Read & Watch

June Newsletter

Instead of our regular monthly meeting, we invite you to something different this month:  a Citizens’ Climate Lobby virtual conference.   Each year in June and November, Citizens’ Climate Lobby focuses on in-person lobbying with our members of congress. The June lobbying coincides with a free summer climate conference featuring a line-up of great keynote speakers. In particular, if you haven’t heard keynote speakers Adele Morris, economist with the Brookings Institution, and Jerry Taylor of the Niskanen Center, now is your chance! Additionally, time will be allotted for breakout sessions… Read More »June Newsletter

May Newsletter

Dear CCL,What if ….instead of taxing individuals and giving the money to the Fossil Fuel industry, our government did just the opposite? That is the idea behind the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. Support for a “cash-back for carbon” approach is not only broad, but also growing. Nationwide we have support from over 3500 economists, 1000 businesses, 144 faith groups, 264 nonprofits and more. Locally, our endorsements are growing, too! Many thanks to our community and CCL chapter members!  Why do we support the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act?Net Zero by… Read More »May Newsletter

Local Organizations Endorse “Carbon Cash Back” Bill

STATE COLLEGE, PA, May 11 — More than a dozen area businesses, municipalities, religious and educational organizations have endorsed the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (HR 2307) now before Congress. If passed, supporters say this act will reduce America’s carbon pollution by 30 percent in the first five years and is the single most powerful tool available to reach net zero by 2050. It puts a fee on carbon pollution, creating a level playing field for clean energy. The money collected from fossil fuel companies goes to… Read More »Local Organizations Endorse “Carbon Cash Back” Bill

Climate Watch: Are We Prepared for Extreme Weather?

The recent severe winter storm in Texas brought bitterly cold weather and caused blackouts, broken water pipes, suffering, and uncertainty. Could something similar happen here? The good news is that electricity generators and their fuel suppliers in our region are prepared for expected cold weather. In Texas, they apparently calculated that it would be a wise use of resources to concentrate on extreme heat and hurricanes, both of which are frequent and getting worse because of climate change. Texas focused on preparing for heat and… Read More »Climate Watch: Are We Prepared for Extreme Weather?

February 2021

Preview of our February meeting– Join us on February 16 as we zero in on the strategies that can help us push a carbon fee and dividend bill forward. We’ll discuss the importance of our calling focus on Senator Toomey and continue to work diligently and systematically to gain more business endorsements. Many hands make light work, and we need you.  Let’s capitalize on the momentum and together let’s push to get as many endorsements as we can!  Monthly Meeting:February 16, 5pm – 6:15pmTo receive the… Read More »February 2021

Time for Congress To Do Its Part To Curb Climate Change

American businesses are taking serious steps to curb climate change. General Motors recently announced that it plans to be carbon neutral by 2040 by making 40 percent of its US models battery-run by 2025, and powering 100% of its US facilities from renewable energy by 2035 (https://plants.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/news.detail.print.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2021/jan/0128-carbon.html). BlackRock, the world’s largest investment management firm, reported that investments in renewable energy funds increased more than 91% from 2019 to 2020. BlackRock stated that climate risk is investment risk, and urged companies to incorporate assessments of climate… Read More »Time for Congress To Do Its Part To Curb Climate Change

Climate Watch: Michael Mann’s Latest is a Must-Read for Anyone Who Cares About Climate Action

It is hard to overstate the timely value of Michael Mann’s latest book, The New Climate War: The Fight to Take Back Our Planet. The book explains clearly how the battlefield over climate issues has shifted. Climate “inactivists” as Dr. Mann calls them, generally no longer contend that the planet is not warming or that human actions are not the cause. The facts overcame those objections some time ago. The percentage of Americans who believe them now is in single digits. So those who would… Read More »Climate Watch: Michael Mann’s Latest is a Must-Read for Anyone Who Cares About Climate Action

Have We Reached the Limits of Partisanship?

by Sylvia Neely and Norma Morrison Last year Ezra Klein published a book entitled “Why We’re Polarized.” He traced the history of partisanship, explaining the ways parties have evolved, the changing role of the media, and the crucial influence of identity politics. The horrifying events on Capitol Hill on January 6 were the culmination of this corrosive process that has made many Americans come to fear each other, hate the other side, and refuse to listen to people with whom they disagree. In such a… Read More »Have We Reached the Limits of Partisanship?

Climate Watch: Of the Three Musketeers and Climate Change

Of the Three Musketeers and Climate Change by Joseph Haloua** What do carbon dioxide emissions and the Three Musketeers have in common? Human activity of course. In the seventeenth century, Paris was the largest European city and had to contend with an enormous influx of rural population. While economic output was rising, the lack of a sanitation infrastructure threatened to stall progress. The famous hats with large and solid brims worn by the Musketeers were more than mere fashion: they protected from all sorts of… Read More »Climate Watch: Of the Three Musketeers and Climate Change

Climate Watch: Pennsylvania Should Join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

This commonwealth has a long history as an energy leader. Our natural resources have helped spur the growth and development of both the state and the nation. Currently we are the third-largest energy producer in the nation and the number one exporter of electricity. Unfortunately, our commonwealth is also one of our nation’s largest polluters. According to the US Energy Information Administration, Pennsylvania has the fifth-dirtiest power generation sector in the country. We now have an opportunity to change that statistic. The Regional Greenhouse Gas… Read More »Climate Watch: Pennsylvania Should Join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative