Tuesday, January 20, 2009
From the Des Moines Register:
Blanche Formaro, 79, has lived in her house on Southeast Dunham Avenue in Des Moines since 1952. The house has survived two floods and frigid winters, but Formaro said a lot of air comes in the front door.
Or at least it did before Monday.
Volunteers with Iowa Global Warming turned out Monday to help Formaro weatherize her home. They taped plastic on the windows, changed her light bulbs to energy-efficient ones and put weather stripping on her front door.
“I appreciate it a whole bunch,” said Formaro, who has six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Basic weatherization of a home can save up to 30 percent on the energy bill, said Andrew Snow, campaign manager with Iowa Global Warming.
With the present economic crisis, there couldn’t be a better time to cut down on energy bills, Snow said. About 30 volunteers weatherized 18 area homes Monday.
“When you get groups working together, we can really make a difference in people’s lives,” Snow said.
Excerpt from Des Moines Register article. Read the full story here
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
ELPC joined Michigan residents, Native American leaders and environmental groups on January 6 in their call to stop plans for a new coal-fired power plant in Rogers City, MI. Addressing Governor Jennifer Granholm and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the advocates explained that pollution from the proposed plant would endanger the health of Michigan residents and would significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions. Investing in clean energy and energy efficiency is an alternative that could help Michigan meet its energy needs while creating new jobs, saving money and protecting the environment.
The Rogers City plant is one of 8 new coal plants planned for Michigan. This ‘coal rush’ poses a serious threat to the Michigan’s environmental quality and the health of its citizens. As ELPC Senior Attorney Faith Bugel said, the proposal “is not about one permit for one plant. … This is Michigan’s time to decide. Will this state move forward into the 21st century and say that it is demanding better, cleaner options for its citizens?” Read more coverage of the event here.
Public health experts from Michigan State University and the University of Michigan explain the dangerous health effects of coal plants in this editorial.
Monday, December 8, 2008
In a recent OpEd in the Des Moines Register, ELPC President and Executive Director Howard Learner warns us not to back off support for necessary global warming action because of the current economic conditions. In fact, he points out that there are many industries that will benefit from taking these steps and many new jobs that will be created.
“Solving our global-warming problems is the moral, economic, policy, political and technological challenge of our times. Fortunately, there are smart, clean renewable-energy and energy-efficiency developments and clean-car innovation strategies that are good for the economy, create new green jobs and improve the environment…”
Read the full OpEd.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
ELPC Senior Attorney John Moore recently sat down with Ethanol Producer Magazine to discuss the Biomass Crop Assistance Program. This new program, which ELPC supported in the 2008 Farm Bill, will help farmers located near biomass facilities to grow and process sustainably-grown energy crops. ELPC is working to jump-start this new program as quickly as possible.
Read the full article here
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Tuesday, November 18, 2008
ELPC President and Executive Director Howard Learner outlines the public policy changes that the Obama administration and the new Congress should focus on to grow the green economy and create a cleaner environment in this article on the Huffington Post:
“It’s time to gear up to seize the opportunities to advance a greener economy and cleaner environment with the new Administration and new Congress. The Midwest and Great Plains states can become business and economic winners in growing the new green economy… Moreover, when it comes to public policy changes, the nation’s Heartland is also a linchpin to reform…
“…Let’s not kid ourselves; achieving this agenda won’t be easy. Ideological opponents are seizing on our country’s economic crisis as a reason to put off action. But the scientists tell us that we must start now to seriously reduce global warming pollution. We can’t just hit the “pause” button and hold off on corrective actions until the economy gets better. Besides, energy efficiency saves us money, and clean energy solutions can create jobs and grow the green economy.”
Read the full post here.
Monday, November 17, 2008
The Huffington Post
November 17, 2008
Opinion Editorial by Howard A. Learner
It’s time to gear up to seize the opportunities to advance a greener economy and cleaner environment with the new Administration and new Congress. The Midwest and Great Plains states can become business and economic winners in growing the new green economy as discussed in previous blog posts. Moreover, when it comes to public policy changes, the nation’s Heartland is also a linchpin to reform.
Twelve Midwest and Great Plains states contain many of the key swing United States Senators and Representatives. They will have a disproportionate role in determining whether national global warming legislation is strong or weak. We live and work in the most pivotal region in the most important country in the world when it comes to solving our global warming problems. Clean energy development is an important global warming solution in these key swing states. Here are some policy changes that should be achieved by the new Obama Administration and new Congress:
Put America on a leadership path for solving global warming problems: the moral, business, economic, policy, political and technology challenge of our generation. It’s time for Congress to enact strong federal legislation to reduce global warming pollution and provide stronger incentives for clean energy development solutions.
National policies to significantly boost energy efficiency standards. In a tight economy, we really can’t afford to waste energy and pass up energy cost savings. Energy efficiency is the best, fastest and cheapest way to reduce global warming pollution. It makes even more sense to save energy dollars and avoid pollution when household budgets are tight and businesses’ bottom lines are suffering.
Enact a national Renewable Energy Standard policy that ramps up wind and solar power, and other clean energy to be 10% of the nation’s energy supply by 2012 and 25% by 2025. This is a win-win-win: stimulating our stalled economy through development in both urban and rural communities, creating new green jobs, and improving environmental quality for everyone. Let’s end the partisan filibustering that has held back wind and solar power and, instead, achieve consistent and strong federal policy support.
Invest in transit and high-speed rail. The federal surface transportation program guides more than $70 billion each year, and it will be reauthorized in 2009-2010. President-elect Obama is calling for a national infrastructure reinvestment bank to invest in, among other things, high-speed rail. The stars are aligning for a fundamental shift toward transportation investments, especially transit and high-speed rail, which increase mobility while reducing global warming pollution.
Let’s not kid ourselves; achieving this agenda won’t be easy. Ideological opponents are seizing on our country’s economic crisis as a reason to put off action. But the scientists tell us that we must start now to seriously reduce global warming pollution. We can’t just hit the “pause” button and hold off on corrective actions until the economy gets better. Besides, energy efficiency saves us money, and clean energy solutions can create jobs and grow the green economy.
Watch what’s happening with American automakers pivoting to market plug-in electric hybrids and other clean cars sooner than previously advertised, accelerated deployment of clean wind power, technological breakthroughs with solar energy, advancements in new, more efficient battery technologies, and a lot more energy efficient homes, businesses and public buildings.
American technological innovation and leadership is focusing on cleaner energy and cleaner car technologies that can provide environmental solutions that can create the jobs of the future and grow the greener economy of the future. Let’s gear up to achieve positive change for America’s environment and greener economy.
Howard A. Learner is the executive director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center, the Midwest’s leading environmental and economic development advocacy organization. www.elpc.org and www.globalwarmingsolutions.org
Monday, November 17, 2008
Supporters of the Illinois Clean Cars Act turned out yesterday for a rally in downtown Chicago backing the bill. The Environmental Law & Policy Center is a key sponsor of Clean Cars Illinois, the grassroots campaign advocating for the legislation. House Bill 3424 would save $8.4 billion in the cost of gas, resulting in increased spending in Illinois and over 90,000 new jobs. The legislation would require the state to adopt the same clean-car standards in place in California, which would reduce emissions here. Fuel-efficient vehicles also would improve air quality and public health, including asthma and allergies. Learn more about the clean car legislation in Breathing Free in Illinois [pdf file] a report published recently by ELPC. Read more about the rally in coverage from the Chicago Tribune.
Learn more about how you can help at CleanCarsIllinois.org.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Help ELPC Win the 2009 Battle for a Greener Economy
The Environmental Law & Policy Center is gearing up to seize the opportunities to advance a greener economy and cleaner environment with the new Administration and new Congress. The twelve Midwest and Great Plains states where ELPC operates contain many of the key swing Senators and Representatives. They will have a disproportionate role in determining whether national global warming legislation is strong or weak. We’ll be adding staff both in the Midwest and in Washington D.C. to work with the Midwest/Great Plains Senators and Representatives. Please consider making a donation to support this expanded ELPC initiative for a greener economy and cleaner environment. Download our 2008 end-of-year brochure.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Now that Congress has decided to fund rail corridor improvements across the nation, Wisconsin rail lines will likely benefit. According to Dave Zweifel’s “Plain Talk” in the Capitol Times:
“Wisconsin should be near the front of the line for a grant because the state has long been advocating for a Chicago-Milwaukee-Madison-Minneapolis passenger rail link.”
Read the full column.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel covered Wednesday’s news conference in Madison where Mayor Cieslewicz, ELPC and others released a plan called “Build for America: A Five-Point Plan to Get Our Economy Moving.” The national plan calls for increased funding for rail and public transit, investing in cleaner cars, and better maintenance of our roads and bridges. The Mayor and ELPC were joined by Wisconsin Alliance of Cities, WisPIRG and 1,000 Friends of Wisconsin as part of the national Transportation for America campaign.
Read the full MJS article.
