Bipartisan advocates for smart, sustainable environmental policies in Connecticut



Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Rell Vetoes Energy Bill, Leaves Wrong Legacy Conservation League Eyeing Candidates for Vision and Leadership on Energy

Hartford, CT (May 26, 2010)   -   In 2005, Governor Rell told us:  "The people of Connecticut, and history, will judge us by whether we accepted our stewardship simply to preserve the comfortable status quo or whether we seized it with boldness of purpose.  I, for one, am emboldened." Governor M. Jodi Rell, State of the State Address, January 5, 2005. 

Then in 2006, Governor Rell reminded us:   "As I said in my State of the State speech one year ago, 'The people of Connecticut, and history, will judge us by whether we accepted our stewardship simply to preserve the comfortable status quo or whether we seized it with boldness of purpose.' . . .    We did seize it with boldness of purpose, and we must do so again, for many challenges still confront us . . .   Join me in transforming Connecticut into a national model for job creation and economic growth..."  Governor M. Jodi Rell,  State of the State Address, February 8, 2006.   energy org chart

And in 2007, there was the Governor's press release:   "Governor Rell Announces New Energy Initiatives-New Department of Energy, Cap on Gross Receipts Tax, Alternative Fuel Development Among New Measures," proposing many of the same ideas she just vetoed.

What happened to all that bold vision?

Governor Jodi Rell's May 25 veto of Connecticut's energy reform legislation is an extraordinary, mind-numbing blow to the state's renewable energy businesses and their would-be employees and customers.  Rather than seize the opportunity to leave a genuine legacy of cleaner, cheaper energy, by her veto Rell chose instead to condemn Connecticut residents to the status quo and the highest electric rates in the continental United States, to drive Connecticut's promising renewable energy industry right out of the state, and to preserve our mindless morass of organizations that deal with state energy policy.

As we prepare for our July 14 pre-primary gubernatorial debate on the environment , the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters will be monitoring candidates' energy proposals with extensive scrutiny.

It's time for a leader who has real vision and will deliver on it.  A leader who means what he says and says what he means.  Our environmental and economic future depend on it.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Governor Rell: Gov. Rell Vetoes Energy Bill

Governor Rell Vetoes Energy Bill

Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that she has vetoed energy legislation, crafted and passed in the final days of the session, citing deep concerns that the measure would raise utility rates for consumers, not reduce them as bill sponsors claim. Read the press release..

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Roundup: Analysis Of Kerry-Lieberman Bill -- Energy Section

Roundup: Analysis Of Kerry-Lieberman Bill -- Energy Section

While advocates for the environment see the Kerry-Lieberman climate bill as imperfect, it's still regarded as an essential step in the right direction. We can't keep putting climate action off. This is the year to get going.

Link to this Energy & Environment page of the National Journal for a roundup of perspectives on different aspects of the bill.

Friday, May 14, 2010

This Week at the Capitol: Talking Toxics, with Sarah Uhl

We spoke with Sarah Uhl, the Environmental Health Coordinator for the Connecticut Chapter of Clean Water Action, the national group that helped pass the federal Clean Water Act.

In Connecticut, Clean Water Action focuses primarily on energy and toxics, and as part of her role, Sarah coordinates the Coalition for A Safe and Healthy Connecticut.

We talked with Sarah about what her work entails and about two big accomplishments for the legislative session that just ended --- a bill to create a Chemical Innovations Institute to research safer alternatives to the toxic chemicals we use everyday, and a bill that bans cadmium in children’s jewelry.

Listen to the conversation.

podcast

To learn more about the Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut and its work visit www.safehealthyct.org.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Want Cleaner, Cheaper Energy? Tell Governor Rell to Sign the Energy Bill!

Connecticut legislative leaders led a press conference today to encourage Governor Rell to sign the just-passed landmark energy reform bill, and to tout the bill's potential to lower electric rates, increase the generation of renewable energy, and promote energy efficiency.

Email:  governor.rell@ct.gov
Tel: 860-566-4840
Toll-Free: 800-406-1527
TDD: 860-524-7397

Tell Governor Rell to sign the bill!  Watch the video for details.

 

ENERGY Bill Press Conference TODAY, 5/12 at 1pm; LOB Room 1B

... with advocates, businesses, and legislative leaders to highlight some of the best pro-consumer, pro-clean energy provisions of the bill and to urge Governor Rell to sign SB 493 into law.

It’s important for energy bill supporters to turn out to make a clear statement to the Governor.

Speakers include Senators Williams & Fonfara, Reps Donovan & Nardello, environmental advocates, consumer organizations, and businesses.

Legislative Office Building Room  1B, 1pm

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

100 + Environmental Groups Sign on to No Drilling Letter to US Senate

The Gulf oil spill is a disaster too tragic for words.  Joining 109 other environmental groups, CTLCV signed on to the following letter submitted last week to the United States Senate.  That kind of critical mass can’t go ignored.

_____________

May 3, 2010
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator:

On behalf of our organizations, and the millions of members they represent, we are writing you today to urge the United States Senate to reconsider any plans to include expanded offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling in any legislation. In light of the events surrounding the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico, our organizations urge you to oppose efforts to expand offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling off of our coasts. Expanding exploration and drilling into previously protected and remote areas is unacceptable when it is clear that we are not
capable of responding to oil spills in a timely manner. The Senate faces a choice between leading America forward in a new clean energy economy or holding America back by preserving the failed energy policies of the past. This human and environmental catastrophe is proof positive that we must end our addiction to oil, enact a firm limit on carbon pollution, and ensure this type of disaster never happens again.

What began with the apparent tragic loss of 11 lives on April 21, 2010 now has the potential to be one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history. The unfolding catastrophe clearly illustrates that offshore drilling is an inherently dangerous, risky, and dirty business. Furthermore, these events raise numerous questions about the safety and environmental safeguards that are intended to protect our coastlines. If we cannot contain an oil spill in the very temperate Gulf of Mexico, how can we have any faith that a similar disaster does not await the "exploratory" drilling currently planned for the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas in the extreme conditions of the Arctic Ocean where we already know technology does not exist to clean up a spill in icy water.
Currently, the oil slick resulting from the Deepwater Horizon disaster continues to grow, posing hazards to marine wildlife. The slick of toxic oil has made landfall on the coastline of Louisiana and threatens the coasts of Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Exposure to the oil will likely have devastating impacts for coastal and marine wildlife and commercial and recreational fisheries.

Oil can persist in the environment long after a spill. This prolonged exposure to oil could result in major impacts on the coastal economies of the Gulf region. Gulf of Mexico fisheries are among the most productive in the world. In 2008, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service, the commercial fish and shellfish harvest from the five U.S. Gulf states was estimated to be 1.3 billion pounds valued at $661 million. The Gulf also contains four of the top seven fishing ports in the nation by landed weight. The Gulf of Mexico has eight of the top 20 fishing ports in the nation by dollar value of landings.

Accidents happen, and they will continue to happen in the future. Any expanded offshore exploration and drilling should be off the table. Instead, legislation should focus on emphasizing development of carbon-free energy technologies, including offshore and land-based wind power and solar power, consistent with the protection of wildlife and ecosystems, and the development of a meaningful national renewable electricity standard.

Provisions creating new incentives (such as state revenue sharing) or reduced safeguards for expanded offshore drilling are simply not acceptable. The energy bill reported by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the American Clean Energy Leadership Act (ACELA) of 2009, reverses the bipartisan agreement reached in the 2006 Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA). The language would allow drilling within 10 miles of Pensacola, and shrink the current 125-mile-wide buffer elsewhere along Florida's West Coast to 45 miles. Clearly, an accident similar to the Deepwater Horizon would devastate Florida’s coast regardless of buffers provided in the bill. We oppose inclusion of any such provisions in legislation considered by this Congress.

The numbers don’t lie. There is not enough oil off of our shores to make America energy independent or to reduce gas prices. But, clearly there is enough to damage ocean and coastal ecosystems and billion-dollar coastal economies. Instead of expanding offshore oil drilling, responsible climate legislation needs to focus on innovation and investment in clean, renewable, carbon-free energy that creates jobs and protects our coastal economies and ecosystems.

The Senate has a profound responsibility to build a clean energy future for our nation without sacrificing our oceans and coasts in the process. Now is the time for strong clean energy and climate policy. It is up to you to ensure that we put the United States on the path to economic, environmental and national security.

Sincerely,

Oceana
1 Sky
350.org
Alaska Wilderness League
Alaska’s Big Village Network
Animal Welfare Institute
Center for Biological Diversity
Center for Water Advocacy
Clean Ocean Action
Climate Solutions
Conservation Law Foundation
Cook Inletkeeper
Credo Action
Defenders of Wildlife
Earthjustice
Endangered Species Coalition
Environment America
Environment Arizona
Environment California
Environment Colorado
Environment Connecticut
Environment Florida
Environment Georgia
Environment Illinois
Environment Iowa
Environment Maine
Environment Maryland
Environment Massachusetts
Environment Michigan
Environment Minnesota
Environment Montana
Environment Nevada
Environment New Jersey
Environment New Mexico
Environment New York
Environment North Carolina
Environment Ohio
Environment Oregon
Penn Environment
Environment Rhode Island
Environment Texas
Environment Virginia
Environment Washington
Wisconsin Environment
Environment and Energy Study Institute
Environmental Caucus of the California Democratic Party
Friends of the Earth
Greenpeace USA
Green For All
Gulf Coast Environmental Defense
International Fund for Animal Welfare
International Forum on Globalization
League of Conservation Voters
Alaska Conservation Voters
Conservation Alabama
Arizona League of Conservation Voters
California League of Conservation Voters
Colorado Conservation Voters
Connecticut League of Conservation Voters
Florida Conservation Alliance
Georgia Conservation Voters
Conservation Voters for Idaho
Maine League of Conservation Voters
Maryland League of Conservation Voters
Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters
Michigan League of Conservation Voters
Conservation Minnesota
Missouri Votes Conservation
Montana Conservation Voters
Nevada Conservation League
Oregon League of Conservation Voters
Conservation Voters New Mexico
Conservation Council of North Carolina
Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania
Conservation Voters of South Carolina
Tennessee Conservation Voters
Texas League of Conservation Voters
Vermont League of Conservation Voters
Virginia League of Conservation Voters
Washington Conservation Voters
Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters
Wyoming Conservation Voters
League of Women Voters
Marine Fish Conservation Network
MoveOn.org
Montana Audubon
Natural Resources Defense Council
National Audubon Society
Northern Alaska Environmental Center
Ocean Champions
Ocean Conservation Research
Oil Change International
Pacific Environment
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Planning and Conservation League
Progress Florida
Redoil
Safe Climate Campaign
Sierra Club
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Southern Environmental Law Center
Spirit of the Sage Council
Sport Fishing Magazine
Surfrider Foundation
The Habitat Trust for Wildlife
The Wilderness Society
Waterkeeper Alliance
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society
Western Nebraska Resources Council.
World Wildlife Fund

Friday, May 7, 2010

CTLCV on “Meet the Leaders” for Earth Day 40

CTLCV Executive Director  Lori Brown appears on Cablevision's Meet the Leaders program for Earth Day 40. 

Watch it here:

(the audio in this clip is now working… apologies for the technical difficulties.)

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The Really Big Energy Bill: Supporters & Opponents

Senate Bill 463, the 169 page energy bill released a few days ago, seems to be pitting traditional energy businesses against new clean energy businesses.  As part of a press conference yesterday, the Connecticut Citizen Action Group displayed a poster identifying the bill’s biggest supporters and opponents (below).

Background on the Bill
For background on what the bill proposes, see:
-  The nonpartisan Office of Legislative Research summary here
-  CT News Junkie and CT Mirror articles here and here
-  This morning’s Hartford  Courant endorsed a go-slow approach.  You can read the Courant editorial here.

CCAG's "Whose Side Are You On?"

Monday, May 3, 2010

Earth Day TV, Live from the Capitol

- Kelly Kennedy

These “Earth Day TV” videos are a joint project of the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, Middlesex Community College, and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day - April 22, 2010.

Watch what Connecticut’s top advocates for the planet had to say in the full playlist below, or scroll down to click on individual videos.  Thanks to everyone who participated!


Click on any picture below to watch that individual video separately.

Lori Brown on Earth Day 40 | Cablevision's "Meet the Leaders" Mary Glassman on CT Earth Day TV Jack Hoscheit on CT Earth Day TV
Bryan Hurlburt on CT Earth Day TV Jiff Martin on CT Earth Day TV Jeff Cordulak on CT Earth Day TV

Eric Brown on CT Earth Day TV

Patrick Comins on CT Earth Day TV Richard Roy on CT Earth Day TV
Laurie Gianotti on CT Earth Day TV Charlie Leach on CT Earth Day TV Steve Grant on CT Earth Day TV
Sandy Breslin on CT Earth Day TV Eric Hammerling on CT Earth Day TV Sue Merrow on CT Earth Day TV
Julie Belaga on CT Earth Day TV David Sutherland on CT Earth Day TV Sarah Uhl on CT Earth Day TV
Henry Talmage on CT Earth Day TV Scott Heth on CT Earth Day TV Lyle Wray on CT Earth Day TV
Margaret Miner on CT Earth Day TV logo for facebook2

Toni Gold on CT Earth Day TV