Wednesday
Apr082009
Group endeavors hopes to help planet and people
by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service
Green for All and the Service Employees International Union converged in Washington, D.C. today, recommending to lawmakers how they should act following draft legislation recently put forward by Senate Democrats to introduce the Climate Equity Alliance, which is an alliance pushing for strong climate legislation that protects and provides opportunity for low- and moderate-income communities.
Jason Walsh, National Policy Director at Green for All said that, based on shared values, more than two dozen organizations from the research, advocacy, faith-based, labor and civil rights communities have formed this alliance.
“The urgent need of transition to a clean energy economy presents us with some critical choices…. We should therefore approach climate policy not only as environmental policy, though it is certainly that, but also as economic policy and as civil-rights policy that can advance principles of fairness and opportunity and equal access,” said Walsh.
The alliance believes that the best way to advance those principles “is to ensure that the strong policies needed to reduce green house gas emissions, also protect low and moderate income households and expand economic opportunity,” Walsh said.
U.S. climate policy needs to include effective mechanisms that reach all low-income households and effectively offset cost increases and to ensure that quality of life for those families is maintained, said Robert Greenstein, Executive Director at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
“This is definitely doable as part of climate legislation,” Greenstein said. “One certainly doesn’t want climate policy to have the unintended side effect of increasing poverty and hardship... Well-designed climate policy can assure that there aren’t such adverse effects by auctioning emissions allowances and devoting an appropriate portion of the proceeds to effectively deliver consumer relief for low and moderate income households”.
Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, CEO of Green for All, said “We believe that if climate policy can fight pollution, it can also alleviate poverty at the same time,” adding that she wants to make ensure that the alliance is equitable and takes in account low and moderate-income communities.
“We want to ensure that climate policies provide equal protection and also equal opportunity for all communities,” she said. “Our hope is that working together, if we do this right, we’ll really be able to make sure that both our planet and the people that inhabit it are not really just surviving but in fact thriving in a clean energy economy.”
Green for All and the Service Employees International Union converged in Washington, D.C. today, recommending to lawmakers how they should act following draft legislation recently put forward by Senate Democrats to introduce the Climate Equity Alliance, which is an alliance pushing for strong climate legislation that protects and provides opportunity for low- and moderate-income communities.
Jason Walsh, National Policy Director at Green for All said that, based on shared values, more than two dozen organizations from the research, advocacy, faith-based, labor and civil rights communities have formed this alliance.
“The urgent need of transition to a clean energy economy presents us with some critical choices…. We should therefore approach climate policy not only as environmental policy, though it is certainly that, but also as economic policy and as civil-rights policy that can advance principles of fairness and opportunity and equal access,” said Walsh.
The alliance believes that the best way to advance those principles “is to ensure that the strong policies needed to reduce green house gas emissions, also protect low and moderate income households and expand economic opportunity,” Walsh said.
U.S. climate policy needs to include effective mechanisms that reach all low-income households and effectively offset cost increases and to ensure that quality of life for those families is maintained, said Robert Greenstein, Executive Director at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
“This is definitely doable as part of climate legislation,” Greenstein said. “One certainly doesn’t want climate policy to have the unintended side effect of increasing poverty and hardship... Well-designed climate policy can assure that there aren’t such adverse effects by auctioning emissions allowances and devoting an appropriate portion of the proceeds to effectively deliver consumer relief for low and moderate income households”.
Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, CEO of Green for All, said “We believe that if climate policy can fight pollution, it can also alleviate poverty at the same time,” adding that she wants to make ensure that the alliance is equitable and takes in account low and moderate-income communities.
“We want to ensure that climate policies provide equal protection and also equal opportunity for all communities,” she said. “Our hope is that working together, if we do this right, we’ll really be able to make sure that both our planet and the people that inhabit it are not really just surviving but in fact thriving in a clean energy economy.”
tagged 
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Climate Equity Alliance, DC, Environmental Policy, Green for All, Jason Walsh, Legislation, National Policy Director, Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, Robert Greenstein, Senate Democrats, Service Employees International Union, advocacy, alliance, civil-rights policy, climate policy, faith-based, green house gas emissions, labor and civil rights, pollution, research, washington in News/Commentary
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Climate Equity Alliance, DC, Environmental Policy, Green for All, Jason Walsh, Legislation, National Policy Director, Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, Robert Greenstein, Senate Democrats, Service Employees International Union, advocacy, alliance, civil-rights policy, climate policy, faith-based, green house gas emissions, labor and civil rights, pollution, research, washington in News/Commentary
Calling All Scientists: More Science Innovation Needed
Higher value on science innovation and education is needed in the United States according to both political and scientific leaders. The leaders participated in the “Best and Brightest Forum on Medical Innovation: Achieving Recovery Through Discovery” Friday at the Newseum, and discussed the economic impact that medical innovation policies can have.
U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (D-Penn.) delivered the keynote address and commented both from the political perspective and from the perspective of someone who has fought through serious health issues, including battling cancer twice.
Specter has recently introduced new legislation entitled the Cure Acceleration Network (CAN).
Said the Senator, “there is the so-called valley of death between what happens in the laboratory and what happens in application. A lot of great ideas from the National Institute of Health have been translated to the bed-side with great delays...This legislation would set up a separate agency with separate funding to push for clinical trials so that we can realize the benefits of this great research.”
Sen. Specter added that he just couldn’t stand by the Republican party given the economic problems of the country and the prospect of falling into another Great Depression. He said that was one of the driving forces behind him leaving the party.
Also present for the event was Dick Gephardt, former U.S. Democratic House Majority Leader and Founder/President of the Council for American Medical Innovation. Said Gephardt, “today’s policy decisions will have a long-term impact on the future of medical innovation in the United States.”