Philadelphia, PA - As the Senate gears up to debate climate legislation this fall, paid lobbyists with the American Petroleum Institute are organizing a new type of event – invitation only "Energy Citizens" rallies. These rallies are one of the latest attempts to spread fear that the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) will raise energy prices and ‘kill jobs’.
Recently, one such rally, organized by registered lobbyist Rolf Hanson, came within 30 minutes of Philadelphia, where I live. The event took place at Turbine Hall in the heavily industrialized City of Chester, Pennsylvania. I uncovered a few details before event planners became suspicious and I snuck in undetected.
Philadelphia, PA – As the Senate gears up to debate climate legislation this fall, paid lobbyists with the American Petroleum Institute are organizing a new type of event – invitation only "Energy Citizens" rallies. These rallies are one of the latest attempts to spread fear that the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) will raise energy prices and ‘kill jobs’.
Recently, one such rally, organized by registered lobbyist Rolf Hanson, came within 30 minutes of Philadelphia, where I live. The event took place at Turbine Hall in the heavily industrialized City of Chester, Pennsylvania. I uncovered a few details before event planners became suspicious and I snuck in undetected.
Inside Turbine Hall, I was handed a bright yellow "Energy Citizens" T-shirt, offered hotdogs, hamburgers and chips, and found myself listening to country music. The scene was all-American. Free stuff, meat, and southern twang. Soon small business owners, farmers, and a video of country music star Trace Atkins took the stage as the main event. Each spoke in succession and attempted to generate a buzz around the threats of the climate legislation. Unfortunately for the "Energy Citizens" fanclub, the messages were contradictory, incongruous, and misleading. For instance, ‘expert’ John Brinson, who contended that he read the science journals, spent much of his allotted speaking time denouncing climate change as a hoax. His speech contrasted significantly from later speakers who claimed that the climate bill could be more industry-friendly and still address climate change by investing in technologies to lower greenhouse gas emissions. So, does the "Energy Citizens" group believe in climate change or not?
The event continued with bizarre speeches and misleading statements. Next I heard comments that "Waxman-Markey is bad for the Delaware River port community." Strange though, that neither the speakers, nor the audience had a connection to the Delaware River port community. Despite the event taking place on the Chester waterfront, attendees were bused in from Allentown and New Jersey. Then, after emphasizing the importance of oil to industrial development and holocaust (attributing the downfall of Nazi Germany to a lack of oil), the last speaker concluded his statements by asking the audience to mull over the rhetorical questions, "Do you want to protect America? Do you believe in God?" I’m not sure where that was going.
Most seriously, the Energy Citizens rally mislead attendees, media, and political targets by predicting that energy prices will rise and jobs opportunities fall with investments in alternative energy. To the contrary, recent reports predict that a just transition to a clean energy economy can lift approximately 78 million people out of poverty. The September 2008 Apollo Report explains that wind energy is already cost competitive with building new coal plants and investments in renewable energy generate 50% more jobs per dollar invested than coal. Since September 2008 many reports have indicated that investments in energy conservation, efficiency, and renewables are all cost competitive with traditional fossil fuel-based energy. The "Green Prosperity" report, published in June 2009, even describes new Green Jobs as offering individuals opportunities for advancement, while being accessible to individuals across education levels.
I agree with the three main tenets of the "Energy Citizens" group. 1. The United States should be more energy self-sufficient. 2. Energy must be affordable for working class Americans and 3. We cannot forget workers in the towns and cities such as Chester, Pennsylvania – places with energy intensive industries. It is because I believe in these tenets that I also believe in local, renewable energy sources, Green Jobs, adaptation aid, and attention, investment, and planning for a just transition to healthy, sustainable industries in manufacturing cities and places that host polluting energy and waste technologies.
While "Energy Citizens", U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the American Conservative Union, and Dick Armey's FreedomWorks has sought to misinform politicians and the media, public opinion polls show that Americans want clean, renewable energy.
For instance, a Zogby International poll reported that only 28% of likely voters believe Congress is doing too much to address climate change. By contrast 45% stated they believe Congress should act more aggressively to address the problems connected to climate change. Almost no environmental groups have expressed satisfaction with the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) and more than 300 environmental groups have asked the Senate for a stronger bill. Many environmental justice groups, including Philadelphia-based Energy Justice Network, oppose the ACES legislation because current drafts may do more to incentivize polluting fuels than renewable ones, locking Americans into modern polluting and unsustainable fuel systems.
Criticism of ACES is coming from all sides – from groups and individuals who believe legislation must have stronger emissions reduction targets and more focus on environmental justice, and from the "Energy Citizens" groups of the world – groups that mislead and obstruct progress on climate change with claims that renewable energy is too expensive for American workers. In the coming months, while the legislation becomes ever more confusing and confused, and while fossil fuel lobbies fabricate more myths, the voices of voters and community members, need to be louder and more specific than ever.
Let’s demand regulating carbon based on scientific targets, eliminating mountaintop removal mining, demand that dirty energy money is separated from political systems and leaders, and work for a just transition to a clean energy economy.