Hill Heat

On Wednesday, May 23, 2007, the Committee held an oversight hearing on achievements and opportunities for climate protection under the Montreal Protocol. This international environmental treaty established legally binding controls on the production and consumption of substances that deplete the stratospheric ozone layer. Witnesses at the hearing included the lead author of a scientific paper quantifying the climate benefits of the Montreal Protocol, the Executive Director of an international nongovernmental organization with expertise on the Montreal Protocol, and the Global Environmental Manager of DuPont’s fluorochemicals business. At the hearing, the Committee received testimony about cost-effective measures that can be taken under the Montreal Protocol and the Clean Air Act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat global warming.

Witnesses

• Dr. Guus Velders, lead author of a recent scientific paper quantifying the climate benefits of the Montreal Protocol
• Mr. Allan Thornton, Executive Director, Environmental Investigation Agency, an international nongovernmental organization with expertise on the Montreal Protocol
• Dr. Mack McFarland, Environmental Fellow, DuPont Fluoroproducts, a major corporation that manufactures alternatives to substances that deplete the ozone layer

Transcript

• preliminary transcript

Full committee hearing

Witnesses:

• Michael P. Jackson, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• R. David Paulison, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

S.645, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to provide an alternate sulfur dioxide removal measurement for certain coal gasification project goals, S.838, to authorize funding for eligible joint ventures between United States and Israeli businesses and academic persons, to establish the International Energy Advisory Board, S.1089, to amend the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act to allow the Federal Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects to hire employees more efficiently, S.1203, to enhance the management of electricity programs at the Department of Energy, H.R.85, to provide for the establishment of centers to encourage demonstration and commercial application of advanced energy methods and technologies, and H.R.1126, to reauthorize the Steel and Aluminum Energy Conservation andTechnology Competitiveness Act of 1988

On Tuesday the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will explore the vast potential for the development of “green collar” jobs from increased energy efficiency and use of renewable energy in the United States. A market transformation towards clean energy will require a new cadre of workers for everything from the research, design, and engineering of new energy systems to the manufacture, installation, and maintenance of clean technology investments. The range of jobs and skills requirements is wide, but the potential employment impact is substantial: in a recent analysis the Cleantech Venture Network estimated that as many as 500,000 new green collar jobs could be created by 2010. Increasing green collar jobs is also an opportunity to cultivate both economic and environmental benefits for many underserved communities.

Witnesses:

• Jerome Ringo, President Apollo Alliance
• Van Jones, President and Co-Founder Ella Baker Center (Oakland, CA)
• Elsa Barboza, Campaign Coordinator for Green Industries at the Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE; Los Angeles, CA)
• Bob Thelen, Chief Training Officer, Capital Area Michigan Works!

The House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Water and Power, led by Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

• H.R. 716 (Woolsey, D-CA): The Santa Rosa Urban Water Reuse Plan Act
• H.R. 236 (Thompson, D-CA): The North Bay Water Reuse Program Act of 2007
• H.R 1503 (Grijalva, D-AZ): The Avra/Black Wash Reclamation and Riparian Restoration Project
• H.R. 1725 (Bono, R-CA): The Rancho California Water District Recycled Water Reclamation Facility Act of 2007

Witnesses:

Panel 1

• Robert Quint, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Operations, Bureau of Reclamation, Washington, D.C.
• Tim Smith (H.R. 236), Sonoma County Supervisor, District 3, Board of Supervisors, Santa Rosa, CA
• Michael Martini (H.R. 716), Santa Rosa City Councilmember, Santa Rosa, CA
• Michael Gritzuk (H.R. 1503), Director, Pima County Wastewater Management, Tucson, AZ
• Dr. Brian J. Brady (H.R. 1725), General Manager, Rancho California Water District, Temecula, CA

Hearing on H.R. 2635: The Carbon-Neutral Government Act.

Witnesses

• Ms. Emily Figdor, Director, Federal Global Warming Program, US Public Interest Research Group
• Mr. Jeffrey Harris, Vice President for Programs, Alliance to Save Energy
• Mr. Marshall E. Purnell, FAIA, First Vice President and President-Elect, The American Institute of Architects