginia.
The EPA’s Clean Power Plan will be finalized in the summer of 2015, and the state will need to cut 38% of its emissions by 2030. No matter what, the state will need to curb its carbon pollution, and the best option for Virginia is to get ahead of the game and start generating revenue by capping emissions. CCAN has already collected hundreds of petitions to support the Coastal Protection Act and is working to organize communities in support of the bill.
So what’s next? For one, sign the petition to urge your legislators to act if you haven’t already. Also be on the lookout for CCAN’s next actions, which will include a press conference on the bill with the support of coastal elected officials and a coastal lobby day at the state house to push the bill forward. State legislators must understand the immediacy of the threat in Hampton Roads. Together, we can make this happen.

O'Malley's fracking decision: 3 Things You Need to Know

You may have heard the news that Governor Martin O’Malley last week gave approval for the potential start of controversial fracking drilling for gas in Western Maryland. The governor released a report — three years in the making — which said that IF a wide range of protective regulations are fully implemented and monitored, then such drilling, in the governor’s view, is acceptable. 

We disagree with the governor on this. Period. While Gov. O’Malley’s proposed regulations are by far the toughest ever proposed in the country — and could serve as a model for states that already frack dangerously — they won’t eliminate the significant potential harm to Maryland’s environment and economy, and there’s no guarantee they’d be enforced. We at CCAN and our partners intend to continue to fight against this harmful practice of drilling — and we’ll need you fighting with us.
Here are our key take aways from the governor’s report — and where we’re headed next. Here are the three things you need to know:
1) The safest strategy for drilling for gas in the Marcellus Shale is to NOT drill for that gas at all. We do not believe the state report proves the case that fracking can be done with acceptable public health and environmental safety in Maryland. Further, climate scientists say 80 percent of the world’s known reserves of fossil fuels must stay in the ground if we are to have any hope of stabilizing the world’s atmosphere. Simply put, the gas must stay in the ground.
2) YOUR watchdog pressure has kept fracking at bay so far in Maryland — and it made an impact in shaping Gov. O’Malley’s final report. Your insistent pressure has resulted in recommendations that, if enacted, could make gas companies think twice about whether or not they would want to drill here — according to the American Petroleum Institute’s own lobbyist in Maryland. For example, Governor O’Malley proposed a first-ever rule requiring gas companies to completely eliminate net “leakage” of methane, a powerful heat-trapping gas, from the fracking process. Gas companies would also have to do two years of preliminary water quality testing before they could start drilling. Again, none of this is a victory. But, if it weren’t for your action, fracking might very well already be a reality in Maryland. As it stands, we are still in a position to keep working to make sure it never is.
3) Come January, the ball will be in the court of Governor-elect Larry Hogan — and your representatives in the General Assembly. This is where we’re headed next. While Gov. O’Malley has said his agencies will propose final regulations for fracking before he leaves office, the final decision on what to do with them will rest with incoming Gov. Hogan and our legislators in Annapolis. CCAN is committed to working to pass legislation to prevent a reckless rush to drill in our state.
So, between now and the start of the General Assembly session in mid-January, we’ll keep you posted on the game plan. For now, there are two ways you can take action immediately to help spread the word about the dangers of fracking in Maryland and build the movement to stop it:
Write a Letter to the Editor of your local paper: We need to make sure decision-makers are hearing from concerned Marylanders like you, and that we keep educating our neighbors across the state about the risks of fracking. Contact Shilpa Joshi, at shilpa@chesapeakeclimate.org if you can write a letter to the editor of your local paper, and we’ll follow up with tips and talking points.
Click here to share this graphic on Facebook: In the past week, two prominent state newspapers — the Baltimore Sun and the Frederick News-Post — have published editorials responding to Gov. O’Malley’s report, warning of the risks fracking poses to our health, environment and economy. Keep the “no fracking” buzz going by sharing the news.
We have a lot of work to do in the months ahead. But know this: Passionate Marylanders like you have stood shoulder to shoulder across the state for years to successfully fight harmful gas drilling. You are the reason our state is frack-free today. So let’s keep fighting together to keep it that way.
Thanks for everything you do — and stay tuned for the next steps!
The Marcellus Shale Drilling Advisory Commission is holding a brief public comment session on its final report next Monday evening, December 8, in two locations. Email me at shilpa@chesapeakeclimate.org for more information on how to attend.
 
 

EPA’s Clean Power Plan: Whose side is Virginia on?

By now you may have heard that the Environmental Protection Agency has released a new set of rules designed to cut carbon pollution that leads to climate change. As the rules stand today, Virginia must reduce its carbon footprint by 37% by the year 2030 (the guidelines of the rule will be finalized in June of next year).
As predicted, big coal and its defenders have drawn their swords in a clash they’re billing as the ultimate War on Coal showdown between hard-working families and job killers in Virginia.
Of course, the rules aren’t too onerous for the coal industry, but they’re much needed to start curbing the effects on climate change which will get significantly worse over the course of the century unless we take action, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently warned.
EPA is accepting comments from states through December 1st on its new rules. Which begs the question: what side should Virginia be on? And how do these rules affect citizens in the Commonwealth? More importantly, how can Virginia use these rules as an opportunity to grow its clean energy workforce while reducing harmful pollutants in our environment?
Virginia’s State Corporation Commission staff, the administrative body charged with ratemaking within the “public interest” of the citizens, has clearly staked a position on the side against the EPA and its efforts. In an unusually blunt and bombastic set of comments delivered to the EPA, the SCC staff scolded the agency for issuing rules they deemed unlawful, unachievable, and certain to lead to drastic increases in rates for Virginians.
Interestingly, within the SCC staff’s 50-plus pages of comments bashing the Clean Power Plan, is this line: “To be clear, these comments take no position on the broad policy issues regarding how reliability risks and compliance costs caused by the Proposed Regulation compare to the environmental benefits asserted by the EPA.” 
Excuse me if I’m mistaken, but isn’t one of the main purposes of the Clean Power Plan, part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, to avoid the enormous mounting costs of climate change and, therefore, see the enormous benefits — to our health, economy, and well-being as a society — of reducing CO2 pollution?
A colleague of mine made this analogy. In the late 1990’s the federal government passed a law mandating airbags for most passenger cars, trucks, and vans on the roads. SCC staff’s comments criticizing the Clean Power Plan without considering climate benefits would be akin to some regulatory agency in the 1990’s bashing the airbag law because it increases the price on vehicles while giving the disclaimer that “we take no position on the life saving benefits of vehicle airbags in relation to incremental price increases on vehicles”.
SCC staff’s analysis is shortsighted. However, they are an important group of officials who have become influential in Virginia’s ability to craft policies to meet the new EPA rules, which are due by June of 2016.
On Wednesday, November 19th, SCC staff will brief members of the Senate and House Commerce and Labor committee on their interpretation of the effect these rules have on Virginia. Representatives from the utility industry, Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Environmental Quality, the environmental community, and others, will also have a chance to weigh in. On Wednesday, we will get the opportunity to see where numerous agencies, businesses, and community members stand on the first landmark set of rules designed to help win the climate battle.
We all know the benefits clean energy and less fossil fuel pollution provide citizens. Virginia has the opportunity to leverage these rules to provide a spark to clean energy development and reap millions of dollars in new revenue from 21st century technologies.
It’s time to ask your representatives, state officials, business leaders, and community members: whose side are you really on?

Letter from the Director: We Voted With Our Feet

Dear CCAN supporters,
In case certain elections have you down, take heart. The most impressive vote this fall was not on November 4th. It was on September 21st. That’s when 400,000 Americans elected to march in New York City for the People’s Climate March. If you want to know what direction our nation is really headed in, the Climate March holds the clues. Black, white. Young, old. Gay, straight. Our country was represented at the march and our voice was loud: We want climate solutions now!
I’m reminded of the urgency of our movement and the progress we’re making wherever I travel in the Maryland/Virginia/DC region. Last month, I was in the Virginia coastal city of Portsmouth where sea-level rise linked to climate change is already wreaking havoc on a near-weekly basis. As I met with State Senator L. Louise Lucas, she explained that flooding was so bad in Portsmouth this September after a heavy rain at high tide that she had trouble reaching the apartment building she owns and operates for mentally handicapped adults to begin an evacuation.
In Annapolis, Maryland the flooding is getting so bad that a recent study from the Union of Concerned Scientists says there will be near daily “nuisance flooding” of streets and homes in the not-too-distant future. In other words, entire parts of the city are headed toward permanent disappearance.
But I’m also reminded of the progress we’re making in fighting the core source of the problem: greenhouse gas pollution. The city council in Washington, DC is on the verge of dramatically increasing wind power consumption in the city while encouraging community-based solar installations. Meanwhile, Maryland activists continue to succeed in keeping gas fracking out of the state. And in Virginia, thanks to President Obama’s Clean Power Plan, the state has the chance in the next few years to finally cap carbon pollution from its power plants.
Read more about these campaigns and learn how you can plug in on multiple important issues wherever you live. We voted with our feet in New York City in September. Now we must vote with our actions every day.
Onward!
mike-tidwell
Mike Tidwell

Resisting the Atlantic Coast Pipeline: latest updates

Over 100 concerned Virginians weathered the cold and rallied in Waynesboro on November 1st to stop the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

Most Virginians know by now that Dominion Resources has proposed a disastrous 550-mile long mega-pipeline to carve through Virginia, carrying fracked gas for West Virginia to North Carolina. The announcement was hard to miss, especially when Governor McAuliffe stood shoulder to shoulder with Dominion CEO, Tom Farrell, to announce his support of this devastating project.
Join the thousands of Virginians who have already called on Governor McAuliffe to withdraw his support of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.
After two months of public hearings, Dominion officially pre-filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on October 31st, beginning the environmental review of the project.
But just as Dominion forges ahead on building the pipeline, thousands of concerned Virginians are forging ahead to build the statewide pipeline resistance.
Just one day after Dominion pre-filed with FERC, over 100 pipeline activists gathered in Waynesboro to rally against the pipeline. We heard from numerous landowners and affected families on the ground, made connections with the dozens of local groups organizing throughout the region, and talked about next steps. Check out more  photos from the rally on the Friends of Augusta Facebook Page and Event Album here!

Erin, a VCU student against about the ACP, shares her concerns via photo petition with dozens of other activists at the Waynesboro rally.
Erin, a VCU student against about the ACP, shares her concerns via photo petition with dozens of other activists at the Waynesboro rally. Shenandoah Valley and Central Virginia, and made plans for next steps.

The rally was an exciting end to months of public mobilizing, including filling Dominion Open Houses with pipeline activists, publishing dozens of Letters to the Editor, and collecting thousands of petitions.
But since the rally, we’ve only continued to escalate and build our strength. Last week, a delegation of organizers from Augusta County traveled to Washington, DC to meet with FERC’s Chairmen Cheryl A. LaFleur to discuss their concerns over the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The delegation also met with Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine to illustrate the significant statewide opposition to the pipeline.
While we are hard at work making sure Virginia politicians know our power, Dominion is hard at work threatening local landowners to seize their property. Just this week, Dominion sent final notices and threat to sue to the 189 Virginia landowners along the path of the pipeline who have not issued permission for Dominion to survey their land.  If you have received a letter from Dominion and need more information, please contact: info@augustacountyalliance.org.
What can you do?
First, sign the petition to Governor McAuliffe calling on him to withdraw his support of the pipeline. CCAN is working with the Augusta Alliance, the Shenandoah Valley Network, and other local organizers to collect 10,000 petitions to deliver to the Governor. Help us reach that goal by signing and sharing with your networks.
Then, stay updated to submit your public comment to FERC on the pipeline. The next few months will have a lot of opportunities to raise your voice, join the fight, and support local residents on the path of the pipeline.
 
For now, check out the latest News Roundup:

 

Virginia will flood. Or not.

What if Virginia’s great coastal communities basically disappeared? No naval base in Norfolk. No tourism in Virginia Beach. No shipyards in Portsmouth and Newport News.
Why imagine this? Because scientists say it could happen. Six feet of sea-level rise from climate change could inundate the Virginia coastal region in coming decades, triggering a full-blown economic and human safety crisis that will affect the entire state, from Southside to Richmond to Northern Virginia.
But here’s the good news: We can fight back. This fall, CCAN is launching a brand-new campaign to pass a game-changing piece of legislation—called the Virginia Coastal Protection Act. This bill would reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Virginia while generating billions of dollars in funds to protect coastal Virginia and invest in clean energy.
Now we need you to tell your legislators in Richmond to support this common-sense, vitally important legislation.
Sign the petition: Call on your legislators to support the Virginia Coastal Protection Act, a bill that will cap statewide greenhouse gas pollution while funding vital coastal flooding solutions.
Did you know the Navy is trying to rapidly elevate its major piers in Norfolk due to rising water? Meanwhile, churches in downtown Norfolk are trying to relocate—rather than wade into Sundayservices—and engineers say the city needs $1 billion for floodgates and other measures to hold back the water.
Where will the money come from for Norfolk and other the other coastal cities and counties of Hampton Roads? Congress is in gridlock and the Virginia state budget is being squeezed.
That’s where the Virginia Coastal Protection Act comes in. The bill would direct Virginia to join a nine-state system for capping carbon pollution from power plants, called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which is already in place from Maine to Maryland. By auctioning carbon pollution permits to power companies, RGGI would generate over $200 million per year for Virginia—while cutting planet-heating pollution.
No less than 50 percent of the revenues raised under the bill would fund coastal flood protection measures. The other half would be invested in other climate solutions—like solar power development statewide, as well as investments in energy efficiency and the retraining of displaced workers in areas like Southwest Virginia.
Sign the petition: Call on your state legislators to support the Virginia Coastal Protection Act, a bill that will cap statewide greenhouse gas pollution while funding coastal flooding solutions.
This bill is good for the entire state of Virginia. By reducing pollution from dirty power plants statewide, it will dramatically clean up our air. Plus, many observers believe that joining RGGI is the most cost-effective way for Virginia to comply with the new federal carbon rules issued last June, which mandate cuts in carbon emissions from power plants in all 50 states.
This is a win, win, win for Virginia. And now it’s time to make it reality.
Please help us pass the Virginia Coastal Protection Act. We’ll keep you posted as the bill advances, and we’ll let you know how you can stay involved.

Victory for Beyond Extreme Energy at FERC

“The people gonna rise like the waters,
Gonna calm this crisis down.
I hear the voice of my great granddaughter
Saying shut FERC down right now.”
Who would have thought it? On Friday morning, November 7th, for 2 ½ hours, the determined and courageous nonviolent activists of Beyond Extreme Energy shut down the DC headquarters of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC.
All three entrances to the building were successfully blockaded, and virtually no one was getting in.
By 9 am there were about 150 FERC employees massed on the sidewalks in front of FERC, waiting for the police to clear away five fracking fighters who had successfully locked down at 7 am with lock boxes across the driveway into the FERC parking garage. The driveway had been the route used by police to funnel FERC employees into the building for the four days previous when BXE activists had successfully blockaded the two pedestrian entrances.
For short periods of time during those four days, no more than for maybe 20 minutes at a time, we had been able to prevent pedestrian use of that driveway (we prevented car use for the entire week). We did so by forming a long enough line of people to prevent anyone getting through, until the cops moved in and made arrests after their required three warnings. About 70 people were arrested over the course of the week.
But Friday morning was different. And because of the successful lock box action and total blockade, it was different in a way none of the BXE organizers had even thought about.
Friday was the day for additional fracktivists and extractivists from the severely fracked-up state of Pennsylvania to join BXE. So as those 150 FERC employees waited to get into the building, we organized a teach-in on the front sidewalk, right in the midst of the employees. For fifteen or twenty minutes people like Maggie Henry and Veronica Coptis spoke from the heart, shedding tears but fighting through them, to let the silent and listening FERC employees know the human toll that their support of the gas rush has caused. There were no catcalls, no boos, no one publicly questioning the truth of what was being said.
It was a very special moment.
We had been talking with and distributing material to FERC employees and others passing by all week. The leaflet we distributed to FERC employees said, in part:
“We apologize for any disruption to your work day, but that’s what we’re here for—to disrupt the workings of FERC, which continues to approve gas infrastructure projects that threaten the health and quality of life for millions of Americans and the whole planet through increased greenhouse gas emissions.
“Many of you work at FERC because you think it does a good job of balancing the needs of industry and economic development with the health and environmental challenges of impacted communities. But the Obama Administration’s ‘all of the above’ strategy is condemning us to runaway climate chaos while condemning families in fracking’s path to a hellish existence. FERC should be prioritizing the emergence of renewable energy as a growing sources of our electrical power.”
We found surprisingly little hostility from the close to 2,000 people we distributed our flyers to. We even found, to our surprise, indications of support from some of the Federal Protective Services and DC Metro police who were doing their best to keep FERC open despite our blockading. Going into the week, our lawyer had said to us that he expected that they would get more aggressive as the week went by, but that turned out, with a few exceptions, not to be the case.
(Exceptions included a couple of people tasered on Friday after we heard talk of it earlier in the week, several people falsely charged with “assault” for standing their nonviolent ground as part of a blockade and some police assistance to a small number of aggressive FERC employees who tried to push through us.)
Central to the success of this action were the sisters and brothers from the Great March for Climate Action who were there for all, or most, of the week. The decision to do this action during election week had a lot to do with the plan of the Great March to arrive in DC on November 1, ending on that day their eight month walk across the United States. Many of us not part of that march were impressed by the depth of commitment and soulful strength and organizing smarts they collectively brought to the November 1-7 week.
We received more than a little bit of criticism about our decision to do this week during election week, and we understood why. We were not doing this to make a statement about how messed up our electoral system is and that people should forget voting—not at all. In our call to action we said, right up at the top, “vote we must, but we must also do more.” If the Great March had not been arriving on November 1, we probably would have moved things back a week or two.
But as it turns out, it was very timely that Beyond Extreme Energy did happen during election week, during a week when the Republicans took back the Senate and Democrats generally did pretty badly—in large part because of the willingness of far too many, once again, to be Republicans-lite.
It is time, in 2015 and 2016, for many, many more of us to “vote” with our whole lives through massive, serious, strategic nonviolent direct action campaigns that are as coordinated as we can make them. Investors in the fossil fuel industry, Democrats and others who want our votes, members of the mass media and the American people generally need to get it that the climate justice movement, increasingly aligned with other movements for progressive social change, refuses to accept “all of the above” and “business as usual.” We know what time it is—there is little time left—and we are the leaders we have been waiting for. Now must be, has to be, our time to rise up in large numbers and with a spirit of love, a nonviolent discipline and a willingness to sacrifice that cannot be ignored.

After Maryland's election, we're going on offense

There’s no sugarcoating it: Tuesday’s election created new obstacles in our fight for climate solutions in Maryland. Governor-elect Larry Hogan questions the basic science of global warming. He also supports fracking and opposes key state policies promoting clean energy.
So what should we do? We could all have a long cry and feel sorry for our state. OR … we could raise our voices even louder and organize even harder for climate solutions. I say we double down on what we believe in. Here’s the truth: We still have big majorities of legislators in both chambers in Annapolis who understand the science of climate change and want to do something about it.
So why go on defense? Let’s go on offense!
Let’s DOUBLE our state’s commitment to carbon-free energy with new legislation in the next six months. And let’s keep reckless fracking out of our state at the same time—no matter who is our governor.
Sign this letter to Senate President Mike Miller, House Speaker Mike Busch and Governor-elect Larry Hogan. Tell them to work together to enact legislation in 2015 to double our state’s use of wind and solar power, and urge them to protect our land from dangerous fracking.
Here’s another truth: Despite Larry Hogan’s election, there’s plenty of room for optimism on energy policies in Maryland. That’s because we’ve been in this exact same position before—and won transformative victories—under the last Republican governor in our state.
Nearly ten years ago, under then Gov. Bob Ehrlich, climate activists like you helped pass the Maryland Healthy Air Act to dramatically reduce power plant pollution. And you helped pass Maryland’s original clean electricity mandate (a.k.a. the “Renewable Portfolio Standard”). Governor Ehrlich, who did not embrace global warming as a priority, signed both bills into law thanks to the commitment, sweat, and passion of people like you.
So what can we do under Governor Hogan? Again, let’s pass a transformative bipartisan bill to DOUBLE the state’s commitment to wind and solar power. Right now our state—by law—will require 20% of Maryland’s electricity to come from clean sources by the year 2022. Let’s double it to 40% instead by the year 2025. Such a bill, passed now, will create thousands of jobs and save thousands of lives while dramatically reducing carbon pollution across Maryland. And we can do it.
Sign this letter to Senate President Mike Miller, House Speaker Mike Busch and Governor-elect Larry Hogan. Tell them to work together to enact legislation in 2015 to double our state’s use of wind and solar power, and urge them to protect our land from dangerous fracking.

The fact is that no governor can afford to veto all or even most of the important bills passed by an opposition legislature. The most popular bills, supported by the most vocal advocates, are likely to get signed. Again, witness Bob Ehrlich from 2003-2007. And remember: legislators who have shown they are willing to act on climate change—including Democrats and some Republicans alike—still control the Senate and House in Annapolis by veto-proof majorities.
In other words, game on.
Finally, as Marylanders, we simply can not allow gas companies to frack recklessly across our state—no matter who is governor. Period. It’s bad for the climate. It’s bad for communities. Some of the most inspiring news from Tuesday’s elections is that cities and counties from coast to coast passed fracking bans and other restrictions that now inspire the rest of us to fight harder with every creative tool at our disposal.
Our planet continues to warm, regardless of who won on Tuesday. The latest report from the world’s top scientists warns that we will see “irreversible” impacts from climate change unless we do our part to fight back now!
In Maryland, it’s time to speed up, not slow down. Are you with me? Sign the letter to our state leaders and stay tuned for updates from CCAN as we prepare to make history in 2015. 

Resources:

Forward with 40%: Double Maryland’s clean power by 2025.
Press Release: Wading into Baltimore’s rising waters, coalition launches campaign to pass nation-leading clean energy legislation. October 17, 2014.

Take Action:

Tell the Maryland Legislature: Let’s Double our Renewable Energy!
Sign Up to Volunteer: Fight for 40% Clean Power.

In the News:

Groups wade in to double Maryland’s ‘clean power’ goal. The Baltimore Sun. October 17, 2014.
Environmental Activists In Md. Pressing For Clean Energy. CBS Baltimore. October 17, 2014.

Beyond Extreme Energy Week of Action in DC

Starting November 1st, hundreds of people are planning to take part in a very full week of climate action in Washington, D.C., focused on FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The week will also draw connections to other very problematic institutions as far as the global warming crisis.
Over 50 organizations have endorsed this week of action, many of them local groups fighting fracking, fracking infrastructure and proposed fracked-gas export terminals. On Friday, November 7th, the last day of the week, dozens of fracktivists from the fracking-ravaged state of Pennsylvania are traveling to DC to anchor that morning’s action at FERC.
The continuing fight against the Cove Point export terminal is a central reason for this week and a major focus of the Beyond Extreme Energy (BXE) demands, which can be found at http://bit.ly/BeyondExtremeEnergy; and in summary demand:

  • A withdrawal of permits already granted by FERC at Cove Point, as well as at Myersville, Md., Minisink, NY and Seneca Lake, NY, as well as a stop to the permitting of any more fracked-gas infrastructure;
  • That FERC prioritize the rights and health of human beings and all life on Earth over private profit, address climate chaos and adhere to the precautionary principle;
  • That FERC commissioners meet with communities affected by already-approved or proposed fossil fuel infrastructure; and,
  • That Congress convene an investigation into FERC’s rubber-stamping ways.

The heart of the BXE actions is five days of nonviolent sit-ins at the entrances to FERC every morning of the November 3-7 workweek. Over 100 people have signed up and indicated their willingness to risk arrest, with many others signed up to participate in other ways.
Saturday, November 1st: BXE participants join with the Great March for Climate Action as they walk the final leg of an eight month journey across the country which began in Los Angeles in March. Hundreds of us will walk from Elm Street Park just a few blocks from the Bethesda Metro stop, gathering at 9 and beginning at 9:30 am. The 7 mile walk will end at the White House where there will be a rally. Then that evening, at 7:00 pm at St. Stephens Church, there will be a longer program where marchers reflect upon their heroic experience.
Sunday, November 2nd: Full day of training, discussion and preparation for the week of action, at Impact Hub DC at 419 7th St. NW. from 10AM-8PM
In addition to the early morning actions at FERC, there will also be actions each afternoon at other locations.
Monday, November 3rd: Afternoon demonstration outside the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee calling upon them to get real about the seriousness of the climate crisis. This will be followed by a “flash mob” action at FERC and at Union Station spearheaded by fracktivists coming down from New York City. For the DNC action gather at the Columbus Statue outside of Union Station at 1:30/1:45 for a march to DNC. Look for the “flash mob” group around 4:15 at the same location.
Tuesday, November 4th: A bus has been reserved to take people to Cove Point for a demonstration in support of local people who continue to fight the plans by Dominion to build a dangerous export terminal. We plan to be in Solomon’s Island on Solomon’s Island Rd. near the long bridge by 2 pm.
Wednesday, November 5th: There will be an action at the Justice Department calling for them to intervene to see that justice is done in Ferguson, Mo. and that the national scourge of police brutality, especially against black and brown youth, is seriously addressed. We say: stop disrespecting and abusing the earth and its climate, stop disrespecting and abusing the people. We plan to be at the Justice Department, 950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, between 9th and 10th Sts., by 2 PM.
Thursday, November 6th: We will demonstrate outside the headquarters of National Public Radio, which keeps running pro-fracking ads of the oil and gas industry and just cut back its team of environmental reporters to one! NPR is at 1111 N. Capitol St. NW, near L St.
Friday, November 7th: Led by fracktivists from Pennsylvania, we will go the Dept. of Transportation to demonstrate against its policies and practices that are allowing a dramatic expansion of coal, oil and gas shipments, including exports. We should be there around 1:30 pm, and DOT is at 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, at M St.
Click here for full schedule.
There is still time to make plans to participate in this important seven days of climate action. You can find out more and sign up at http://bit.ly/BeyondExtremeEnergy. Let’s build upon the power and spirit of the People’s Climate March and say loudly and clearly that NOW IS THE TIME TO STEP IT UP ON CLIMATE!

Over 4,000 Petitions Delivered to Gov. O'Malley: NO Fracking in Maryland!

On Thursday, October 16, dozens of CCAN activists converged in Annapolis to deliver over 4,000 petitions to Governor O’Malley, urging him to keep our state’s moratorium on fracking in place.
We gathered on Lawyer’s mall, across from the State House to hear the words of Emily Blase, a student at the University of Maryland College Park working on fracking and climate issues, and Dr. Margaret Flowers, the Co-Director of PopularResistance.org, who spoke to the risks associated with fracking, the impacts it’s had on communities in Pennslyvania, and how people are coming together to further resist fracking and natural gas pipelines.  Carrying signs that highlighted the communities in Maryland at risk of fracking, we marched into the State House to deliver our petitions to Gov. O’Malley’s administration.
This is a critical time to speak out. In 2011, Gov. O’Malley, took an important first step towards protecting Maryland from drilling: he established a three year commission to investigate how fracking would impact our health, economy, and safety, and said no drilling permits would be issued in Maryland in the meantime. State agencies are scheduled to complete these studies in the next few months, even though a lack of funding, resources and time has compromised them from the start.
As the clock runs out on the review process, Maryland could be left with no protections against fracking when Gov. O’Malley leaves office in January. So we went to the Capitol to remind Gov. O’Malley of the thousands of us that are informed and upset about the threat of fracking, and remind him of the millions across the state that fracking could negatively impact.
In July, the Maryland Department of the Environment released proposed Best Management Practices (BMPs) around fracked gas drilling that they predict, if enforced, would be able to adequately protect Marylanders from the risks involved with fracking–but we know better. The best practices are suggestions, not regulations. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that they will become regulatory requirements, or that these regulations would even be enforceable. For more on the flaws of the BMPs, read “No ‘best practices’ could guarantee Maryland’s safety if fracking is allowed,” a letter in the Baltimore Sun from members of the Governor’s own Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission.
With every passing week, new studies are released on the harmful impacts of fracking, in Maryland and across the country. In August, the O’Malley administration released a study, prepared by researchers at the University of Maryland, aimed at assessing the potential public health impacts of allowing fracking in Maryland. The findings were alarming, and you can read more about the report here. 
In the coming months, CCAN will continue to educate our leaders on the dangers of fracking, and fight to keep fracking out of our state to protect the health and safety of all Marylanders.
Additional Resources
Read: Maryland Study shows that protecting our health requires keeping fracking out.
For more pictures from the action, click here.