African American Environmentalist Association

Why Is The House Environment Hostile To The CBC?

2009-11-07T17:20:00.004-05:00

One would think that the U.S. House of Representatives would be more hospitable to its African American members since it is now controlled by Democrats. Not even when the Republican Party was in the majority has the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) been under such assault as it is now. The CBC should be outraged. Is this some bizarre attempt to control them because of their power? Doesn't the Ethics Committee know what they are doing? Don't they notice that all of their inquiries are directed at the black members of Congress?

Representative G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), the only African-American lawmaker among the Ethics Commitees 10 members and Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), must get to the bottom of this. While a substantial number of white lawmakers have been referred for violation, the ethics committee has not yet launched formal investigative subcommittees with respect to any of them — as it has with the seven African-American members.

No wonder there is not black ownership of energy insfrastructure, properties or products in America. The Congress has the CBC intimidated and 'under control.' Heaven forbid the CBC tries to get even some of the trillions of dollars being thrown at Wall Street to create some black energy company owners. So the environmental movement isn't the only sector that ignores blacks and expects them to go along with whatever they say.

Black lawmakers are “easy targets” for ethics watchdog groups because they have less money — both personally and in their campaign accounts — to defend themselves than do their white colleagues. Campaign funds can be used to pay members’ legal bills. Yet two-hundred-and-thirty-seven members of Congress are millionaires. That’s 44 percent of the body – compared to about 1 percent of Americans overall.

The nation’s only black senator, Roland Burris of Illinois, is currently under investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee. (Politico, 11/4/09, Politico, 11/6/09)

EPA Administrator Jackson's 1st Official Visit to New Orleans

2009-11-06T12:41:00.002-05:00

Administrator Lisa Perez Jackson, left, a New Orleans native, is scheduled to make her first visit to the city as EPA Administrator on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 17 and 18.

Administrator Jackson grew up in Ponchartrain Park in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward. The Administrator went to St. Gabriel the Archangel grammar school and St. Mary’s Dominican High School, where she was valedictorian of the class of ‘79. She also graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from Tulane University. Her mother and several members of her family were displaced from the city when their house was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina.

AAEA-NY Climate/Energy/Air Forum A Big Success

2009-11-02T14:30:00.002-05:00

Frank Stewart, Amber Sisson Norris McDonald, Samara Swanston, Craig Wilson

The African American Environmentalist Association New York Office hosted a forum on "Air Quality and Electricity: Why It Matters To You," on Friday, October 30, 2009 at the City University of New York Graduate Center Segal Theatre. The theater was filled with students from the New York High School for Environmental Studies, members of the American Association of Blacks in Energy New York Chapter, representatives from the New York City Council and others.

Panelists included Amber Sisson-New York Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance (NYAREA), Samara Swanston-environmentalist, Frank Stewart-President, American Association of Blacks in Energy and Craig Wilson-Safe Healthy Affordable Reliable Energy (SHARE). The forum was moderated by AAEA President Norris McDonald.

The forum covered numerous topics that were discussed by panelists and audience members. The issues included energy and air pollution in New York, green jobs, the Waxman/Markey and Boxer/Kerry climate change bills, New York Governor David A. Paterson's New Preliminary State Energy Plan, technical aspects of energy production and more. An issues brief produced by AAEA and NYAREA, "New York State and the Waxman-Markey Bill," was distributed at the forum.

Excellent box lunches were also provided to the participants.

The forum was coordinated by Urbanomics Consulting Group (UCG).

Senate Environment & Public Works Climate Hearings

2009-10-26T10:50:00.002-04:00

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, chaired by California Congresswoman Barbara Boxer, left, starts the debate over climate legislation this week with three hearings on legislation that would curb U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions:

10/27/09 Full Committee hearing entitled, “Legislative Hearing on S. 1733, Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act

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10/28/09 Full Committee hearing entitled, “Legislative Hearing on S. 1733, Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act

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10/29/09 Full Committee hearing entitled, “Legislative Hearing on S. 1733, Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act.

Official First Family Photograph

2009-10-24T10:59:00.000-04:00

The Obamas in the Green Room, Sept. 1, 2009, with Sasha, second from left, and Malia, right. (Annie Leibovitz for the White House)

Obama Nominates Magwood and Apostolakis To NRC

2009-10-23T19:06:00.001-04:00

President Obama, on October 9, nominated two new members to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to fill vacancies on the five-member panel. AAEA supports both nominations. They join Chairman Gregory Jaczko -- a former aide to Nevada Senator Harry Reid -- and Commissioners Dale Klein and Kristine Svinicki, all appointed in the Bush administration.

William (Bill) Magwood was director of the Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy under former presidents Clinton and Bush from 1998 to 2005. He led the creation of the "Nuclear Power 2010" initiative. Since his retirement from government service in 2005, Mr. Magwood has been actively involved in efforts to advance nuclear industry business opportunities domestically and abroad. For the past four years Magwood has headed Advanced Energy Strategies and Secure Energy North America Corporation, which provide "strategic advice to domestic and international clients" on energy projects, including nuclear investments novel approaches to financing new nuclear power stations.

From 1984-1994, he managed electric utility research and nuclear policy programs at the Edison Electric Institute in Washington, DC; and he was a scientist at Westinghouse Electric Corporation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he analyzed radiological and hazardous waste disposal, treatment, and handling systems. Mr. Magwood holds a B.S. degree in Physics and a B.A. degree in English from Carnegie-Mellon University. He also holds an M.F.A. degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

George Apostolakis is a nuclear science professor at MIT and a member of NRC's scientific advisory committee. Dr. George Apostolakis (right) is the Korea Electric Power Company professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering and a professor of Engineering Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT photo-right]. He received his Ph.D. in engineering science and applied mathematics from the California Institute of Technology in 1973. He is a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society and of the Society for Risk Analysis.

He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2007. Dr. Apostolakis is a member and former chairman of the statutory Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. (The Energy Collective, 10/10/09)

AAEA-NY To Host Energy Forum at CUNY's Segal Theatre

2009-10-15T12:42:00.001-04:00

The African American Environmentalist Association (AAEA) will host Air Quality and Electricity: Why it Matters to You on Friday, October 30th from 10:00am-12:00pm at City University of New York’s Segal Theatre, located at 265 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

The event will include discussions on Energy in New York, air pollution, green jobs, the Waxman-Markey Climate Change Bill and the New York State Energy Plan.

To attend please RSVP by calling Lesley Cothran at(202) 944-3840 or via email at lcothran@urbanomics.com.

Chinese & American Oil Firms Compete For Ghana Oil

2009-10-12T11:51:00.004-04:00

China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) and the Ghana National Petroleum Corp. (GNPC)are competing with Exxon Mobil Corp in bids for a stake in a very large offshore oil discovery off the Ghana coast, which is in West Africa. Exxon Mobil made a $4 billion offer and CNOOC is challenging with a rival bid. CNOOC is backed by the Chinese government and its chances of winning the bid are increased by partnering with the domestic oil company.

The Ghanaian government seems to be a referee in this bidding war with Kosmos insisting that, the Ghanaian government "can't be unreasonable in their refusal" regarding the bid. The Ghanaian government must ultimately sign off on any deal. The Ghanaian government did not know that Kosmos had already made a deal with Exxon.

Exxon and CNOOC are vying for Kosmos Energy's stake in Jubilee, an offshore oil discovery that is estimated to hold 1.8 billion barrels of oil. Jubilee is one of the largest oil discoveries in recent years and holds the type of light, sweet crude oil that is most sought after by global markets. Dallas-based Kosmos told bidders by letter it had "entered into an exclusive binding agreement" with Exxon to sell its 23.5% stake in Jubilee. Kosmos is partly owned by private-equity firms Blackstone Group LP and Warburg Pincus. In addition to Kosmos and GNPC, Tullow Oil PLC and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. own sizable stakes in the field, making it unclear what company would become operator of the field. (WSJ, 10/12/09)

Gov. Schwarzenegger Vetoes AB 1404 (Renewable Energy)

2009-10-12T11:33:00.001-04:00

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, left, vetoed two renewable energy bills that were passed in September that would require the state's utilities to use renewable energy, like solar and wind power, for a third of the power they sell by 2020. Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed the bills because he believes his alternative plan is better and because he objected to provisions of one of the bills (AB 1404) that would limit the amount of renewable power utilities could buy from other states, saying they were "protectionist" and would be costly. AAEA supported AB 1404 and worked with other groups in California for its passage. Several renewable energy developers and utilities supported the bills, as did consumer, environmental and union groups.

Governor Schwarzenegger appears to be taking the same route as the Obama administration, which is drafting climate change regulation at EPA because it appears that Congress will not be passing such legislation. The California Republican governor has ordered the state's Air Resources Board to draft regulations requiring the state's utilities to use renewables for a third of their retail power by 2020.

Unlike the vetoed legislation, the new rules won't limit the amount of renewable power California utilities can buy from out-of-state facilities that are too far away to deliver the electricity in real time. Mr. Schwarzenegger agreed with some industry groups, utility regulators and the state's grid operator that restricting out-of-state renewable energy purchases would make it nearly impossible for utilities to meet the 2020 deadline. AAEA disagrees with this assessment because it can and probaby will lead to purchasing CO2 offsets from out of state instead of making the requirement retrofits and development project in-state to meet the required reductions. Methodologies, environmental friendly construction and retrofits reduce smog-forming gases in addition to CO2, which would be particularly beneficial to minority communities suffering from disproportionately higher levels of pollution.

Despite California's aggressive goals, in-state development of new renewable-energy generation and transmission facilities has been slow, primarily due to approval delays at state and federal agencies. (WSJ, 10/12/09)

Harmonizing Environmental Justice With Cap & Trade

2009-10-01T14:22:00.004-04:00

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

By Norris McDonald

Environmental justice groups normally oppose cap and trade in climate change mitigation legislation and regulations becuase they believe it leads to disproportionate impacts - - that is, older, dirtier plants will remain open in minority communities while credits are amassed via newer facilities outside of these areas. They believe that so called 'Hot Spots' will continue to expose minority communities to disproportionate levels of air pollution.

AAEA has shared its solution to this problem to members of Congress and at EPA. Our solution is inclusion of an Environmental Justice Allowance Reserve (EJAR) in any cap and trade program.

AAEA believes climate change legislation and regulation will need to address environmental justice concerns related to the perception that emission trading programs cause disproportionate pollution from older, dirtier plants to negatively impact low-income and minority communities. There is also widespread belief that global warming and climate change will disproportionately affect low-income and minority communities. Some environmental justice groups oppose cap-and-trade programs.

AAEA is recommending an Environmental Justice Allowance Reserve (EJAR) to address the racial 'Hot Spots' issue. These allowances would come from a special reserve, similar to the current Acid Rain Program Renewable Energy and Conservation Reserve, when the initial allowance allocation is made. They would be awarded to utilities, automakers and others that undertake environmental justice practices and programs designed to mitigate or prevent price shocks, increase the installation of pollution control equipment, promote community education and enhance health-related activities. Utilities and automakers could choose to work with organizations and businesses that conduct environmental justice activities related to climate change mitigation and reductions in emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and mercury.

As an alternative to legislation and as an insurance policy in case climate change legislation does not pass, AAEA has developed a voluntary EJAR program that provides a platform for utilities, automakers and communities to address and influence the Hot Spots issue. Any utility, automaker or citizen can: sell to, donate or purchase compliance allowances from, the voluntary AAEA-EJAR or otherwise support the EJAR program. AAEA is currently meeting with interested stakeholders to develop EJAR projects.

AAEA has also developed emissions trading platforms to directly facilitate exchanges. The Green Carbon Bank (GCB), Carbon Mercantile Exchange (CMX) and Carbon Dioxide Reduction Program (CDR) are available to facilitate emission free projects. AAEA has been registered in the EPA Acid Rain Program for years.

The AAEA EJAR program will leverage allowances and resources to promote environmental justice practices and projects designed to:

Increase the installation of pollution control equipment,
Promote community education and
Enhance health-related activities.

Allowances are fully marketable commodities. Once allocated, allowances may be bought, sold, traded, or banked for use in future years. Allowances may not be used for compliance prior to the calendar year for which they are allocated.

Participation in the EJAR will clearly show that a utility or automaker is exceeding emission compliance and is willing to include AAEA in the emission trading market. Significant participation in the EJAR will indicate that a utility's or automaker's units are not Hot Spot plants or emissions contributors. AAEA will publicize the EJAR participant list and projects.

National Survey Shows Majority of African Americans Want Action to Minimize the Impacts of Climate Change

2009-09-29T21:08:00.002-04:00

A majority of African Americans believe climate change is a growing problem that both government and individuals should take action now to mitigate the potential impacts, according to the results of a national poll conducted by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a research and policy institution in Washington, DC.

The survey of 750 African American adults found that more than half of respondents identified the issue as a “major problem,” with 58 percent giving that response when it was described as “global warming” and 52 percent reacting that way when the term “climate change” was used. Only about ten percent in each group said global warming or climate change is not a problem.

A large majority of respondents said that government and individuals can do things to reduce global warming. About a third believe federal and state government can do a lot to mitigate the problem, while some three-quarters believe government can at least do something. A majority of African Americans express support for the cap-and-trade legislation passed earlier this year by the U.S. House of Representatives, and a large majority said they would be even more supportive with strong provisions for green jobs and incentives to buy more energy efficient cars and improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

The poll was the second that the Joint Center has conducted to determine African American views on climate change. The previous survey, released in July 2008, also found a majority of African Americans defining climate change as a problem that government must address.

A key finding in this year’s survey is that 26 percent of African Americans think they – and others like them – can do a lot to reduce global warming, and an additional 44 percent believe they can take at least some measures to combat the problem. The survey results indicate that a majority of them recycle and purchase energy saving appliances and light bulbs, while nearly half of them purchased products in the last year that were better for the environment even though the products were more costly than similar non-environmentally friendly items.

Like all Americans, there are limits to what African Americans will buy into on public policy choices for the environment. The survey found that about half of black households having two or more cars, and while they are willing to pay more for energy in some circumstances, they oppose higher gasoline taxes. Similarly, while about two in five African Americans support building more nuclear power plants, fewer than one in four would support building a nuclear power plant in their own community.

Other key findings in the survey include:

Majorities of respondents thought climate change is already causing – or will soon cause – worsening public health (59 percent), economic instability (61 percent), increasing flooding, fires, and droughts (60 percent), and energy dependence (64 percent). Even larger majorities thought these would be problems for future generations if climate change is not stopped.
A majority of African Americans (59 percent) believe environmental conditions will be worse for future generations, while only one-in-six believe environmental conditions will be better.
With regard to their electric bills, a solid majority of African Americans (61 percent) are willing to pay an additional $10 per month to fight global warming, while 30 percent were willing to pay an additional $25 per month and 16 percent were willing to pay an additional $50 per month.
While opposition to gas tax increases is strong, a solid majority of African Americans (63 percent) believe that people they know would be willing to change their driving habits or drive less to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Findings from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies' National Survey Results, African Americans on Climate Change and Conservation are from a random digit dialing telephone survey of 750 African American adults conducted between July 20, 2009 and July 30, 2008. The survey has a margin of error of + or - 3.6 percentage points. The full survey can be downloaded at www.jointcenter.org/climate. (Sourece: Joint Center Press Release)

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is one of the nation's leading research and public policy institutions and the only one whose work focuses primarily on issues of particular concern to African Americans and other people of color. The Joint Center will mark its 40th Anniversary of service in 2010.

CBC Chairwoman Barbara Lee's Green Energy Forum

2009-09-26T16:58:00.005-04:00

Washington, DC Convention Center, Saturday, September 26, 2009 11am – 1pm: AAEA President Norris McDonald spoke at The 2009 Congresional Black Caucus (CBC) Annual Legislative Conference's Green Entrepreneurship Forum. The forum addressed putting the Eco in Economy: Green Entrepreneurship and Business Opportunities Environmental protection and the need for proactive approaches to address climate change have become a leading priority of the Obama Administration.

McDonald presented a carbon dioxide offset certificate so that the session would be carbon neutral. The certificate was for one ton of carbon dioxide. AAEA operates the Carbon Mercantile Exchange (CMX) to generate carbon dioxide offsets.

The process of “going green” is revolutionizing the way we do businesses and has created opportunities for entrepreneurship and business expansion. This forum represent Part Three of the CBCF Entrepreneurship Series and covered the expanding green economy, how and where the stimulus funds will be allocated and provided insight from businesses that are revolutionizing their operations by greening their business products and services. Speakers and organizations:

Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chair, Congressional Black Caucus

Moderator: Van Ton-Quinlivan, Pacific Gas & Electric

Norris McDonald, President, African American Environmentalist Association
Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, Green For All
Jerome Ringo, President, Apollo Alliance
Keni Washington, Managing Director, Earth-SOLAR

AAEA Powerpoint Presentation

Joint Center to Release National Poll of African American Views on Global Climate Change and What to do About It

2009-09-25T20:04:00.002-04:00

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and its Commission to Engage African Americans on Climate Change has released its second national poll of African Americans regarding their views on climate change, and particularly whether they think it poses a significant economic and public health problem, whether government should take action to mitigate it, and what kinds of solutions they would be willing to support.

The survey, for the first time, reveals African American attitudes on energy conservation, recycling, transportation options, and the level of air pollution in their own communities. Survey respondents were also asked their views on the cap-and-trade legislation passed earlier this year by the U.S. House of Representatives. Dr. David Bositis, Senior Research Associate at the Joint Center is the author of the survey report.

The results are being released via press conference conducted via telephone conference call and will be convened by the Co-Chairs of the Commission to Engage African Americans on Climate Change, Ralph B. Everett, Esq., President and CEO of the Joint Center, and The Honorable Rodney Ellis, Texas State Senator, District 13.

The full report is available September 30, 2009, at www.jointcenter.org/climate

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is one of the nation’s leading research and public policy institutions and the only one whose work focuses primarily on issues of particular concern to African Americans and other people of color. It will mark its 40th Anniversary of service in 2010.

Congressional Black Caucus 2009 Legislative Conference

2009-09-25T08:38:00.006-04:00

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

By Norris McDonald

The theme of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) 39th Annual Legislative Conference is "Reinvest...Rebuild...Renew," and is being held at the Washington Convention Center from September 23-26. Having organized the very first energy braintrust for the CBC on behalf of the late Congressman Mickey Leland, I was amazed at the growth of energy panels. There are now seven energy (green) panels among the many other forums being conducted throughout the cavernous convention center. CBC Chairwoman Barbara Lee, right, invited me to speak at her Green Entrepreneurship Series, which is being sponsored by Mastercard, Community Loans of America, and Bank of America.

CBC Chairwoman Lee also sponsored a Green Roundtable that included EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu. Of course, I got off the first question about how the administration and the CBC can facilitate African American ownership of energy infrastructure, properties and products. The CBC Energy & Environment Taskforce hosted an inaugural meeting of the Green Roundtable in July to begin a discussion on building a "Green Agenda" for Black communities. This meeting served as part two of this important discussion.

Donna Brazile invited me to the forum she organized, "Social Media & Digital Content: Organizing the Masses," which featured Robert Townsend's latest film project, "Diary of a Single Mom." In addition to Townsend making a presentation, the full cast was there, including Richard Roundtree, Billy Dee Williams, Leon, Valerie Ortiz and Monica Calhoun.

House Majority Whip James Clyburn gave an empassioned plea for support of broadband in rural areas. Other panelists included Farai Chideya, formerly of NPR (now PopandPolitics.com), Gina McCauley-founder-Blogging While Brown & Michelle Obama Watch, and Donna Byrd-The Root at Washingtpost.com, among others.

CBCF YouTube Videos of Sessions

Islamic Foundation For Ecology Director Speaks at U.N.

2009-09-22T18:24:00.004-04:00

Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences (IFEES) Founder and Director, Fazlun Khalid, right, was invited by the Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki Moon, to participate in a round table discussion on Climate Change with world leaders on September 22nd in New York. This is the statement he made on the same day:

"It hasn’t quite entered the human consciousness, that if planet earth suffers we suffer and that we have nowhere else to go. We are part of an integrated earth and when we reduce the natural world to an exploitable resource this turns inwards on us. How else does one explain the consequences of climate change? Yes, the human species is unique. We have the capacity to observe the world around us, describe what we see, quantify it and then take advantage of it. However, the most extreme and all pervasive form of this is our collective, unfettered defilement of nature. For example we have managed to consume in a space of two hundred and fifty years or so, fossil fuel resources that have taken 250,000,000 years to lay down. That is, averaging consumption in one year, of what has taken nature a million years to produce. This is set to continue unabated until these resources run dry even as the chickens come home to roost. Prosperity it seems is based on creating discontent as consumers are seduced to vie with each other in pursuit of technopia. We have political, financial and industrial systems, in place that will ensure that this continues without interruption. If there is a lesson we can learn from the financial crisis it is that market forces are a fiction because money itself is a fiction. It can be created by the stroke of a pen or push of a button by those privileged to be bankers. The rest of us work for a living.

Individual nation states have their own priorities and agendas. But, the common denominator however is growth based on fictitious money. While those ahead in the race are able to create more money to stay ahead, those behind engage in an almost impossible game of catch up. The victim of this game is planet earth and climate change is the result. Moderating this appears to be what Copenhagen is about and this requires, the rich nations particularly, to tighten their belts severely, whilst those behind loosen theirs’ ever so gently. There is no gain without pain. Current growth rates steal from the legacy that by right belong to future generations. It would seem that in allowing to be swept away by forces intent on destroying the natural world in the name of economic growth faith communities have surrendered their responsibilities, Muslims, not least amongst them. Our job is to prod this group, which constitutes twenty percent of the world’s population, to wake up to their teachings and join forces with other like-minded people to leave a liveable planet for our children. It is now or never - well almost."

African Nations Threatening To Walk Out of Climate Talks

2009-09-19T20:27:00.007-04:00

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, right, was elected by the Africa Union to head the continent's delegation for international climate change talks. The delegation includes Algeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Uganda and South Africa. African Union chief Jean Ping and AU current chairman Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi will also accompany the delegation to Copenhagen. Africa's climate change negotiators have threatened to withdraw from the December global climate change talks in Copenhagen, Denmark if developed nations failed to agree with Africa’s minimum position.

African nations common want huge financial support (estimated at US$300 billion) and technology transfer from the West for mitigation and adaptation activities to curb the impact of climate crisis on the continent. According to the Common Position document, Africa is demanding measurable, reportable and verifiable emission reduction by developed nations.

Key Positions

Africa demands that developed countries should commit 0.5 per cent of their GDP for climate action in developing countries and commit to new and innovative sources of public and private sector finance, with the major source of funding coming from the public sector.

Africa needs to create an African climate change fund through collaboration amongst African institutions such as the African Union Commission, the Economic Commission for Africa and the African Development Bank.

Mitigation & Adaptation

To support climate change mitigation activities in developing nations Western nations were asked to set at least US$200 billion (0.5 per cent from their GDP) by 2020.

Rich nations need to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020 and at least 80 to 95 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050.

Africa also demanded from the West better climate change adaptation fund worth US$67 billion per year by 2020.

Developed countries should commit to the deployment, diffusion and transfer of technology to developing countries, based on principles of accessibility, affordability, appropriateness and adaptability. (NYT, 9/20/09)

AAEA To Participate in CBC Legislative Conference

2009-09-19T15:07:00.007-04:00

Center President Norris McDonald is speaking at The 2009 Congresional Black Caucus (CBC) Annual Legislative Conference's Entrepreneurship Series. The Entrepreneurship Series is sponsored by Mastercard, Community Loans of America, and Bank of America.

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) produces the Annual Legislative Conference, a four-day event held in September at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Thousands of elected officials, business and industry leaders, celebrities, media, emerging leaders and everyday Americans attend the Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) and its dozens of policy forums, general sessions, massive exhibit showcase, job fair, book signings and vast networking opportunities. The Congressional Black Caucus – comprised of the African-American members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate – headline ALC every year.

The series will include the following workshops with remarks provided by distinguished and nationally recognized panelists before an expected audience of 250 – 300 per session:

Thursday, September 24, 2009 2pm-4pm

Initial Start-Up Considerations: Strategies for Establishing & Running A Successful Business Venture. Establishing and running a lucrative business venture can be a daunting task for even the most experienced entrepreneur. This workshop, part one of a three part CBCF Entrepreneurship Series, helps to demystify the process of starting a business for potential entrepreneurs and enhances the business know-how of existing small business owners. Highlights of the program include keynote remarks and strategies for success from celebrity entrepreneurs who have turned their ambition into multi-million dollar enterprises. Additional panelists will discuss, topics including developing a sound business plan, business taxes and corporate entities, and resources to assist aspiring entrepreneurs.

Friday, September 25, 2009 10am-12pm

Financing Forum: Preparing for and Obtaining Business Financing The current economic climate has significantly impacted the global credit market making access to capital more difficult for entrepreneurs and small business owners. In these times, understanding your personal finances and the loan product that is best for your business is critical. Part two of the three part CBCF Entrepreneurship Series, will include strategies from financial planners and bank executives that will address, the 5 C’s of credit and will provide insight on what they look for in potential loan applicants or investment opportunities. The workshop will provide information on various financing options including microloans, small business loan products, and venture capital products for the budding, established and mature business enterprise.

Saturday, September 26, 2009 11am – 1pm

Putting the Eco in Economy: Green Entrepreneurship and Business Opportunities Environmental protection and the need for proactive approaches to address climate change have become a leading priority of the Obama Administration. The process of “going green” is revolutionizing the way we do businesses and has created opportunities for entrepreneurship and business expansion. Part three (3) of the CBCF Entrepreneurship Series will define the expanding green economy, discuss how and where the stimulus funds will be allocated and provide insight from businesses that are revolutionizing their operations by greening their business products and services. Confirmed Speakers/Organizations:

Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chair, Congressional Black Caucus
Norris McDonald, President, Center for Environment, Commerce, Energy
Julie Cunningham, CEO, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials
Dr. Farrah Gray, Entrepreneur, Author “Reallionaire”
Aaron W. Smith, Author “In the Black: Live Faithfully, Prosper Financially”
Harry Alford, CEO, National Black Chamber of Commerce
Connie Evans, CEO, Association for Enterprise Opportunity
Kim Ellis Hunter, Partner, Deloitte & Touche
Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, Green For All
Jerome Ringo, President, Apollo Alliance
Van Ton-Quinlivan, Pacific Gas & Electric
Keni Washington, Managing Director, Earth-SOLAR
David Hinson, Director, Minority Business Development Agency
Kenneth Yancey, CEO, SCORE
Diane Farrell, Board of Directors, Export-Import Bank of the US
Karen Mills, Administrator, US Small Business Administration

Biographies

CBCF YouTube Videos of All Sessions

EPA Region III Chesapeake Bay Program Seeking GS 11

2009-09-16T16:45:00.002-04:00

The Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO) is located in Annapolis, Maryland and it is an EPA Region 3 field office. President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order in May, 2009 ordering the federal government to improve ecosystems within the Bay watershed. The first EO reports were publically released last week. CBPO is seeking an energetic GS-11 who has congressional/public relations, regulatory or enforcement/compliance experience to help implement the EO.

Contact: Cassandra Rice, Attorney Advisor, Chesapeake Bay Program Office, 410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109, Annapolis, MD 2140, Ofc 410-267-5722 Fax 410-267-5777

AAEA Assists in Passage of California Climate Bill

2009-09-15T10:17:00.006-04:00

AAEA worked with the Union of Concerned Scientists and a large coalition of other groups to get the California Legislature to pass AB 1404, Global Warming Compliance Offsets & Air Quality Act. AB 1404 ensures that policies used to reach California’s global warming pollution reduction goals maximize environmental and public health benefits for the state—particularly through limiting the use of compliance offsets and prioritizing what offsets are used to benefit California communities. The legislation was cosponsored by Assembly Members Kevin De León, left, V. Manuel Pérez, right, and Wilmer Amina Carter, below. The bill now goes to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to be signed into law.
The bill:

1. Limits the use of compliance offsets to no more than 10 percent of the emission reductions expected to be achieved through market mechanisms in each compliance period of AB 32 implementation. This limit applies regardless of whether a cap-and-trade program is implemented.
2. Establishes requirements for verifying and tracking compliance offsets to ensure that they are real, not double-counted or sold more than once, and do not cause harm to the environment or public health.
3. Requires the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to prioritize the use of offsets that provide air quality benefits to communities already suffering from disproportionate levels of air pollution, particularly focusing on the air basin in which the offset purchaser resides, and that provide environmental and public health benefits to the state of
4. Prohibits offsets from the Kyoto Protocol’s international Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to be used for compliance with California global warming regulations. A large majority of CDM projects do not actually reduce emissions. They have been proven to be “non-additional,” which means that they would have occurred under business as usual without CDM funding

Special thanks to Erin Rogers for pushing us to support this legislation and for consistently keeping us in the loop to aggressively participate in the lobbying effort. (UCS)

Sierra Club Seeks Executive Director

2009-09-09T20:11:00.003-04:00

The Sierra Club is seeking its next Executive Director. The Sierra Club stands at a critical moment in its history. This is a unique opportunity for a passionate and savvy executive to play a pivotal role in transforming the world by leading the transition to clean, sustainable energy sources.

The Role of Executive Director

The Executive Director is the Sierra Club’s highest ranking staff member, responsible for strategic and inspirational leadership as well as overall operational management of the Sierra Club, Inc. and its 530 staff, who are organized in five primary divisions and managed through a senior staff leadership team of eight. The Executive Director reports to a 15-member Board of Directors, itself elected by the Club membership. The Executive Director serves as a key external face of the Club, responsible for nurturing relationships with the non-governmental organization community, government officials, philanthropic agencies, donors, the media, and others. The Executive Director also leads the staff in its strong partnership with the Club’s unique and invaluable volunteer cadre.

FULL DESCRIPTION

Contact:

Stephanie C. Mardell, Associate
Isaacson, Miller
649 Mission Street Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94105

P: 415.655.4911
C: 617.448.3077

F: 415.655.4905

smardell@imsearch.com

http://www.imsearch.com/

Latest Version of Eco-Islam Available For Download

2009-09-09T12:26:00.002-04:00

Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences

The latest IFEES Eco Islam magazine (Issue 6) is ready to download. In this edition, IFEES has a special report on the deforestation in Indonesia and the "Sumatran Declaration".

Other articles include:

- New initatives from the Mindanao region of the Philipines
- Stopping Bird Hunting in Lebanon
- Green Muslims in Washington DC
- Update on the Prince Charles' Rainforest Project
- Book review on "199 ways to please God"
- The Green Religion and much more.

You can support IFEES to continue raising the importance of these issues through the production of educational literature, training programmes and supporting such campaigns. Your support will also help us to set up a global network of Muslim environmentalists from Aceh to Zanzibar.

EPA Announces Houses of Worship Can Now Earn Energy Star Label and Reduce Their Carbon Footprint

2009-09-04T00:08:00.002-04:00

Approximately 370,000 can track their energy use

America’s houses of worship can now earn the Energy Star label, joining the nation’s schools, hospitals, hotels, and other facilities in their efforts to fight climate change, save energy and reduce their carbon footprint. EPA’s energy tracking tool, Portfolio Manager, currently allows facilities to track energy use and the associated greenhouse gas emissions, set targets for investment priorities and verify efficiency improvements. Now the estimated 370,000 houses of worship across the United States can use Portfolio Manager to receive an energy performance rating, and the most energy efficient among them can earn the Energy Star label.

Worship facilities in the United States spend more than $3 billion annually on energy costs. Improving the energy efficiency of America’s houses of worship by just 10 percent would save nearly 2 billion kilowatt-hours each year, preventing more than 1 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions and representing a cost savings of about $315 million annually.

Through Energy Star, EPA provides a proven energy management strategy and free tools for public and private organizations to save energy and money through increased energy efficiency. EPA has also made additional enhancements to its tools including the ability to specify on-site green power generation and use. This feature provides a better assessment of a building’s actual energy efficiency and a more complete picture of associated carbon emissions.

Learn more about Portfolio Manager

Learn more about Energy Star for congregations

EPA Administrator Speaks at Blacks In Government Conference

2009-08-26T15:49:00.009-04:00

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson spoke at the Blacks in Government 31stAnnual onference on August 25th.

The Administrator announced the creation of a new position at EPA - Associate Assistant Administrator for Outreach, Diversity and Collaboration – to:

“spearhead and coordinate diversity initiatives across the entire agency.”

The announcement reflects the Administrator’s commitment to “diversify the voices of those calling forenvironmental change – even if they don’t call themselvesenvironmentalists.”

Video

Remarks

Obama Admin Seeks to Increase Access to Contracting: Opportunities for Minority-Owned, Small Businesses

2009-08-24T07:44:00.007-04:00

The Obama Administration reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that minority-owned and small businesses, including women- and veteran-owned businesses, have greater access to federal government contracting opportunities. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, left, and Small Business Administrator (SBA) Karen Mills, right, announced a government-wide plan that includes federal agency procurement officials holding or participating in more than 200 events over the next 90 days to share information on government contracting opportunities, including those available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The Federal Government is seeking to meet or exceed the goal of 23 percent of prime contracts for small businesses.

According to an SBA report cited by The Wall Street Journal (8/21/09), federal agencies awarded 21.5% of their contracts worth just over $93 billion to small businesses in fiscal 2008, which ran from Oct. 1, 2007 through Sept. 30, 2008, falling short of its 23% goal set by law. The federal agencies awarded 6.8% of their contracts to small "disadvantaged" businesses exceeding the 5% target, and up from 6.6% during the previous fiscal year. Over the past 40 years, minority-owned businesses have grown from 300,000 to nearly 4 million today.

As part of the Commerce-SBA initiative, over the next 90 days:

* Federal agency procurement officials will hold or participate in more than 200 events to share information on government contracting opportunities, including those available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

* SBA and Commerce will expand their outreach to fellow contracting officials across the federal government, passing along best practices for outreach and education to every agency to ensure they have the tools they need to meet their annual contracting goals.

* Locke and Mills will promote small business contracting opportunities in remarks, events and discussions with small business groups across the country, including minority, women and veteran groups.

Beyond the next 90 days, Commerce and SBA will support, monitor and track the impact of these efforts going forward to help ensure the Administration is maximizing opportunities for small businesses.

Small business owners can find out about federal contracting opportunities by visiting http://www.fedbizopps.gov/. Local Commerce and SBA officials are also available in local offices across the country to assist small businesses interested in contracting opportunities. Contact information for local offices can be found www.commerce.gov and http://www.sba.gov/.

$100M Dept of Labor Funding Energy Training Partnership

2009-08-22T14:16:00.005-04:00

Applications are due on September 4, 2009

Purpose

The purpose of the Energy Training Partnerships SGA is to: (1) Provide training and placement services in energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) industries; and (2) Prepare workers for emerging careers in the green economy.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are private not-for-profit organizations (2 categories):

National, not-for-profit labor management organizations, such as a training fund, with joint participation of business and labor organizations on executive board or governing body
Must fund sub-grants or sub-contracts to local affiliates.

Statewide or local not-for-profit entities

May not receive a sub-grant or sub-contract from a national labor-management organization under this SGA.

All applicants must involve required partners:

Labor organizations; Employers or industry organizations; Local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs); and One-Stop Career Centers.

Awards

Up to $100M nationwide
$2M to $5M per project (smaller awards possible)
20 to 30 projects
$25M reserved for projects serving counties impacted by automotive related restructuring
- For a list of counties, visit: http://www.doleta.gov/grants/pdf/Amend-01-SGA-DFA-PY-08-18.pdf

Participants to be Served

Priority must be given to:

Workers impacted by national energy/environmental policy; Individuals in need of updated training related to EE and RE; Unemployed workers; Veterans and their eligible spouses, or former or present members of Armed Forces reserves.

Projects may also serve:

Workers impacted by national energy/environmental policy; Individuals in need of updated training related to EE and RE; Unemployed workers; Veterans and their eligible spouses, or former or present members of Armed Forces reserves.

Proposed Activities

All projects must incorporate training activities that:

Address skills and competencies of the targeted industries.
Support advancement on a defined career path (if one exists in the targeted industries)
Take place at times and locations that are convenient and easily accessible for the targeted populations (Distance Learning or Technology Based Learning are acceptable)
Integrate supportive services to ensure participants have the necessary support to overcome barriers to employment
(As appropriate) Include paid work experience activities which lead to permanent employment in the targeted industry
(As appropriate) Result in a pre-existing industry-recognized degree or certificate
Grant funds may not be used for wage subsidies