Take Part in April 14 National Day of Action on Climate Change

• 4/4/2007
  
  

For the first time, President Bush acknowledged the threat of global warming during his State of the Union speech. He also presented a plan to increase fuel economy for cars that, if properly implemented, could offer serious cuts in the amount of global warming pollution generated in the United States.

Unfortunately, the president's proposal to reduce U.S. oil dependence doesn't go far enough to protect against dangerous global warming. We must set an overall cap on heat-trapping emissions for the entire economy-addressing transportation, electricity, and other sources of pollution. Although the president mentioned "changing the way America generates electric power" including advances in solar and wind energy-he stopped short of advocating for sensible legislation that would require utilities to produce 20 percent of the nation's electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar power by 2020.

Furthermore, the president failed to address that technological advances need to be based on unbiased, independent science. America can not effectively address the serious consequences of global warming if our scientists our being stifled by political interference.

While the State of the Union included some positive rhetoric about providing America with the means to build a cleaner, more secure future, the president and Congress must work together to ensure his words become action.

Contents:
Climate
Clean Vehicles
Clean Energy
Scientific Integrity

Climate

Global warming is the greatest environmental challenge of our time. Sea levels are on the rise, ice and snow cover are decreasing, and storms are becoming more powerful. Leading scientists, such as James Hansen of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, caution that we are nearing a climate “tipping point,” beyond which large-scale, dangerous impacts would become unavoidable.

Scientific evidence suggests we must prevent global average temperatures from rising more than 2°Celsius (3.6°Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels to avoid the worst effects of global warming. To stay below this threshold, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide must stabilize at or below 450 parts per million. This goal requires cutting today's levels of worldwide global warming emissions roughly in half by mid-century. Given that the United States leads the world in both absolute and per capita emissions, we must achieve even deeper reductions here at home, on the order of 80 percent below 2000 levels by 2050.

The science is clear and action is needed now. To ensure the deep reductions needed to leave our children and grandchildren a safe climate, UCS calls on Congress to establish a mandatory economy-wide limit on global warming pollution that ensures near-term emission cuts and puts us on a path to achieve the science-based 80 percent reduction target.

Clean Vehicles

While the president’s call to reform car fuel economy standards in the way he did for light trucks does not inspire much confidence given the administration’s lackluster performance on pickups and SUVs, the preliminary details of his plan are actually quite intriguing.

The president has joined leaders in Congress calling for increasing the gas mileage of cars, SUVs, minivans and pickup trucks to 34 mpg by 2017. This is the equivalent of a four percent improvement per year. However, this will only be a breakthrough if the president and Congress work together to pass a law guaranteeing that this goal becomes reality, while avoiding loopholes and escape clauses. The increase would also cut global warming pollution by 95 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in that same year. This is equivalent to taking 14 million of today’s cars and trucks off the road.

The president also staked out an aggressive target on biofuels and “alternative fuels.” UCS analysis shows that meeting the administration’s target of 35 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2017 would cut our projected oil demand by 1.5 million barrels per day in 2017. This would reduce our oil dependence by 6.4 percent. If these changes are to be a real advance, however, these fuels must be produced without polluting the air, water, and soil—a formidable challenge. If alternative fuels are made from coal instead of renewable resources, the president will not stop the projected growth in carbon dioxide emissions from cars, light trucks and SUVs. Instead of cutting global warming pollution, making gasoline or diesel from coal would double the amount of global warming pollution produced from gasoline today.

The address also included support for plugin hybrid development (the Big Three auto companies are asking for $500 million for battery research). If funded, the support would benefit both plugin hybrid and non-plugins alike. More cost-effective, compact, and efficient battery electrical energy storage and output technologies are hurdles that all hybrids need to overcome for better efficiency and more market penetration in the future.

Challenges remain for effective execution of these proposals, but opportunities for real progress abound with a new Congress and political momentum.

Clean Energy

President Bush talked about new energy technologies helping to "confront the serious challenge of global climate change” but the his willingness to invest billions in yet another generation of coal and nuclear power plants dwarfs his stated support for solar and wind energy. 

The nation needs leadership on policies like the renewable portfolio standard, which would require utilities to produce 20 percent of the nation's electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar power by 2020. The renewable portfolio standard is the best way to cut power plant emissions, reducing emissions by 434 million metric tons, the equivalent of taking nearly 63 million of today's cars and trucks off the road.

To seriously address global warming, the president will need to go much further than the measures he outlined. UCS believes we must set an overall cap on global warming pollution for the entire economy.

Scientific Integrity

In his State of the Union address, President Bush recognized the need for “technological breakthroughs…to confront the serious challenge of global climate change.” Scientists in the federal government are also working hard to understand and mitigate the impacts of global warming, but their work is being stifled by political interference. Without independent and accessible science, the federal government will not be able to effectively address the serious environmental and social consequences of global warming.

Fortunately, Congress will soon be stepping in. On Tuesday, January 30, the House Oversight and Government Reform committee will hold a hearing to investigate the manipulation, distortion, and suppression of federal climate change research.

That day, UCS will release the results of a report and survey of federal climate scientists that examines the level of political interference in climate science. At the hearing, UCS Senior Scientist Dr. Francesca Grifo will testify about the report and recommend reforms to restore scientific integrity to federal policy making. You can watch the hearing online on Tuesday morning at 10:00 a.m. EST.

The new UCS “A to Z” guide to political interference in science shows that, from airborne bacteria to Ground Zero, science continues to be misrepresented for political gain. With the president’s support, Congress must enact meaningful reforms so decisions within federal scientific agencies and advisory committees are based on objective and unbiased science.

Powerful Action for Fishes in Croatia

Invitation to the next european gathering of Peoples Global Action

August 19th - September 3rd 2006 - Around France

PGA - People's Global Action - started in 1997. It has been a tool and a diffuse structure coordinating groups and people sharing common struggles and practices, in accordance with various anticapitalist and anti-authoritarian principles (see the hallmarks below). PGA initiated the Intercontinental caravan in 1999, as well as international action days of actions against the G8, the WTO, the World Bank, the IMF... In Seattle, Genoa, Prague, and in a number of less mediatic events, PGA was a driving force behind numerous actions and reflections. Amidst counter-summits, social forums & various actions, groups close to the PGA are now looking for new drives to challenge stagnation.

PGA hallmarks:

• A very clear rejection of capitalism, imperialism and feudalism; all trade agreements, institutions and governments that promote destructive globalisation.
• We reject all forms and systems of domination and discrimination including, but not limited to, patriarchy, racism and religious fundamentalism of all creeds. We embrace the full dignity of all human beings.
• A confrontational attitude, since we do not think that lobbying can have a major impact in such biased and undemocratic organisations, in which transnational capital is the only real policy-maker.
• A call to direct action and civil disobedience, support for social movements' struggles, advocating forms of resistance which
• maximize respect for life and oppressed peoples' rights, as well as the construction of local alternatives to global capitalism.
• An organisational philosophy based on decentralisation and autonomy.

In Europe, groups who identify with the PGA principles meet about once every two years, through the initiative of a "convenor" collective. Since 1997, these conferences have been the opportunity for several days of exchanging practices and knowledge, and of establishing bonds, which allow us to be better organized in common actions.

The last conferences were held in Leiden (Netherlands) in September 2001 and in Belgrade (Serbia) in July 2004. Each time, they drew hundreds of people together and generated contacts, exchanges and strategical reflections. This year, the Francophone group STAMP is the convenor and the next european gathering of PGA will take place from the 19h of August to the 3rd of September 2006.

STAMP started through a bunch of individuals involved with "sans-titre", a network of individuals involved in direct action, autonomy and self-managed spaces around France. They now would like to open up the organizing process to all, around the few following principles.

Decentralization and local grounding:

This gathering will take place in two stages:

1. Decentralised gatherings will be held between smaller groups of people (around a hundred) in various locations. During nine days, in five different places, we'll mix thematic discussions and workshops linking local issues with reflections and initiatives from participating European groups. Each space will also propose a collective practical project and common realisation (construction, action...). Several locations are anticipated, including Lyon, Toulouse, Lavaur, Dijon, Geneva...

2. A centralised part will bring everyone together on one site, for four or five days, to allow everybody to share previous discussions and take decisions about the organization and future projects of PGA in Europe.

Non-specialization and "dishwashing-theory" mix:

During these meetings we want to favour non-specialization and the horizontal sharing of tasks. We would like to put particular attention on the collective organization of everyday life. Projects proposed by each conference space should allow us to exchange practical know-how, linked to the needs of the host locality.

A desire to strenghten links with Eastern Europe:

During the months leading up to the meeting, several travels will take place in these regions, in order to present the meeting and get to know local projects. Solutions will be investigated, in terms of visas and transport, to help people and collectives in precarious situations to travel here.

The organization of this gathering is a political and joyful project for us. It requires a lot of energies and commitment in order to become an open collective adventure, rather than the performance of a few "activism experts".

Regular organizational meetings will bring STAMP to different towns during the upcoming months. International meetings allow us to assess the advancement of this project and open up the organization to other people and groups of PGA Europe. The next one will take place the 21st and 22nd of April in Budapest.

About the contents...

Here are themes to be tackled around within the PGA encounters, some of which are rooted in some of the decentralized locations already. This list aims at opening perspectives, so that each participant can propose contents, workshops, texts... in the months preceding the conference.

Specific themes:

• development & preservation of autonomous spaces (squats, self-managed spaces, collective projects in cities and in the countryside);
• gender issues, struggles against male domination & patriarchy;
• industrial society, its relationship with space and the transformation of the social environment; the effect of industrial technology of human relationships;
• social control, security and its politics, militarism and repression of protest; digital struggles:
• digital struggles: Indymedia & the movement; alternative servers (riseup.net, squat.net), users' responsability & solidarity facing new repressions;
• adult/child relationships, parenthood, education, ageism;
• rejection of the State: experiences of self-management & direct democracy; market economy & consumerism versus alternative non market based economies;
• struggles of workers and welfare claimants; anti-wage slavery; the fight against capitalism and its institutions (WTO, IMF, WB, EU, etc.); state of European capitalism (free exchange agreements, privatisation, etc.); the
• current dead-end regarding anti-racism in our anti-capitalist/anti-establishment sphere. Post-colonialism, struggles around immigration, the abolition of borders;
• capitalist management of resources and energy, impending environmental catastrophes, foreseenable alternatives and practical ecology;
• the anarchist ghetto: militant politics & elitism; how to escape its insularity?
• anti-essentialism and critique of the religious relation to « nature », as a shaper for our perception of age, gender, race; anti-speciesm & animal liberation.

Transversal themes

"towards a new type of struggle?"

• Confrontational direct action tactics and/or autonomy & practical alternatives building?
• Co-existence or divorce with institutions, unions, NGO's and The Left
• Our techniques and methods of organisation, actions and debates.
• The question of class, gender and racism at the heart of our struggle
• Links with other protests within a global "across the board" strategy

We are already looking for various resources, including funds, to help for travel/visas, as well as other logistic costs. Any initiative, from money, to mosquito repellent cream, screwdrivers or tofu...) is welcome. Donations can be made to "Accueil caravane" at:

STAMP c/o Longo Mai 04300 Limans France

A detailed list of locations, events and issues will be available soon.

You can contact us at: stamppoivron.org

Webpages:http://pgaconference.org/ | http://stamp.poivron.org/ | http://www.agp.org/

To be kept up-to-date with our progress, subscribe to this mailing-list:
http://pgaconference.org/mailman/listinfo/announce