Clean Water Action Alliance of Minnesota
Making the Transition to Clean, Renewable Energy
Energy Bills Moving Through Congress
Major changes are possible this year, as Congress considers a number of energy policy bills—some good, some bad. Clean Water Action staff and members are acting to ensure we block measures that take us in the wrong direction—like liquid coal, more nuclear power and more subsidies for fossil fuels—while pushing for clean, renewable power sources. Take action today on bills to protect our air and water from power plant pollution! To learn more about specific policies, read on.
Bringing the "Inconvenient Truth" to Minnesota
Al Gore Training Project Taps Diana McKeown as Global Warming Messenger
Looking for a way to bring the Global Warming message to your school, work, neighborhood or congregation?
Diana McKeown, Program Director for Clean Water Action Alliance of Minnesota, has recently completed a rigorous training program led by former Vice President Al Gore to spread the message about the threat of and solutions to global warming. Contact us to find out how Diana can bring this enlightening presentation to your group!
Read the complete press release about Diana's training.
Support a Strong Renewable Electricity Standard
Congress should establish a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES). An RES is a law requiring power companies to derive a specified percentage of their power from clean, renewable energy sources by a specific deadline. Minnesota has already passed an RES, as have many other states.
Nationally we need to produce at least 20% of our electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020. This standard would boost the production of clean, reliable, renewable energy sources like wind, biomass, geothermal and solar power while creating jobs and saving consumers money. A recent Union of Concerned Scientists report estimates that the US could benefit from 185,000 new jobs, $10.5 billion in consumer savings, and $66.7 billion in new capital investments from a 20% by 2020 RES.
Clean Water Action is working to block amendments to dilute the environmental and job creation benefits of a renewable energy standard. Polluters have tried to get around the restrictions to clean energy by calling for an "Alternative Energy Portfolio" that allows supplies to meet the requirements with nuclear power and alternative forms of fossil fuel use. This focus on only the carbon emissions creates an in for sources with other very serious impacts. We need a strong commitment to solutions that make sense and deliver clean, reliable, safe, affordable energy.
Protect Fuel Economy Standards
Fuel efficiency requirements for automobiles in the U.S. have remained stagnant for many years. Even worse, changing consumer buying habits have resulted in a drop in the combined average fuel economy of new cars sold in the United States. The Senate has passed legislation to increase the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for new automobiles to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. This is a long overdue step to addressing the lagging efficiency in the transportation sector. Unfortunately, the U.S. House has not included similar legislation in their energy bill. Differences will be worked out this fall in conference proceedings. U.S. automakers have engaged on a campaign to convince lawmakers to water down the Senate standard falsely claiming technology is not available to meet the new standards.
Fight Global Warming
Americans increasingly agree that we must change the shape of our energy future to make our lakes cleaner, diversify our energy supply, and confront global warming—and we must act now. We have the ingenuity and tools we need to confront global warming. Homegrown renewable energy like wind, solar and bio?fuels will strengthen our economy, and fight global warming.
Congress must take immediate action to reduce the heat-trapping pollutants that cause global warming. We need national legislation which sets targets to reduce global warming pollutants by at least 80 percent from 2005 levels by 2050. These goals are based in science and will head off the worst effects of global warming.
Take Action: Tell Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman to support the Safe Climate Act of 2007 (H.R.1590) and the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act (S.309)
Get more information about global warming with our fact sheet
Reject Liquid Coal
Some legislators are proposing to meet our transportation energy needs by converting coal into liquid fuels. However, producing transportation fuels from coal will make it more difficult to achieve the needed target of an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. Focusing on domestic energy alternatives to petroleum places us in a situation that severely stunts efforts to reduce our global warming pollution. Converting coal into liquid fuel for our cars has a "carbon footprint" that can be much worse than conventional gasoline…so much worse that it can give a hybrid car global warming pollution impacts similar to those of SUVs. Even with the best use of technology liquid coal will not bring us anywhere close to the necessary reductions in global warming pollution.
We have the ingenuity and tools we need to confront global warming with homegrown renewable energy like wind, solar and bio-fuels. Converting coal into transportation fuels is a last ditch effort by coal lobbies not a sensible solution to our energy needs.
Learn more
Take the Minnesota Energy Challenge!
