An Environmental Political Watch/Political Action Page

Ask Governer Schwarzenegger to Help Save the Electric Car!

From our Friends at Plug In America: On March 27, the California Air Resources Board will vote to revise the history-making program that put more than 5,000 Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) on the road. The air board's staff has issued a proposal that, instead of propelling our country ahead toward a pollution-free future, will profoundly weaken the program once again.

 How Green is Your Favorite Candidate?

See how your favorite candidate answered a wide range of environmental questions at this website created by the League of Conservation Voters (LCV): http://presidentialprofiles2008.org   Then check out your candidate’s voting records (and those of your state and local representatives) in the 2007 National Environmental Scorecard, recently released by the League of Conservation Voters.  The Scorecard, which has been published every year since the founding of Earth Day in 1970, details votes cast by each congressperson on every environmental measure put to vote during the year. Every congressperson is also given an overall score for the year, ranging from 100 (voting in support of all environmental measures) to 0 (voting in support of none).  Click here to view or download the Scorecard.

Californians: Toxic Toys Bill Signed by Governor!

On September 4th, Assemblywoman Fiona Ma's Stop Toxic Toys Bill (AB 1108) passed out of the California state Senate. This bill prohibits the manufacture, sale, and distribution of children's toys and feeding products that contain phthalates (chemicals added to plastics to increase their flexibility). Extensive scientific literature has shown that phthalates are toxic to our children. As stated in the press release, "Children’s exposures begin at conception, as chemicals, including phthalates, cross the placenta in a pregnant woman’s body and can affect the embryo or fetus during critical periods of development. Even after birth, children’s bodies remain immature, with under-developed detoxification mechanisms to protect them from phthalates."

Working through Environment California, hundreds of Californians sent emails and phthalate-free rubber duckies to show their support for Bill AB 1108. On October 15, 2007, Governor Schwarzenegger, who originally had threatened to veto the bill, signed it into law, making California the first state in the country to ban the use of phthalates from children's products.

Californians: Take Action to Save BioDemocracy in California!

Fellow Green Patriot Americans, it's an important time to stand up and protect our democratic rights which are currently threatened by new laws being pushed by large corporations in California. 

In order to protect their crops from being contaminated by drifting pollen from genetically engineered crops, last year, farmers and citizens in Mendocino County California voted to become the first county in the U.S. to ban genetically engineered (GE) crops. Since then, two more California counties and two cities have followed Mendocino's example.

In response, the biotech industry is working to remove these democratic rights. In the past several months, 14 U.S. states, prodded by the Monsanto Corporation and the Farm Bureau, have made it illegal for local communities to ban GE crops.

Two recently introduced bills in the California legislature (AB 1508 and SB 1056) would make California the 15th state to eliminate the right of local communities to ban or otherwise regulate genetically engineered seeds.

This "preemption" bill would overturn GE-Free victories in Mendocino, Trinity, and Marin counties, and the cities of Arcata and Point Arena, and would prohibit local communities from banning or regulating genetically engineered crops in the future.

Take action today to stop the biotech industry from taking away our democratic rights in California! Send a message to your state legislators:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/ca.htm

Senate Energy Bill: Down Payment on Our Future
By David Steinman

The Energy Bill that the Senate passed earlier this month was only a good start. The fuel economy provision it contains would mean American cars and trucks will average 35 miles per gallon by 2020. However, the Senate did not include vital measures to reduce global warming and protect our land and water. 

I recommend three measures, in line with the Natural Resources Defense Council, that were not included in the Senate bill but must be addressed in the House and in conference in order to make meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment: 

1. Adequate Safeguards for Biofuels to ensure that intensive biofuel production does not result in water pollution, habitat destruction, or loss of forests. This should include analysis of the potential damage from highly increased use of herbicides to grow corn. We could inadvertently add many thousands of new cancers to the population due to overuse of toxic herbicides like atrazine. 2. A Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) that would require utilities to produce 20% to 25% of their electricity from clean renewable sources such as wind and solar.   3. A Greenhouse Gas Standard that would require advance biofuels to emit 50% less global warming pollution than gasoline.

The problem with the energy bill right now is that it really isn’t an energy bill per se but an energy-environmental bill—and it won’t be successful in terms of addressing global warming or other national security issues without a comprehensive environmental component that includes critical examination of its effects on climate and human health. I would be extremely concerned if the huge increase in ethanol production resulted in a proportional increase of some of the most highly toxic petrochemicals today, such as atrazine, linked with ovarian cancer in humans and reproductive effects in amphibians.

“America not only deserves but needs an energy bill that includes meaningful reductions of global warming pollution and protects our natural resources,” said Dan Lashof, Science Director of the NRDC Climate Center. “This bill makes a down payment on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. When the House of Representatives takes up energy legislation, we trust they will include critical components that were not added before the clock ran out.”

We’ll keep you posted on this important legislation and tell you how to make your voice heard.  Stay tuned.

Good news! On Wednesday evening, the California General Assembly approved a measure to create the nation's largest solar water heating program, promising to again expand the state's market for clean, renewable energy.

The bill, The Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007 (AB 1470), authored by Assembly member Jared Huffman, sponsored by Environment California, and
supported by hundreds of organizations and businesses, would create a $250 million ten-year program to provide consumer rebates for solar water heating systems.

This victory would not have been possible without your actions. Over the last month Environment California members have sent over 7,500 emails on this issue. AB 1470 now heads to the State Senate to be heard in the Energy and Commerce Committee
in June or early July.

Please take a moment to thank your Assemblymember for their vote for our solar bill. To take action, click on the link below:
www.environmentcalifornia.org/action/energy/solar

Sincerely,
Dan Jacobson
Environment California Legislative Director
www.environmentcalifornia.org

As Green Patriot™ Americans, we are highly motivated to use our votes to help create positive change for our environment, as we believe this will positively impact our national security as well. While we may disagree on candidates, parties and specific propositions, we have this common overall goal.   Click here to find out how your representatives are voting on environmental issues. Members of all parties may be interested in reading the blog by David Steinman “Did you know? Republicans have a history of Green Patriotism”

Green Patriot™ Americans, take Action!

Here's a simple way to take action and be part of the solution: Take 5 minutes each week to e-mail your representatives about important environmental issues.  The following websites make it a very quick and easy process:

• http://www.environmentaldefense.org/actioncenter.cfm
• http://action.lcv.org/lcv/home.html
• http://www.saveourenvironment.org/
• http://actionnetwork.org/
• http://ecomall.com/activism/activism.htm