Now is the time to get Michigan's economy going! Ask your State Representative ReEnergize Michigan

photo by citizenofthedeep
licensed under Creative Commons 2.0

Just recently, the very first battery pack for the Michigan-made Chevy Volt rolled off the line at GM's new Brownstown Assembly Plant, signaling another giant leap forward for Michigan's clean energy economy.

General Motors is making major investments all over the state as the car maker prepares to ramp up production of the hybrid electric Volt, revving up our economy and speeding along the path to a cleaner, greener Michigan.

As part of that green revolution, we're working hard to re-energize Michigan by reducing fuel emissions that cause global warming and health problems, and sending a signal that here in Michigan, we are committed to leading the world in advanced battery technology. Now it's time for our lawmakers to join in by supporting a fuel emissions reduction and the entire ReEnergize Michigan! legislative package.

Last year's elections to the board of the Pedernales Electric Co-op resulted in a majority committed to ending the days of scandal that have plagued the PEC for so long. The PEC board is now considering bringing a Bill of Rights before the members for approval during this year's board elections.

City Public Services (the City of San Antonio's electric utility) and New Jersey based NRG are currently seeking investors for two new nuclear reactors they hope to build at the South Texas Project site in Bay City, Texas. They are also seeking commitments from communities like yours to purchase the power these reactors would generate.

Recent revelations leave no doubt that top officials at the City Public Services deliberately misled the public and the San Antonio City Council about the true cost of nuclear power. Clean Water Action and our allies have issued warnings for several months now that the $13 billion price tag for the nuclear reactors proposed for South Texas was too low.

CPS has now admitted that this figure is $4 billion too low! Top staff
at CPS and chair of its Board have now resigned in disgrace.

E-mail your representative in Michigan's House today to ask for legislation that will reduce diesel pollution.

Anyone whose ever been stuck behind a dump truck knows the black exhaust pouring out of diesel-powered vehicles is unpleasant, to say the least. What they, and you, might not know is what's in the exhaust and how it affects us. The black exhaust pouring out of diesel vehicles chips away at our health, putting Michiganders at an increased risk of heart attacks, lung cancer, and asthma. Diesel pollution is a silent killer.

In Michigan alone, it is annually estimated to cause the early deaths of 443 people, more than 15,000 asthma attacks, 648 non-fatal heart attacks, and over 57,000 lost work days. Further, diesel emissions have been shown to have 7 times the lifetime cancer risk than that posed by all the other 181 hazardous air pollutants combined.

Tell DEP: Don't Dilute the Standards!

All across Pennsylvania, natural gas companies are rushing to drill new gas wells to extract gas deposits in the Marcellus Shale - which runs beneath most of our state one mile down.

While energy companies are excited about this new revenue stream, Pennsylvania streams and rivers are left with a huge problem - the highly toxic wastewater from the gas drilling process.

Marcellus wastewater contains a mix of heavy metals including arsenic and lead, toxic chemicals such as benzene that can cause cancer, and salts. This wastewater is generally 3-6 times saltier than seawater, and already has changed fresh water streams in Pennsylvania into salt water environments!

The Safer Alternatives Bill will create a program in Massachusetts to replace toxic chemicals with Safer Alternatives wherever feasible. The bill is currently before the Massachusetts Legislature's Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture. That committee held a public hearing on the bill on November 2nd, but the Environment Committee has not yet acted to give the bill a favorable report.

A favorable report is needed to move the bill to the next stage in the legislative process. Your legislators can help by urging the Chairs of the Environment Committee to act on the bill soon. Please write to them and ask them to help!

As our lawmakers decide how to vote on clean energy legislation, they face pressure from the special interest lobbies of dirty coal and big oil to maintain the status quo. During these times, congressional staffers report what the public is saying--both what they hear directly, and what is said through local newspapers.

That is why we are calling on you - a clean energy and climate policy supporter - to write your local newspaper to urge passage of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act that is currently in the Senate.

Austin Energy, our city's award-winning electricity provider, has prepared a new ten-year plan on where we will get our energy from. This plan will increase Austin's commitment to clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency, help keep electric bills in check, and cut back on pollution from the coal-burning Fayette Power Plant.

Ask Senator Stabenow and Senator Levin to make sure the Great Lakes are protected from Asian carp!

At the urging of Governor Jennifer Granholm and Lt. Gov. John Cherry, the state intends to file suit to close the shipping locks between Michigan and Illinois, a critical step in the fight to stop the Asian carp invasion.

Now we need to make sure we have a broad coalition of support for closing the locks and protecting the Great Lakes.

Taking every legal action to protect the Great Lakes from the invasive Asian carp species is vital to protecting Michigan's greatest treasure and one of our greatest economic assets.

Sign the petition and help move Michigan beyond coal and into the future

It's time David Joos and Consumers Energy got the message: we need to move beyond coal and into a clean energy future. Add your name to the growing list of Michigan ratepayers who refuse to put billions of hard-earned dollars into a risky investment.

Ratepayers like us deserve the best our money can buy: aggressive energy efficiency initiatives, investment in clean energy technology like wind and solar, and a commitment to move beyond coal into a clean energy future.

Create your virtual baby and join the crawl

Help send a million babies to Washington, DC, to push for reform of the outdated and ineffective Toxic Substances Control Act, so that we are all protected from harmful toxins. Join the Million Baby Crawl to DC online by creating your own virtual baby.

Chemicals are currently regulated by the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), a decades-old law that experts say has utterly failed to keep the nation’s environment and its citizens safe from materials that cause cancer and a host of other serious illnesses. In fact, in the 33 years since TCSA was enacted, the EPA has required testing on only 200 of the more than 80,000 chemical compounds now in use.

Although they did not yet have a majority, Miami-Dade Commissioners Edmonson, Sorenson, Sosa and Chairman Moss unified their voices, listened to their constituents and bucked the majority of commissioners who voted to advance a retail development proposed outside the Urban Development Boundary (UDB) at a November 4th hearing.

Earlier this year, many of you signed a postcard from Clean Water Action in support of clean energy and calling on leaders of New Braunfels to buy more renewable energy and develop energy efficiency programs that lower electric bills and reduce water use.

The good news is that New Braunfels Utilities has new energy efficiency programs, like a high efficiency air condition and heat pump rebate. The bad news is that it might sign a nuclear power contract with San Antonio.

Don't get duped.

The Austin City Council is expected to vote this Thursday October 22 on whether to begin clearing the land where it intends to build a new drinking water treatment plant. Some observers see this vote as the decision point on whether Austin proceeds with Water Treatment Plant 4 (WTP4).

A new report released last week by Clean Water Fund documents yet again that conserving water is far more prudent than treating and distributing additional water—especially since drought, and climate change are reducing the overall amount of available water. Read the report.

$17 billion for unsafe, dirty energy? Tell your Mayor and City Council to pull the plug on nuclear energy!

Recent revelations leave no doubt that top officials at the City of San Antonio's electric utility, City Public Services, deliberately misled the public and the city council about the true cost of nuclear power.

Did you know the City of Georgetown has a plan to get 30% of its power from nuclear energy by 2030? It is currently negotiating with CPS Energy of San Antonio to buy power from two proposed nuclear reactors in South Texas.

Despite the claims from CPS Energy and the nuclear industry, nuclear power has inherent flaws that make it a dangerous and risky source of energy for Georgetown. Here are just a few.

• Cost: The cost of building new nuclear reactors is extremely expensive. San Antonio will have to spend at least $5.2 billion to build two new reactors with its partner, New Jersey-based NRG. The projected cost has already doubled since the project was first announced in 2007. To finance the project, CPS wants to sell half of its share to smaller utilities like Georgetown Utility System. That way, they would shed some of the huge financial risk that comes with such a massive project onto Georgetown ratepayers.

Roughly 70 percent of Pennsylvania sits atop the Marcellus Shale formation with an estimated 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas worth about $500 billion. The oil and gas industry wants to earn millions of dollars more by extracting the natural gas by the quickest method possible. Thousands of gallons of local-source freshwater are needed in the process. The contaminated wastewater then needs to be discarded and currently there are no rules on how that should be done.

Since 2002, we have known that one million gallons of untreated waste leak daily from failing septic systems in Kent County. Our community has spoken out loud and clear against this pollution. Now, we are delighted to announce that County Commissioners Brandon Dillon and Sandi Parrish have recently committed to moving forward this year to solve this threat to our water and our health.

Take a moment to thank Commissioners Dillon and Parrish for their leadership.They need to know they have your strong support in moving forward.

Support a tax on natural gas drilling!

Tell Gov. Rendell and your legislators that opening Pennsylvania's wilderness to more natural gas exploration is unacceptable.
Take action now

In the budget deal agreed upon by Senate Leaders and the Governor last Friday, the state is mandated to lease approximately 100,000 acres of our most pristine forests for natural gas exploration.

Make no mistake, natural gas exploration will wreck these areas for hiking, fishing, hunting and the other outdoor activities. Drilling operatios will clearcut wide swaths through the forest and huge well pads, and they won't replace the trees when they are done.

Clean energy jobs are essential to Michigan's future.
Tell Sen. Levin and Sen. Stabenow to help pass climate change legislation now

You can't delay progress

We're moving Michigan forward every day, bearing down on our goal: a clean energy future for Michigan, 54,000 clean energy jobs for hard-working Michigan families, and a giant leap forward for the entire nation.

Prominent conservative Republicans are jumping on board. Already Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. Lisa Murkowski have said they're ready to be flexible and consider the clean energy jobs legislation, but their far-right counterparts are trying to stall our progress and delay a vote.

Your commitment to contacting Sen. Levin and Sen. Stabenow and bringing your friends and family on board is paying off. We're marching down the field toward our goal, and nothing - not even the Republicans latest attempt to delay - is going to stop us.

Take action today!

Won't you join us in sending an e-mail a week to Senators Stabenow and Levin to keep the pressure on until they pass the energy bills?

Victory: Governor's leadership triggers huge win in the fight to stop the Michigan coal rush!

Governor Granholm started Michigan on the course toward a clean energy future in February when she announced a requirement that prior to building new coal plants there must be a proven need for the new power as well as a study of other potential sources of energy. Please take a minute to thank Governor Granholm for requiring utilities to prove the need for new power and to review alternatives to coal plants.

Energy doesn't have to mean pollution

Take action now!

Currently, Pennsylvania makes electricity suppliers buy some of their power from renewable sources. The amount is very small, but we have a chance to increase it.

Right now, House Bill 80 is a bill that would commit our state to providing almost a fifth of its power from truly renewable sources by 2024 as well as more than double our commitment to solar power in the same time frame.

This would be a very exciting development, one that closely mirrors the progress envisioned in Federal Climate Legislation, except one problem: the current draft of the legislation could wipe out all that progress by giving the coal industry a good reason to build a brand new coal power plant.

Cherry Creek Reservoir is in danger!

The Reservoir has been closed several days this summer because of E coli bacterial levels. These bacterial pollutants occur in the water because area sewage treatment facilities don't treat their effluent properly before they discharge it into the Reservoir.

Governor Ritter can help fix this problem by appointing pro-environment members to the Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority.

PCBs in San Francisco Bay? We don't think so.
Take action now!

PCBs, which cause cancer, reproductive harm, impaired brain development in children, and other serious health problems, collect in fish living in contaminated waters and threaten the health of people and wildlife that eat the fish. The San Francisco Bay has high levels of PCBs in its water and its fish, endangering the health of Bay area residents.

The San Francisco Regional Water Board is responsible for making sure the Bay gets cleaned up. But despite these threats, the Board has adopted a weak cleanup plan that will not stop PCBs from continuing to enter the Bay and will not protect subsistence fishers or wildlife.

Do you have just 30 seconds to send an e-mail to your Senators urging them to fix both our climate and our economic crises?
Take action now.

What is it that "We, The People" all want? Clean water, a healthy planet and a clean energy future for America.

Climate and energy legislation are vitally important to the success of our economy and the health our environment. America's energy policy should be driven by clean energy incentives and firm limits on carbon pollution, which will help drive America's economic recovery. We must invest in energy efficient technologies which would create hundreds of thousands of new construction, energy service, and building maintenance and operations jobs by 2020, and ultimately reduce consumers' energy bills.

Your Senators needs to hear from you today.

Michigan is currently at a crossroads to secure our economic and energy future. Bold, immediate leadership is required to bring new industries to Michigan - including clean, alternative energy sources like advanced batteries, wind, energy efficiency and solar power - before other states position themselves as the leaders and draw investment in these emerging industries. By acting now, we can make Michigan a leader and make clean energy the profitable kind of energy.

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is considering an application to permit one million gallons of water withdrawal per day from the Delaware River. This water would be used to force natural gas out of wells very deep in the ground.

Over half of the water would have to be disposed of afterward, but these millions of gallons of water will be so polluted that there’s no good way to safely treat the water and re-release it back into the environment.

Additionally, transportation of this water will require approximately 200 diesel truck trips per day, further adding to the particulate and CO2 pollution in northern Pennsylvania.

Northern Colorado is threatened by uranium mining. In addition, other types of hardrock mining threaten much of Colorado’s landscapes, rivers, and wildlife habitat.

The Hard Rock Mining Act of 2009 (H.R. 699) was recently introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives to help protect Colorado from the impacts of hardrock mining.

Presently, federal mining law dates back to 1872; the Hardrock Mining Act of 2009 is a much needed update to that antiquated law and contains critical requirements to protect Colorado.

On July 1, 2009 the Allegheny County Board of Health voted 8 to 1 to indefinitely postpone updating the guidelines they use to issue permits for industry to release toxics (Air Toxics Guidelines). The current guidelines are over 20 years old and are based on science that is probably 30 years old. The Board passed the buck and said they would wait until the State of Pennsylvania develops new regulations.

The Health Department took this action even though our air is unhealthy. We have received four failing report cards on our air quality:

Connecticut has become the first state in the nation to ban the toxic chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) from infant formula and baby food cans and jars, as well as the full range of reusable food and beverage containers! Governor M. Jodi Rell (R) signed the legislation into law, which will take effect on October 1, 2011. BPA has been linked to a wide range of chronic diseases, including: obesity, diabetes, breast and prostate cancers, reproductive problems, brain damage, behavior changes, and early puberty in girls.

Thank you for being part of the diverse and broad coalition that made this victory possible! Your efforts successfully turned back intense opposition from the chemical, plastics, and canning lobbies.

On Earth Day, eighteen Pennsylvania State Senators introduced SB 777, state legislation that would protect rivers, streams, and aquifers (groundwater) that supply our public drinking water. This bill, the Safer Drinking Water Act, will provide special protection to any water that supplies the public with its drinking water.

Take Action Now: Urge your State Senator to support the Safer Drinking Water Act and push for a vote in the senate.

Federal legislation has been introduced in Congress that would ban the toxic chemical BPA from food and beverage containers.

Help ban BPA nationwide

BPA, first developed as a synthetic sex hormone, can be found in re-useable water bottles, the lining of your soup or soda cans, baby bottles, sippy cups, and other polycarbonate plastic products. It has been shown to leach from containers directly into food and beverages, especially when heated. Why is this a problem?

More than 200 studies have found that low dose exposures to BPA are linked to heart disease, breast and testicular cancers, reproductive problems, and other diseases reaching epidemic proportions in the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted research that revealed detectable levels of BPA in the bodies of 93% of Americans.

Covanta's Mid-Conn incinerator in Hartford Connecticut burns 2,000 tons of trash per day.
© Roger Smith/Clean Water Action

Take action now to keep the ban on trash incineration intact and keep Rhode Island's recycling plans moving forward.

For 15 years Rhode Island has banned trash incineration because it's dirty, dangerous, and it burns resources that we can recycle.

Now, out-of-state energy giant Covanta is spending thousands of dollars a month to convince our elected officials to take a giant step backward and undo the incinerator ban.

Over the last several years, several companies have proposed legislation to get around Rhode Island's incinerator ban. At every turn, the legislature rejected those plans.

Construction is responsible for a whopping 40% of all mobile diesel emissions in the Northeast. It's time that our policies reflect government concern for the health of the workers and the public in and around those construction sites, particularly when they are located in dense urban areas - the Diesel Emission Reduction Act does just that.

You've probably seen a lot of talk in the news recently about the chemical, Bisphenol A, or BPA. Bans are now in place across the country, including Suffolk County NY, Chicago, IL and in the state of Minnesota. Companies like S.C. Johnson, Gerber, and Sonoco have stopped using the chemical in products intended for children.

Plastic and paper bags fill up landfills, are incinerated to create unhealthful emissions, add needless costs to public works budgets, pollute our streams and add to neighborhood litter. They are also unnecessary.

The District of Columbia can reduce waste, protect and restore the waters of the District, clean up neighborhoods, beautify community parks and fund Anacostia restoration efforts by enacting B18-150, the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009.

The proposed law will:

Last week, the Florida State Legislature passed Senate Bill 360 the so called "Community Renewal Act" which is an attack on communities that want planned growth to protect the quality of life of residents, control costs, and protect public health and the environment.

Senate Bill 360 would allow developers to gobble up sensitive and rural lands by easing restrictions, extending building permits and allowing unchecked development.

This year, we have an opportunity make real progress toward building a new energy economy -- to reduce global warming pollution, create jobs and improve the quality of life in the Granite State. The New Hampshire Department of Transportation wants to re-introduce passenger rail service linking Concord, Hooksett, Manchester, Bedford (for the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport), Merrimack, and Nashua with Boston.

UPDATE: Since the release of our "No More Toxic Tub" report last month, people have been speaking out across the country to get toxic chemicals out of our bath and beauty products. A few members of Congress have called for stronger legislation, but we need to keep the pressure on! Send your representative a message and call for stronger regulation from the FDA.

We need your help to make our message clear.  We need our elected officials to support strong regulation to get nasty contaminants like formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane out of our bath and beauty products.

In the last three years, thousands of uranium mining claims have been filed in Colorado, including claims just a few miles from the heavily populated areas of Fort Collins and Greeley. Companies are aggressively exploring for uranium and drilling test holes in many areas of Colorado.

These uranium mines will be either in-situ leach or open pit mines - both are very dangerous. In-situ leach uranium mines pump dangerous chemicals into the aquifer and groundwater to leach out the uranium, and then pump the groundwater to the surface to chemically extract the uranium from the water. Open pit mines involve digging massive open pits that extract uranium by mechanical means.

In 2005, Rhode Island banned the sale of thermostats that contain mercury. However, remaining thermostats in Rhode Island homes contain over 3,600 pounds of mercury.

Now we need to require thermostat manufacturers to take responsibility for their toxic products and ensure that mercury thermostats are safely collected and recycled when they are removed from use. The Mercury Thermostat Pollution Prevention Act requires manufacturers to finance the collection and recycling of their mercury thermostats and pay a $5 incentive for each thermostat returned to their program.

Take Action: Write to Governor Carcieri and your state legislators today to urge them to support the Mercury Thermostat Pollution Prevention Act.

Florida is vulnerable to the effects of global warming and climate change driven by greenhouse gas emissions. Our leaders must act now to prevent sea level rise and water shortages and other impacts linked to climate change by moving ahead with renewable, sustainable, less water-intensive energy technologies.

Take Action: Tell your Representative that strong legislation is needed to create an investment in renewable energy and protect Florida's environment, health and economy.

This week the State Legislature held hearings on House Bill 27 and Senate Bill 753, legislation to defund the Inter-County Connector (ICC). The ICC is an 18.8 mile toll-highway with a price tag of $3 billion plus, almost $200 million per mile and is ranked by national environmental groups as one of the worst projects in the US.

At a time when Maryland faces a $2.5 billion budget shortfall this one mega-project drains fiscal resources from public transit, public health, education and environmental protection. That's why we are working to defund the ICC and shift transportation funds to maintain critical transportation infrastructure and public transit.

Don't let your elected official destroy a deal that protects Florida's economic and water security! The River of Grass Initiative is our only chance to secure necessary land critical to the Everglades and safeguard our water supply. Florida can't afford to pass it up!

We need your help to flood your legislators with letters and faxes urging him to support 100 foot stream buffers on all streams in Pennsylvania.

Instead of supporting Clean Water Action's proposal to require at least 100 foot buffers on all streams in our state, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is now proposing just a voluntary program. They would encourage developers to include buffers on their sites by agreeing to eliminate state review of stormwater plans that include buffers.

What's wrong with a voluntary buffers program?

Regionally, construction equipment is responsible for 40% of all mobile diesel pollution in the Northeast.  In Rhode Island construction equipment emits more toxic diesel soot than trucks, buses or even airplanes. Each year 51 premature deaths, 80 heart attacks and numerous other problems such as cancer, respiratory diseases, asthma attacks and cardiovascular disease are caused by diesel pollution in our state.  

Pennsylvania has more miles of polluted waterways that any other state in the nation. Help Springfield Township enact a proposal to curb this disturbing trend. Science has shown that buffer zones along streams protect our waterways from sedimentation, non-point source pollution, flash flooding and ultimately lower costs associated with the treatment of drinking water.

New Jersey currently has mandatory buffer protections throughout the state, Pennsylvania has not yet enacted a statewide policy on this issue. We urge individual municipalities and residents to set the example and approve the best methods to control water quality in their own backyards.

Say yes to safer and more sustainable packaging options

Because polystyrene (commonly known as Styrofoam™) is harmful to public health, costly to communities, and a big marine debris and litter problem, Clean Water Action is sponsoring legislation, AB 1358 (Hill, Nava, Brownley), to ban polystyrene food take-out packaging and encourage safer and more sustainable alternatives.

Providence County is ranked in the worst 6% of all U.S. counties for health problems caused by diesel emissions. Lung cancer, heart and asthma attacks, chronic respiratory diseases, impaired lung growth in children, and premature death all result from our exposure to diesel.

Congress recently voted on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. As a result New Hampshire will receive funding that it can use for projects that will protect our waterways, invest in cleaner transportation initiatives- such as rail transit, and promote new energy solutions that address global warming and create jobs.

Thank your Representative and Senator Jeanne Shaheen for voting to pass this important legislation.

However, one of our Senators, Judd Gregg, did not vote at all. Write to Senator Judd Gregg and let him know you're disappointed that he didn't take a stand and didn't vote to support New Hampshire's clean energy future.

Fossil fuels are polluting the air, warming the planet and soaring in price.
Texas' dependence on fossil fuels and nuclear power is an economic burden on its citizens and a threat to public health. As our population increases, we must prioritize clean energy and energy efficiency to protect public health and the environment, keep electricity affordable and bring jobs to Texas.

Over ninety per cent of Texas' electricity comes from dirty sources of power that put public health at risk. Texas leads the nation in emissions of greenhouse gases and toxic mercury from coal plants, and much of Texas' smog problem is due to coal. Two-thirds of Texans live in cities that are in violation of federal, health-based clean air standards.

Texas is fortunate to have a rich aquatic heritage, with nine major aquifers, fifteen major rivers, over 200 reservoirs, 3700 streams, and more than 300 miles of coastal waters. But population growth, drought and climate change are depleting water supplies at alarming rates. Public officials at all levels of government need to act now to conserve water for the future.

Texas' population is projected to double by 2060, with most newcomers settling in our urban areas. Unless we conserve, this will require new sources of water and new treatment capacity at great expense.

The Texas Legislature voted in 2007 to restore funding cuts to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) after years of budget cuts and deterioration of our state parks. The restored funding has allowed TPWD to replace staff that had been let go and make badly needed repairs to our crumbling parks. However, the funding is NOT adequate to fund the acquisition of new parks.

Texas ranks 49th among all states in per capita spending on parks, and less than 3% of Texas' land is in public hands. Our population is projected to double by 2060, with most newcomers moving to the cities. We lose an average of 160 acres to urban sprawl each day. Texas has not had a major program for acquiring and developing new parks since 1967.

In November 2008, the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission voted to move forward on a comprehensive review of the potential impact of uranium mining in Virginia. Earlier last year, during the 2008 Virginia legislative session, the House Rules Committee killed an attempt to fund a related study. These efforts are widely viewed as initial steps towards lifting a ban on uranium mining in Virginia that has been in effect since 1982, after uranium was discovered in an area used for cattle, hay and timber.

We need your help to flood Governor Rendell with letters and faxes urging him to support 100 foot stream buffers on all streams in Pennsylvania.

Instead of supporting Clean Water Action's proposal to require at least 100 foot buffers on all streams in our state, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is now proposing just a voluntary program. They would encourage developers to include buffers on their sites by agreeing to eliminate state review of stormwater plans that include buffers.

What's wrong with a voluntary buffers program?

Clean Water Action and coalition partners call on our leaders and on all sectors of society to embark on an Energy Empowerment Revolution that will protect all the inhabitants of this state from the ravages of recession and cold winter winds and to secure the future for our children and our planet. Please take a moment to review the Declaration of Energy Empowerment's (Link to Declaration PDF) goals calling for $1 billion dollars to weatherize every building and home in Massachusetts. This initiative would create over 10,000 jobs, help pull people out of poverty with decent paying jobs, and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Our country faces unprecedented challenges. In November, unemployment reached the highest level in 14 years. America is still addicted to oil. The global warming crisis goes unabated.

With this election, Americans signaled we are ready to find new, lasting solutions to our energy, economy and global warming challenges.

Now is the time to Repower, Refuel and Rebuild America. By investing in clean energy, we can cut our dependence on oil, get clean electricity and reduce Global Warming pollution.

These investments will create millions of good-paying jobs in the hardest-hit construction and manufacturing sectors and create pathways out of poverty for the most affected communities.

The Chesapeake Bay is in trouble.

This is no longer news, but the recent meeting of the Chesapeake Executive Council (a decision-making body that includes the Governors of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, the Mayor of the District of Columbia and others) confirmed that the existing 2010 cleanup deadline will not be met. Participants in that meeting agreed that setting long term deadlines no longer made sense, and that our elected leaders of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed need to take short term actions with near term deadlines to accelerate progress.

Clean Water Action is working to make a clean, renewable energy economy a reality in Minnesota and on the national level. We advocate for strong, science-based policies both in the State Legislature and Congress.
In the state, Clean Water Action advocates for a variety of clean energy policies, focused primarily on Cap, Auction and Trade legislation - to reduce Global Warming pollution quickly and effectively.

Did you know that Lennar Corporation is again seeking a bailout from developer-friendly Miami-Dade County by requesting to move the Urban Development Boundary?

We must tell our Commissioners to say no to building the "Parkland" Development and adding 6,941 homes within 2 miles of Everglades National Park.

You can help protect our economy, community, and the environment from the enormous costs of sprawl by taking action now!

On September 3rd, 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the addition of the BoRit Asbestos Site, located by the Wissahickon Creek at the intersection of Whitpain Township, Upper Dublin Township and Ambler Borough, to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL).

The science is clear: we need to quickly reduce the pollution that leads to global warming in order to avoid severe impacts.

The future is clear: we can stop global warming by making a clean, efficient and renewable energy future for our nation.

A recently released study by the Union of Concerned Scientists and more than 50 independent scientific experts shows that if global warming goes unchecked by late this century, summers in large parts of Connecticut could resemble sweltering summers today in Georgia.

Without strong action on global warming Connecticut could face the following:

The Florida Department of Community Affairs' (DCA) received thousands of comments from Hold the Line activists and Clean Water Action members and responded by strongly opposing Miami-Dade County's ill advised efforts to develop outside our Urban Development Boundary (UDB).

If County Commissioners do not rescind these amendments, the DCA's objections could cost the county hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal costs.

Let's keep the pressure on! Please tell Miami Dade Commissioners that it is wrong to waste our taxpayer dollars to help private development interests!

Wasting Water Hurts the Environment and our Economy

Rhode Island's water is shared by all of us. Drinking water, tourism, economic development, fisheries and much of our recreation depends on the state's clean flowing rivers and streams. With proper planning and use, the region's ample rainfall will continue to provide adequate water for Rhode Island's needs in the future.

Unfortunately, Rhode Island doesn't have a plan in place that will ensure enough water is available to supply all of our needs. It's time to share our water more wisely. Support the Rhode Island Shared Water Resources Act.

We Must Take Action Now

The Rhode Island Energy Independence & Climate Solutions Act will protect our environment and revitalize our economy. Global warming threatens Rhode Island's environment, economy, and infrastructure. Warming temperatures and a shifting climate threaten delicately balanced ecosystems and the ability of natural species in Rhode Island and Narragansett Bay to survive. The costs of inaction to the threat of global warming are great; addressing this problem now through measured efforts is more responsible and less costly than reacting to what effects will come our way.

Take Action: Urge your lawmaker to support the Energy Independence & Climate Solutions Act! 

Pennsylvanians get their drinking water from our state's more than 83,000 miles of waterways, acres of lakes, reservoirs and wetlands, and a natural system of underground aquifers.

Unfortunately, many of these vital water sources have been contaminated or are at risk of contamination.

Despite their importance, drinking water sources receive no special protection from pollution and polluting activities in Pennsylvania! Without action, our drinking water sources are in danger.

Canada and other states continue to flood Michigan with their garbage because it's dirt cheap to dump here. In 2005, 6.2 million tons of Canadian and out-of-state trash were dumped in Michigan!

That's 100,000 tons more than in 2004. Nearly one-third of all the garbage in our landfills comes from outside Michigan and it comes here for two simple reasons:

• We're the cheapest dumping ground in the region; and
• We have too much landfill space.

You can help fight the trashing of our beautiful state! Write your State Senator and Representative today and urge them to stop the flood of trash into Michigan.

Gov. Rick Perry is calling for doubling the number of nuclear reactors in Texas. Luminant, formerly TXU Corp., in proposing two new reactors at its Comanche Peak nuclear plant southwest of Dallas. Exelon Corp. wants to add two reactors in Victoria County in Southeast Texas.

Both the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) say a surge toward nuclear to meet the country's energy needs and curb global warming is unwise. Clean Water Action agrees.

Nuclear power is not the answer to global warming:

Texas' dependence on fossil fuels and nuclear power is an economic burden on its citizens and a threat to public health. As our population increases, we must prioritize clean energy and energy efficiency to protect public health and the environment, keep electricity affordable and bring jobs to Texas.

To beat back global warming, we need to summon a new natural resource — real political will.  Help raise the voices of Great Lakes residents on federal climate change legislation!

Sign up to be a Climate Precinct Captain with 1Sky and Clean Water Action today!        

Join Clean Water Action & 1Sky Michigan to send a clear message to our leaders that America wants bold action on climate change. Tell them to support solutions for a better future for the Great Lakes State and the rest of the nation!

Coal-burning power plants are the largest industrial source of mercury emissions in the United States, and ten percent of these emissions come from plants in Texas - more than any other state. Five of the nation's top ten emitters of mercury are in the Lone Star State.

When mercury is released into the air, it settles in rivers, lakes, and streams. Bacteria in the water convert it to methyl mercury, a very toxic form of mercury. The toxic mercury bioaccumulates in the bodies of animals. Eating contaminated fish is the main way people are exposed to unsafe levels of mercury. Unlike with some other toxins, there is no way to clean or cook mercury out of fish.