Vote for the Next Dirty Dozen Candidate

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday September 11, 2006 · 6:57 AM PDT

2006/09/11 · 06:57

The League of Conservation Voters is asking the public to pick the next Dirty Dozen candidate. This will help round out the worst of the worst who will be targeted for defeat in November. The current list includes Conrad Burns (R-MT), Rick Santorum (R-PA), Heather Wilson (R-NM), Jim Talent (R-MO), Richard Pombo (R-CA) and Katherine Harris (R-FL).

It doesn't matter if it's energy policy, clean water, or wilderness, if there's a special-interest that can benefit, these politicians will be sure to support them.

LCV is holding an open vote for the next slot on this infamous list. The choices include Charlie Taylor (R-NC), John Hostettler (R-IN), Mike Sodrel (R-IN), and few others.

Vote Now--the deadline is this Wednesday!

Today is Dependence Day!

envaction

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday May 31, 2006 · 9:48 AM PDT

2006/05/31 · 09:48

Today's the day. On a proportional basis, the U.S. has effectively run out of domestic oil for the year and will be forced to rely completely on foreign imports for the rest of the year. For seven months straight—every time we fill up our cars and trucks, we'll be sending our money directly overseas. In 2006, we'll spend some $230 billion on foreign oil—nearly $450,000 every minute.

To mark the day, Environmental Action has pulled together a diverse coalition of groups including security experts, environmentalists, consumers, and labor unions—all of whom agree that America's dependence on oil is one of our greatest threats and that it is time to move beyond decades of rhetoric to actually do something.

We've lauched a snazzy interactive new website: www.dependenceday.org.

Check it out. Get involved. Tell your friends. Call your Members of Congress. Help turn the tide.

McCain's Doublespeak

envaction

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday May 10, 2006 · 8:38 AM PDT

2006/05/10 · 08:38

Here is a good example of how the media (and the public) get star struck by a politician's image rather than focusing on their actions.

McCain has built up such strong credentials as a fighter of government pork that when he starts peddling it himself no one bats an eye. McCain at clean cities.bmp

Case in point, listen to McCain's speech at the Clean Cities conference. Standing on his reputation for being bold, he repeats twice that he opposes federal subsidies for ethanol and thinks the industry should stand on its own. But then McCain pulls out the pompoms and breaks out in cheers for nuclear power. Of course, he doesn't mention the indisputable fact that no new nuclear power plant will be built in this country without significant federal subsidies.

In fact, the federal government is now teed up to provide the industry with more than $10 billion in subsidies. This is after providing the industry with more than $60 billion in research and development support over the last half century. Read More

Who Has the Oil?

envaction

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday April 21, 2006 · 12:56 PM PDT

2006/04/21 · 12:56

Sometimes the best way to drive home a point is to make it visual. We know that the U.S. is addicted to oil. We know that imports of foreign oil account for nearly 60 percent of our consumption. Yet President Bush and the oil industry say that the solution is to drill. Drill in Alaska. Drill off the coast. Drill out west.

To help make the point that we can't drill our way to energy independence, Environmental Action has created a neat map of "Who Has the Oil?"—adjusting each country based on the size of its oil reserves.

Check it out. It sends a pretty clear message.

Congress Set to Kill Cape Wind

envaction

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday April 13, 2006 · 11:26 AM PDT

2006/04/13 · 11:26

Three months of increased warmings about global warming:

* the glaciers are melting twice as fast as previously predicted
* The planet is soon hitting the tipping point—the point of no return—on global warming
* Thousands of species are likely to be pushed into extinction

How does Congress respond?

Are we capping carbon emissions? Are we increasing fuel efficiency in our cars? closing down the oldest and dirtiest coal plants? cutting big oil subsidies?

Nah. Instead, Congress is putting the kibosh on the country's largest offshore wind project: Cape Wind

And while Ted Stevens and Don Young—big oil's best friends—are leading the charge, they've gotten a big push from the likes of Ted Kennedy.

However, there is still time to save Cape Wind. We have two weeks until Congress passes the final bill. And a handful of Senators are rip-roaring mad about this back-door scheme to kill Cape Wind.

Contact your Senators and Tell them to Save Cape Wind

Vote on Pombo Ad

envaction

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday April 04, 2006 · 8:27 AM PDT

2006/04/04 · 08:27

Now this should be fun. As you know, President Bush has launched a crazy scheme to sell off up to 800,000 acres of national forests and other public land as a way to raise money for the federal budget.

Our allies in Congress have been awakened and are rightly outraged. But we decided that we should take this fight right into the belly of the beast. We want to run an ad in every major newspaper in the district of Rep. Richard Pombo, the pointman on the President plan.

The ad campaign will reach nearly 150,000 people in Pombo's district.

To kick-off the effort, we are asking people to vote on the ad they prefer.

The two ads: "Going Once, Going Twice" & "Feeding Time" are below:

To view the ads close up and to vote for your favorite, head over here.

America's Energy Nightmare: 130 New Coal Plants

envaction

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday March 31, 2006 · 6:59 AM PST

2006/03/31 · 06:59

Perhaps Time magazine was exactly right about global warming: "Be Worried. Be Very Worried." We already know that glaciers are melting at twice the rate previously predicted. Countless species are going extinct. Droughts, severe storms and flooding will increase. But it's worse. Much worse.

All of this will happen if we do nothing. Unfortunately, the coal industry is about to do something.

Over at Environmental Action, we've pulled together this frightening interactive map of the 130 brand new coal-fired power plants that the industry is pushing to build in the next ten years.

Building these plants would be a disaster. They would increase U.S. production of coal by nearly 25 percent—accelerating global warming even further. Read More

Don't Be Fooled--Bush's New Rule for SUVs Ain't All That

envaction

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday March 22, 2006 · 6:42 AM PST

2006/03/22 · 06:42

A story in the Wall Street Journal today reports that the Bush administration is considering applying fuel efficiency standards to the largest SUVs, which are currently exempt from meeting any standard at all.

Chart of SUVs.bmp

As the chart shows, GM would be hardest hit.

The one concern the story raises is that the Administration is also proposing to change fuel efficiency rules in a way that would allow companies to sell more inefficient vehicles by calculating their fleet average differently.

Despite this, I was tempted to break open the champagne on my first read of the story. But after a closer review, I think we'll have to keep it on ice for a little while longer. First off, the story states:

People familiar with the discussions cautioned that no decisions have yet been made, and the final regulation may continue to exempt large vehicles.

So who knows what the final rule will look like. But more importantly, the math (if I'm doing it right) just doesn't amount to much. Read More

Another Terrible Bush Appointment--Stop Dirk, Stop!

envaction

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday March 17, 2006 · 4:53 PM PST

2006/03/17 · 16:53

What is up with the Senate? President Bush nominates an extremist to head the Dept. of Interior and suddenly everyone approves.

Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, said she welcomed the appointment. "He understands the Northwest and a lot of Interior issues."

Senator Bingaman (D-NM):

Dirk Kempthorne is well known and respected by those of us in the Senate who served with him. As a Westerner, former senator and current governor, he certainly understands the issues managed by the Interior Department.

In his six years as a U.S. Senator, Dirk had a lifetime environmental score of 1%; he cast only one vote in favor of the environment.

With proposals to drill along our protected shores and plans to sell-off thousands of acres of public lands, this is a critical moment for America's natural heritage.

The only Senator who has stood up so far is Senator Nelson (D-FL) who has threatened to place a hold on the nomination.

Go here to e-mail your Senators and bolster their backbone.

Wind: Grab It While You Can

envaction

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday March 14, 2006 · 9:10 AM PST

2006/03/14 · 09:10

NPR ran this great story about the real-life impacts of wind power on rural communities. While allowing the grievances about noise and visual pollution to be aired, the story's undeniable point is that wind is rescuing small towns. On the Tug Hill Plateau in New York state, Horizon Wind Energy's 120 turbine project has revived a dwindling community. Each tower generates $6,000–$10,000 in lease revenue for landowners per year. One family interviewed in the story has 8 towers on its property generating between $50,000–$80,000! And, the wind farm will generate $9 million/year in local taxes suddenly providing the town with the opportunity to build new parks and invest in other amenities. Giddy-up!

Without detracting from the feel-good story, I am genuinely always surprised when I hear people complain about the sight of wind turbines. Perhaps a clear reflection of how much beauty is influenced by purpose, but I have always found them stunning and awe-some.

Join the On-Line Picture Rally to Save America's Forests

envaction

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday March 09, 2006 · 8:14 AM PST

2006/03/09 · 08:14

It's been more than a month since the Bush administration released their budget proposal which included the brilliant idea of selling off our national forests and other public lands to help raise some money. Something of a bake sale only it doesn't taste nearly as sweet in the mouth.

Anyway, Environmental Action has launched an on-line rally to collect 1,000 photos from citizens across the country showcasing the very places we cherish--many of which are at risk. The album will be delivered to every Member of Congress when it's complete.

At the very least, this will be a great tool to remind many of the key Democrats to fight this proposal until it's dead.

Don Young Needs Your Help!

envaction

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday March 07, 2006 · 3:24 PM PST

2006/03/07 · 15:24

As many of you know, Don Young and his Big Oil allies are blowing a lot of hot air, trying to stop construction of Cape Wind, the largest wind power project in the country.

Young isn't just proposing to kill Cape Wind, he's trying to shut down all offshore wind power in the country.

I couldn't understand why Don Young is blowing all this hot air. And then it occurred to me that he is probably suffering from a bout of Don Quixoteosis, causing him to irrationally tilt at windmills. And you could help cure him!

To send him a get well card go to http://www.environmental-action.org/...

Newer
Older

RSS