I apologize for the late notice. If you cannot make it to this event but wish to be informed of future presentations, please respond to this email stating so.
LEEDCo believes that consensus building through discourse and a collaborative process is vitally important.
Whether you are a business leader, government official, lake recreationist, community resident or stakeholder organization, we’d like to talk to you.
In 2008, the Great Lakes “Compact” became state and federal law. The Compact is an agreement between all the Great Lake states on how the water will be sustainably managed while prohibiting its diversion outside the Great Lakes Region.
State Senator Tim Grendell and Representative Lynn Wachtmann have introduced legislation (Senate Bill 170/House Bill 231) to implement parts of the Compact.
But these pieces of legislation do little to protect our precious resource AND they violate the Great Lakes Compact.
Representative Dennis Murray plans to introduce alternative, and more protective, legislation to fulfill the requirements in the Compact while protecting our water.
He is urgently seeking co-sponsorship of his bill.Please contact your state Representative and ask him or her to become an original co-sponsor of this legislation.
We need your support – and your representative – to protect our Lake Erie!
Sincerely,
Keith Dimoff
Executive Director
P.S. We know how committed you are to Ohio’s environment. Please make a $25 donation today to help the OEC continue our work to secure healthy air, land, and water for all who call Ohio home.
A while ago a Scientist named Wallace Broecker coined the term “Global Warming” to fairly accurately describe environmental effects occurring around the planet. Unfortunately that term immediately got used to “debunk” the theory by certain sets of conservatives. They grabbed a hold of the word “warming” and laughed as record breaking snow accumulated during the winter, despite the theory depicting how snow fall would break records.
So, someone who was a bit more media savvy came up with the term “Climate Change”. This innocuous term has been embraced by the environmental sciences community, but the original term is still regularly used by the naysayers, seemingly locked in an ideological battle. But is this term really better? Challengers to the theory point to the fact the Earth has gone through many cycles, including large shifts on its axis, which have affected the climate drastically. After all, most of the Northern Hemisphere was covered in ice little more than 15,000 years ago, which is a tiny blip on the planet’s time line. Before the ice age there were vast forests, plains, jungles and lakes. The fact that the glaciers are melting is just a natural part of the cycle.
The main point of Climate Change/Global Warming science is to point out how man has affected this cycle. Their evidence suggests the answer is yes. They have, in their arsenal, over 300 years worth of temperature recordings from England showing how quickly or slowly the climate has warmed; clue: as soon as the industrial age hit the temperature spiked dramatically. They know what Carbon Dioxide (CO2) does in the planet’s atmosphere (it heats it up) and they pretty much know how much CO2 humans have produced. The correlation is obvious.
But, let’s say the correlation isn’t so obvious. Perhaps there’s really no way to accurately measure the CO2 we’ve produced. If we were to throw out the two legs of Climate Change, as those conservatives have done, then the entire theory collapses. So, for the sake of argument, let’s say it’s a bunch of ballyhoo, malarkey, and baloney.
Even if the entire concept of Climate Change is somehow hooey, why would we want to continue polluting the atmosphere, our water supply, our land? Why would we wish to cut down all of our forests indiscriminately? The answer, of course, is money. In many cases the money I’m talking about is greed. Large, cold, corporate factories pumping heavy metals into a community’s water supply (like Texaco, now owned by Chevron, did to Ecuador) are not surprising to anyone. In other cases however, the problem is more complex.
In many parts of South and Central America, the rain forest is being slashed and burned, hundreds of acres daily. Not only does the smoke pollute the air, but the lack of vegetation reduces the amount of “CO2 scrubbers”. Plants take in CO2 and produce Oxygen, hence a lack of plants equals a lack of good air and an abundance of ‘bad air’. The forests are being cut, not by some greedy corporation, but by common folk looking to raise cattle. The cattle themselves require huge amounts of feed, water and space which really only worsens the problem. But no one can question the people’s need for food and money, especially in very poor locations. There are programs centered on steering these people to better forms of agriculture and industry, but one could question their efficacy.
Even if you are on the “other side” of the argument; a conservative who does not believe man is causing the rapid rise in global temperatures, I would ask you: why not recycle, use less of our resources, and curb pollution? None of us want to live in a garbage pit, and it’s very simple to see how throwing plastic into landfills only makes landfills bigger and bigger. Reusing materials makes such perfect sense, it seems strange to be against it. And really, who wants to be poisoned? If you find yourself doubting the whole Global Warming issue in general, doesn’t it make sense to still do these three simple things to help make your own life and that of your children cleaner, brighter and overall better?
I saw this on the Joe.My.God. blog and wanted to share it with you. How well is YOUR group, religious, ethnic, whatever, represented in the House of Representatives?Hard to read? click the image to see the original.
If you watch the ads on TV, then the spill in the Gulf is no big deal. It is mostly cleaned up and BP has done everything it can to make it right. Think again. While we are spending all our energy worrying about DOMA, gays in the military, and whether or not Obama has a US birth certificate, oil companies are raping America. Harsh words, but I mean them.
Let’s start with BP. Now, we all need gas, so oil is a necessary evil at this point. Until the infrastructure is in place, we will all be driving gas powered vehicles for a while. Even if I could get an all electric vehicle, I could never go on a road trip. That does not mean that I have to buy from BP. While I have made my line in the sand, BP doesn’t care one whit about me and the 5,000 miles that I drove last year. Still, when you are wrong, you are wrong. Yeah, local franchisees are the ones who suffer most from a boycott, but until they realize that there franchise fees are big money to a company that has no real heart, I do not pity them. If they had switched their allegiance a long time ago, they would have my support.
So what is the story with BP? Aren’t they doing everything they can to clean up the spill? Aren’t they helping local fishermen and repairing the environment? Sure… if you ask them. They spend millions on spin and advertising. Want to know the truth? Here are a few videos that outline the TRUE state of affairs in the Gulf.
A gulf resident made this heartfelt video:
This video is from a news station that shows how BP is trying to get away from clean up, before it is cleaned up.
Enough said. If you want to see more videos or blog posts from hundred, perhaps thousands, or people who live in the area, just use Google and you could spend all day. I think it is clear that BP is shameful. Especially if you see all the videos that they have posted of their own to counteract the nay sayers.
But BP is not alone. Chevron bought out Texaco a long while back. With it, they bought Texaco’s problems. One such problem is the oil mess left behind in Ecuador. Finally, in a landmark decision, Chevron has lost in a landmark case. It has been ordered to pay a $9 Billion settlement with Ecuadorian farmers who have lost their health, their land, their lives.
So, what does a big oil company like Chevron do when it loses a landmark case? Appeal, of course. It doesn’t matter that with record breaking profits, this figure represents a drop in the bucket of Chevron’s revenue. Instead of taking their lumps and paying out, they appeal and drag the case out further. Seeing as how this case has been in the making for what seems like forever, I am sure that the legal fees alone are more than the settlement. They have even gone so far as to sue each of the impoverished farmers in the lawsuit for damages, and threated the judge in the case.
Can you tell that I don’t like big oil? In Alaska, the Exxon Valdez spill was over 20 years ago. Still, there are reports that some of the habitats (like herring) have never fully recovered. So what do you do with big corporations with big money that are determined to make more big money? You give them the right to give limitless donations to political candidates. They are not likely to overdo it, right?
The American Petroleum Institute is made up of big oil companies like Chevron and Exxon. They already spend millions every year in lobbying efforts and have pledged to begin direct donations starting later this year. API spent $6.7 million in lobbying last year, following ConocoPhillips, Chevron, Exxon-Mobil, Shell, Koch Industries and BP who spent even more. According to records, they mainly support Republican candidates, who are supportive of their efforts to open new wilderness areas for oil exploration, keep government tax breaks despite record breaking profits, and allow fewer restrictions in off shore drilling.
When government oil subsidies could promote clean energy technology, creating new jobs and strengthen the economy, we keep doling them out to industries that take the money and spend it on lobbying efforts and now campaigns. Yeah…
Sometimes we like to complain, or maybe we feel down, or we are fed up with the government on any level. So as the week draws to a close, I just wanted to share a couple of sites with you to help you put things in perspective.
We can often get so wrapped up in our own little lives that we forget that we are a pretty small part of humanity and that the planet has a lot going on outside of ourselves. Enter Foreign Policy magazine. They continuously show us how diverse and big the world is and how we fit into it. This month is a failed states issue, focused on dictators and countries who are barely even still existing-with an enlightening article about Ronald Reagan, too. They have complied a photo essay of the world’s most failed states, called Postcards From Hell. While we are worried about the cost of gas, many countries are falling apart completely. Take some time and check it out, it is a beautiful pictorial and merits time and attention. Thanks to Fellow blogger Joe.My.God. for pointing this out to me.
The other is Huffington Post. There are a great many images here of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Right now, a scene is being played out in the Gulf that is likely to be the worst economic, environmental and political disaster of our lifetimes. It has already bigger than Exxon Valdez in scope. What it will do to the economy of Gulf states and the livelihood of those living there is yet to be seen. The ramifications on foreign policy, energy legislation, and economic recovery cannot even be calculated. This with has great images of not just a bunch of animals, but politicians, hearings, oil, beaches, people…. all sorts of things that are being affected here. My hope is that somehow the price of shrimp and gas may finally wake up many to the real problems with a fossil fuel based lifestyle, since environmental destruction doesn’t seem to be nearly as important as comfort, or we would never had started selling Hummers.
I can talk all day, but the images on these sties speak louder than I ever could, so take some time to look some of them over.
I had a rather surreal week last week. I know that this is an election year, but I was still surprised to open a letter from Peter Lawson Jones congratulating me on my art work in the online show for Red Dot Gallery. It was nice and complimentary, and had no mention of politics or fundraising-unlike the 15 other postcard i received in the mail that day! Then I got a call from Congressman Boccieri. He was inviting me personally to attend an event at the View Nightclub. It is a fundraiser, but still I am left wondering how he came by my name and phone number? Still, I had a very good conversation with him about the need to repair our crumbling infrastructure. We also discussed the cost of electricity in our state, how we have received very little funding from the federal government for our infrastructure, the smart grid, and a several other topics. I found the Congressman informed and intelligent-which can be hard to find in a politician! I am sure that his guest will be just as informed. If you are interested in helping out his campaign, here is the event details:
You are invited to a fundraising reception with endorsed HRC candidate Congressman John Boccieri Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure ? Committee on Agriculture
Featuring Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) House Education and Labor Committee ?? House Rules Committee
House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee ? House Science and Technology Committee
Suggested Contribution HOST: $1000 Individual: $250 Checks payable to John Boccieri for Congress PO Box 20535 Canton, OH 44701
RSVP by May 3rd to Ben Bisbee at ben@accelerantfundraising.com or 216.903.6010 Contributions to Boccieri for Congress are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.
Corporate contributions and contributions from foreign nationals are prohibited. Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name of employer for each individual whose contributions exceed $200 in an election cycle. Paid for by Boccieri for Congress
I have been reading the Pew Global Attitudes Project report. It is an interesting read and covers a range of topics. The main crux of the report is how the world is changing its view of the US, now that Obama is the president. It addresses extremism, world trade, how people view their own lives, and even swine flu. The most important part to me, was the world’s view of the environment.
Leading the list in concern is Brazil. Ninety percent of those surveyed consider the environment to be a serious issue. The list that had a response rate of 2/3 or more that are concerned about the environment included Argentina, France, South Korea, India, Turkey, Japan and Mexico. Are you curious as to where America falls? Out of 25 countries surveyed, the US tied with Russia to be third from the bottom! The only people who care less are Poland and China. So, it is those of the world who do the most damage who care the least. What does that say about us and our standing in the world? And concern is on the rise in most countries. In the Middle East (like Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon) concern has risen by over 10 percentage points just since last year.
They asked the question as to whether the environment should take precedence over economic growth. The results were truly telling. Those countries whose economy had a good year (Brazil, China, and India) were most like to respond that the environment should be more important than the economy. Those countries who didn’t fare as well this year were far less likely to agree with them.
Nationalism and politics plays into the results of this survey as well. When asked which country was most trusted to figure out a solution to the Global Warming issue, several countries chose themselves as best suited: US, China, India, Brazil, and Germany all think that they are most trusted to find a solution. Kenya, Nigeria, Israel, Indonesia and Canada agree with the US. Most of Western Europe believe in Germany. The rest of the results are across the board.
The survey simply shows the results, and doesn’t give out the commentary. So, naturally I will. As usual, we as people on the planet are more concerned with our economic success than anything else. we say we want to save the planet for our children, but are more concerned with making the money than saving the environment, so the next generation has a planet worth living on. If we spent more time instilling the values that will break this cycle, and less effort on trying to have enough money to buy our way out of it, then the next generation will have more on their side. The one thing that was missing from this report was the ultimate solution. What is economies could expand and grow by saving the environment? The truth is, we can do both. The one thing that I took away from the Sustainability Summit, is that you can do good and make a living. That has to be our goal if any real change is to happen.
There are some real challenges that face this city and the entire state of Ohio. How are we going to face the challenges that lie ahead with the new economy. As manufacturing plants close, developers continue layoffs and projects that were meant to change the face of our downtown are shelved (like the East Bank Flats project), what we choose to do now will resonate for years to come. We are still trying to stop the elusive “brain drain” of college graduates. We are fighting poverty in some areas and still dealing with the mess left of our neighborhoods by the foreclosure crisis. We need a more inclusive recycling program. We need better public transportation. We need to fix the aging infrastructure of our sewers, roads and bridges. So why did city council take the time to worry about creating a domestic partnership registry when we have so many more challenging issues that stand in front of us?
As we stood on the steps of city hall last Thursday and listened to our city councilpersons speak, I began to realize just how important the registry is to the future of Cleveland. While the registry gives no tangible rights or benefits, it does allow people who are sharing everything in a household a way to document that fact. More importantly, it says something to the world. It says that Cleveland is a city who appreciates the diversity of its citizens and the multitude of ways in which they live. It says to the students of our colleges that Cleveland is a place they can be proud to settle in and use that degree they earned here. It says to industry that they can offer domestic partnership benefits if they choose, and we sill make it easier for them to administer by allowing documentation. It says to tourists that Cleveland wants all types of people to come and visit. It says to companies that they should think about locating here, as Cleveland will help make them attractive to potential employees. It says to revenue generating groups that they can feel comfortable scheduling a program or convention here, as Cleveland is a town for all kinds of attractions.
While I have never been active in the political machine, I have learned that politics plays a big role in how we shape our future. If we do not elect talented politicians who are going to produce quality legislation, then we cannot expect things to change for the better. I am proud of the choices that we have made in this town, by electing a city council that is thinking of ways to address our challenges. They are thinking of the future of the city when they pass legislation and not just their own personal careers or plans. I sat in on the public committee hearings for the registry, and this was not easy legislation to get through. It would have been easy at any time to just put it away for a later time. It would have been easy for the mayor to avoid controversy and not sign this bill into law. Instead, the officials that we elected chose to stand up to criticism and pass this registry, regardless of the consequences. This is exactly the type of leadership that this city needs. The type of city that passes this kind of legislation, is the same kind of city that supports the arts; keeps public services alive; plans for green sustainable projects and works to attract tourism.
I can stand tall knowing that our council will do what is best to make this a thriving metropolis. The type of leadership shown in this one instance has shown me that our city council is thinking of the future. I am proud to be a Clevelander. i am proud of the progressive stance we are taking-not just on this issue, but on issues of sustainability, job growth, talent retention and inclusiveness. This is an election year for our town. I urge each one of you to vote for those politicians who are truly striving to make this a vibrant, progressive region. So yes, Cleveland faces some tough challenges. But all our issues begin with the kind of leadership that has the courage to pass the registry.
We attended the opening forum of Greenbuild on Monday afternoon which consisted of a moderated panel discussion. It was really a kind of “State of the Union” for green building in America, especially in this down economy. Ashok Gupta, the Program Director for Air and Energy at the National Resources Defense Council was one of the panelists who said, “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste”, meaning that in this economy there are opportunities we must take advantage of.
We were shown a short video of President Elect Barack Obama’s message to the Governors meeting filmed earlier that day in which he discussed climate change and what must be accomplished in the U.S. and globally in the upcoming years. After the video Moderator Steve Curwood of NPR’s ‘Living on Earth’ commented, “I’ve heard more in this four minute video from President Elect Obama on climate change than over the last eight years.” Hopefully this is a clear indicator of where the new administration is headed.
One of the questions asked of the panel is whether or not the auto manufacturers should be bailed out since they hadn’t seemed to learn any lessons from the current crisis or the past ones (regarding oil consumption). Mindy Lubby, President of Ceres recommended there be strings attached to the bail out plan since, “the auto manufacturer who told me that he will not make hybrids, that America doesn’t want them, is the same CEO that no longer be the head of a major auto maker under this plan.” It is obvious, at least to those attending Greenbuild that America DOES want newer, greener technology. Lubby said, “The fact that thirty thousand are attending this conference during a down economy sends a message that (green) is important.”
The attendees of this conference have high hopes that this time we will act quickly and get it right. The current political climate has opened the possibilities. Although we must proceed with intelligence and caution, Stockton Williams, Chief Strategic Officer of Enterprise Community Partners, Inc., reminded us that, “the population who has little or nothing to do with causing the climate change (the poor) is the one who pays the most for it (through higher energy costs due to low insulation, etc.).”
