GUEST BLOG: Give Thanks and Motivate A Trillion of Your Dollars to Take More Climate Action

By: Mark Harrison

Climate Counts

First, let’s put a trillion dollars into perspective:

In 2009 U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who spent much of the year fighting climate legislation, spent $123.3 million on lobbying activities (the most of any lobby group ever).

According to a Center for Responsive Politics analysis, the oil and gas industry spent $175 million lobbying Washington in 2009. In 2009 ExxonMobil alone spent $27.4 million in its lobbying efforts’ that’s more than all of the pro-environmental groups combined ($22.4 million). 

If we add the $123.3 million from the Chamber to the $175 million from the oil and gas industry, we’re looking at nearly $300 million dollars lobbying against climate legislation vs. just $22.4 million working towards comprehensive climate legislation; this truly is David vs. Goliath.

The question is how can we weaken Goliath – think fossil fuel industry – and strengthen David – think environmental groups. Specifically, how can we find and motivate a trillion dollars to support David in his push for the comprehensive climate legislation needed to save our planet? The answer is rather simple; spend your money with companies that support comprehensive climate legislation and tell them you care about the actions they’re taking.

Twenty-one of the 150 companies scored by ClimateCounts.org – plus four of our Climate Counts Industry Innovator companies — on their climate action have shown consumers they support public policy that can lead to reductions in global warming pollution. That’s twenty-one companies pulling in over a trillion dollars in revenue ready to listen to consumers who care about climate change.

The truth is this isn’t all black and white. Some of the companies listed below are part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Yet, in order to make real change happen we need these companies to take action like Nike ($19.39 billion) did when it left the Chamber’s board of directors because of disputes over the need for comprehensive federal climate legislation. Or Apple, ($65.22 billion) who left the U.S. Chamber of Commerce entirely because of its position on climate change. Apple and Nike alone brought in $84.61 billion dollars in revenue in 2009; that’s an $84.61 billion dollar voice ready to support comprehensive climate legislation.

We need to tell companies like Siemens ($101.19 billion), The Coca-Cola Co. ($32 billion), and News Corp ($33 billion) that we do appreciate their positive political stance in the U.S. and we deeply appreciate their work in Cancun where they brought the climate-change fight to COP16 pushing for an international climate agreement.  Continue reading at Climate Counts Blog!

GUEST BLOG: York County Shelters Joins Green Alliance

York Country Shelter Programs - Shaker Hill, Alfred, Maine.

ReVision Energy is happy to welcome York County Shelters as they join the Green Alliance through a new non-profit scholarship fund.  The fund pays for 100% of the membership dues for the green business organization, recognizing the value that nonprofits bring to the community.

Jim Cavan writes:

The YCSP became the first recipient of the GA’s newly-launched Sustainable Commerce Scholarship. Green Alliance Director Sarah Brown says the goal of the new program will be to raise money from existing Business Partners and community members in order to support local non-profits on the scholarship.

“It’s another way for us to give back, and we hope to be able to do it on a fairly regular basis,” says Brown. “We know there are a lot of incredible organizations out there who would be wonderful additions to our organization, so hopefully this provides a way to make that happen.”

Initially launched in 1980 as the York County Alcoholism Shelter, the YCSP has since grown to include a five-building, 74 bed main campus in Alfred, which houses both families and individuals and features a bakery, barn-set gymnasium, classroom and dining commons. Additionally, the main campus provides services ranging from family counseling to substance abuse programs and vocational training, helping hundreds of people every year in their often arduous transitions from homelessness to self sufficiency.

Additionally, the group owns over 30 transitional housing units throughout the York County region, as well as an additional 5 homes rendered green – EnergyStar appliances, solar panels and efficient insulation being just a few of the features – before being offered to qualifying families and individuals.

Leading the “green” efforts of the York County Shelters is a trio of renewable energy systems installed by ReVision Energy on their main building on Shaker Hill, Alfred: a robust solar hot water system, 4kw of solar electric panels, and a wood boiler.

YCSP made news by being the first shelter in Maine to integrate the cost of renewable energy systems into its building designs. The additional upfront costs are justified as these systems will offer long term savings on their energy usage while at the same time offsetting thousands of pounds of C02 emissions each year.

Continue reading here on ReVision Energy's Blog!

GUEST BLOG: EPA Authority under the Clean Air Act

By Jim Rubens,

Union of Concerned Scientists, New Hampshire Chapter

America’s extreme reliance on fossil fuels has created a heavy economic burden on New Hampshire in the form of lost dollars and lost jobs. Eighty percent of every dollar New Hampshire spends on fossil fuels leaves the state – three billion dollars every year -- often winding up in the pockets of entities hostile to American interests.

Additionally, the US National Academy of Science has found in its multi-year review of climate science that our combustion of these fossil fuels is the primary cause of the increased temperatures and more violent storms we have seen over past decades.

Despite many years’ effort to reach compromise, Congress has failed legislate solutions to our fossil fuel dependency and climate problems. This failure is already weakening US economic and national security interests. Over the past two years alone, China has become the world’s leading market for wind and solar. Within the coming generation, the global clean energy industry will be larger than biotech and computers combined, and US will be left behind if we don’t take action to establish clear, long-term national policy.

Fortunately, under existing Clean Air Act authority, the Environmental Protection Agency in January will begin rulemaking on limiting global warming gas emissions from the largest sources, such as coal-fired power plants, oil refineries, and cement plants on the basis of EPA’s carefully-vetted finding that these emissions are harmful to human health. EPA authority here was litigated (in Massachusetts v. EPA) and found valid by Supreme Court in 2007.

EPA regulation of global warming gas emissions will have substantial human health benefits via reduction in conventional pollutants such as coal particulates/ground-level ozone and reductions in early mortality, heart disease, and asthma. Climate-related human health impacts include extreme storm frequency, heat waves and associated mortality and hospitalizations, and northward pathogen migration. The benefits of EPA regulation of global warming gasses are magnified in New Hampshire because we are downwind of hundreds of coal-fired generating plants.

1 World Trading Co. in the Spirit with Holiday Storefront Display

When thinking of the holidays, many picture shades of red, and sparkling whites.  Paul Keegan, owner of 1 World Trading Co. is trying to change that association by going "green". 

As part of a promotion put on by the Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce called Shop Portsmouth, Keegan and about 30 other store owners around downtown are competing by decorating their storefront with the holidays in mind. 

You can check out the displays and then vote for the ones you like the most.  Inside each store there are ballot boxes, or if you happen to be at the Chamber of Commerce, ballots can be cast there too.  And if the kids want to get in on the action, there is a coloring contest at each store as well.

The displays will be up until January 4th when the votes will be tallied to determine the winner. Winners will be awarded small prizes but more importantly, mention in the local papers. 

Last Minute Holiday Gifts - The Swag Bag and the Green Card!

With only a few shopping days left until Christmas, it's time to talk crunch-time holiday gifts. And that's where the Green Alliance and Earthtec Outfitters come in.

Of course, you can get a Green Card in practically no time by ordering online, or by stopping by our office in Kittery.

But you can probably take care of several gifts by purchasing a Green Card at Earthtec Outfitters, conveniently located at 140 West Rd in Portsmouth (behind the Market Basket on Lafayette Rd.) When you purchase a Green Card there, you can receive a Green Alliance Swag Bag (a $100 value) for FREE!

GA partners with York County Shelter Programs, launches non-profit scholarship fund

It was a week or so after Thanksgiving, at the Green Alliance headquarters in Kittery, when Sarah Brown had her light bulb moment. Well, a string of Christmas light bulbs, really.

Brown, the Director of the self described “green business union”, was going through her long list of emails when one in particular caught her attention.

Titled simply “Inquiry”, the dispatch was from Mary Doyle, Public Relations Director for the York County Shelter Programs (YCSP). As Brown read through Doyle’s story of the YCSP – which operates emergency homeless shelters, a food pantry and free meals kitchen, substance abuse and mental health treatment services, legal assistance, educational and vocational training, and transitional housing – she was immediately taken aback. Indeed, she had no idea that Doyle’s organization was so far reaching and multi-faceted.

“I was blown away,” said Brown, who grew up in Portsmouth and had long been aware of YCSP’s general mission but not the scope of what they were achieving. “Right away I was amazed at the sheer amount of real people they were helping.”

But it was when Brown discovered that Doyle had been referred by Michael Landgarten – owner of Bob’s Clamhut and Robert’s Maine Grill and a Business Partner in Brown’s Green Alliance – that the Christmas lights really went off. Indeed, Brown had entertained the idea of bringing on a non-profit on a full membership dues scholarship since her own organization’s 2008 inception.

After reading Doyle’s impassioned email, Brown realized she’d found the perfect candidate. And the fact that it was coming upon the Christmas season made it all the more serendipitous.