Q: Does the National Wildlife Federation support the idea of a cap and
auction system?
A: Yeah, we’ve been working for a number of years on supporting the
best cap-and-trade system possible. We support 100% auction of
credits, or if there is distribution, there should only be
distribution for public benefit, and want to see good legislation come
out of Congress. Our time for strong action is rapidly dwindling and
want to see the best legislation we can possibly pass as soon as we
can possibly pass it.
Like so many of the students in attendance, the group of
UVM freshmen demonstrated an impressive
knowledge of the policy issues at hand, easily launching into
disquisitions on the need for dense, mixed-use urban planning and
investments in mass transit to combat suburban sprawl and reduce auto
dependence.
Today saw thousands of Power
Shift
participants coming to Capitol Hill for a day of testimony before the
House Global Warming
Committee,
a large rally on the Capitol steps, and perhaps most importantly,
hundreds of meetings with staff and legislators.
The youth activists introduced the 1Sky platform
and asked for a commitment to the goals of making green jobs, strong
emissions cuts, and no new coal top climate legislation priorities. They
also called for 100% auction of pollution permits, and for an energy
bill with the Senate 35 MPG standard, the
House renewable energy standard, the Green Jobs Act, and no coal or
nuclear subsidies.
Monday, November 5 will be Power Shift Lobby
Day.
Following the hearing on youth and climate
change,
Power Shift members will meet with representatives from 10 am to 5 pm,
with a noon rally on the steps of the Capitol, and a Congressional
reception at 6 PM.
On Monday thousands of young energy and climate leaders will descend on
Capitol
Hill
to send a message to Congress: we must pass the energy bill before
Congress (HR 3221) so we can begin the transition towards a cleaner,
safer, more prosperous future without oil dependence or global warming.
The day of events starts with several of these leaders appearing before
Chairman Edward J. Markey and the Select Committee on Energy
Independence and Global Warming. Chairman Markey and those testifying
will then travel to the West Lawn of the Capitol to meet thousands of
supporters who will call for more green jobs, more renewable energy, and
higher fuel economy standards, among other clean energy measures.
Congress is currently considering energy legislation that would raise
fuel economy standards for America’s vehicles to 35 miles per gallon by
2020, increase the use of renewable energy, and create millions of new
“green collar” jobs.
Witnesses
Billy Parish, Energy Action Coalition
Brittany R. Cochran, Environmental Justice and Climate Change
Initiative
Cheryl Lockwood, Alaska Youth for Environmental Action
Katelyn McCormick, Students Promoting Environmental Students
Mike Reagan, California PIRG
House Energy Independence and Global Warming Committee
On November 2, 2007, thousands of young adults will converge on
Washington, D.C. for Power Shift 2007, the
first national youth summit to solve the climate crisis. Youth of all
backgrounds will use their experience from local and state level climate
change movements to create a fresh, positive, and inspiring vision of
the future, one focused on our potential to overcome the challenges of
the 21st century, build a clean energy economy, achieve
energy independence, create millions of green jobs, increase global
equity, and revitalize the American economy.
Power Shift will take the climate movement to new levels. At this
conference, leaders of our generation will share ideas, learn new
skills, make new connections, establish a national voice for our
generation, and send a united message to our national leaders: we are
moving beyond the same old special interests, empty promises, and
inadequate results to embrace a new paradigm that leverages our
strengths and achieves what is possible for our future. Something
incredible is happening.
Our organizing committee has set out three ambitious goals:
Make the U.S. Presidential candidates and Congress take global
warming seriously. It is widely accepted that the next U.S.
president must make global warming a priority for us to solve the
crisis before we reach a point of no return. With youth voting rates
on the rise, we have the opportunity to drastically affect the 2008
Presidential Election and ensure our next president puts us on a
path to stopping climate change.
Empower a truly diverse network of young leaders. The organizers
of Power Shift understand the limitations of mainstream
environmentalism and its history of engaging primarily white, highly
educated, privileged citizens on the left while leaving behind other
communities. We must diversify our movement to include every
community in America and shift our culture towards one of
sustainability and justice for everyone, addressing traditional
racial, ethnic, geographic, and ideological divisions.
Achieve broad geographic diversity. We want this convergence to
represent nearly every Congressional district in the United States
in order to demand scientifically based solutions from all who
represent us. Only when this fire is burning in every state of the
union with broad awareness and pointed activism from the ground up,
will we have the political power needed to take on the fossil fuel
industry.
That’s where you come in. To reach our goal of uniting thousands of
young people at Power Shift, we need your help. Please share this
message with at least ten friends and help grow our movement. The shift
starts with you. Become a Campus
Coordinator!
