Right now Senator Cardin is helping draft the Senate version of a clean energy bill!
The draft is expected to be released early September when the Senate returns from their August recess. This is OUR CHANCE as Marylanders to ensure that OUR VOICE and values are written into the bill.
Cardin will only fight for a strong bill in the Senate if he is hearing from the grassroots. Sen. Cardin has personally told us that he has recently heard more public feedback against clean energy policy than for it. We must be heard at this critical moment!
Here is just a small example of what we are up against. Check out this Letter to the Editor (LTE) in the Fredrick News Post:
“The world is laughing at us. Why would we ball-and-chain our economic future when it’s scraping bottom now? Oh! I almost forgot, global warming, with the emphasis on global.”
Letters like this are being printed across the state and its time for us to respond! Please, take a moment to respond and write your own letter. JOIN CCAN’s Truth Squad and get the latest updates.
Last weeks truth squad was focused on the broad benefits of a clean energy economy so this week we will focus on consumers specifically. Here are some talking points:
Consumer Pocketbook Protection
1. Thank our Senator’s for their leadership: I am encouraged by Senator Cardin and Mikulski’s past leadership on clean energy issues and are urging them to champion a strong clean energy bill in the US Senate.
2. Make Polluters Pay: The best way to protect the American consumer from rising energy costs is to make the policy fair by making polluters – not taxpayers -pay for cleaning up pollution. Make sure the Senate bill requires polluters to pay for the right to pollute.
3. Auction the Permits: The EPA says that a bill that gives permits to polluters for free will be more expensive. Protect my pocketbook by auctioning permits to polluters.
4. Rebate the Revenues to the Public: To protect my pocketbook, Senator’s Cardin and Senator Mikulski should push to auction all the pollution permits and return revenues to the public through direct rebates.
Check out Anne’s CCAN blog post to learn more about on consumer protection.
Please, let me know when you submit a letter and again when you get it published: ethan[at]chesapeakeclimate.org
Join the Truth Squad today!
Also, for more info check out our 10 ways to make your Senator a Clean Energy Champ toolkit
