Green Voting

In an Op Ed, columnist Thomas Friedman suggests that the greatest act you can do to green your life happens at the ballot box:
Choose the right leaders. It is so much more important to change your leaders than change your light bulbs.
Why? Because leaders write the rules, set the standards and offer the tax incentives that drive market behavior across a whole city, state or country. Whatever any of us does individually matters a tiny bit. But when leaders change the rules, you get scale change across the whole marketplace. And the energy-climate challenge we face today is a huge scale problem. Without scale, all you have is a green hobby.
Interfaith Power and Light is a religious response to global warming with chapters in 25 states and Greater Washington, D.C. Find a link to your local chapter at http://www.theregenerationproject.org/State.htm
Enjoy discounts on energy saving products at http://www.shopipl.org/.

Candidates on Climate Change

We've just begun the long, hard slog toward the 2008 US Presidential elections, but things are heating up fast. It's not too early to learn where the candidates stand on climate change, courtesy of NPR.
IREJN is Connecticut's Interfaith Power and Light. Visit us at www.irejn.org.

Climate Change Event May 10 at CCSU

Building a Mass Movement to Confront the Climate Crisis

Thursday, May 10th 7:30 PM
Marcus White Living Room, Marcus White Hall
Central Connecticut State University, 1615 Stanley Street
New Britain, CT

From the countless new scientific reports, to radical ecological shifts like the recent cessation of bear hibernation in Spain, to climatic shifts like the near doubling of Katrina-level storms in the last 35 years, and even calls to action by the insurance industry, the threat of global climate change becomes clearer every day.

Study after study points to the same conclusion: If our civilization's carbon emissions do not decrease dramatically in the coming decades the consequences will be catastrophic within the lifetimes of people alive today. Coastal cities all over the world will be submerged in water. Western Europe and Northeast America could experience a new ice age. A new wave of powerful storms will wreak havoc all over the world. Farm land will turn to desert. Millions of people will lose drinkable water. Wars will break out over newly scarce land and resources. A majority of the species on earth will face extinction.
Under current and all recent US governments the situation only worsens. In the last ten years the rate of increase of carbon emissions has only increased, and the US Energy Department plans to continue increasing it.

How can we build a movement to halt global warming in its tracks while maintaining and improving the living standards of working people? What strategies and alliances have successfully furthered environmental movements and how are groups organizing against environmental destruction around the country right now? What roles are labor organizations playing and how could their work in the environmental movement expand?

Come hear labor and environmental activist Christine Frank discuss the need for a mass environmental movement with a working class perspective and describe the efforts currently underway to build it. A discussion will follow.

Frank is the volunteer coordinator of the Climate Crisis Coalition of the Twin Cities, a Co-Convener of the Labor and Sustainability Conference and a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 13 in the Guthrie Theater Costume Bargaining Unit.

For more information call 860-547-0122
or e-mail http://us.f431.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=dancetothepiper@gmail.comfor directions see:http://www.ccsu.edu/viewbook/find_us.htm

A Socialist Action Forum

Climate Change Discussion

The World Affairs Council is sponsoring a discussion on Climate Change on Tuesday, April 1o at the Mark Twain House Visitors Center in Hartford, Center 351 Farmington Avenue, 6:30 - 10:00 p.m. Scroll down for RSVP info.

The program will be moderated by Congressman John Larson. Featured Speakers are:

Dr. Anji Seth, Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, University of Connecticut. Dr. Seth will give a global perspective on climate change science.

Roger Smith, Campaign Director, Clean Water Action Coordinator, Connecticut Climate Coalition, Mr. Smith will discuss what is being done at the local grass roots level.

Lynn Stoddard, Environmental Analyst, CT Department of Environmental Protection. Ms. Stoddard will discuss CT state climate change policy.

Kenneth Reifsnider, Director, Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center, Pratt & Whitney Chair Professor of Design and Reliability, University of Connecticut. Mr. Reifsnider will speak about new technologies in relation to climate change.

Suggested Donation - $10*

All proceeds go the World Affairs Council. For more information or to reserve a seat contact860-241-6118 or info@ctwac.org

IREJN is Connecticut's Interfaith Power and Light. Visit us at www.irejn.org.

Science and Religion--Will they Get Together and Save the Environment?

In this Charleston, West Virginia Gazette-Mail editorial, John Timpane argues that if Scientists and religious leaders join forces to address climate change and other environmental problems, politicians will "turn green" instantly.

Visit us at www.irejn.org

I'm Pro-Environment and I Vote

Political parties around the world are courting the green vote, according to an article in Reuters UK. Here's an excerpt:

Just as Bill Clinton used the battle cry "It's the economy, stupid!" to keep his 1992 presidential campaign focussed, political leaders worldwide are chanting a new mantra based on growing alarm about global warming.

Mainstream parties in Germany, Britain, France, Canada, the United States and Austria believe tackling climate change is a vote winner while established Green parties in Germany and Austria are experiencing a renaissance.

Poll: Faith groups should push Climate protection

"A majority of Americans, 57%, agree that religious and faith groups should take a stand on global warming, compared to 41% who disagree and 2% who don't know. But less than half (45%) say their own convictions -- moral, ethical or religious -- compel them to solve global warming by changing their own personal habits. Of those who would, most have already purchased energy efficient products and services, reduced their auto emissions and voted for candidates who actively address global warming." Read the full article at Earthtimes.