I know everyone here is all hyped up about the Feingold Censure resolution, but please, take a moment and consider this because it can't wait --
Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is up for a vote TODAY! THIS CAN NOT WAIT - CALL NOW!
The vote is expected to be tight - we can not filibuster this - it's 51 votes to pass.
Kerry and Cantwell are gearing up for a fight this afternoon and they need everyone's help. Kerry is expected to speak on the Senate floor about this at 5:00 est.
Here's the link from Kerry's email -
http://www.johnkerry.com/action/call/senate/index.htmlHere's the Talking Points:
Here are the five cornerstones of my 2020 Energy Plan that Congress should be acting on. When you tell them to vote for the Kerry-Cantwell amendment, tell your Senators to act on one or more of these genuine alternative energy ideas. That’s what America needs.
1.INCENTIVIZING RENEWABLE ENERGY
More than 20 states have implemented market-based Renewable Energy Portfolio programs that require utilities to gradually increase the portion of electricity produced from renewable resources such as wind, biomass, geothermal, and solar energy. We should build on that success at the national level. Tell your Senators to enact a nationwide Renewable Portfolio Standard so that 20% of our energy comes from renewable sources by 2020. A study by the Union of Concerned Scientists found that implementing this policy would save $26.6 billion and that commercial and industrial customers would be the biggest winners.
2. PROMOTING BIO-ENERGY
We have the ability to transform our transportation sector from one that fuels our addiction to one that drives us toward a sustainable future. The President should build on that demand and fuel new production opportunities by supporting a mandate that agriculture will provide 20% of the total energy consumed in the United States by 2020.
3. INVESTING IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY
In addition to developing new sources of energy, we must make better use of available energy. New technological advances in appliances, energy grid systems, and buildings can boost productivity, create jobs, improve the reliability and safety of the energy infrastructure, and make dramatic inroads in reducing air pollution. Congress should enact energy efficiency measures to decrease energy use by 20% by 2020.
4. PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUPER-EFFICIENT VEHICLES
The government should provide an aggressive set of tax incentives and grants for consumers and for industries that are retooling plants to promote the manufacturing and purchase of hybrid vehicles, which run on a combination of gas and electric power to sharply increase efficiency. Twenty percent of all passenger cars and trucks on the road should be high-efficiency, low emissions hybrids by 2020.
5. SETTING AMERICA FREE FROM MIDDLE EAST OIL
Today, America spends more than $500,000 per minute on foreign oil or $30 million per hour. We paid more than $42 billion for Persian Gulf imports alone in 2005. It is bad enough that these dollars will not help grow our domestic economy — it is even worse when you consider their impact on our national security. Congress should act to eliminate America’s oil imports from the Middle East by 2020.
Kerry's full email on saving ANWR is here -
http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=2277