Clean Energy for Washington DC – being voted on in City Council next week

On July 1st, the DC City Council will be voting on the Clean and Affordable Energy Act (Bill 17-492), an important piece of legislation that would direct investments into energy conservation and efficiency, instead of new sources of electricity – right here in our nation’s capital!

Not surprisingly, PEPCO is opposed to this legislation, which means that the members of the City Council need to hear from citizen activists like you who strongly support taking steps to fight global warming while saving citizens money. If you’re a DC resident, send an email showing your support by clicking here.

The Clean and Affordable Energy Act would revamp the way consumers get energy and would create a sustainable utility to oversee it all. The bill would require a gradual increase in the energy produced by alternative methods such as solar power so that by 2020, at least one-fifth of energy would come from renewable sources. More information about the Clean and Affordable Energy Act.

So why is this important? Besides the fact that increasing in renewable energy and energy efficiency are always pretty good ideas, passing such strong legislation in DC in particular sends yet another message to our elected officials that we want real solutions to global warming – starting in the backyard of the Capitol Building.

Please take a minute now to email the DC City Council in support of the Clean and Affordable Energy Act. Continue reading

Climate Activism in our Nation's Capital

There’s never been a better time to be involved in climate activism. With the federal government finally talking about climate legislation (well, sort of) and diverse groups joining the fight from different angles, the momentum behind the movement is definitely growing – but that doesn’t mean that that it’s time to rest on our laurels.

This is why I’m so excited that there’s a ton happening right here in Washington DC this summer. Continue reading

Rain, Rain – Get in my Barrel!

With all the rain that’s coming down, it’s no wonder that 2 of CCAN’s staffers had to deal with flooded basements last week. I came home (after being soaked at the Radiohead concert) to ankle deep water, which was coming in through the walls and floors. I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be nice to have a rain barrel so that I could collect some of this water?

As luck would have it, Aquabarrel is offering CCANers a 20% discount on their rain barrels! Contact me at susanna@chesapeakeclimate.org for the promo code.

DC Clean Cars Act Passes into Law TODAY!

clean carsDC just took an important step to help the Chesapeake Region get closer to a clean energy future. The Clean Cars Act, a bill similar to the one of the same name that was passed in Maryland last year, became law today. This bill will regulate carbon dioxide emissions from all cars registered in the District beginning in 2011 and ensures that DC will greatly reduce its contribution to global warming.

Send a Thank You email to Mayor Adrian Fenty. We couldn’t have done it without his leadership getting this bill through the council.

The bill addresses automobile pollution that greatly contributes to global warming and human health problems such as asthma while also strengthening the current standards for automobile emissions that form smog and carcinogens like benzene. It also adds carbon dioxide – the leading cause of global warming – to the list of regulated automobile pollutants, and requires that a small percentage of new cars sold each year are advanced technology vehicles such as hybrids.
The District joins 18 other states, including Maryland, in adopting California’s stricter tailpipe emissions standards.

The bill does not call for radical vehicle changes. It is designed instead to tap existing technologies to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide

Ride a Bike from NYC to DC, Stop Global Warming – ClimateRide.org

CCAN Members and all those who want action on global warming: Announcing the first ever multi-day supported bike tour to raise money and awareness to stop global warming.

From September 20th to 24th, Climate Riders will bike from NYC to DC. Along the way, expert speakers will address the group, and the ride will finish with a lobbying effort in the capital. This is a unique event — a fund raiser and a climate conference on wheels.

Check out www.climateride.org for more info, or send an email to info@climateride.org. And yes, if you register, you will get a biking jersey with the above logo on it.

While we admit that the funds raised will not go to CCAN, they will go to two organizations taking the lead in global warming action and education: Focus the Nation and Clean Air – Cool Planet. Thanks to CCAN for letting us post here, and hopefully we will see some of your members pedaling with us. It will be an event you never forget.

VA Tech to help DC become Energy Smart

In a gala session at the National Building Museum, Virginia Tech and partners announced the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Greater Washington.

The goal is to “reduce greenhouse gas emissions 20 to 50% from existing buildings”, using financing for energy efficiency and have the energy efficiency savings provide more than enough money to pay back the loan.Sound familiar to anyone? (Reminder: Energize America’s Energy Smart Communities Act.)This is a great initiative. The type of project that can be replicated across the country and pushed aggressively to significantly cut existing buildings’ energy use and the associated greenhouse gas emissions. Continue reading

DC Clean Cars Hearing

Today, the Committee on Public Works and the Environment in Washington DC held a hearing on the DC Clean Cars Act of 2007 (Bill 17-0099), which went amazingly well.

A solid group of environmentalists, religious groups, DC residents, and representatives from the District Department of the Environment testified in favor of the bill.

The opposition consisted of two representatives from the automotive industry, Gerard Murphy from the Washington Area New Automotive Dealers Association, and Greg Dana from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. And actually, they presented less actual opposition to the bill, but were rather voices of ambivalence. When asked by Jim Graham, the Chair of the Committee on Public Works and Environment, whether they were there in opposition or support of the bill, Mr. Murphy replied that the auto industry was taking neither stance.

This hearing was a solid step in the right direction to getting the Clean Cars Act passed, but that doesn’t mean the fight is over! We must continue to pressure the DC council to act swiftly on this legislation