Blog
SD350 visits their elected representatives
Masada Disenhouse is one of the co-founders of SanDiego350.org which formed in 2011 when the coordinators of the San Diego Moving Planet event were enthusiastic about continuing to work together to grow the climate movement in San Diego. Visit them at www.SanDiego350.org.
SanDiego350.org is on target to visit all five of our members of congress (in San Diego County) by the end of October. We’re asking them to support ending federal subsidies for fossil fuels as part of the larger 350.org effort. We’ve visited three so far and have meetings set up with the offices of the remaining two later in October.
It’s been a real learning experience for us (most people in our group had not met with their congressperson previously) and gave us an opportunity to introduce our group and our concerns regarding climate change to the members of congress. Luckily there were a couple of people in our group who are experienced and helped us put together agendas and talking points and get ready for the meetings. Our talking points include pointing out that the fossil fuel industry doesn’t need any subsidies, discussing San Diego’s leadership and growth in green jobs – which are hampered by fossil fuel subsidies, issues of national security, as well as expressing our concerns about the significant impacts of climate change that are projected for our region, and which are already starting to occur.
Our best visit so far was with Congressman Bob Filner (D). Not only did he support ending all fossil fuel subsidies, but he sent each of the people who attended the meeting a letter to confirm that he had co-sponsored the Keith Ellison / Bernie Sanders bill to end fossil fuel subsidies. Congressman Filner was also a speaker at SanDiego350.org’s very first event, Moving San Diego to a Clean Energy Future, in September 2011.
Congresswoman Susan Davis (D) also supports ending fossil fuel subsidies. She noted in our meeting with her that her voting record indicates her support for ending subsidies.
Finally, we obtained the following quote from Congressman Brian Bilbray (R) after meeting with his Deputy District Director, “If the federal government is serious about reducing our dependency on fossil fuels, then government should create an energy policy where all technologies are considered equally and no one sector receives special treatment. I see climate change as an issue that will require the innovation of the private sector in partnership with the federal government to encourage the development of a true source of clean renewable energy.”
That leaves Congressmen Duncan Hunter (R) and Darrell Issa (R), who we’ll be talking to soon. Check back at our blog for updates. We’re also talking about taking our new advocacy skills to the San Diego City Council members as they prepare to approve the City’s Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Plan (CMAP) to meet the requirements of AB32, California’s Climate Solutions Act of 2006.
Story of a first-time bird-dogger
The following blog post was submitted by first-time bird-dogger and 350 Activist, Nancy Sharp:
Here’s a step-by-step guide for how to bird-dog candidates in your own area:
When 350.org asked me to bird-dog Wilmington, North Carolina’s Republican candidate for Congress, it sounded like something you would do in the woods with binoculars and hiking boots. But the more I learned about the bird-dogging tactic (following candidates and politicians and asking them key questions), the more it made sense. David Rouzer is an up-and-coming G.O.P. star in Wilmington, and we deserve to know where he stands on fossil fuel subsidies.
Step 1: Find out where your Candidate’s next public appearance will be.
With a little research, we found that Rouzer would be appearing at a local G.O.P. campaign event for realtors. My mission was to attend (I like the word infiltrate better) and get Rouzer’s statements about oil subsidies on video.
Rouzer’s campaign website described the event as a fund raiser, and Eric Cantor, the Speaker of the House, was supposed to be there. To attend, they were asking for donations ranging from a few thousand dollars to the minimum $250. I emailed an RSVP and received this response, “What should we put you down for?” I emailed back, “I am retired and my husband is unemployed, will you accept a lesser amount?” I was surprised to get another response. “Yes, we will accept a lesser amount.” And they didn’t ask me, “How much less?” or “Are you sure you are not a Climate Activist?”
Step 2: Dress the part and bring a video camera!
The day of the event, I was a little intimidated, fearful that someone would find me out or ask me for a donation. You should know that I am an old California Flower Child. I have long gray hair and short fingernails and yes, I like to wear Birkenstocks. But if the event was for realtors, then I would look like a realtor. I put on my business wear, and I was ready: I brought along my little digital camera that has a video button on it.
Step 3: Roll with the punches.
When I walked into the hall, I discovered that the fund raiser had morphed into a candidate’s forum. Republicans and Democrats were represented, but this didn’t change my plan.
One by one, each candidate gave a little speech, all detailing how their policies would benefit realtors. Those running for congressional seats spoke a lot about how they were determined to keep property insurance rates from going up because that’s good for real estate sales. On that subject, David Rouzer referred to the national study that used climate science to predict sea level rise, calling the study “ridiculous.” He proudly proclaimed that he fought against it.
Step 4: Jump at the opportunity to ask questions and record responses.
When the speeches were over, the audience was invited to step up and meet the candidates. I hurried over to Mr. Rouzer, holding my camera casually in my hand, and pushed the video button. My heart was pounding with excitement when I asked Mr. Rouzer, “Do you support ending all fossil fuel subsidies?” And then unbelievably he began answering my question. The first thing he said was , “I’m for fossil fuel”. Then he went on to explain that if ending subsidies to oil and gas companies was costly to the companies, he would be against ending them.
You can see the interview here:
I can’t believe how easy this was, and next time, let‘s get a whole group together to share the experience!
Why do Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan Support Taxpayer Giveaways to 1, 3, and 4 Most Valuable US Corporations?
Fortune Magazine is out with its Fortune 500, its annual ranking of America’s largest and most powerful corporations. In pole position is Exxon, whose profits in 2011 rose 35% to $41.1 billion. A good haul, by any definition. Only Wal-Mart stood in the way of a clean sweep by oil and gas companies at the top of the leaderboard, with Chevron ($26.9 billion profit) and ConocoPhillips ($12.4 million profit ) taking spots 3 and 4.
So with oil companies making more money than in the history of money, why do Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan continue to support taxpayer giveaways to these massive corporations? Oil companies enjoy about $4 billion annually in federal tax subsidies, and Ryan’s budget, which Romney supports, preserves these giveaways while cutting back on Medicare, Medicaid, education, and other vital services.
When you factor in subsidies for gas and coal, fossil fuel companies will enjoy about $113 billion over the next 10 years in government handouts. In case you are curious, that $113 billion would buy about 2.8 million Chevy Volts (at about $40k per car) and would weatherize about 45 million US homes.
Defenders of these subsidies will tell you that if we get rid of them gas prices will go up and we will curtail American oil exploration. Here’s what the experts say: Guess again. Gas prices are set at the global level in a global market, so removing subsidies here would have no effect on prices. In fact, a 2009 study from the non-partisan Resources for The Future found that if subsidies were cut, the average person would spend, at most, just over $2 more each year on petroleum products. I can probably afford that and I bet you can, too.
And disrupting American energy production? Probably not. Ask yourself, are the oil, coal and gas going to suddenly move to the North Sea? My guess is that with subsidies or not, Exxon will still want at the fossil fuels here.
Want another reason to end these subsidies? How about the fact that fossil fuels are cooking the planet. In June, 3,215 daily high temperature records were set; so far this year, more than 2.1 million acres have burned in wildfires. Step 1 to solving the climate crisis is to stop funding the corporations that are causing the problem. Step 2 is to actually charge polluters for polluting and to use that money to grow our clean energy economy. Even ExxonMobil admits that we need a carbon price but our Congress hasn’t gotten it done.
So as Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan crisscross the country this summer and fall calling President Obama a reckless socialist who wants to grow government, just remember that it’s Romney and Ryan that want to keep the flow of taxpayer money going to the country’s richest corporations, not the president.
To find out about what you can do about this, and to learn more about the Sanders-Ellison bill to end all fossil fuel subsidies, please visit www.endfossilfuelsubsidies.org.
Why do Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan Support Taxpayer Giveaways to 1, 3, and 4 Most Valuable US Corporations?
Fortune Magazine is out with its Fortune 500, its annual ranking of America’s largest and most powerful corporations. In pole position is Exxon, whose profits in 2011 rose 35% to $41.1 billion. A good haul, by any definition. Only Wal-Mart stood in the way of a clean sweep by oil and gas companies at the top of the leaderboard, with Chevron ($26.9 billion profit) and ConocoPhillips ($12.4 million profit ) taking spots 3 and 4.
So with oil companies making more money than in the history of money, why do Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan continue to support taxpayer giveaways to these massive corporations? Oil companies enjoy about $4 billion annually in federal tax subsidies, and Ryan’s budget, which Romney supports, preserves these giveaways while cutting back on Medicare, Medicaid, education, and other vital services.
When you factor in subsidies for gas and coal, fossil fuel companies will enjoy about $113 billion over the next 10 years in government handouts. In case you are curious, that $113 billion would buy about 2.8 million Chevy Volts (at about $40k per car) and would weatherize about 45 million US homes.
Defenders of these subsidies will tell you that if we get rid of them gas prices will go up and we will curtail American oil exploration. Here’s what the experts say: Guess again. Gas prices are set at the global level in a global market, so removing subsidies here would have no effect on prices. In fact, a 2009 study from the non-partisan Resources for The Future found that if subsidies were cut, the average person would spend, at most, just over $2 more each year on petroleum products. I can probably afford that and I bet you can, too.
And disrupting American energy production? Probably not. Ask yourself, are the oil, coal and gas going to suddenly move to the North Sea? My guess is that with subsidies or not, Exxon will still want at the fossil fuels here.
Want another reason to end these subsidies? How about the fact that fossil fuels are cooking the planet. In June, 3,215 daily high temperature records were set; so far this year, more than 2.1 million acres have burned in wildfires. Step 1 to solving the climate crisis is to stop funding the corporations that are causing the problem. Step 2 is to actually charge polluters for polluting and to use that money to grow our clean energy economy. Even ExxonMobil admits that we need a carbon price but our Congress hasn’t gotten it done.
So as Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan crisscross the country this summer and fall calling President Obama a reckless socialist who wants to grow government, just remember that it’s Romney and Ryan that want to keep the flow of taxpayer money going to the country’s richest corporations, not the president.
To find out about what you can do about this, and to learn more about the Sanders-Ellison bill to end all fossil fuel subsidies, please visit www.endfossilfuelsubsidies.org.
One crucial question.
We just sent this email to folks in the USA. Not on our email list yet? Sign up here!
Dear Friends,
Last week, we tried something new: a citizen-powered survey to get Congress on the record about fossil fuel subsidies.
On Wednesday, I put out the call to the 350.org network, asking folks accross the country to call their Members of Congress and get them on the record. The response was huge. Over the course of 48 hours, hundreds of people flooded the switchboards of Senators and Representatives to ask this one crucial question: Do you support ending all fossil fuel subsidies — for oil, coal, and natural gas — which will total $113 billion over the next decade?
But here’s the thing: we don’t yet have all House and Senate members on the record. We need to pin them down on this so we can escalate this campaign to the next phase: a surround-sound pressure campaign to really make our politicians feel the heat.
Can you make a call today and get your Members of Congress on the record on fossil fuel subsidies? Our new tool makes it easy: www.endfossilfuelsubsidies.org/scoreboard
Some people who called reported wishy-washy answers — politicians are notoriously talented at glossing over their positions — but some of you got some clear statements:
- A staffer from Sen. Webb (D-VA) said that he supports removing all fossil fuel subsidies because “subsidies choose winners and losers.”
- Rep. Welch’s (D-VT) office sent this message: “Taxpayer support for mature, profitable industries makes no sense, particularly when we should be investing in the energy efficiency and clean energy sectors.”
- An aide to Sen. Coburn (R-OK) stated that, “Sen. Coburn supports removing all energy subsidies.”
You can see more of those statements, and get your elected officials on the record by visiting www.endfossilfuelsubsidies.org/scoreboard
People in DC tend to be pretty good at dodging questions, especially when the answers are tough to defend. But Congress needs to get in line with popular sentiment — over 70% of Americans support ending fossil fuel subsidies. What’s more, ending these subsidies would have huge benefits for our planet, slowing the output of climate pollution and setting the stage for a massive scale-out of clean energy.
Corporate polluters have hundreds of lobbyists and huge ad budgets. We know we’ll never be able to match them with money, so we’ll have to rely on grassroots people power instead — which means we all need to speak up to make our voices heard. Please make a call today.
Thanks,
Jamie Henn and the 350.org team
One crucial question.
We just sent this email to folks in the USA. Not on our email list yet? Sign up here!
Dear Friends,
Last week, we tried something new: a citizen-powered survey to get Congress on the record about fossil fuel subsidies.
On Wednesday, I put out the call to the 350.org network, asking folks accross the country to call their Members of Congress and get them on the record. The response was huge. Over the course of 48 hours, hundreds of people flooded the switchboards of Senators and Representatives to ask this one crucial question: Do you support ending all fossil fuel subsidies — for oil, coal, and natural gas — which will total $113 billion over the next decade?
But here’s the thing: we don’t yet have all House and Senate members on the record. We need to pin them down on this so we can escalate this campaign to the next phase: a surround-sound pressure campaign to really make our politicians feel the heat.
Can you make a call today and get your Members of Congress on the record on fossil fuel subsidies? Our new tool makes it easy: www.endfossilfuelsubsidies.org/scoreboard
Some people who called reported wishy-washy answers — politicians are notoriously talented at glossing over their positions — but some of you got some clear statements:
- A staffer from Sen. Webb (D-VA) said that he supports removing all fossil fuel subsidies because “subsidies choose winners and losers.”
- Rep. Welch’s (D-VT) office sent this message: “Taxpayer support for mature, profitable industries makes no sense, particularly when we should be investing in the energy efficiency and clean energy sectors.”
- An aide to Sen. Coburn (R-OK) stated that, “Sen. Coburn supports removing all energy subsidies.”
You can see more of those statements, and get your elected officials on the record by visiting www.endfossilfuelsubsidies.org/scoreboard
People in DC tend to be pretty good at dodging questions, especially when the answers are tough to defend. But Congress needs to get in line with popular sentiment — over 70% of Americans support ending fossil fuel subsidies. What’s more, ending these subsidies would have huge benefits for our planet, slowing the output of climate pollution and setting the stage for a massive scale-out of clean energy.
Corporate polluters have hundreds of lobbyists and huge ad budgets. We know we’ll never be able to match them with money, so we’ll have to rely on grassroots people power instead — which means we all need to speak up to make our voices heard. Please make a call today.
Thanks,
Jamie Henn and the 350.org team
A million strong.
This is huge.
Two weeks ago we joined a diverse coalition to launch an all-out offensive to end fossil fuel subsidies, and we weren’t quite sure how it would turn out. Well, we’ve currently got 958,422 signatures on our combined global petition — almost a million people strong!
Will you help us get to a million by the end of the week? Sign on here: www.350.org/rio
Once we get a million signatures, we’ll move on to phase two: a surround-sound campaign to put the pressure on world leaders at the G20 Summit in Mexico and at the “Rio+20 Earth Summit” coming up in Brazil.
We’ll be honest: we won’t win the campaign to end fossil fuel subsidies with a petition alone — and we won’t be able to wrap this up by the end of the Rio Earth Summit. But being a million strong is a powerful starting point, and our massive numbers will send an unignorable message to world leaders.
The truth is that ending these subsidies will take an ongoing and escalating campaign — which is why we’re digging deep on multiple fronts. As I type this, 350.org staff and volunteers are putting together a cutting-edge social media plan, planning a series of hard-hitting actions in countries around the world, and working on game-changing research that will expose just how massive the issue of subsidies is.
Our work on subsidies will continue in the weeks and months ahead — but with the global summits in Mexico and Rio happening in just a few weeks, we have a unique moment to shine a light on a topic that all too often gets hidden and ignored. And we can’t ignore it any longer — the issue of subsidies is just too important. New research shows that getting rid of fossil fuel subsidies would lead to massive reductions in the emissions that are super-heating our planet — and could help level the economic playing field and trigger a clean energy revolution around the world.
One more thing: we’re saving June 18 for something special. It’ll be the day when we’ll deliver our collective petition to world leaders, but also a day where we’ll try something a bit different — and a day to take our message to the halls of power in a brand new way.
Onwards,
Will Bates for the 350.org Team
Articles and Info
A million strong.
This is huge.
Two weeks ago we joined a diverse coalition to launch an all-out offensive to end fossil fuel subsidies, and we weren’t quite sure how it would turn out. Well, we’ve currently got 958,422 signatures on our combined global petition — almost a million people strong!
Will you help us get to a million by the end of the week? Sign on here: www.350.org/rio
Once we get a million signatures, we’ll move on to phase two: a surround-sound campaign to put the pressure on world leaders at the G20 Summit in Mexico and at the “Rio+20 Earth Summit” coming up in Brazil.
We’ll be honest: we won’t win the campaign to end fossil fuel subsidies with a petition alone — and we won’t be able to wrap this up by the end of the Rio Earth Summit. But being a million strong is a powerful starting point, and our massive numbers will send an unignorable message to world leaders.
The truth is that ending these subsidies will take an ongoing and escalating campaign — which is why we’re digging deep on multiple fronts. As I type this, 350.org staff and volunteers are putting together a cutting-edge social media plan, planning a series of hard-hitting actions in countries around the world, and working on game-changing research that will expose just how massive the issue of subsidies is.
Our work on subsidies will continue in the weeks and months ahead — but with the global summits in Mexico and Rio happening in just a few weeks, we have a unique moment to shine a light on a topic that all too often gets hidden and ignored. And we can’t ignore it any longer — the issue of subsidies is just too important. New research shows that getting rid of fossil fuel subsidies would lead to massive reductions in the emissions that are super-heating our planet — and could help level the economic playing field and trigger a clean energy revolution around the world.
One more thing: we’re saving June 18 for something special. It’ll be the day when we’ll deliver our collective petition to world leaders, but also a day where we’ll try something a bit different — and a day to take our message to the halls of power in a brand new way.
Onwards,
Will Bates for the 350.org Team
Articles and Info
The Road to Rio: Fossil Fuels vs. Renewable Energy
This email just went out to our global list of supporters — sign up here if you’re not getting our updates!
|
Dear friends,
In just a few weeks, world leaders are converging on Rio for a landmark “Earth Summit” to talk about sustainability issues — but it’s time for them to stop talking and start doing. And we know where they can begin.
This year our governments will hand nearly hundreds of billions of dollars in government subsidies to the coal, gas, and oil industries. Instead, they should cut them off. Now.
Cutting fossil fuel subsidies could actually take a giant step towards solving the climate crisis: phasing out these subsidies would prevent gigatonnes of carbon emissions and help make clean energy cheaper than fossil fuels.
And here’s the thing: this demand is completely reasonable — so reasonable that the leaders of the big countries have already agreed to it. The G20 promised in 2009 that fossil fuel subsidies would be phased out in the “medium term.” But the political power of the corporate polluters scares them, and so no nation has yet followed through.
If we want real action to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, we need to give world leaders a people-powered push as the Rio Summit approches — and that push starts today with this global call to action: www.350.org/rio
Why focus on subsidies? Well, remember those pictures we took all over the world a few weeks ago, the ones where hundreds of thousands of people rallied in places wrecked by the drought, flood, fire, and melt that come with climate change? The billions in fossil fuel subsidies handed out to the fossil fuel industry are driving those climate disasters, and it’s time for us, and our political leaders, to conenct the dots. Those billions should be spent investing in the world we want — in renewable energy, in efficiency, in public health and education — not sent to the corporate polluters who are super-heating our planet and threatening our future.
How are we going to ensure world leaders make good on their committment to end fossil fuel subsidies? With a huge global groundswell of citizen pressure. Our friends at Avaaz, the planetary network for social good, are helping to lead this fight — already there are over half a million people signed on. In the US, hundreds of thousands of activists are pushing for landmark legislation to remove $113 billion in American fossil fuel subsidies over the next 10 years. But now we need a truly international effort in the leadup to the Rio Earth Summit — which means enlisting you, and your friends.
Click here to sign on and spread the word: www.350.org/rio
After you sign on, please share the campaign with anyone you know who cares about the future. Or, for that matter, anyone who cares about not wasting their tax money by sending it to the richest industry on earth.
We’ll deliver the signatures on June 18th when world leaders arrive for the Earth Summit — in fact, we’ve got big plans brewing for some exciting ways to make sure our message in Rio is unignorable. But first we need you on the list, so please sign on today.
Onwards,
Bill McKibben for the 350.org team
More Info and Articles
- Fossil fuel subsidies: a tour of the data | Environment | guardian.co.uk go.350.org/M2jtrR
- Jim Hansen – Game Over for the Climate – NYTimes.com go.350.org/M2kHDB
- A Congressional Push to End All Fossil Fuel Subsidies | The Nation go.350.org/M2kOyR
- Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies ‘could provide half of global carbon target’ | Environment | guardian.co.uk go.350.org/M2kWyg
- G20 agrees on phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies (2009) | Reuters go.350.org/JxDtzj
The Road to Rio: Fossil Fuels vs. Renewable Energy
This email just went out to our global list of supporters — sign up here if you’re not getting our updates!
|
Dear friends,
In just a few weeks, world leaders are converging on Rio for a landmark “Earth Summit” to talk about sustainability issues — but it’s time for them to stop talking and start doing. And we know where they can begin.
This year our governments will hand nearly hundreds of billions of dollars in government subsidies to the coal, gas, and oil industries. Instead, they should cut them off. Now.
Cutting fossil fuel subsidies could actually take a giant step towards solving the climate crisis: phasing out these subsidies would prevent gigatonnes of carbon emissions and help make clean energy cheaper than fossil fuels.
And here’s the thing: this demand is completely reasonable — so reasonable that the leaders of the big countries have already agreed to it. The G20 promised in 2009 that fossil fuel subsidies would be phased out in the “medium term.” But the political power of the corporate polluters scares them, and so no nation has yet followed through.
If we want real action to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, we need to give world leaders a people-powered push as the Rio Summit approches — and that push starts today with this global call to action: www.350.org/rio
Why focus on subsidies? Well, remember those pictures we took all over the world a few weeks ago, the ones where hundreds of thousands of people rallied in places wrecked by the drought, flood, fire, and melt that come with climate change? The billions in fossil fuel subsidies handed out to the fossil fuel industry are driving those climate disasters, and it’s time for us, and our political leaders, to conenct the dots. Those billions should be spent investing in the world we want — in renewable energy, in efficiency, in public health and education — not sent to the corporate polluters who are super-heating our planet and threatening our future.
How are we going to ensure world leaders make good on their committment to end fossil fuel subsidies? With a huge global groundswell of citizen pressure. Our friends at Avaaz, the planetary network for social good, are helping to lead this fight — already there are over half a million people signed on. In the US, hundreds of thousands of activists are pushing for landmark legislation to remove $113 billion in American fossil fuel subsidies over the next 10 years. But now we need a truly international effort in the leadup to the Rio Earth Summit — which means enlisting you, and your friends.
Click here to sign on and spread the word: www.350.org/rio
After you sign on, please share the campaign with anyone you know who cares about the future. Or, for that matter, anyone who cares about not wasting their tax money by sending it to the richest industry on earth.
We’ll deliver the signatures on June 18th when world leaders arrive for the Earth Summit — in fact, we’ve got big plans brewing for some exciting ways to make sure our message in Rio is unignorable. But first we need you on the list, so please sign on today.
Onwards,
Bill McKibben for the 350.org team
More Info and Articles
- Fossil fuel subsidies: a tour of the data | Environment | guardian.co.uk go.350.org/M2jtrR
- Jim Hansen – Game Over for the Climate – NYTimes.com go.350.org/M2kHDB
- A Congressional Push to End All Fossil Fuel Subsidies | The Nation go.350.org/M2kOyR
- Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies ‘could provide half of global carbon target’ | Environment | guardian.co.uk go.350.org/M2kWyg
- G20 agrees on phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies (2009) | Reuters go.350.org/JxDtzj