Capitol Hotline (Aug. 3)

In this issue

• Hot Topic of the Week

o    US and China Sign MOU in DC

• USCAN Website Resources

o    Fast Facts: Swing States for Climate Action

• Inside the Beltway

o    Energy and Water Bill Update

o    US Can Halve Transport Emissions by 2050

o    Climate Opponents Send Forged Letters to Perriello

• Outside the Beltway

o    Japan Opposition Party Promises Higher Targets

o    TVA Ignored Ash Spill Warnings for 20 Years, inspector general finds

o    Global Majority Wants Climate Change a Priority

• Capitol Hill Events
• Other Headlines

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Hot Topic of the Week

US and China Sign MOU in DC

President Obama hosted high-level Chinese officials in the first Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED), Monday and Tuesday, advancing the two countries’ ongoing conversation on climate change with Memorandum of Understanding to Enhance Cooperation on Climate Change, Energy and the Environment. China urged the U.S. to show its commitment to global emissions reductions through clean energy technology sharing. Read more at Los Angeles Times

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USCAN Website Resources

Fast Facts: Swing States for Climate Action

Check out the USCAN home page or click on any of the following links to find fast facts for swing states on how a clean energy economy provides jobs, economic opportunity, and lower costs for consumers as well as initiates state governments have already undertaken and latest forecasts for statewide global warming impacts. States include: AR, FL, IN, MI, MT, NC, ND, OH, PA, SC, SD, and VA.

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Inside the Beltway

Energy and Water Bill Update

The Senate endorsed, 85-9, a $34.3 billion energy and water budget for fiscal 2010, Wednesday. The spending bill allocates some $27.4 billion for the Dept. of Energy, $5.4 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers and almost $1.2 billion for Dept. of Interior water programs. Key lawmakers anticipate a smooth conference negotiation process for the bill, the Senate version of which differs only slightly from its House counterpart. Read more at New York Times

U.S. Can Halve Transportation Emissions by 2050

The U.S. can cut its transportation emissions by a quarter by 2050 through a variety of behavioral and land-use pattern changes and road pricing changes, a study released Tuesday finds. The “Moving Cooler” report, sponsored by government and industry groups as well as Environmental Defense Fund, investigated some 50 strategies ranging from reducing speed limits to instituting pay-as-you-go insurance to cut transportation emissions currently account for 28 percent of the total U.S. figure. Read more at NY Times

Climate Opponents Send Forged Letters to Perriello

Lobbying firm Bonner & Associates has admitted sending forged anti-ACES letters to the office of Congressman Tom Perriello (D-VA) before he voted for the climate bill in June. Staffers discovered that none of their signers actually existed, let alone worked for the minority groups Creciendo Junto or Albemarle-Charlottesville branch of the NAACP as the letters stated. Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA) announced Friday that his Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming would investigate the matter. Bonner & Associates blames a temporary employee who has since been fired, but a former employee said ethical missteps were far from rare at the company.  Read more at Associated Press

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Outside the Beltway

Japan Opposition Party Promises Higher Targets

Opposition party Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has pledged a 25 percent below 1990 levels emissions reduction by 2020, a target aligned with recommendations from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Katsuya Okada, the party’s secretary general says he expects similar concrete commitment from the U.S. ahead of Copenhagen. The latest 2020 target proposed by current Prime Minister Taro Aso is 15 percent below 2005 levels. Read more at Carbon Positive

TVA Ignored Ash Spill Warnings of Over 20 Years

Tennessee Valley Authority officials disregarded warnings, dating as far back as 1984, that may have prevented the Kingston, TN disaster, a report by TVA Inspector General released last Tuesdays finds. Not only did the power company ignore warnings, but it has since then suppressed a $3 million study on the causes of the December spill in order to limit its legal liability. Read more at Associated Press

Global Majority Wants Climate Change a Priority

Seventy-three percent of people surveyed in global poll, released Friday, desire a higher priority for climate change in their governments, with Chinese and Indians respondents in support by a resounding 94 percent and 82 percent, respectively. Read more at The Guardian

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Capitol Hill Events

• Aug 4: Hearing on cap-and-trade allocations (Senate Finance)
• Aug 4: Markup of nominations, lands bills (Senate ENR)
• Aug 5: Markup of climate science, algal bloom bills (Senate Commerce)
• Aug 6: Hearing on cap-and-trade legislation (Senate EPW)

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Other Headlines

• Senate Democrats Tie Climate Effort to National Security
• Coalition of Enviro Groups Presses for Senate Action
• Michigan Aims for Greener Economy with 30% RES by 2025
• Green States to Get Few Rewards in U.S. Climate Bill
• EU mulls climate billions for developing countries
• PG&E Plans to Extend Unpopular Offset Program
• Mine Operators Not Restoring Mountains, OSM Report Finds