Some good news for the environmental community:
http://www.staradvertiser.com/...
Sen. Brian Schatz's work in Hawaii with renewable energy has landed him a leadership role not often offered to freshman senators: head of a Senate subcommittee, his office said in an announcement scheduled for today.
Sen. Ron Wyden, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said he believes Schatz is in a good position to lead the Water and Power subcommittee, which is under the Energy Committee.
"Brian will be a real asset to our committee, and a great partner for clean energy in Hawaii and the rest of the country," Wyden, D-Oregon, said in a news release to be issued today. "While it is uncommon for a freshman member to gain a chairmanship, he has demonstrated the drive and ability to take up that responsibility, despite having just a few weeks of tenure in the Senate."
Schatz, Hawaii's former lieutenant governor, was appointed on Dec. 26 by Gov. Neil Abercrombie to serve in the seat of Sen. Daniel Inouye, who died Dec. 17, until a special election in 2014. - Honolulu Star Advertiser, 2/14/13
This is great news because Schatz has vowed to make climate change his top priority in the Senate:
http://www.pbs.org/...
Schatz also said he would make energy and environmental issues a priority during his time in the Senate, calling climate change "the most urgent challenge of our generation." He has previously expressed support for large projects to encourage the use of renewable energy, and he led state efforts to expand infrastructure for the handling of liquid natural gas.
Chuck Freedman, a long-time Democratic Party activist in Hawaii and chair for Schatz's 2010 campaign for lieutenant governor, characterized Schatz as a driven and ambitious politician who sought to make the most of his time as the state's number two executive.
"He has a quiet belief that wherever he goes, he can make good things happen," Freedman said. "Brian felt that he could turn that position into a lot more than it had been before and go way beyond the job description." - PBS News Hour, 1/3/13
Schatz recently praised President Obama for addressing climate change in his State Of the Union speech and will be able to provide Obama strong support for addressing climate change:
http://mauitvnews.com/...
“President Obama laid out a clear plan to help middle-class families grow and prosper once again. While we’ve made progress to get our economy back on track, the President’s commitment to a thriving clean energy economy ensures that we will get people back to work and continue to address climate change, the most urgent challenge of our generation. I look forward to working with the President and the Hawai`i delegation to craft policies that create good-paying jobs across the country and to ensure that Hawai`i continues to establish itself as a leader in clean energy both nationally and internationally.” - Maui TV News, 2/13/13
If you would like to donate to Schatz's re-election campaign, you can do so here:
https://secure.actblue.com/...