P2012 Issues: Energy and Environment

The first Earth Day in April 1970 marked, in a sense, the beginning of the environmental movement in this country. Today hundreds of groups across the country are working to protect and improve the environment in areas from local habitat regeneration to protecting oceans to disposing of electronic waste to global climate change. Some are skeptical about climate change, but there is no doubt that it is the dominant environmental issue of the day. Critics argue that a cap and trade plan to address greenhouse gas emissions would have devastating economic effects. America's energy diet is a subject of great concern, as four decades after the 1973 Arab oil embargo we have not shaken our dependence on foreign oil. There are those who advocate "drill, baby, drill" while others are emphasizing a focus on alternatives and energy efficiency.

U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources
U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works
U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee
U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources

Green the Capitol

GENERAL
EnviroLink

"one of the world's largest environmental information clearinghouses."

Earth Day Network

"works with over 22,000 partners in 192 countries to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world."

Google Earth

NASA

TOP NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
Environmental Defense Fund

"We partner with businesses, governments and communities to find practical environmental solutions."

Friends of the Earth

"We're progressive environmental advocates who pull no punches and speak sometimes uncomfortable truths to power."

Greenpeace

"Greenpeace is the leading independent campaigning organization that uses peaceful protest and creative communications to expose global environmental problems and to promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future."

National Wildlife Federation

"America's largest conservation organization. We work with more than 4 million members, partners and supporters in communities across the country to protect and restore wildlife habitat, confront global warming and connect with nature."

Natural Resources Defense Council

"NRDC is the nation's most effective environmental action group, combining the grassroots power of 1.3 million members and online activists with the courtroom clout and expertise of more than 350 lawyers, scientists and other professionals."

The Nature Conservancy

"the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.."

Sierra Club

"We are the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States."

World Wildlife Federation

"The world’s leading conservation organization, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million globally. WWF's unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature."

Pew Environment Group | Pew Charitable Trusts-Environment

MORE ENVIRONMENT
American Tradition Partnership

"dedicated to fighting environmental extremism and promoting responsible development and management of land, water, and natural resources in the Rocky Mountain West and across the United States."

Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT)

"CFACT combines the passion of environmentalism with the practical solutions of markets and technologies to help solve many of the world’s most pressing concerns."

Republicans for Environmental Protection

"founded in 1995 to resurrect the GOP's great conservation tradition
and to restore natural resource conservation and sound environmental protection as fundamental elements of the Republican Party's vision for America."

League of Conservation Voters

"works to turn environmental values into national priorities... LCV advocates for sound environmental policies, elects pro-environment candidates who will adopt and implement such policies, provides the state LCVs with the resources and tools to accomplish and sustain their mission."

Evangelical Environment Network

"a ministry that seeks to educate, equip, inspire, and mobilize Christians in their effort to care for God's creation, to be faithful stewards of God's provision, and to advocate for actions and policies that honor God and protect the environment."

Blue Green Alliance

"a national, strategic partnership between labor unions and environmental organizations dedicated to expanding the number and quality of jobs in the green economy."

U.S. Green Building Council

"working to make green buildings available to everyone within a generation."

Electronics TakeBack Coalition

"promotes green design and responsible recycling in the electronics industry. "

GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

-The Cancun Agreements

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

"the leading international body for the assessment of climate change. It was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)..."

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Climate Change | Cap and Trade
U.S. Global Change Research Program
U.S. Department of Energy-Climate Change
NOAA-Climate Services

Congressional Budget Office-Climate Change
Government Accountability Office-Climate Change

The Alliance for Climate Protection

(founded in 2006 by Al Gore) "With more than 5,000,000 members worldwide, the Alliance is a unique non-profit, non-partisan organization that is committed to educating the global community about the urgency of implementing comprehensive solutions to the climate crisis." The Climate Project, Repower America

U.S. Climate Action Network

"an affiliate network of the Climate Action Network International (CAN), a worldwide network of more than 400 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) from 85 countries working to promote government, private sector and individual action to limit human-induced climate change to ecologically sustainable levels."

ClimateWorks Foundation

ClimateWorks partners with an international network of affiliated organizations—the ClimateWorks Network—to support smart policies in the geographic regions and economic sectors that have the greatest potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

RealClimate

"a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists. We aim to provide a quick response to developing stories and provide the context sometimes missing in mainstream commentary. The discussion here is restricted to scientific topics and will not get involved in any political or economic implications of the science.."

here's an assortment of groups positions and activities on climate change:
Ben & Jerry's | Center for Public Integrity | Environment America | Environmental Defense Fund | Friends of the Earth | Greenpeace USA | National Resources Defense Council | National Wildlife Federation | Pew Project on National Security, Energy & Climate | Union of Concerned Scientists | U.S. Chamber of Commerce | U.S. Conference of Mayors || BP | Chevron | ConocoPhillips | ExxonMobil | Shell || Edison Electric Institute

skeptics

The Heartland Institute-Center on Climate and Environmental Policy

"produces an ambitious program of research and educational projects in defense of free-market environmentalism... devoted to sound science and market-based, rather than government-based, solutions to environmental problems."

Competitive Enterprise Institute-Global Warming.org

"Cooler Heads Coalition"

CFACT-Climate Depot

by Marc Morano

JunkScience.com (Steven J. Milloy)

"all the junk that's fit to debunk" also Green Hell Blog "How Environmentalists Plan to Control Your Life and What You Can Do to Stop Them"

ENERGY

World Energy Council

"Our network of 93 national committees represents over 3000 member organizations including governments, industry and expert institutions. Our mission is to promote the sustainable supply and use of energy for the greatest benefit of all."

American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy

"dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting economic prosperity, energy security, and environmental protection."

The Energy Foundation

"a partnership of major donors interested in solving the world's energy problems. Our mission is to advance energy efficiency and renewable energy — new technologies that are essential components of a clean energy future."

Gridwise® Alliance

"To transform the electric grid to achieve a sustainable energy future." (also see 1, 2)

Apollo Alliance

"a coalition of labor, business, environmental, and community leaders working to catalyze a clean energy revolution that will put millions of Americans to work in a new generation of high-quality, green-collar jobs."

25x'25

"By 2025, America's farms, forest and ranches will provide 25 percent of the total energy consumed in the United States, while continuing to produce safe, abundant, and affordable food, feed and fiber."

U.S. Chamber of Commerce-Institute for 21st Century Energy

"unify policymakers, regulators, business leaders, and the American public behind a common sense energy strategy to help keep America secure, prosperous, and clean."

The Pickens Plan

"a blueprint to reduce foreign oil dependence by harnessing domestic energy alternatives, and to buy us time to develop even greater new technologies."

Securing America's Future Energy

"committed to protecting American national and economic security by combating oil dependence."

Advanced Biofuels Association
also see American Council on Renewable Energy | Renewable Fuels Association (Ethanol) | National Biodiesel Board
American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (2)

American Coal Council
America's Natural Gas Alliance

American Petroleum Institute
American Wind Energy Association
National Hydropower Association

Geothermal Energy Association
Nuclear Energy Institute

Solar Energy Industries Association

America Gas Association
Edison Electric Institute

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

BP Gulf of Mexico Response
Center for Media and Democracy-CoalSwarm
Beyond Nuclear
Frack Action | Energy in Depth

THINK TANKS
American Enterprise Institute-Energy and Environment
The Brookings Institution-Energy | Environment
Cato Institute-Energy and Environment
Center for American Progress-Energy and Environment

Heritage Foundation-Energy and Environment
National Center for Policy Analysis-Free-Market Environment Policy
Rand Corporation-Energy and Environment