Why I'm working my #%@! off for Governor Lynch (and you should too!)

by: Rep. David Pierce

Fri Oct 15, 2010 at 15:03:01 PM EDT

That's probably true for a lot of people here in Hanover, where Obama won 82% of the vote in 2008 and where Granny D beat Judd Gregg by almost 2:1 in 2004.

Yes, John Lynch works for consenus in Concord.  Yes, Governor Lynch works for all the people of New Hampshire, not just the ones who want him to beat up Republicans.

But Governor Lynch has proven himself over and over again to us who believe in Democratic values that we need him to stay in the corner office.  Lynch has been the strongest Democrat on the statewide ticket in the last two cycles and his victory in 2010 will be our victory.

Here are my top ten reasons for supporting Governor Lynch's re-election in 2010.

Green Buildings (UPDATED)

by: Peter Sullivan

Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 16:18:05 PM EST

I brought in a proposal to set up a city "green buildings" task force to develop a comprehensive, long-term plan for making Manchester's municipal more energy efficient and environmentally sound. Since Mayor Guinta is basically a "Christie Todd Whitman Republican" and is actually pretty good on environmental issues, I think that there is the potential to assemble a group of good people to come up with a sensible strategy for the city. It appears that the Obama Administration will be providing assistance to municipalities for these initiatives, so we should be ready to act as soon as we can.

If anyone has any experience with these sorts of projects, either in the public or private sector, please feel free to give me some advice and feedback.

Green Jobs Central in House American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan

by: mountainboy

Thu Jan 15, 2009 at 17:45:05 PM EST

According to the summary, the House version of the stimulus package includes:

Reliable, Efficient Electricity Grid: $11 billion for research and development, pilot projects, and federal matching funds for the Smart Grid Investment Program to modernize the electricity grid making it more efficient, secure, and reliable and build new power lines to transmit clean, renewable energy from sources throughout the nation.

Renewable Energy Loan Guarantees: $8 billion for loans for renewable energy power generation and transmission projects.

GSA Federal Buildings: $6.7 billion for renovations and repairs to federal buildings including at least $6 billion focused on increasing energy efficiency and conservation.

Local Government Energy Efficiency Block Grants: $6.9 billion to help state and local governments make investments that make them more energy efficient and reduce carbon emissions.

Energy Efficiency Housing Retrofits: $2.5 billion for a new program to upgrade HUD sponsored low-income housing to increase energy efficiency, including new insulation, windows, and furnaces.

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Research: $2 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy research, development, demonstration, and deployment activities to foster energy independence, reduce carbon emissions, and cut utility bills.

Advanced Battery Loans and Grants: $2 billion for the Advanced Battery Loan Guarantee and Grants Program, to support U.S. manufacturers of advanced vehicle batteries and battery systems.

Energy Efficiency Grants and Loans for Institutions: $1.5 billion for energy sustainability and efficiency grants and loans to help school districts, institutes of higher education, local governments, and municipal utilities implement projects that will make them more energy efficient.

Home Weatherization: $6.2 billion to help low-income families reduce their energy costs by weatherizing their homes and make our country more energy efficient.

Smart Appliances: $300 million to provide consumers with rebates for buying energy efficient Energy Star products to replace old appliances, which will lower energy bills.

GSA Federal Fleet: $600 million to replace older vehicles owned by the federal government with alternative fuel automobiles that will save on fuel costs and reduce carbon emissions.

Electric Transportation: $200 million for a new grant program to encourage electric vehicle technologies.

Cleaning Fossil Energy: $2.4 billion for carbon capture and sequestration technology demonstration projects. This funding will provide valuable information necessary to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere from industrial facilities and fossil fuel power plants.

Department of Defense Research: $350 million for research into using renewable energy to power weapons systems and military bases.

Alternative Buses and Trucks: $400 million to help state and local governments purchase efficient alternative fuel vehicles to reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions.

Industrial Energy Efficiency: $500 million for energy efficient manufacturing demonstration projects.

Diesel Emissions Reduction: $300 million for grants and loans to state and local governments for projects that reduce diesel emissions, benefiting public health and reducing global warming.

Department of Energy: $400 million for the Advanced Research Project Agency - Energy to support high-risk, high- payoff research into energy sources and energy efficiency.

NASA: $400 million to put more scientists to work doing climate change research.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Satellites and Sensors: $600 million for satellite development and acquisitions, including climate sensors and climate modeling.

New Construction of Commuter & Light Rail Systems: $1 billion for Capital Investment Grants for new commuter rail or other light rail systems to increase public use of mass transit and to speed projects already in construction.

Upgrades and Repair to Public Transit Systems: $2 billion to modernize existing transit systems, including renovations to stations, security systems, computers, equipment, structures, signals, and communications.

Transit Capital Assistance: $6 billion to purchase buses and equipment needed to increase public transportation and improve intermodal and transit facilities.

Amtrak and Intercity Passenger Rail Construction Grants: $1.1 billion to improve the speed and capacity of intercity passenger rail service. The Department of Transportation's Inspector General estimates the North East Corridor alone has a backlog of over $10 billion.

Veterans Medical Facilities: $950 million for veterans' medical facilities. The Department has identified a $5 billion backlog in needed repairs, including energy efficiency projects, at its 153 medical facilities.

Construction on Public Lands and Parks: $3.1 billion for infrastructure projects on federal lands including improvements to visitor facilities, road and trail restoration, preservation of buildings of cultural and historic importance, rehabilitation of abandoned mines and oil fields, and environmental cleanup projects. This includes $1.8 billion for the National Park Service, $325 million for the Bureau of Land Management, $300 million for the National Wildlife Refuges and National Fish Hatcheries, and $650 million for the Forest Service.

Clean Water State Revolving Fund: $6 billion for loans to help communities upgrade wastewater treatment systems.

Drinking Water State Revolving Fund: $2 billion for loans for drinking water infrastructure.

Rural Water and Waste Disposal: $1.5 billion to support $3.8 billion in grants and loans to help communities fund drinking water and wastewater treatment systems.

Superfund Hazardous Waste Cleanup: $800 million to clean up hazardous and toxic waste sites that threaten health and the environment.

Leaking Underground Storage Tanks: $200 million for enforcement and cleanup of petroleum leaks from underground storage tanks at approximately 1,600 additional sites.

Nuclear Waste Cleanup: $500 million for nuclear waste cleanup at sites contaminated as a result of the nation's past nuclear activities.

Closed Military Bases: $300 million for cleanup activities at closed military installations allowing local communities to redevelop these properties for productive use.

NOAA Habitat Restoration: $400 million for ready-to-go habitat restoration projects.

Brownfields: $100 million for competitive grants for evaluation and cleanup of former industrial and commercial sites - turning them from problem properties to productive community use.

School Construction: $20 billion, including $14 billion for K-12 and $6 billion for higher education, for renovation and modernization, including technology upgrades and energy efficiency improvements.

Training and Employment Services: $4 billion for job training including formula grants for adult, dislocated worker, and youth services (including $1.2 billion to create up to one million summer jobs for youth). The needs of workers also will be met through dislocated worker national emergency grants, new competitive grants for worker training in high growth and emerging industry sectors (with priority consideration to "green" jobs and healthcare), and increased funds for the YouthBuild program. Green jobs training will include preparing workers for activities supported by other economic recovery funds, such as retrofitting of buildings, green construction, and the production of renewable electric power.

Public Housing Capital Fund: $5 billion for building repair and modernization, including critical safety repairs. $4 billion of the funds will be distributed to public housing authorities through the existing formula and $1 billion will be awarded through a competitive process for projects that improve energy efficiency.

HOME Investment Partnerships: $1.5 billion to help local communities build and rehabilitate low- income housing using green technologies.

Native American Housing Block Grants: $500 million to rehabilitate and improve energy efficiency at some of the over 42,000 housing units maintained by Native American housing programs.

Self-Help and Assisted Homeownership Program: $10 million for rural, high-need areas to undertake projects using sustainable and energy-efficient building and rehabilitation practices.

Lead Paint: $100 million for competitive grants to local governments and nonprofit organizations to remove lead-based paint hazards in low-income housing.

Although the bill is still far from becoming law, it contains many projects designed to create new green jobs and stimulate economic growth. You can help make sure that the final version of the economic stimulus package contains funding for green jobs by contacting your representatives in Congress.

New Deal Style Investment in National Parks Could Create 57,000 New Jobs

by: mountainboy

Thu Jan 15, 2009 at 08:49:30 AM EST

The National Parks system has suffered from chronic underfunding for many years, according to Hill. In fact, funding falls about $750 million short of what is needed each year. This shortfall has led to a widespread deterioration in park infrastructure. Unmaintained roads, trails, and bridges pose real safety threats to park visitors, and irreplaceable historic buildings are crumbling due to lack of repair. The total backlog for road repair and maintenance alone totals a staggering $8.5 billion.

"National Parks should be a priority," says Hill, noting that the parks are part of our national heritage.

But Hill is also eager for people to know about the economic benefits of the park system. A recent NPCA study that found that "...every dollar invested in national parks generates at least $4 in economic value to the public." Hill describes funding for the National Parks System as an investment that can produce very real economic returns. He explains that spending money to improve park infrastructure can create new jobs both directly and indirectly. Improvements in infrastructure can lead to increased use of the parks by the public, which means more tourist dollars and new economic opportunities for states and local communities.

Lawmakers in Washington are eager to include "shovel ready" projects in the economic stimulus package. Hill is confident that the plan advocated by the NPCA fall into that category. In fact the National Park Service has $1 billion in ready-to-go projects awaiting funding.

"They fall into the category of things that can put people to work quickly," he notes.

While most of the policy makers approached by the NPCA have been supportive of the group's proposals, Hill believes that the details of the economic stimulus package probably won't become clear until after President-Elect Barack Obama is sworn into office next week.

"It continues to be important for people to let their own members of Congress know that taking care of National Parks should be a priority," says Hill. "In this case it can also stimulate economic growth."

You can help the NPCA send a strong message to Congress by writing a letter to editor of your local newspaper. Tell them you want your representatives in Congress to create new jobs by investing in the future of America's national parks!

Write a letter to the editor:

http://act.npca.org/npca/notice-description.tcl?newsletter_id=10861721

Read the full NPCA report:

http://www.npca.org/working_assets/

Subscribe to The Green Jobs Report:

http://feedproxy.google.com/TheGreenJobsReport

My Interview with Friends of the Earth Action President Blackwelder Re Edwards Endorsement

by: TomP

Tue Oct 23, 2007 at 23:58:27 PM EDT

Part I of the interview is in this diary. 

Here's a little about FOE Action for those unfamiliar with it:

Founded by David Brower in 1967, Friends of the Earth Action has established a 35-year record of not only fighting the tough battles, but winning them too. FoE Action provides extra political muscle on legislative battles here in the U.S. for to our sister organization, Friends of the Earth, which is part of a network of affiliates in over 70 nations around the world. 

snip

FoE Action looks beyond the symptoms of environmental degredation, to the systemic causes.

FOE Action

Come around after the fold to hear a real hero of the struggle to save our planet.