Green Options » Clinton

HR 1388 Serve America Act Federally Funds Volunteerism, HR 1444 Mandates Youth Service Requirement

Jennifer Lance — Tue, 05 May 2009 03:37:07 +0000

Since we first covered HR 1388, the name of this law has changed from the the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act to the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. Many Americans fear HR 1388 will force mandatory “volunteerism” on our youth, and some people have gone so far as to compare the program to Hitler’s Youth. According to the Open Congress summary of HR 1388:

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (formally the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act) authorizes a dramatic funding increase for AmeriCorps and other volunteer programs, and the creation of new programs for seniors and veterans. It establishes a goal of expanding from 75,000 government-supported volunteers to 250,000, and would increase education funding and establish a summer volunteer program for students, paying $500 (which would be applied to college costs) to high-school and middle-school student who participate.

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Greening the Empire State Building

Lisa Wojnovich — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:36:41 +0000

New York City’s Empire State Building is the latest poster child for green innovation. Earlier this week, Anthony Malkin, president of W&M Properties, the company that owns the building, announced that they would begin a $500 million self-financed program to renovate the world famous landmark — $100 million of which would be used to reduce the building’s energy consumption and carbon emissions. The project should be completed by December 2010.

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Barack Obama Wants To Work With John McCain On Global Warming

Jerry James Stone — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:19:34 +0000

On Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, Barack Obama pledged to work with Republican rival, Sen. John McCain, on the issue of Global Warming no matter who wins the White House on Tuesday.

During this race for the U.S. presidency, many a candidate noted their ability to reach across that proverbial aisle, truly defying party lines. And while I greatly respect that ideal, I questioned its reality.

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It’s Time to Start Paying Attention to John McCain’s Ideas on Climate Change

Jennifer Lance — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:45:43 +0000

Thus far, the Democrats have dominated the media’s attentions as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton battle it for the nomination. True, it is hard to ignore innuendos about RFK’s assassination; however, it is time we start paying attention to the Republican nominee John McCain. Personally, I can’t imagine he will be elected, but I have been wrong before with my election predictions, and it is important to know where he stands on climate change.

Two weeks ago while campaigning in Oregon, McCain stood amongst wind turbines to talk climate change:

Instead of idly debating the precise extent of global warming, or the precise timeline of global warming, we need to deal with the central facts of rising temperatures, rising waters, and all the endless troubles that global warming will bring. We stand warned by serious and credible scientists across the world that time is short and the dangers are great.

I agree with McCain on many levels, but what exactly are his climate change strategies beyond political rhetoric? According to Plenty Magazine, “He proposes a cap-and-trade scheme that will limit greenhouse gas emissions to sixty percent below 1990 levels by the year 2050;” however, scientists, Obama, and Clinton recommend 80 percent reductions. McCain does not favor allowing companies to buy extra carbon allowances, and he supports carbon offsetting. The problem with McCain’s ideas on climate change is he supports tax payer subsidies for nuclear power and has voted several times against a renewable energy standard.

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It’s Not the Economy; It’s the Environment!

Jennifer Lance — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 05:14:57 +0000

As I monitored the results of Tuesday’s primaries, mostly thanks to my Twitter friends, I was once again struck how the candidates and general population are ignoring the greatest issue facing human kind: climate change. Media outlet after media outlet proclaimed the economy as the greatest concern of voters; however, the connection to the environment seems to be lost in the hype. Not only is environmental degradation caused by our hunger for rapid, continual economic growth, but the environment also offers the solution to leading us out of recession.

Whether you like it or not, we live in a corporatocracy where decisions are made in favor of short term profits in contrast to the long term effects on our environment. When we expect that our economy will perpetually grow without considering the environmental consequences of corporate decisions, we are doomed. This is what the presidential candidates should be talking about: how can we ensure a stable economy that protects the environment. The solution is green jobs.

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Hillary Says “If I’m President, Yucca Mountain will be Off the Table Forever”

Max Lindberg — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 01:07:12 +0000

It’s time to sequester voters in Nevada, and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton headed for the jugular vein today by declaring if she’s president, Yucca Mountain will be a thing of the past.

The State of Nevada has opposed the Yucca Mountain project since it’s inception, and now, years overdue and billions of taxpayers dollars later, it’s still at least 10 years away from completion.

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