From Pennsylvania Interfaith Power and Light (http://www.paipl.org):
Federal action opportunities
Our lawmakers are engaged with tax reform, making now an excellent time to contact them to remind them that budgets are moral documents that declare our priorities, and, similarly, that tax documents are budgetary infrastructure. (Senators; Congressman) People attending our Annual Conference signed postcards to our Senators that may provide you with some useful language. We will be delivering them in person in Washington on November 14, so if you would like to add to the stack, send them to arrive at PA IPL by Friday, November 10th.
There are a couple of pieces of legislation in front of our Representatives that set dates for transition to 100% renewable fuels, and that address some issues around just transition. Read about them. Use this phone script to contact your Representative.
State action opportunities
There is an anticipated Republican-introduced 100% renewable bill at the state level, too! Watch for more next month….and in the meantime, ask your State Representative and State Senator to learn more by attending a talk by Project Drawdown author Paul Hawken. Note that this free Nov. 14th event requires registration.
Pennsylvania’s Attorney General Shapiro has joined with Attorneys General from 5 other states to file action against a delay of vehicle fuel efficiency standards. Thank him!
Contact your State Representative if you are concerned that the new state budget includes riders which will damage the environment and threaten our health and safety. Urge your Representative to remove the harmful riders that threaten environmental oversight, health, and environmental justice via riders attached to Senate and House budget bills. Read a clear rundown of some of the concerns here.
National News, Reports to Share with Legislators
NEW REPORTS
Pipelines: self-dealing, and bad for taxpayers, from Oil Change International.
New/updated Oil and Gas threat map: interactive map. Article about it.
Storms and infrastructure:
– post-storm solar in Florida, from Inside Climate News
– portable, spooled solar panels with battery backup.
– What will happen to the Gulf Coast if the oil industry retreats? from City Lab
Path to meeting and exceeding Paris commitments
– Drawdown, by Paul Hawken (Top 100 Solutions)
– America’s Clean Energy Frontier: The Pathway to a Safer Climate Future from NRDC (pp.5-11 are the executive summary)
– The role of States and Cities from Governing.com
science review:
Chart of annual climate losses compared to annual geophysical losses here.
Climate change and Harvey – what are the links? from Climate Signals.
FEDERAL UPDATE SUMMARY
COURTS
A federal judge ruled that the federal permits authorizing the pipeline to cross the Missouri River just upstream of the Standing Rock reservation violated the law in certain respects but oil can continue to flow while a new Environmental Impact Statement is prepared.
PRESIDENT & ADMINISTRATION
The Environmental Protection Agency has announced the public comment period for the proposal to repeal the Clean Power Plan that was announced on October 10th. The comment period ends on December 15th. People are particularly urged to contribute comments with stories of impact on you or your neighbors. The docket number for all comments is EPA-HQ-OAR-2017-0355. Use the online portal,email, or Fax to 202-566-9744.
The EPA also cancelled an appearance and talk by 3 agency scientists at the conference of a program largely funded by the agency, the Naragansett Bay Estuary and Watershed Program Conference, that has a significant focus on climate change.
The EPA also aims to repeal tighter emissions standards for truck components, which had been scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2018. Much of the trucking industry had embraced the higher standards.
The Department of the Interior proposed opening 77 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico for Federal oil and gas leases. The first lease sales are scheduled for March 2018.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has proposed a delay on implementing rules that would limit waste of methane extracted on public lands. The court ruled against the delay, so now there is a proposed repeal. IPL has a comment form available until the deadline in early November.
The Department of Energy has proposed aid to subsidize unregulated power plants hoding 90 days woth of fuel onsite, effectively sheilding those that use iethe rcoal or uranium from market pricing. It is meeting with very mixed reaction, and there is some very wonky disagreement about how people who disagree should focus their arguments. We can focus on the ability to go to renewable quickly and securely with current technology. Recall that Robert Powelson, formerly Chair of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is now on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Contact him here. Also recall that the DOE’s recent grid reliability study was changed from saying we could support much more wind and solar to a focus on the baseline.
SENATE and HOUSE
Two years ago, one D and one R from the House of Representatives asked the General Accounting Office to evaluate the costs of inaction on climate change. The report came out at the end of October, and recommends that the US Federal Government develop a plan to manage climate change risks, and estimates that costs from climate change could balloon to $35b per year within the next 30-40 years. This report was released at the same time that Time magazine noted that Congress was weighing aid packages for U.S. victims of deadly hurricanes and wildfires that struck in 2017 — losses already estimated at more than $300b. Summary article in Forbes.
The House and the Senate continue to consider bills that would limit the standards federal agencies could impose (even in the passenger car fuel economy standards are developed with car manufacturers) Union of Concern Scientists has state fact sheets showing the impact of keeping standards, and discusses their methodology. (H.R. 4011 and S. 1273)
The Future Act S1535 and Carbon Capture Act HR 1379 are tax credits proposed for coal- and gas-fired industrial facilities that capture carbon dioxide before it is emitted. Facilities are subsidized at different levels depending on whether they decide to directly sequester the the CO2 (called CCS), or sell it to oil companies that will pump the gas into wells to recover hard-to-get oil (called (EOR). This could be the largest subsidy given tot he fossil fuel industry by the United States government. Read more at the Price of Oil.
100 by ’50 Acts were proposed in the House and the Senate, proposing to be at 100% renewable energy by 2050. H.R. 3314. S.987.
In the House, H.R.3671, the Off Fossil Fuels for a Better Future Act sets the date at 2035. Both are addressed in this letter.
The House Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus is up to 60 members (30D 30R). No new PA Reps since our last update.
The oil under the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge may become part of tax bill negotiations: allowing drilling as a way of raising revenue… or it may not. Sen. Lisa Murkowski has spoken specifically about climate change and climate justice to Native groups, but is expected to support drilling under ANWR. Your voice could be important.
STATE UPDATE SUMMARY
PIPELINES
Digging, respectful resistance, and arrests have begun at the Adorers of the Blood of Christ site. Follow Lancaster Against Pipelines for more.
Spills have continued from the Mariner II pipeline. And the DEP is reacting.
Our advocacy workshop participants in Bryn Mawr heard from David Mazur (Penn Environment) that PA state legislators vote more geographically than party-line on energy and environment. Participants in Pittsburgh heard from Larry Schweiger, about to retire from PennFuture, about Pittsburgh’s heritage in climate research, solar power, and the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. Over 1300 people –including a number of PA IPL-affiliated folks — participated in the Climate Reality Project Training in Pittsburgh later that same week.
State budget-related policy
At the time of our call, the House had passed HB542, a bipartisan Tax code bill with no environmental riders. The Governor’s office doesn’t like it because new recurring revenues were missing (the severence tax) but hopes that it can be a launching point for a last successsful round of negotiations. Jake Corman, Senate Majority Leadr said that the Senate would seriously consider it, but that”aminding it, returning it, and expecting success is a longshot at best.”
HB 118, the administrative code bill did have some environmental riders. It was approved without changes and sent to hte Governor who was expected to let it become law. Of concern: riders including water treatment for oil and gas operations. On the good side: it extends the $2/ton Recycling Fee indefinitely, with funds to remain in the Recycling Fund for grants and it closes the solar borders, requiring solar credits that count toward the required target for electricity produced by solar to come from within Pennsylvania (based on SB404 from this session, and HB2040 from last session)
HB 1401is the severance tax bill. Our friends at the EEN have been urgin Reprsentatives to fund it without any environmental riders. PA IPL is not opposed to fossil fuel companies paying for their activities, with fees recognizing their larger impacts, but we are concerned about chaining our state budget to oil and gas fees. It seems perverse to connect money to pay teachers for 3rd graders and books for 8th graders to activities that cause air pollution that worsens asthma and makes it harder for them to attend school regularly. One pager and larger report, both from the Clean Air Task Force.
The state legislature will not be in session again until November 13, after the election. A 100% renewable bill is anticipated…. tune in next month!
UPCOMING EVENTS
- November 6-17 Bonn COP23 (the international climate meetings)
- November 14, 2017 Paul Hawken, Project Drawdown speaks in State College (free pre-registration required)
- November 14 “We’re still in” national day of action.
- November 17-20 People v. Oil and Gas Summit national summit in Pittsburgh, scholarships still available for flights, hotels, registration, and meals.
- November 29, 2017 12:30-1:30 next Policy Update Call (rescheduled due to Thanksgiving).
- December 1-2, 2017 Community Rights/Environmental Rights workshop at Pendle Hill
CLOSING MEDITATION
We close each Policy Update call with a meditation or prayer; this one is in two parts, honoring Diwali (October 19th) and the 200th anniversary of the Birth of Baha’u’llah (October 23rd)
Diwali, the Hindu Festival of the Lights marks the beginning of the New Year for most Hindus. It historically symbolizes the victory of good over evil and celebrates light and life on both community and personal levels. Reflection from here. On a more personal level, Diwali can be a time to turn inward and light the lamps of knowledge and truth in our hearts and minds so that we can dispel the forces of darkness and ignorance within us and allow our innate brilliance and goodness to shine forth. Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, is the principle deity associate with this festival. During Diwali we ask her for assistance in cultivating and accumulating spirtual wealth such as compassion, forgiveness, and loving-kindness.
Lead us from untruth to truth
From darkness to light
From death to immortality
Om Peace Peace Peace
And from Baha’u’llah:
O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants and reveal to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy commandments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God in their endeavor, and grant them strength to serve Thee. O God! Leave them not to themselves, but guide their steps by the light of Thy knowledge, and cheer their hearts by Thy love. Verily, Thou art their Helper and their Lord.
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