Press release via Sierra Club.

President Obama Leads World to Historic, If Incomplete Climate Deal
Progress Made Sets Stage for Fair, Ambitious, and Binding Deal in 2010

Copenhagen, Denmark–After two weeks of fraught, stalled negotiations, President Obama arrived in Copenhagen, built on the progress made yesterday by Secretary of State Clinton, personally negotiated with world leaders for hours, and tonight announced the elements of an international climate accord. The Sierra Club offered the following comments in response.

Statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director
“The world’s nations have come together and concluded a historic–if incomplete–agreement to begin tackling global warming. Tonight’s announcement is but a first step and much work remains to be done in the days and months ahead in order to seal a final international climate deal that is fair, binding, and ambitious. It is imperative that negotiations resume as soon as possible.

“President Obama and the rest of the world paid a steep price here in Copenhagen because of obstructionism in the United States Senate. That a deal was reached at all is testament to President Obama’s leadership–all the more remarkable because of the very weak hand he was dealt because of the Senate’s failure to pass domestic clean energy and climate legislation. Now that the rest of the world–including countries like China and India–has made clear that it is willing to take action, the Senate must pass domestic legislation as soon as possible. America and the world can no longer be held hostage to petty politics and obstructionism.

“What was clear over the past two weeks is that there is no argument over the science of global warming or the urgency with which we must act. A parade of developed and developing counties alike made crystal clear that they would implement their national plans to tackle global warming and build the clean energy economy not because they were required to do so, but because it was simply in their own national interest to do so.

“The agreement reached here has all the ingredients necessary to construct a final treaty–a mitigation target of 2 degrees Celsius, nationally appropriate action plans, a mechanism for international climate finance, and transparency with regard to national commitments. President Obama has made much progress in past 11 months and it now appears that the U.S.–and the world–is ready to do the hard work necessary to finish what was started here in Copenhagen.

“A chilly two weeks in Copenhagen has given humanity its best chance of preventing the ravages of a warming world. Today’s deal is neither perfect nor complete, but we must not this chance slip away.”

Sierra Club:

“We are disappointed that Chairman Markey’s hearing on this scandal will have to wait, but we applaud his efforts to bring this important story to light. Today’s press reports confirm the close associations between ACCCE and the contractors they hired and the fact that ACCCE knew about the letters forged on their behalf well before Congress was alerted.

“This is another reminder of how far these polluting special interests are willing to go to keep the public in the dark and dependent on their dirty sources of energy. Big Oil, Big Coal and other special interests have already spent more than $100 million trying to defeat clean energy legislation, and in doing so have managed to mar the tradition of true public participation that has made our country great.

“We cannot let polluters get away with their dirty, business-as-usual tactics. Right now the Senate is working on a clean energy jobs bill that will ensure we have less pollution, more jobs and greater security. It will help America take charge and build a clean energy economy that works for everyone.

“But Big Coal and Oil are fighting against this progress, spending tens of millions of dollars in an attempt to drown out the calls for a clean energy economy that are coming from across the country. These polluters are fighting hard for billions in giveaways that would encourage the construction of more dirty coal-fired power plants and to weaken the authority of the Clean Air Act.

“The Senate must fight back against the old polluting industries and pass as strong clean energy jobs bill that will create jobs, boost the economy, switch to renewable sources like wind and solar, make America more secure, and fight global warming.

“We look forward to when the witnesses on both sides of this issue are able to publicly tell their stories.”

Statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director:

The Sierra Club applauds the introduction of the Clean Energy Jobs & American Power Act by Senators Kerry and Boxer today. It is time for American to again take charge and make sure that we have less pollution, more jobs and greater security.

This bill is an important step forward to the clean energy economy that works for everyone. It makes America more energy independent creating new jobs with safer, cleaner energy sources that are made in America and work for America. We are pleased that the Senate bill sets a strong short term target for carbon pollution reductions and retains EPA’s authority to regulate global warming emissions.

For far too long, Big Oil and Big Coal have been receiving billions in giveaways while fighting pollution regulations.  The Sierra Club will work tirelessly to ensure that these polluters and their astroturfing front groups are held accountable for their pollution as well as for their sneaky attempts to question settled science and lobby for more of the same old deals.

Millions of jobs could be created here if only the U.S. were to invest wisely in clean energy, innovation and efficiency. This bill can build our clean energy economy — and not let polluters get away with their dirty business-as-usual ways.

Global warming is a very real threat to our national security. As catastrophic weather events increase over time, our world will see more climate refugees masses of people forced to move, causing clashes over borders and dwindling resources like food, fuel and water. A strong clean energy bill is essential to protecting our security.

We look forward to engaging our activists and working with the Senate on this historic effort.

Blue Green Alliance:

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 30, 2009) With today’s introduction of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, the Blue Green Alliance released the following statement:

David Foster, Executive Director of the Blue Green Alliance:

“The Blue Green Alliance commends Senators Boxer and Kerry for introducing comprehensive climate change and clean energy legislation. To truly achieve our goals of a cleaner environment and a prosperous and fair clean energy economy, we must pass comprehensive legislation that protects workers and ignites our clean energy economy. The Copenhagen negotiations are just around the corner, and it is critical that the U.S. Senate move on this legislation to send a strong message to the world.”

Leo W. Gerard, International President, United Steelworkers:

“We are in the midst of a long, tough process, which will require significant leadership from the administration, Congress and the many affected parties. I look forward to working with Senators Boxer and Kerry, and the rest of the U.S. Senate, to craft and pass clean energy legislation.

“To get this right, it is critical that this bill not only tackle the challenges we face in addressing climate change, but also come to the aid of workers across the U.S. by creating and maintaining jobs that strengthen America’s manufacturing base, and prevent the leakage of jobs to nations who fail to take action on climate change.”

Carl Pope, Executive Director, Sierra Club:

“The Sierra Club applauds the introduction of this bill because it’s time for America to again take charge and make sure that we have more jobs, less pollution and greater security.”

Terence O’Sullivan, General President, Laborers’ International Union of North America:

“The half-million men and women of LIUNA – who work every day to build America – are pleased with the bill’s family-supporting Davis-Bacon provisions, which will help ensure that new jobs are good jobs with fair pay. The bill’s green construction careers provision invests in both workers and jobs of the future and will strengthen communities. As we move forward, LIUNA looks forward to working with the Senate to ensure that sufficient investment is also made in building weatherization, which can create good jobs, save families money and help free us from foreign oil.”

Frances Beinecke, President, Natural Resources Defense Council:

“This bill will help curb climate change, strengthen our economy and make our country more secure. It will help generate jobs, reduce our reliance on foreign oil and create a healthier future for all of us. And it will put Americans back to work, making our country the world leader in the clean energy technologies that are driving growth in the global marketplace.”

Larry Cohen, President, Communications Workers of America:

“Taking action on the issues of climate change and energy policy is critical for our country. Our goal must be to build a new energy workforce and workplace for the future, one that combines quality jobs with securing America’s place as a leader in energy innovation and manufacturing.  I look forward to working with Senators Boxer and Kerry as we move forward on an energy policy that will also create quality jobs for American workers.”

Andy Stern, President, Service Employees International Union:

“Senators Boxer and Kerry have put forth a bill that not only brings America closer to establishing itself as a leader in the clean energy economy, but ensures that American workers are an integral part of the solution.  I look forward to working with Senators Boxer and Kerry to ensure that sufficient investments are made in job training and creation as we work through this process.”

Mike Langford, National President, Utility Workers Union of America:

“Those working to supply Americans with their electricity have so much to gain from clean energy legislation, and so much to lose from inaction. Working with Senators Boxer and Kerry, we can ensure that comprehensive clean energy legislation transitions our economy to provide the investments needed to grow a long-lasting clean energy sector that will provide high-quality jobs for years to come.”

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The Blue Green Alliance is a national partnership of labor unions and environmental organizations dedicated to expanding the number and quality of jobs in the clean energy economy. The Blue Green Alliance unites more than eight million people in pursuit of good jobs, a clean environment and a green economy.

Brave New Films:

In any other profession, Carl Pope might be considered a “company man.” He has worked loyally and tirelessly in the name of the Sierra Club for thirty years, running the organization – the largest of its kind in the country – since 1992. Van Jones has founded several organizations within the last decade, including The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and Green For All. They both live in the Bay Area. They both care intensely about saving the environment. The thing is, they use very distinct methods, although the lines differentiating those methods are blurring as we race further into the 21st century. From the environment to the economy, from old fashioned door-to-door fliers to streaming internet video, Pope and Jones discuss the myriad elements effecting our lives today and the many possible solutions that are nearly within reach.

Kevin Grandia, writing at Huffington Post, catches Americans For Prosperity gloating about their role in the smearing of Van Jones:

Turns out that the attack was orchestrated by a fringe group of free-marketeers called the Americans for Prosperity (AFP) who describe themselves as “grassroots leaders who engage citizens in the name of limited government and free markets on the local, state and federal levels.” You can read a complete backgrounder on AFP here. It suffices to say they get a lot of money from some of the biggest players in the right-wing attack machine.

On Fox News forum AFP’s director of policy, Phil Kerpen brags about how his oragnization brought down Van Jones:

“I spent the next two weeks researching everything I could find about Jones and the Apollo Alliance (much of which is still to be published, including a forthcoming paper from the Capital Research Center next month), the national umbrella organization for coordinating between the environmentalists, the labor unions, and the social justice street organizers that Jones has served as a board member and a primary national spokesman for.”

EnviroKnow has obtained two flowcharts created by American For Prosperity outlining the “Green Jobs Radical Network.” Both documents place Van Jones near the center of this so-called radical network. Other prominent individuals in the environmental and progressive movements mentioned in the documents include Stephen Chu, John Podesta, John Holdren, Jason Grumet, Bracken Hendricks, Robert Borosage, Carl Pope and Andy Stern, among others.

On July 28th, this rudimentary chart was created:

green_jobs –

Then on August 28th, an updated version was created:

Green Jobs Network August –

The July 28th version was authored by an individual named “Rich.” The only Rich on AFP’s staff list is Richard Burke, who joined AFP in January after serving as the Executive Director of the Oregon Libertarian Party.

This is old, but important.

Carl Pope:

The Senate is supposed to be debating global warming — the bill on the floor is the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act. But yesterday the Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, refused to allow the Senate to debate the 491-page bill, demanding instead that the clerk READ IT OUT LOUD — a process that took NINE hours.

McConnell did not claim that members of the Senate were illiterate — he said he was just pissed off that the Democrats weren’t approving President Bush’s judicial nominees. (Can McConnell spell infantile?) But evidently it’s not really judges that got under McConnell’s skin. Last night Majority Leader Harry Reid read a much shorter (and more interesting) document out loud to the Senate — it was a leaked copy of a Republican leadership-strategy memo explaining that they had no intention of seriously legislating about climate change, but intended to use the floor time to score political points at the expense of the Democrats. The memo gleefully looked forward to a whole series of votes in which advocates of cleaning up global warming would be portrayed as plotting $8/gallon gasoline prices.

Time Magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world hit newsstands the other day. Out of 100 individuals named, 11 have a direct connection to energy, sustainability or environmentalism. Here is a list of the 11, with an excerpt from each piece and a link to their full entry in the Time 100.

T. Boone Pickens, by Ted Turner:

Boone and I have a lot in common. We’ve both made a lot of money, and we’ve also given a lot of it away. For all his accomplishments, I respect Boone most for his vision, generosity and can-do attitude. He recognizes that investing in renewable energy isn’t just the right thing to do for the environment; it’s the smartest and most prudent financial investment we can make in these times. It’s a win-win opportunity, and when we’re talking about our kids’ and grandkids’ future, I’m listening to the man with the plan.

Ted Turner, by T. Boone Pickens:

Ted is America’s largest private landowner: 2 million acres from coast to coast. And that’s not including his properties in Argentina. He’s an environmental poster child for people who dream about pristine prairies and use terms like self-sustaining and zero carbon footprint. Just as important, his landholdings are profitmakers that generate income from ecotourism, forestry, ranching, farming and oil and gas leases.

Alexander Medvedev, by Dmitri Trenin:

If Alexei Miller, Gazprom’s CEO, is the company’s public face and conduit to the Russian political leadership, Alexander Medvedev, head of Gazprom Export, is its link to the outside world. One-third of the gas consumed in Europe passes through Medvedev’s hands, and 60% of Gazprom’s total revenues come from exports.

Robin Chase, by Craig Newmark:

The culture of the internet, at its best, involves people working together to make life better. Sometimes called cooperative capitalism or social entrepreneurship, it is practiced every day by millions of individuals and a small but growing number of for-profit companies. For years, Robin Chase, a co-founder of Zipcar, has run such a business, in which people share a community-based pool of vehicles. Customers use Zipcar, which rents cars by the day or hour (when public transportation won’t quite do the job) and makes smart use of technology like GPS to connect people with autos and trucks that are parked near them.

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