Well, Monday morning started with some excitement.  The first bit of draft text that will be the basis for the conference’s Bali Mandate included several of the most important aspects that we are pushing for.

The text included both a 2009 end date for the negotiation process for the second commitment period, and also included the important developed country 2020 reduction range of 25-40 percent.  This language is a crucial component that needs to be in the final version of the Bali Mandate.  The 25-40 percent range is an important signal to the developing world that developed counties will step up their level of commitment post 2012.

However, after beginning the morning with some excitement that the ranges were included in the first draft text, we were quickly thrown back when we learned that behind closed doors the United States, Canada, Japan, and even Australia had insisted that any reference to the reduction ranges be stricken from the text.  This is a very bad development that puts the Bali Mandate in question.  This is completely unacceptable.  We are now working with our international colleagues and NRO’s to pressure the delegations here in Bali.  More on how this goes later in the week.

Yesterday brought Senator John Kerry to the conference center.  He was here to talk about the other America.  This is the America that is taking action on climate at the city, state, regional, and now with the Lieberman Warner bill, even the federal level.  Senator Kerry had meetings with the EU, China, Germany, the Indonesian President of the COP, and also the President of Indonesia.  His message was clear and an important one for delegates to hear.  There is a sea change in the United States on climate, and increasing support from citizens, businesses, and now Members of Congress, is bringing the United States back to the table on climate change.  Make no mistake; there is a lot of work to do.  The Bush administration’s official delegation here in Bali is still trying to weaken the Bali Mandate in every way they can, but Senator Kerry’s message was received loud and clear in the conference, the tide is turning.

Well, it’s Saturday in Bali, and the UN Climate Conference is at its midpoint.  The temperatures are soaring and the negotiations are slowing.  

We have learned a lot about global warming in 2007. There is growing support in the US Congress for legislation that caps global warming pollution, more and more states are setting emissions limits and renewable energy targets, and the Nobel Prize winning IPCC released their most comprehensive report on the science of global warming to date.  That report paints a dire picture of what the future could look like if nations don’t act decisively here in Bali.  But the negotiations don’t reflect that sense of urgency.  But on Monday, Ministers and Heads of State from around the world will arrive, and not a minute to soon frankly.  They need to jumpstart this process if we are to leave Bali able to call this meeting a success.

We’d had an expectation that things would move much faster than they have.  We’ve seen some developing country movement which is positive, - including China (to a certain extent) - but we are seeing stagnation from the industrialized world, not the leadership we need.  We hope that all of this will change once the elected officials arrive on Monday.  The Ministers and Heads of State are much closer to the people and voters than the lower level bureaucrats, so we are hopeful the pace of the meeting will increase once they arrive.

We have an impressive Greenpeace presence at the meeting, with members from all over the world.  In addition to our Solar Generation youth, we have colleagues from China, India, the EU, Pacific island nations, Canada, Brazil, and many more.  All are working hard to push delegates to agree a mandate for a negotiation process that leads to a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.  This second phase of the Protocol must lead to even stronger and deeper commitments from industrialized countries and expand the number of countries willing to take on targets.  It must also find away to bring deforestation into the international agreement.  In addition, recently developed countries like South Korea, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia should agree to join Kyoto Nations that have taken on binding targets. 

News has been flying around the conference center about the action in United States Congress this week.  This action in both the House and the Senate has undercut the official U.S. delegation here.  While the Bush administration’s delegation in Bali continues to shun targets or timelines for U.S. emissions reductions, the Senate passed from committee, legislation that would reduce emissions in the U.S. 60% by 2050.  The house also passed an energy bill that increases fuel economy standards for cars for the first time in more than 20 years.  Senator Kerry will arrive in Bali early next week to talk to delegates about progress in the U.S.  Everyone here understands the clock is running out on the Bush administration, and the action in Congress this week highlights the progress that can be made once President Bush leaves the White House.

Yesterday, our flagship the Rainbow Warrior arrived in Bali with a flotilla of more than 50 local fishing boats.  There was enormous media interest in the arrival of the ship.  Having the Warrior here in Bali gives us a platform over the next week to push for a strong Bali Mandate and engage delegates, with many scheduling visits to the ship.

And finally, at the halfway point of the meeting, today is the International Day of Action on Climate.  There are events all over the world today.  From the streets just outside the conference center where thousands of Indonesians are calling on delegates to act, to town and cities all over the United States pushing elected leaders in the U.S. to act now.

The pace of the meeting will pick up quickly on Monday morning.  Stay tuned for more.

Day four from the Bali UN Climate Conference brought an announcement from the United States delegation.  Was it that they had decided to join Australia and become the final industrialized country to ratify the Kyoto Protocol?  No.  Was it that they were prepared to agree to targets and timelines for emissions reductions and join the Europeans and others in support of a 25% to 40% reduction target by 2020?  I am afraid not.  Their big announcement was that they have invited the world’s 17 largest greenhouse gas emitters to the second in their series of Major Economies Meetings, or as we like to call it, “The Big Emitters”.   

It doesn’t come as a shock that their announcement was process and not substance, but to add insult to injury, they have made clear the meetings WILL NOT lead to country specific reduction targets.  It is simply a process to run out the clock on the Bush administrations final year in office.  We understand that as of now, while the caterers and hotel rooms have been booked, none of the countries have yet RSVP’d. 

The second in the series of the Big Emitters meetings, this time scheduled for Hawaii, distracts from the process that will begin here in Bali.  By the end of next week, in order for the Bali meeting to be considered a success, delegates must agree upon nothing short of a strong Bali Mandate.  That Mandate must create a clear negotiation process that leads to an agreement for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol by no later than 2009, This mandate must ultimately produce an agreement that with reduction levels for industrialized countries of at least 25% to 40% and broaden the number of willing to take on targets.  President Bush’s Major Emitters meeting is simply a distraction from the process that will be required to produce this post 2012 agreement.

Perhaps countries should consider sending low-level staff to the Major Emitters Meeting in January.  Hawaii in January is a lovely place, and the lower level staff deserve a trip once in a while.  But high level staff should stay home and work towards delivering the Bali Mandate.  Time is short, and we cannot afford to waste it with meetings that blow nothing but hot air.

 

 

The negotiations are moving fast and furious but we still have a long way to go.  While there has been an unprecedented level of focus around the world on the issue of global warming throughout 2007, the conference has yet to be infused with a sense of urgency.  With the United States making it clear that they will not support targets or timelines for greenhouse gas pollution reduction, we are still working hard to push other countries to lead.  While members of the European delegation have been saying the right words, they have not yet been playing the leadership role we need.  But we are working hard here to change that.  

As we begin to move towards the end of the first week of the conference the level of public activity is growing.  We are all excited for tomorrow, when Greenpeace's flagship the Rainbow Warrior will sail into Denpasar.  A flotilla of dozens of boats will great her arrival.  The Warrior will host delegates from all over the world over the course of the next week and give us a platform from which we can highlight the importance of a strong Bali Mandate.

Saturday brings the global day of action on climate change.  Events all over the world will shine a spotlight on negotiators in Bali, demanding bold action here.  Nothing short of a strong Bali Mandate that charts a course toward the adoption of the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol by 2009 will be acceptable.  

On Sunday, thousands will gather on the beach just a short distance from the conference to create a human beach art image of the earth.  Students from Step It Up here helping to organize the image.  Look for pictures early next week.

And finally on Monday, the high level segment of the negotiations will begin as many of the Ministers begin to arrive.  While there is much talk during the first week of the meeting, in most cases the real work begins once the ministers arrive.

I am incredibly impressed with the large number youth attending the conference.  Greenpeace's Solar Generation students are here in force joining a large and focused youth movement.  The youth delegation has been working the delegates hard, and have becoming an increasingly powerful force at these meetings. 

Stand by for more from Bali.

Hi all. I am from Minnesota, which, I am sorry to admit, is part of the United States. I am doing my best to manage in the heat and insanity of life in Washington DC. Since 2006, the country seems to have begun to come to its senses, but the climate hasn't improved at all. I am the proud father of a 2 and a half year old boy, who I think has a better facility with numbers than our President. Well, in fairness I bet the President knows that a 6 is a 9 when turned upside down. But I wonder if he has the imagination to turn a 4 into an H?

I love being part of the International team. I am continually amazed by how much a small group of dedicated people can positively influence international negotiations. If any of you have a question about whether some piece of information gleaned from some obscure source now means that Bush is about to change his position on climate change. The answer is no. He is not. Feel free to call me and ask any time, but rest assured, when he really changes his position, we will send out an e-mail or two.

-John Coequyt
Global Warming & Energy Team
blogging from Bali

Learn more about the climate negotiations here

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change just released their latest bombshell--a summary of their previous work that brings together a very scary vision for the future if we don't act now on global warming.

Essentially, the IPCC echoed what every serious person has been saying for years--the planet is warming, we're the cause, and we must stop now to stave off untold despair and suffering. I read their report with a real sadness and a certainty that the scale of the problem was greater than I could understand.

My uneasiness was supported by what I saw the next two days. On Saturday I took my usual Saturday bike ride up through the hills of Marin County, here in sunny CA.  As I reached the quiet town of Sausalito, I couldn't help but notice along the bike path all the cars filled with people who drove to ride their bikes. Yes, drove to ride their bikes! I thought to myself, how can we expect change when some people are so selfish, so clueless?

Then Sunday I watched the talking heads on display on the Sunday morning talk shows. First came Meet the Press, then Face the Nation and then This Week. With the IPCC's recent report fresh in my mind, I figured to hear some fresh policy discussions on the problem. Nope. Only John Edwards spoke about the issue and he only mentioned it in passing. It appears the media-created narratives of Hillary's experience verus Barack's youthful exhuberence were the topics of the day, along with a healthy helping of Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee sparring news. Goodness gracious, folks. We're out here yearning for you to lead. Can't you hear us? Do you even want to?

Naturally, and with wonderful calm, my optimism returned today as I sat at my desk at work. It was then, surrounded by my amazing and brave colleagues, that I was reminded that Greenpeace will not stop until we change the debate. Change the future. Change the world. Wanna join us? Go to www.projecthotseat.org to see how.  

Daniel
Media Officer 

 

 

This past Saturday was the second Step It Up, a national day of action to find out who are the real leaders on global warming. This day of action built on Step It Up’s April 14 rally, which produced more than 1,400 events in 50 states, the largest global warming event in U.S. history.

Greenpeace contributed to Step It Up in a big way. Our Project Hot Seat field organizers held events in 11 places and our Frontline campaign had six events of their own. Here in San Francisco, we joined with other Green groups and had a rally outside the UN Plaza. The day was well-attended; we even had an appearance from erstwhile candidate for the House,  Cindy Sheehan. 

If you don't know anything about Step It Up, here are their demands, which almost mirror our own: a carbon cut of 80 percent by 2050, a moratorium on any new coal-fired power plants, and five million new Green jobs.  Check out photos from Greenpeace's events here and go over to www.stepitup2007.org to see what happened nationally.

Now that Step It up is over, we'll go back to work on getting Congress to take action. The best bill in the House to accomplish a significant reduction in CO2 emissions is Henry Waxman’s Safe Climate Act. The bill has 142 co-sponsors. The magic number is 216, the number of votes needed in the House to pass a bill. You can help keep up the momentum from Step It Up and help pass the Safe Climate Act at www.projecthotseat.org.

Best wishes,

Daniel Kessler
Greenpeace Media Officer  

Thousands of students gathered outside Congress today to lobby for a greener future. Students from all over the US representing several college campuses from Alaska to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico left their differences behind, overcame student apathy, and united in one voice to demand bold changes with the current environmental Legislation. With their personal stories and passion students proposed the 1SKY Platform in the US Congress. The 1Sky Platform consists of bold principles to be applied in specific pieces of legislation that address global warming as a priority.

The 1Sky movement puts priority in what it takes to tackle global warming in an effective way. The first principle consists on creating over 5 million green jobs creating opportunities of involvement in the environmental movements to the working class. These green jobs would trigger the momentum needed to create healthy, efficient communities, and develop our local economy while we conserve 20% of our energy by 2015. Second, as the US we need to lead the world once more in technology and innovation and take the initiative to cut reduce carbon emission by an 80% by 2050. Lastly, the 1Sky Platform proposes that Congress should reprogram their investments to more clean energy and smart transportation.

In times in which we are deeply concerned for the effects of global warming, students and voters took action once more and discuss with their congressmen the actions needed to put an end to global warming. The students had undergo a weekend of training and discussion regarding the environment in the 1st annual Powershift conference. This conference was organized by a joint group of organizations known as the Energy Action Coalition. Powershift ended today with a massive lobby day in which students from across the nation meet outside the House of Representatives, wearing green hard hats and chanted with all their heart “20% by 2015.” We expect that as youth from this nation our voice is heard as much as our vote is taken into consideration. And as we make history, we know that Powershift is the beginning of a long journey. A journey that got started today when thousands of students took the challenge to develop some networking and relationships that are needed so that their voice for a greener future is heard loud and clear and we always “remember, remember the 5th of November.”

- Emanuel Figueroa

This Saturday is the second Step It Up, a national day of action to find out who are the real leaders on global warming. Step It Up’s April 14 rally produced more than 1,400 events in 50 states, the largest global warming event in U.S. history. This Saturday’s event promises to be even larger.

The demands from Step it Up are simple: a carbon cut of 80 percent by 2050, a moratorium on any new coal-fired power plants, and five million new Green jobs. Think we can do it? Of course we can. The technology is with us today, but the political will is missing.

That’s why Step It Up and Greenpeace’s Project Hot Seat are so important. If you don’t know, Project Hot Seat is our campaign to get Congress on board with real solutions to global warming. The best bill in the House to accomplish a significant reduction in CO2 emissions is Henry Waxman’s Safe Climate Act. The bill has 142 co-sponsors. The magic number is 216, the number of votes needed in the House to pass a bill. You can help get us there by going to www.projecthotseat.org to take action.

I’ll be in San Francisco this Saturday for a Step It Up rally outside Speaker Pelosi’s office. The event will be like a carnival with a variety of attractions to educate people on global warming and get them involved. The Rolling Sunlight will be there, a moving example of the possible. The Sunlight can generate enough solar energy to power an entire concert. If you’re in SF, come by and visit us. If you’re not here, be sure to go to www.stepitup2007.org to find an event in your area.

Best wishes,

Daniel Kessler
Greenpeace Media Officer  

I’m writing as Southern California burns. There’s been a lot of talk within the environmental community and in the media about whether or not these fires can be linked to rising temperatures caused by global warming. What’s beyond dispute, however, is the scary reality that as temperatures rise, the frequency of massive fires and other horrific natural disasters will rise along with the mercury.    

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported earlier this year that North America's annual window of high fire ignition risk could increase by 30 percent this century. They said fires and insect outbreaks are likely to intensify as temperatures rise, which will cause drier soils and longer growing seasons. Add that to the findings of U.S. Geological Survey scientists who said recently that rising temperatures have increased the death rate for old-growth conifers, firs and pines in the Sierra Nevada, making more fuel for fires.

So what can we do? First, we can recognize our immediate vulnerabilities. Together, population growth and development into the wildland-urban interface is tempting fate. People need to make smart choices about how much land they need, how far from population centers they want to go and how their decisions affect the land, wildlife, and other people; in my mind there’s no reason to put a firefighter’s life at risk for a swimming pool and a nice view.

On a larger scale, we continue our push to make Congress take immediate action on global warming. Nov. 3 is Step It Up, a national day of action on global warming that will make it clear just who are our leaders on the defining environmental issue of our time. Please go to StepitUp2007.org  to find out about an event in your area.

 

Daniel
Greenpeace Media Officer

I am back in the office after a long day last Thursday. I have been working on environmental issues full-time for over 7 years now and yesterday was the first time I crossed a police line and got arrested.

I felt completely confident I was doing the right thing by engaging in civil disobedience to demand that our governmental take real action, not false steps to curb global warming. Global warming is the real challenge of my generation and the generations to come.

If we do not take bold and swift action now I fear to think about the future world we will live in. Last Thursday, myself and 48 other activists protested Bush and his charade of a meeting on global warming. Bush is trying to take the world in the wrong direction by working outside and not engaging in the international Kyoto Treaty process, and his meeting is nothing more than a propaganda effort to deflect international criticism.

I was there on Thursday to do my part to show that Bush does not stand for the vast majority of Americans on this important issue. If Bush was serious about moving the country forward on global warming he would sign the Kyoto Protocol, period.

A friend of mine mentioned the other night that when people engage in civil disobedience an issue has reached a tipping point, he pointed to woman rights and the civil rights movement as examples. I think that this statement rings true to an extent.

Last Thursday, I shared a cell with two women, one of them was a grandmother and the other worked at a University of Maryland, like me they had ever been arrested before. They were not the stereotype of the 'lefty environmental extremist'. Across the country people from all walks of life are taking serious and bold action to preserve the future of our planet by demanding action on global warming.

Some might think a few people getting arrested is not going to do anything. While it may be true that our protest was a completely symbolic act I believe it is important to show the Bush does NOT speak for many Americans with his criminal stance on global warming.

I have always been inspired by the bold and brave acts of people in our history like Alice Paul and John Lewis. I hope that the movement to fight global warming continues to gain momentum like other social movements. It must, we have no other option but to force action. Our survival depends on it.

 

--Kate Smolski

 

Yesterday, along with 48 other climate change activists, I stood on the steps of the State Department to make sure the world knew, that President Bush knew, that he does not represent my voice on climate change. Today is the last day in a two day sham of a meeting that President Bush called on climate change with heads of states from the largest greenhouse gas emitters. 

49 of us, including the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Greenpeace were arrested within just a few hundred feet of this meeting. We chanted "This meeting is a fraud" and "No More Hot Air, Clean Energy Now" for almost two hours before being given 3 warnings from the police to move our protest or face arrest. No one moved.

My blogs on this site are usually cheeky and full of odd info about issues surrounding the chemical industry, but today I'm talking about the single biggest, most devastating issue to face our generation. I couldn't be cheeky if I tried right now.

This afternoon I attended a rally on the opposite side of the State Department building that we stood early yesterday morning. One speaker said that it doesn't matter if we cured cancer today or if we had the ability to end all wars because the effects of climate change on humanity will cause food and water shortages, death of species and villages, and violence if we do not continue to act like our lives depended on it. Because it does.

I went to jail yesterday along side 48 other activists who believe the same things I do:

• President Bush does not represent my voice on climate change.

• The world needs to move on with real global warming solutions without the United States.

• and finally this issue is so important to my life that I am willing to put my liberty on the line until there is real action on climate change.

 

Renee.  

It's been a pretty crazy week here in the US, with the UN meeting on climate in New York at the beginning of the week then down to Bush’s farce here in Washington which started today.

Arriving at the end of the Mall early this morning, as the sun was coming up, I saw a huge flock of Canada geese milling about on the grass. I figured they were probably on the way south from Alaska where last month the ice melt was more than 1 million square km more than last year's record low. What will climate change do to their Alaskan summer home?

The other flock on the lawn of the Mall was the tidiest looking bunch of environmentalists I'd seen in a while. Everyone had dusted off their suits for the dignified protest we were going to do outside the meeting.

The media was gathering, and delegates to the meeting starting to go in.

Let's be clear: there is a world of difference between the UN and the Bush meeting. The UN one was born out of concern at the lack of international action on climate. Today's meeting in Washington is about Bush trying to deflect criticism on climate change ahead of the US elections next year. He has no intention of taking any real action and, instead, is trying to stop that action happening without him. The only part Bush played in the UN meeting was going to the official dinner.

So outside the State Department, about 50 people from Greenpeace and three other groups marched up the street groups with a big banner reading “Bush: wrong way on global warming” and went straight to the front of the building. The protest went on for about three hours before most of them were arrested, including the head of Greenpeace US, John Passacantando.

I was running round dealing with the many media milling about, so wasn't in an "arrestable situation" shall we say. But it was great hearing so many Americans with the message "President Bush doesn't speak for me." Recent polls show that more than half the country disapproves of the way he is [or isn't] dealing with climate change.

Almost all of the protestors were arrested – they're currently in jail, and we're waiting to hear how long they'll be and what will happen to them. I'm so proud of my colleagues who turned up this morning saying "ok I'm prepared to get arrested for this – this is the most important issue I'll ever work on."

Meanwhile other colleagues Steph and John arrived back out from the meeting – they'd sat through speeches from Condoleezza Rice and Bush’s environmental advisor John Connaughton. Both of them were talking about the "need to act" and "work together." Translation: "we need to LOOK as though we're acting so that Bush doesn't get a hard time on climate change before next year's elections" and work to point the finger at China instead of doing anything at home.

Bush speaks tomorrow – but we know he won't be taking any action on climate. My message to him: Kyoto: just DO IT!

In September 2007, a few days before the United Nations high level meeting for climate change—in which Greenpeace China's campaign director, Lo Sze Ping, is invited to address 70 heads of state (including Bush) about what we believe countries should do to protect the climate—Greenpeace is also invited by the office of the Secretary General to meet the Secretary General himself in private. When my colleague informs me that on behalf of Greenpeace China , I am to be part of the Greenpeace delegation, my first reaction is, "You have to be kidding me! I am just a 26-year old girl! What am I going to say to when I meet Mr. Ban Ki-moon?!"

For me, meeting Ban Ki-moon is the equivalent of meeting a rock star like Michael Jackson or the Beatles. For one, we are both Korean and he is currently probably one of the best known Koreans in the world. Moreover, I admire his values and the fact that he takes the problems of this world so personally—in his recent piece in the International Herald Tribune, he stated that as a child of the Korean War, he grew up viewing the United Nations as a savior, an organization which helped his country recover and rebuild from a devastating conflict. And this is in turn made him devote his life to public service. For me, this has amazing resonance—having lived in many countries, such as Korea, Latin America, the USA, and now my new home China, where I was and still am extremely affected by all the environmental devastation and poverty I see, I also take the problems of the world very personally, which has in turn led me to work for Greenpeace.

So back to the story of meeting Ban Ki-moon. We arrive to the United Nations building in New York City. The United Nations building is a great place to be—seeing people from different nationalities and ethnicities working, visiting and interacting in harmony in this 38-story building is such an inspiring sight, and you can’t help but to wonder why the rest of the world cannot be like this. After passing through various security checks, four other Greenpeace colleagues and myself finally go up to the top floor where the office of the Secretary General is located. We are warmly greeted by a various UN staff and then suddenly there he is—Mr. Ban Ki-moon himself.

I am almost star-struck. It is almost an out-of-space feeling, meeting someone whose face you are so familiar with from TV and newspapers but you have never met before. His face almost has a sense of tranquility, and I think 'this is the reason why this man can lead one of the most complex organizations with the largest mission in the world.' We all stand in line to greet the secretary general. When it is my turn to shake hands with him, I introduce myself in Korean, and tell him that I am representing Greenpeace China. He seems to be very surprised and very happy to see a fellow Korean working for Greenpeace and representing a country that is not her own, much like himself. He doesn't let my hand go for about 20 seconds and continues to shake it, and in the meantime asks me various questions including why I am working in China as a Korean and whether I speak Chinese, making me blush all along the way.

We sit down, and briefly exchange words about the future of climate change. When it comes to my turn, I briefly introduce him to our work in China, and tell him how we engage policy makers in China and showcase to them that it is possible to achieve economic growth while stabilizing greenhouse gas emissions by increasing renewable energy and energy efficiency while decreasing China's dependency on coal. I also introduce him to our work on raising awareness on climate change. I give him the example of how young people in China are becoming increasingly interested in climate change, as shown by how much interest Greenpeace's Himalaya expedition blog, where we discussed how rapidly glaciers are retreating, got in the major Chinese websites (200,000 hits in a few hours!). I am very happy when he in turn tells us that he has been following Greenpeace's work for a long time and that he admires what we do, and how much impact we have made in the climate change front. He also tells us we have to continue to push countries as well as inspire the public to act on climate change. He clearly understands the impact that NGOs can have in addressing a societal issue, and am ecstatic to hear from one of the highest and most admired political leaders in the world that Greenpeace indeed has been making positive change.

The meeting ends, and as I come out of the office still feeling elated and numb. I ask myself: 'Did that just happen?! Did I just exchange various words with the secretary general of the United Nations?!' I truly hope that I have done justice in not only representing Greenpeace but also the young people from China and Asia, and have let Mr. Ban know that indeed we do care about climate change and that we do fully support the United Nations and individual countries in their efforts to combat climate change. I am also personally determined to continue the fight against climate change, no matter how difficult it is or how long it takes.

Jamie Choi
Greenpeace China

August 26th - On the road to Chicago!

We just spent the better part of last week in the surprising progressive hot-spot of Bloomington, Indiana! The town was great. Lots of good folks and an amazing Greenpeace Project Hot Seat coordinator - Edyta! Together we worked to pressure Rep. Baron Hill at a Democratic party golf outing and deliver a copy of the Safe Climate Act, which he still seems to claim he hasn't been asked to sign.

The Safe Climate Act is the gold standard for global warming legislation. It has 140 co-sponsors, but Baron Hill isn't one of them--yet!

On Saturday we made those delicious solar smoothies at the Bloomington Farmers market. We met some incredible volunteers that revived our love for campaigning and the excitement found in meeting new people from all over.

We had plenty of relaxing time sitting around the campfire, swimming in Lake Monroe and traveling thru Indiana.

We got our date's mixed a bit and we are heading to Chicago a day earlier than planned. My brother Andy has offered to put us up for the night. Anyone in and around the Chicago area drop me a line if you'ld like to meet up or come to any of our events. Right now - we honestly don't know what they will be - but that's part of the fun right?!

Much Love -- Amanda
906/ 250.0296

August 20th - Kalamazoo, Michigan

We're in Kalamazoo! And it's raiiiiiiny. Very rainy. We drove 13.5 hours yesterday to get here, just under the official 14 hours that we are allowed to be on the road according to the official trucker rules that we are following on the road. We are crashing with Justin, the Project Hot Seat organizer here, and we had our first event today. We made some delicious solar smoothies and got a bunch of letters written to Representative Fred Upton, who happens to love nuclear as a sustainable energy alternative. Ick.

 
We had some great high school kids helping us out today who were excited about the campaign and thrilled to have something to do for a few hours because apparently life is pretty boring for the high school crowd around here. They got all jazzed up in Hot Seat gear and talked to the public. They were great and gave me hope for the future!

love to all.
lauren

August 18th - Greetings from Pennsylvania

We just finished up our second official event of the tour. Last night we made solar-smoothies for the good people of Phoenixville, and today we held an event with the area Project Hot Seat coordinator, Pete, and his son Max, outside an eco-grocery in Dowingtown, PA.  Tonight we will take some time to plan and adjust to life on the road and relax around our campsite! Next stop - Kalamazoo, Michigan!

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I’d be sitting on top of this much power. Only an astronaut (and maybe Elvis in his heyday) knows how this feels. I’m talking about being behind the wheel of the Rolling Sunlight, Greenpeace’s mobile demonstration and educational vehicle showcasing clean energy technologies that I, along with three other lucky souls, will be piloting across America for a month.

The idea behind our expedition is to draw attention to global warming and what we all can do to slow it. I think we can all agree that the global warming future is not one that we want. We can also agree to prevent it. To do so we must look to the clean alternatives that are available and use the electricity that is generated in our society responsibly. Enter the Rolling Sunlight, a bio-diesel chugging, solar powered powerhouse that proves that with a big dose of ingenuity and a dash of fun, we can do anything, even reshape our energy economy into one built upon renewable energy.

I can’t wait to see the looks on people’s faces when we roll into campsites and parking lots with this baby. To keep us powered we’ll be drinking solar smoothies made in blender powered by the sun. If you see us on the road you’d better stop for one. They’re delicious.

Along the long asphalt trail from Washington D.C. to San Francisco we’ll also be promoting Project Hot Seat, Greenpeace’s campaign to force Congress to act on global warming NOW. PHS is working from coast to coast and Congress is starting to listen. Just last week they passed an energy bill with a national renewable energy standard. Now we need them keep to it up and pass an increase to car fuel efficiency and cap global warming emissions.

I hope you’ll join us on our adventure this month by reading our trip blog. We’ll tell you about what we see, who we meet, and about the amazing capacity of our renewable ride.

Until then,

We at Greenpeace very much enjoyed listening to Chairman Dingell’s opening comments yesterday.  We agree that an emissions cap of 80 percent (with auctioned credits) AND a carbon tax would be a very good start.  And we strongly support both ideas. The suggestion that CAFÉ is unimportant is laughable and irresponsible.  

Reductions in transportation related emissions are essential and failure to get on a path toward major reductions from tailpipes will make it impossible to reduce total emissions by 80 percent by mid-century.  Our analysis shows that even if we cut transportation related emissions in half, the sectors share of total emissions will double from one to two-thirds of the problem by mid-century.    

Our concern with the Mr. Dingell’s position do not come from his rhetoric on climate change, but rather the initial legislation that he and Mr. Boucher submitted to the Committee. The draft legislation was not only inadequate because it did not include a renewable portfolio standard or increases to mandatory fuel economy standards. The larger problem with the draft was that it included several extremely harmful provisions.  Although these provisions have been removed from consideration today and yesterday they have not been taken off the table by Mr. Dingell yet.    

The draft legislation would:

• Repeal the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Act authority to regulate global warming pollution from vehicles and substantially limit its authority for cleaner fuels by legislatively overturning the Supreme Court ruling in Massachusetts v. EPA.  This authority could be a key administrative power in 2009.

•  Block California and a least 11 other states from going forward with adopted clean car standards that limit global warming emissions from vehicles. Under the Clean Air Act, California has always been authorized to go beyond federal minimum air pollution standards, and other states may adopt the California standards - in their entirety.

• Open the door to liquid coal fuels and other nonrenewable alternatives, while failing to ensure that these fuels produce substantially less global warming pollution than the fuels we use today. Together with the liquid coal incentives in the broader bill, which lack clear limits on emissions, the bill would propel the development of a liquid coal fuels industry, with only a plan in place, but no guarantee of global warming emissions reductions.

 

Some of you might have been left wondering after reading the post on Grist about Mr Dingell.

We cannot disagree that Mr. Dingell is one of the most powerful members of congress, and we will work with him and his staff to craft legislation that solves climate change. In the end, Mr. Dingell needs to lead or get out of the way of the leadership’s effort to advance strong global warming legislation.

 

As temperatures rise and the public continues to wait for an energy bill that addresses the growing crisis over global warming, Speaker Pelosi has found herself in a pitched battle, not with the party on the other side of the aisle, but, oddly enough, with the House’s most senior Democrat. As Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. John Dingell is one of the most powerful members of the House, and also the man the Speaker has entrusted with her promise to pass strong global warming legislation. While Pelosi and Dingell may paper over their feud, the truth of the matter is that one has promised the American people a new energy future, and the other promised to let Detroit auto industry off the hook.

Having put global warming and energy at the top of the agenda and created the first committee focused solely on global warming, the Speaker now finds herself in the unenviable position of having her legislative agenda in the hands of two men whose ties to the fossil fuel industry run deep.

In addition to throwing billions of new taxpayers dollars at the coal industry, Reps. Dingell and Boucher’s proposal would repeal the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority, granted by the Clean Air Act, to regulate emissions from vehicles. To make matters worse, their proposal would substantially limit the agency's authority to demand cleaner fuels by legislatively overturning the Supreme Court ruling in Massachusetts v. EPA and block at least 12 states from moving forward with adopted clean car standards that limit emissions from vehicles.

It has become clear that Reps. Dingell and Boucher are incapable of delivering on the Speaker's global warming promise. This sets up a battle between the old guard and the vanguard within the Democratic Party. Americans gave the Democrats control of Congress to put an end to business as usual in Washington, and create a new beginning. Now, Congressional approval levels are near all time lows, and Americans are clearly not happy with where the 110th Congress is heading.

The American people are desperate for leadership that can deliver on promises made, and can make progress on the important issues facing our country. In order to fulfill her promise and move her agenda and the Congress forward, Speaker Pelosi needs committee chairs that will work with her, not against her. The time has come for the Speaker to dismiss Reps. Dingell and Boucher from the Chairmanships. It is clear that they stand in the way of her promise to the American people and her vision for global warming solutions and energy independence.

-Chris

After hearing the news from the White House that President Bush was set to unveil his new strategy for combating global warming, I wondered if he had finally returned to where he began? Was he finally going to make good on his broken promise from the 2000 campaign to support the Kyoto Protocol, and lead the international effort to solve global warming? Well, it’s now clear the answer is no. Not only is the President's “plan” no more than “too little, too late”, but it is in fact, a dangerous distraction that puts at risk the serious attempt to agree upon timelines and targets for reducing global warming pollution that is on the table for the G8 meeting this week.

In unveiling his new plan, the President talked about the need to create a new process that will continue once the Kyoto Protocol “expires” in 2012. But the President knows that the Kyoto Protocol does not expire in 2012. What happens in 2012 is not the expiration of the Protocol, but the beginning of a second, even stronger commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. The Presidents “plan” is a clear attempt to derail this second set of commitments. If the President wants to act on climate change, the first thing he should do is to setting a cap on global warming pollution and supporting a national renewable energy standard. The President doesn’t have to start a new process to agree to targets with major emitters, he could simply agree to the targets proposed for the G8 meeting next week. If he does not do that, the other seven G8 members need to move forward without President Bush. The President talked about the need to engage the rapidly developing countries of China and India. However, the President forgot to mention the fact that both China and India have already ratified the Kyoto Protocol. The U.S. has not. We are the single largest emitter of global warming pollution on the planet. The average citizen of the U.S. uses more than 6 times the amount of energy as the average Chinese citizen. If the President were serious about battling global warming he would have set a goal. The Europeans have set a goal based in solid science, keeping average global temperature change under 3.7 F degrees.

Scientists tell us that our planet will likely face profound changes with a temperature change of more than 3.7 degrees. A 50% cut in global emissions by 2050 compared to 1990 levels is what science demands and will require industrialized countries to cut their emissions by 30 percent by 2020 and 80-90 percent by 2050. The President, on the other hand, offered no targets or timelines. He proposed a meeting that would attempt to set “aspirational goals” by the end of 2008. This might have been appropriate 10 years ago, but it is wholly inadequate given all we have learned about the science of global warming over the last decade. The newly elected German government of Chancellor Merkel has proposed strong language on global warming for this week’s G8 meeting. To keep the United States from derailing progress at the international level, Ms. Merkel should lead the rest of the G8, and leave the United States behind. Allowing the U.S. to water down the G8 language by removing any meaningful target, timeline, or goal would be a slap in the face to many of the U.S.’s most important allies. Instead, the seven Kyoto Protocol members of the G8 should ignore the President’s “new plan”, and instead, commit next week to radical emission cuts and to concluding plans for the second binding commitment under the Kyoto Protocol by 2009 at the latest.

- Chris