Hi CCTF friends...
Next Sunday is the regular Carbon Caps meeting. Meeting at the Omni office at 1:30. The agenda is attached. Love to see you there.
Put May 18 on your calendar. That Sunday, the Carbon Caps Task Force is hosting the Global Warming Commission at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Springdale from 2:30-5:00. We don't know yet how many Commissioners will get to attend, but keen interest is reported already. We plan for music, wine and light snacks, and some interesting people who need to hear from YOU. More information will be coming soon. Informal tours of St. Thomas' new wind turbines can be arranged. Please plan to come meet the Commissioners.
Thanks friends, see you Sunday.
Gladys
OMNI’S Carbon Caps Task Force Meeting Agenda
1:30 – 3:00 PM, 05 May 2008, OMNI Office, Fayetteville, AR
Introductions & Welcome
Approval of Minutes, 13 April 2008
Approval of Agenda, 05 May 2008
Announcements
Reports:
Carbon Caps Fund, Gladys
PlanetWork, Gladys
TWG (cross., agri., trans.)
350 PPM - Robert
Heifer fundraiser – Brandon or Matt
Springfest – Kelly
Old Business
PSA’s, Gladys or Dava
Commissioners' reception on May 18 – Matt or Stephan
Website - Matt
OLLI, Matt
New Business
Joining two important causes: 1Sky (1skycampaign.org) and 350 (350.org)
PLEASE RESEARCH THE MISSIONS OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS
Adjourn – Set meetings through June and July
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Earth Fest in Rose Garden during 2008 Springfest in Fayetteville, Arkansas
PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE poster
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Photo set from Sunday's Earth Day Celebration at World Peace Wetland Prairie will grow until complete
Please see first 33 photos in set of
Earth Day 2008 photos from World Peace Wetland Prairie and return later to see more!
Earth Day 2008 photos from World Peace Wetland Prairie and return later to see more!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Earth Day Celebration at World Peace Wetland Prairie on Sunday afternoon April 20, 2008
PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE.
Keep the Water Where it Falls, Maintain the Habitat — Earth Day at World Peace Wetland Prairie
Fayetteville's Town Branch Neighborhood and the OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology have announced that the Fourth Earth Day Celebration since the Founding of World Peace Wetland Prairie, a city-owned nature park and natural rain garden in south Fayetteville, is planned for 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 20, 2008.
Nature walks will be led by local biologists and nature enthusiasts, highlighting Arkansas native plants and describing the value of natural wetland and its function for stormwater abatement and cleansing in an urban environment.
Information from founding organizations and area environmental groups will be offered as well as an opportunity to participate in planting trees, native grass and flowering plants and in helping remove Japanese honeysuckle, fescue and other non-native invasive species. Some small trees and possibly some flowering plants will be available for adoption.
Musicians and poets are invited to perform with acoustic instruments; and environmentally friendly songs and poems are especially welcome. Activities suitable for small children will be offered.
Bird-watchers are encouraged to come at dawn or stay until dark. Bring a camera or video recorder. Nice photo opportunities are likely.
The theme for 2008 is "Keep the Water Where it Falls, Maintain the Habitat."
Updated information on plans for Earth Day activities at 1121 South Duncan Avenue in Fayetteville may be found at
http://worldpeacewetlandprairie.blogspot.com
Links to photo albums and slide shows on WPWP flora and fauna may be found at
http://www.worldpeacewetlandprairie.com
Telephone 479-444-6072
Remember: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday April 20, 2008
Keep the Water Where it Falls, Maintain the Habitat — Earth Day at World Peace Wetland Prairie
Fayetteville's Town Branch Neighborhood and the OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology have announced that the Fourth Earth Day Celebration since the Founding of World Peace Wetland Prairie, a city-owned nature park and natural rain garden in south Fayetteville, is planned for 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 20, 2008.
Nature walks will be led by local biologists and nature enthusiasts, highlighting Arkansas native plants and describing the value of natural wetland and its function for stormwater abatement and cleansing in an urban environment.
Information from founding organizations and area environmental groups will be offered as well as an opportunity to participate in planting trees, native grass and flowering plants and in helping remove Japanese honeysuckle, fescue and other non-native invasive species. Some small trees and possibly some flowering plants will be available for adoption.
Musicians and poets are invited to perform with acoustic instruments; and environmentally friendly songs and poems are especially welcome. Activities suitable for small children will be offered.
Bird-watchers are encouraged to come at dawn or stay until dark. Bring a camera or video recorder. Nice photo opportunities are likely.
The theme for 2008 is "Keep the Water Where it Falls, Maintain the Habitat."
Updated information on plans for Earth Day activities at 1121 South Duncan Avenue in Fayetteville may be found at
http://worldpeacewetlandprairie.blogspot.com
Links to photo albums and slide shows on WPWP flora and fauna may be found at
http://www.worldpeacewetlandprairie.com
Telephone 479-444-6072
Remember: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday April 20, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Carbon Caps Task Force table set for George's tonight, Thursday, April 17, 2008
Carbon Caps Task Force Schedule
17 April 2008 Carbon Caps sharing information a Heifer International benefit at George's on Dickson Street 6 p.m.
19 April 2008 Volunteers needed to help prepare oak trees to give away: For details: 479-530-8328.
20 April 2008 Earth Day at World Peace Wetland Prairie at 1121 S. Duncan Ave. 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
26 April 2008. Spring Fest / Earth Fest, Fayetteville, Dickson Street. Saturday.
26 April 2008. Arkansas Earth Day. Clinton Presidential Library. Little Rock. Saturday.
4 May 2008. CCTF Meeting. 1:30 PM OMNI Office. Fayetteville. Sunday.
17 April 2008 Carbon Caps sharing information a Heifer International benefit at George's on Dickson Street 6 p.m.
19 April 2008 Volunteers needed to help prepare oak trees to give away: For details: 479-530-8328.
20 April 2008 Earth Day at World Peace Wetland Prairie at 1121 S. Duncan Ave. 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
26 April 2008. Spring Fest / Earth Fest, Fayetteville, Dickson Street. Saturday.
26 April 2008. Arkansas Earth Day. Clinton Presidential Library. Little Rock. Saturday.
4 May 2008. CCTF Meeting. 1:30 PM OMNI Office. Fayetteville. Sunday.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Carbon Caps Task Force table at University of Arkansas Union Building
The Web address on the planetworks banner doesn't actually work. Our technicians are trying to fix the problem.
The Web address on the Carbon Caps banner works, so please use it!
Or, better yet, just click on
Interactive site that includes information about planet works list of people who will advise legislators on climate-change prevention
PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE.
CARBON CAPS TASK FORCE SCHEDULE
April 2008.
17 April 2008. Carbon Caps table at George's on Dickson Street 5 p.m. until ?
20 April 2008 Earth Day at World Peace Wetland Prairie at 1121 S. Duncan Ave. 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday
26 April 2008. Spring Fest / Earth Fest, Rose Garden of Walton Art Center in Fayetteville, Dickson Street. Saturday
26 April 2008. Arkansas Earth Day. Clinton Presidential Library. Little Rock. Saturday
4 May 2008. CCTF Meeting. 1:30 PM OMNI Office. Fayetteville. Sunday
The Web address on the Carbon Caps banner works, so please use it!
Or, better yet, just click on
Interactive site that includes information about planet works list of people who will advise legislators on climate-change prevention
PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE.
CARBON CAPS TASK FORCE SCHEDULE
April 2008.
17 April 2008. Carbon Caps table at George's on Dickson Street 5 p.m. until ?
20 April 2008 Earth Day at World Peace Wetland Prairie at 1121 S. Duncan Ave. 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday
26 April 2008. Spring Fest / Earth Fest, Rose Garden of Walton Art Center in Fayetteville, Dickson Street. Saturday
26 April 2008. Arkansas Earth Day. Clinton Presidential Library. Little Rock. Saturday
4 May 2008. CCTF Meeting. 1:30 PM OMNI Office. Fayetteville. Sunday
Friday, April 4, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
Gov. Beebe addresses joint session of Arkansas General Assembly
For full text of
Governor Beebe addressing joint legislative session
click the link.
Governor Beebe addressing joint legislative session
click the link.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Information on renewable energy in Arkansas
Arkansas Energy Offiice
The ADEQ director's position described below and the Arkansas Energy Office's efforts (click on link above) to educate the public illustrate how badly Arkansas needs an umbrella agency to include all environmental issues and see that we do the right thing!
A single wildlife biologist writing a basic report on the destruction of habitat for a coal plant should prevent its creation.
A single water-quality expert or air-quality expert writing a simple report on the project should prevent it.
A single county agent writing a soil-erosion and quality reduction report on the project should prevent it.
As our state operates now, nothing — nor everything — written or spoken by such state-paid experts will stop it. This is an issue the governor and legislature should be addressing along with the severance tax at the legislative session that begins Monday.
Friday, March 28, 2008
DEQ steers clear of Coal Debate
State Agency Steers Clear Of Coal DebateBy John LyonArkansas News Bureau • jlyon@arkansasnews.com
LITTLE ROCK — The debate over the pros and cons of coal power will have no bearing on the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality’s decision on whether to permit a coal-fired power plant in southwest Arkansas, an ADEQ official said Monday.The agency’s decision on whether to grant air, water and solid waste permits to Southwestern Electric Power Co. for a proposed 600-megawatt plant in Hempstead County will not take into account the question of whether coal power is good or bad for Arkansas in the long run, said Mike Bates, chief of ADEQ’s Air Division.Bates made the remarks while taking part in a public forum on coal power at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The university’s Biology Club sponsored the forum.“Our job simply boils down to, does it pass the regulatory, statutory requirements?” Bates said. “We can’t factor into our determination whether it (coal power) is the best thing or not so good. We have a body of regulation requirements we have to follow, and unfortunately — in some people’s eyes, anyway — deciding whether it is best or not, it simply is not part of our jurisdiction.”If ADEQ were to base its decision on matters outside its scope, that decision likely would be overturned on appeal, Bates said in an interview after the forum.The Arkansas Public Service Commission voted 2-1 in November to give its approval to the proposed plant, but SWEPCO still needs ADEQ approval. Local landowners are appealing the PSC’s ruling.Earlier this month the Arkansas Coalition for Clean Energy, a group that includes the Sierra Club, the Arkansas Wildlife Federation and several other organizations, called on Gov. Mike Beebe to issue a moratorium on new coal-fired plants. The coalition said building new coal plants would contribute to global warming and negate the efforts of the newly created Governor’s Commission on Global Warming.Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample said Monday the governor has no plans for a moratorium, but the ADEQ’s permitting process for the plant is “one that we’re going to keep an eye on.”The fact that the PSC has approved the SWEPCO plant does not necessarily mean ADEQ will do the same, Bates said.“The PSC ... does touch on some of the environmental aspects, but not to the degree that our agency has to,” he said.L. Van Warren of Little Rock, a specialist in renewable energy who represented the Sierra Club at the forum, expressed skepticism about the permitting process.“Like a magician, the trick ... is already in by the time you find out what the trick is. The misdirection is already in,” he said.Bates took exception to Warren’s comments. The permitting process is “an open process all the way through,” requiring public notices and public hearings before any permit is granted, he said.“The intimation that the fix was in on a DEQ permit for this facility, I don’t want to leave the wrong impression that that was actually in place, because it is certainly far from the situation in this case,” he said.Brian Bond, vice president of external affairs for SWEPCO, said during the forum that the plant proposed for Hemsptead County will be “probably one of the cleanest plants that’s ever been constructed in the United States, and it will be probably the first new power plant that’s controlled for mercury emissions.”Bond said coal power is less costly than alternatives such as wind power. Environmental protection has to be balanced with what people are willing and able to pay for that protection, he said.“One of the things we have to keep in mind, and I think everyone here should understand too, is the fact that low-income citizens are disproportionately impacted when you end up building higher-priced generating facilities,” he said.A family earning less than $10,000 a year pays 46 percent of its income on energy, whereas a family earning more than $50,000 pays 7 percent of its income on energy, Bond said.Warren compared America’s reliance on coal power to drug addiction.“We can look at the economics of crack cocaine,” he said. “There’s a short-term, sell the kids for food and then we get some crack cocaine and we do the crack cocaine. But then after that is gone, then we have to go repeat that negative behavior. And I would say as a nation, we’ve become addicted to oil.”
LITTLE ROCK — The debate over the pros and cons of coal power will have no bearing on the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality’s decision on whether to permit a coal-fired power plant in southwest Arkansas, an ADEQ official said Monday.The agency’s decision on whether to grant air, water and solid waste permits to Southwestern Electric Power Co. for a proposed 600-megawatt plant in Hempstead County will not take into account the question of whether coal power is good or bad for Arkansas in the long run, said Mike Bates, chief of ADEQ’s Air Division.Bates made the remarks while taking part in a public forum on coal power at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The university’s Biology Club sponsored the forum.“Our job simply boils down to, does it pass the regulatory, statutory requirements?” Bates said. “We can’t factor into our determination whether it (coal power) is the best thing or not so good. We have a body of regulation requirements we have to follow, and unfortunately — in some people’s eyes, anyway — deciding whether it is best or not, it simply is not part of our jurisdiction.”If ADEQ were to base its decision on matters outside its scope, that decision likely would be overturned on appeal, Bates said in an interview after the forum.The Arkansas Public Service Commission voted 2-1 in November to give its approval to the proposed plant, but SWEPCO still needs ADEQ approval. Local landowners are appealing the PSC’s ruling.Earlier this month the Arkansas Coalition for Clean Energy, a group that includes the Sierra Club, the Arkansas Wildlife Federation and several other organizations, called on Gov. Mike Beebe to issue a moratorium on new coal-fired plants. The coalition said building new coal plants would contribute to global warming and negate the efforts of the newly created Governor’s Commission on Global Warming.Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample said Monday the governor has no plans for a moratorium, but the ADEQ’s permitting process for the plant is “one that we’re going to keep an eye on.”The fact that the PSC has approved the SWEPCO plant does not necessarily mean ADEQ will do the same, Bates said.“The PSC ... does touch on some of the environmental aspects, but not to the degree that our agency has to,” he said.L. Van Warren of Little Rock, a specialist in renewable energy who represented the Sierra Club at the forum, expressed skepticism about the permitting process.“Like a magician, the trick ... is already in by the time you find out what the trick is. The misdirection is already in,” he said.Bates took exception to Warren’s comments. The permitting process is “an open process all the way through,” requiring public notices and public hearings before any permit is granted, he said.“The intimation that the fix was in on a DEQ permit for this facility, I don’t want to leave the wrong impression that that was actually in place, because it is certainly far from the situation in this case,” he said.Brian Bond, vice president of external affairs for SWEPCO, said during the forum that the plant proposed for Hemsptead County will be “probably one of the cleanest plants that’s ever been constructed in the United States, and it will be probably the first new power plant that’s controlled for mercury emissions.”Bond said coal power is less costly than alternatives such as wind power. Environmental protection has to be balanced with what people are willing and able to pay for that protection, he said.“One of the things we have to keep in mind, and I think everyone here should understand too, is the fact that low-income citizens are disproportionately impacted when you end up building higher-priced generating facilities,” he said.A family earning less than $10,000 a year pays 46 percent of its income on energy, whereas a family earning more than $50,000 pays 7 percent of its income on energy, Bond said.Warren compared America’s reliance on coal power to drug addiction.“We can look at the economics of crack cocaine,” he said. “There’s a short-term, sell the kids for food and then we get some crack cocaine and we do the crack cocaine. But then after that is gone, then we have to go repeat that negative behavior. And I would say as a nation, we’ve become addicted to oil.”
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Upper White River Basin Foundation cancels watershed conference in Rogers
According to a representative of the headquarters hotel in Rogers, the Upper White River Foundation has canceled its March 27-28 conference in Rogers.
For more about the group, please call 417-334-7644.
For more about the group, please call 417-334-7644.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Back to 1988: 350 PPM co2
Back to 1988 (350 PPM) on CO2, Says NASA's Hansen. Andrew C. Revkin, NYTimes, March 19, 2008. "James E. Hansen, the NASA climate scientist who has long had a habit of pushing past where many colleagues [have dared] go in describing the risks posed by global warming, has done it again. He and eight co-authors have drafted a fresh paper arguing that [20 years ago] the world... shot past a safe... [level] of carbon dioxide, which they say would be around 350 parts per million... (The atmosphere currently holds about 385 ppm of the greenhouse gas.) Looking at evidence from past climate swings and greenhouse-gas concentrations, he concludes that a sustained concentration of CO2 at double the 280 ppm that prevailed for hundreds of millenniums before the industrial revolution would -- after a host of slowly-responding feedbacks kicked in to amplify the temperature rise -- result in an enormous warming of some 11 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius). To avoid a centuries-long slide to conditions profoundly different than those that saw the rise and spread of modern civilization, the paper concludes, humans need to reverse course on emissions rapidly... This is [Hansen's] first detailed defense of the [350 parts per million] target. The paper's main conclusions are below. Some longtime champions of Dr. Hansen, including the Climate Progress blogger, Joe Romm, see some significant gaps in the paper (it is a draft still) and part ways with Dr. Hansen over whether such a goal is remotely feasible. The draft paper... 'Target CO2: Where Should Humanity Aim?' [PDF, 38 pp] was posted Monday at Dr. Hansen's Columbia University Web page." Remember This: 359 Parts Per Million. Commentary by Bill McKibben, WashPost, December 28,2007. "The number every person needs to know."
Louisiana approves SWEPCO plant in SW Arkansas
Louisiana Approves Proposed SWEPCO Plant In Arkansas
Last updated Tuesday, March 25, 2008 10:07 PM CDT in News
By John Lyon
The Morning News
Email this story
LITTLE ROCK — The Louisiana Public Service Commission has approved Southwestern Electric Power Company's proposed 600-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Southwest Arkansas, SWEPCO said Tuesday.
The $1.3 billion plant in Hempstead County would provide power to SWEPCO customers in Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana. The Arkansas Public Service Commission approved the plant in November; SWEPCO's application with Texas regulators is still pending.
SWEPCO's application for an air permit from the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality also is pending.
"We are very pleased that the Louisiana commission has recognized the importance of this plant for meeting the future needs of our Louisiana customers," said Venita McCellon-Allen, SWEPCO's president and chief operating officer, in a news release.
McCellon-Allen said SWEPCO hopes to get approval from Texas regulators so its customers in that state "can join Arkansas and Louisiana in the long-term benefits of reliable and affordable electricity from the proposed John W. Turk Jr. Power Plant."
Wendy Harvel, an administrative law judge in Texas, recommended in January that the state's Public Utilities Commission reject SWEPCO's application.
SWEPCO "has not met its burden to show that it has a need for additional generating," Harvel wrote to the commission.
A rejection from Texas regulators would mean that SWEPCO could not raise customers' rates in that state to help pay for the plant. The company has said it will build the plant with or without approval from Texas.
Last updated Tuesday, March 25, 2008 10:07 PM CDT in News
By John Lyon
The Morning News
Email this story
LITTLE ROCK — The Louisiana Public Service Commission has approved Southwestern Electric Power Company's proposed 600-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Southwest Arkansas, SWEPCO said Tuesday.
The $1.3 billion plant in Hempstead County would provide power to SWEPCO customers in Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana. The Arkansas Public Service Commission approved the plant in November; SWEPCO's application with Texas regulators is still pending.
SWEPCO's application for an air permit from the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality also is pending.
"We are very pleased that the Louisiana commission has recognized the importance of this plant for meeting the future needs of our Louisiana customers," said Venita McCellon-Allen, SWEPCO's president and chief operating officer, in a news release.
McCellon-Allen said SWEPCO hopes to get approval from Texas regulators so its customers in that state "can join Arkansas and Louisiana in the long-term benefits of reliable and affordable electricity from the proposed John W. Turk Jr. Power Plant."
Wendy Harvel, an administrative law judge in Texas, recommended in January that the state's Public Utilities Commission reject SWEPCO's application.
SWEPCO "has not met its burden to show that it has a need for additional generating," Harvel wrote to the commission.
A rejection from Texas regulators would mean that SWEPCO could not raise customers' rates in that state to help pay for the plant. The company has said it will build the plant with or without approval from Texas.
Task Force meeting at 1:30 p.m. Sunday
Hi Carbon Cappers...
Next Sunday is the next CCTF meeting. We meet at the Omni office at 1:30 pm.
Some Hot items you'll want to know about are plans for Springfest on April 26. It will be an exciting day and you are needed to make it happen. Come find out what's going on or email Kelly Mulhollan and Donna Stjerna to get details. (still@stillonthehill.com)
The same day, Robert and Dava plan to travel to Little Rock to table at the big Arkansas Earthday being held at the Clinton Library. It's an exciting festival and could use another volunteer to work at it. Would you like to see the Clinton Library?
Also, Dava has designed a television PSA that will be filmed with actors in the next couple of weeks. Dava will edit-in cool photos and graphics that make it an appeal to Arkansans to keep Arkansas beautiful - don't let global warming destroy the state we love. More details are coming later.
We're also planning to attend the Living It Green Expo in Rogers April 4-5. Plan to talk about global warming, sustainable living, and the Planetwork list. We need volunteer tablers for that too.
There are other plans afoot. Come to the meeting Sunday to find out more.
Thanks,
Gladys
Next Sunday is the next CCTF meeting. We meet at the Omni office at 1:30 pm.
Some Hot items you'll want to know about are plans for Springfest on April 26. It will be an exciting day and you are needed to make it happen. Come find out what's going on or email Kelly Mulhollan and Donna Stjerna to get details. (still@stillonthehill.com)
The same day, Robert and Dava plan to travel to Little Rock to table at the big Arkansas Earthday being held at the Clinton Library. It's an exciting festival and could use another volunteer to work at it. Would you like to see the Clinton Library?
Also, Dava has designed a television PSA that will be filmed with actors in the next couple of weeks. Dava will edit-in cool photos and graphics that make it an appeal to Arkansans to keep Arkansas beautiful - don't let global warming destroy the state we love. More details are coming later.
We're also planning to attend the Living It Green Expo in Rogers April 4-5. Plan to talk about global warming, sustainable living, and the Planetwork list. We need volunteer tablers for that too.
There are other plans afoot. Come to the meeting Sunday to find out more.
Thanks,
Gladys
Majority of gas wells qualify for exemption under Beebe's tax plan
Last Update: 3/25 8:29 am
LITTLE ROCK (AP) - The vast majority of the Arkansas' natural gas wells qualify for exemptions reducing their tax rates under a severance tax proposal to be considered at a special session later this month, according to state data.
Only 5 percent of the state's wells are classified as wells that would pay the full tax rate that has been proposed by Gov. Mike Beebe as a way to fund additional highway improvements, according to numbers provided by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration and the state Oil and Gas Commission.
Beebe last week announced that he would call a special session beginning March 31 to consider raising the tax for the first time since 1957, saying he has more than enough votes necessary in both chambers to pass the tax hike. Beebe's proposal would place a 5 percent base tax on gas-sale proceeds received by producers with lowered rates for some wells. Passing the tax hike requires 27 votes in the Senate and 75 in the House.
LITTLE ROCK (AP) - The vast majority of the Arkansas' natural gas wells qualify for exemptions reducing their tax rates under a severance tax proposal to be considered at a special session later this month, according to state data.
Only 5 percent of the state's wells are classified as wells that would pay the full tax rate that has been proposed by Gov. Mike Beebe as a way to fund additional highway improvements, according to numbers provided by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration and the state Oil and Gas Commission.
Beebe last week announced that he would call a special session beginning March 31 to consider raising the tax for the first time since 1957, saying he has more than enough votes necessary in both chambers to pass the tax hike. Beebe's proposal would place a 5 percent base tax on gas-sale proceeds received by producers with lowered rates for some wells. Passing the tax hike requires 27 votes in the Senate and 75 in the House.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
New Climate Awareness Campaign from Al Gore
Gore's Group to Launch Massive Climate Campaign. By Marilyn Elias, USA Today, March 24, 2008. "'The missing ingredient is the force of public opinion.' That's the line Cathy Zoi recalls from... Al Gore when he urged her to become CEO of the Alliance for Climate Protection. Americans are aware of global warming, 'but they don't get the urgency of it and that this is solvable,' says Zoi, who took the job last year. The new group is about to launch the most ambitious U.S. marketing campaign ever on climate change, at a cost of more than $100 million a year for three years... 'We've come up against a brick wall with Americans,' says Lee Bodner... of ecoAmerica... Despite Americans' widespread familiarity with global warming, 'only a small group are changing their behavior'... The Alliance for Climate Protection will buy ads and partner with grass-roots groups to spread the word on how to cut greenhouse gases. It also is seeking partnerships with consumer product makers 'to amplify the message'... through their packaging, websites or ads... The website www.wecansolveit.org [is] scheduled to launch in the next week."
350 PPM: "red line for human beings!"
A Letter From Bill McKibben
Dear friends,
350 is the red line for human beings, the most important number on the planet. The most recent science tells us that unless we can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million, we will cause huge and irreversible damage to the earth.
We’re planning an international campaign to unite the world around the number 350, and we need your help. We need to make sure that the solutions the world proposes to climate change are to scale with the level of crisis that this number represents. Everyone on earth, from the smallest village to the cushiest corner office needs to know what 350 means. The movement to spread that number needs to be beautiful, creative, and unstoppable.
What we need most right now are your ideas for how to take the number 350 and drive it home: in art, in music, in political demonstrations, in any other way you can imagine. We will connect actions all around the world and make them add up to more than the sum of their parts–but we don’t have all the ideas and all the inspiration. We need yours.
We could also use your help spreading 350. Can you contact anyone you think might be interested and willing to help–in every country on earth–and send them our way?
Many thanks,
Bill McKibben and the 350.org crew.
P.S.—We’ve raised some money to get this campaign up and running, but to execute a successful international campaign will require more than we’ve got. If you’re in a position to help, please get in touch.
Dear friends,
350 is the red line for human beings, the most important number on the planet. The most recent science tells us that unless we can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million, we will cause huge and irreversible damage to the earth.
We’re planning an international campaign to unite the world around the number 350, and we need your help. We need to make sure that the solutions the world proposes to climate change are to scale with the level of crisis that this number represents. Everyone on earth, from the smallest village to the cushiest corner office needs to know what 350 means. The movement to spread that number needs to be beautiful, creative, and unstoppable.
What we need most right now are your ideas for how to take the number 350 and drive it home: in art, in music, in political demonstrations, in any other way you can imagine. We will connect actions all around the world and make them add up to more than the sum of their parts–but we don’t have all the ideas and all the inspiration. We need yours.
We could also use your help spreading 350. Can you contact anyone you think might be interested and willing to help–in every country on earth–and send them our way?
Many thanks,
Bill McKibben and the 350.org crew.
P.S.—We’ve raised some money to get this campaign up and running, but to execute a successful international campaign will require more than we’ve got. If you’re in a position to help, please get in touch.
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