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Local
News
Friday,
July 21, 2006 - Mayors Ed Pawlowski of Allentown, John Callahan of
Bethlehem and Phil Mitman of Easton endorsed the U.S. Mayors Climate
Protection Agreement.
http://www.seattle.gov/mayor/climate/
As
of January 10, 2007, 358 mayors representing over 55 million Americans
have accepted the challenge. You can read worldwide headlines about
this initiative which began in Seattle on the above website.
In a world in which it is hard to get the countries that are the
worst polluters to accept responsibility and implement change, the
Mayors Climate Protection Agreement is a great example of bottom-up
grass roots change where we can actually see the difference we can
make.
June,
2006
- In support of the goals of the Mayors Climate Agreement, State
House Bill No. 2744 and State Senate Bill No. 1213 were introduced
to fund greenhouse gas inventories for fifteen municipalities in
Pennsylvania. The Bill is going to be reintroduced this session.
Call and write your State Representative to indicate your support
of this bill.
The
U.S. House and Senate have
introduced identical bills to extend the Federal Solar Investment
Tax Credits created in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 for an additional
eight years through 2015. We are asking you to contact your congressman
and senator to support this legislation.
The title of the legislation is the Securing America's Energy Independence
Act, S. 2677 and H.R. 5206. The extension would provide the solar
incentives for a meaningful period of time to help advance solar
energy technologies. This extension would be an important step in
leading the nation toward an appropriate and supportable energy
path.
Telephone the local offices of your members of Congress to indicate
your support for Securing America's Energy Independence. You can
find contact information for them at
www.votesmart.org
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December
20, 2006 - President Bush Approves One Year Energy Tax
Credit Extension
President
Bush approved a bill on December 20th that will extend federal tax
credits for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. The wide-ranging
Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 extends the production tax
credit through 2008 for electricity produced from wind power, geothermal
power, biomass, landfill gas, small irrigation power, and trash combustion
facilities.
It provides a similar one year tax credit extension for new properties
that produce geothermal power or make use of solar energy; for homeowners
that purchase solar water heating, solar photovoltaic, or fuel cell
systems; for businesses that purchase fiber-optic lighting systems,
solar energy systems, or fuel cell power plants; for new energy efficient
homes; and for energy efficiency improvements to commercial buildings.
January
19, 2007
Renewables
Making Gains in Congress
by
Stephen Lacey, Staff Writer
Washington, DC [RenewableEnergyAccess.com]
The
Democratically controlled House of Representatives passed the Creating
Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation (CLEAN) Act last night,
a bill that will repeal nearly $14 billion in tax breaks for oil and
natural gas companies and put that money toward renewable fuels and
energy efficiency programs. The CLEAN Act was passed by a vote of
264-163.
Super Bowl XLI and the NFL Experience Football
Theme Park both were 100% renewable energy events this year. Super
Bowl XLI Will Use 100% Renewable Energy RECs
Read
the new UN report on climate change--
INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Summary
for Policymakers
Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis
http://www.ipcc.ch
Boxer
Wants U.S. to Host Energy Summit
February
03, 2007 8:34 AM EST
UNITED
NATIONS - The head of the Senate's Environment Committee called on
the White House Friday to hold a summit grouping the 12 largest greenhouse-gas
emitting nations.
Sen.
Barbara Boxer's comments came on the heels of a report released by
a U.N.-sponsored panel of climate scientists which said there was
little doubt the man-made emissions are to blame for global warming.
"I'm
calling on the federal government of the United States of America
to be a model of energy efficiency," said Boxer, who was at the
United Nations for a briefing on the report and the conflict in Sudan's
Darfur region.
"I'm
calling on the president to convene a summit at the White House of
the 12 largest global warming emitters. She added that she would bring
over some of the scientists who issued the report to brief the Senate.
Boxer,
whose Environment and Public Works Committee deals with climate legislation,
said it was time for President Bush to show "real leadership"
on the issue, a challenge that could put her on a collision course
with an administration that has been criticized for its environmental
record.
The
Bush administration - which rejected the 2001 of the Kyoto Protocol
on greenhouse gases - quickly voiced its continued opposition to mandatory
reductions in emissions, with Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman warning
against "unintended consequences," including job losses
as companies shift operations abroad.
However,
Boxer said cutting emissions was a question of political will, holding
up her state as a model for the country. California has enacted a
number of measures aimed at cutting emissions of heat-trapping gasses.
The
United States each year contributes about a quarter of the world's
greenhouse gases, though the share from China, India and other developing
countries is growing rapidly. China is expected to surpass the U.S.
as the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the next decade.
Associated
Press Writer Paul Burkhardt contributed to this report.
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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Feb. 1, 2007
GOVERNOR RENDELL UNVEILS
ENERGY INDEPENDENCE STRATEGY TO SAVE CONSUMERS $10 BILLION
OVER 10 YEARS, REDUCE RELIANCE ON FOREIGN FUELS
http://www.governor.state.pa.us/governor/cwp/view.asp?a=1115&q=451314
LEED
News 1/11/2007
USGBC
Begins Offering Free Registrations and Certifications in 2007
USGBC
is kicking off the New Year with new incentives for high-performance
building.
January
1, 2007, USGBC is challenging the building industry to put us out
of business: we will fully rebate the certification fees for any
project that earns LEED Platinum certification. Platinum buildings
are highly energy and resource efficient; provide superior indoor
comfort for the building's occupants; and dramatically reduce CO2
emissions, a primary cause of global climate change. Help us build
a healthy, sustainable, and prosperous future by raising your building's
performance to Platinum, and we'll send you a check with your LEED
plaque.
The
rebate currently applies to projects that certify using LEED for
New Construction, LEED for Existing Buildings, LEED for Commercial
Interiors or LEED for Core and Shell. Projects that certify under
future versions of the LEED rating system (excluding pilot projects)
will also be eligible. Please note that the rebate applies only
to certification fees paid to USGBC. Registration with USGBC and
other fees that may be incurred over the course of the project are
not included. Please email leedinfo@usgbc.org with any questions.
FREE
LEED for Existing Buildings Registration
Making the jump from new building design to ongoing operations is
easier than ever. Effective January 1, 2007, LEED for Existing Buildings
registration is free for all certified LEED for New Construction
and LEED for Core and Shell buildings. LEED for Existing Buildings
addresses whole building operations and maintenance practices, and
will maximize your building’s performance over time ensuring
a high return on your investment. E-mail us at leed-eb@usgbc.org
to take advantage of this offer. You'll get instant access to the
LEED-Online letter templates to get started on the LEED for Existing
Buildings certification process.
Free
LEED for Existing Buildings registration is available both to projects
certified before January 1, 2007 and to projects that certify after
this date. Please note that projects that are currently registered
with LEED for New Construction or LEED for Core and Shell will not
be eligible for the free registration until after completing certification.
Free LEED for Existing Buildings registration will also be available
for future whole building LEED Rating Systems including LEED for
Schools. Please email leed-eb@usgbc.org with any questions.
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