Archive for the ‘Environmental Action’ Category

GMO’s on Open Space meeting Dec. 8

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

The Commissioners are still waffling and considering approving the Parks and Open Space (POS) cropland policy which allows the continued planting of GMOs on Open Space land.

A group of concerned citizens, not satisfied with the “business as usual” cropland policy being presented by POS, have written an alternative policy referred to as “The Citizens Cropland Policy”.

In order to communicate how we want these lands to be managed, we need THOUSANDS of citizens to endorse this policy before the Commissioners’ Public Hearing on December 8th.  Our voice needs to be SO LOUD that they cannot ignore us any longer.

  • Please go to “The Citizens Cropland Policy” website at www.bcccp.info to read and endorse the policy.

  • Send the policy website to EVERYONE you know who lives in the county and ask them to endorse the policy as well.

  • Attend the Commissioners’ public hearing on December 8th.  Numbers count!  We need to show up in force and communicate in a clear, definitive voice!  (for information on this meeting go to www.gmknow.org/key-dates)

  • Post these links on your Facebook page and ask fellow citizens to take a stand with you against GMOs and harmful agricultural practices and for the clean and sustainable management of public croplands.

  • Talk about this issue with others and let them know they can have a voice by endorsing the Citizens Policy. Help spread the word.

Pick just one of these things to do or do them all!  If each of us takes action and asks others to do the same, “We the People” can successfully define how our Open Space Agricultural acres are managed to ensure these lands are available for future generations.

Thank you for participating in this direct act of democracy.

GMO’s On Open Space?

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

Now is the time to get informed and speak up about GMO’s on open space. Boulder County Parks & Open Space (POSAC) will vote on whether to recommend approval of the policy to the Board of County Commissioners.

Monday, November 14

PLAN-Boulder Forum: Should Genetically Engineered Crops Be Banned from Boulder Open Space?
7:00-9:00 p.m. Sherpa’s Restaurant, 825 Walnut St., Boulder, CO
Panelists will be Professor Daniel Bush, Chairman of the Biology Department at CSU, and others to be announced.

November 15

5:30 p.m. at Longmont Conference Center

Staff will present the policy to a joint session of the Food and Agriculture Policy Council (FAPC) and the Parks and Open Space Advisory Commission (POSAC). Public comments will be accepted.

November 16

5:30 p.m. at Longmont Conference Center

FAPC will vote on whether to recommend approval of the policy to the Board of County Commissioners. Public comments will not be accepted.

November 17

5:30 p.m. County Courthouse: Commissioners’ Hearing Room
POSAC will vote on whether to recommend approval of the policy to the Board of County Commissioners. Public comments will not be accepted.

Give Boulder The Power – Vote Yes on 2A & 2B

Friday, October 14th, 2011

Before you mark your ballot, learn why Boulder’s leaders support 2B & 2C.

To learn more and see more videos, visit www.giveboulderthepower.org

To learn more and see more videos, visit www.giveboulderthepower.org

CU Energy Club Municipalization Forum Oct. 25, 2011

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

“Boulder’s Energy Future is for You to Decide” states CU’s Energy Club open invitation to a forum where industry experts will discuss “Boulder’s possible municipalization initiative” on  Tuesday October 25, 2011 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at UMC Glenn Miller Ballroom.  Undecided about this issue?  Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from experts.

Renewables YES / Boulder’s Clean Energy Future

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

SHOW SUPPORT TO CITY COUNCIL BY ATTENDING THESE IMPORTANT MEETINGS!

(Bold text below signifies the most important meetings to attend. Check the City calendar for times, locations & updates http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/calendar/calendar.php Also follow this issue on www.cleanenergyaction.org)

Tuesday June 14, 2011: City Council Study Session – Energy Future Ballot Options, etc

Thursday June 16, 2011: Talk by Municipal Utility Financing and Governance Experts from Washington DC. Clean Energy Action is bringing speakers to talk about legal and financial underpinnings of setting up a clean energy municipal utility.  C. Baird Brown, is a partner in DrinkerBiddle LLC’s Environmental and Energy Practice Groups.  Christopher B. Berendt is of counsel to the firm’s Environmental & Energy Practice Groups and heads the Environmental Markets Team.

Tuesday June 28, 2011: Feedback Forum

Tuesday July 19, 2011: City Council First Reading of Ballot Initiatives

Tuesday August 2, 2011: City Council Second Reading of Ballot Initiatives

Tuesday August 9, 2011: City Council Third Reading Ballot Initiatives

6/1/11: Municipal Utility Distribution Systems

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

Clean Energy Action is pleased to present:

How Could a Boulder Municipal Utility Run Its Distribution System?

Featuring:

Dennis Eastman,
CEO, ENCO Utility Services

Wednesday, June 1, 2011
First Presbyterian Church
1820 15th Street, Boulder, CO
6:30 Refreshments
7:00-8:45pm Presentation

A standard concern related to community municipalization, is that the city won’t be able to effectively run the system. Never mind that hundreds of municipal utilities around the country ranging in size from Lyons, Colorado to Los Angeles, California keep the lights on day after day. One of the ways (but not the only way) that municipal utilities operate is to hire outside firms with expertise to run the distribution system. Dennis Eastman is the CEO of ENCO–a company that runs distribution systems for several electric entities. Before that he ran the distribution system for Southern California Edison which served over 11 million people. While there would be a number of options for how a Boulder municipal utility might run its distribution system, Mr. Eastman will describe how this is done presently in power-providing entities both large and small–both private and public. For more information
www.cleanenergyaction.org

Crunch time for the Clean Air Act.

Friday, April 8th, 2011
Friends of the Earth
Dear Friend,

Protect the Clean Air Act
Protect the Clean Air Act. Please call Congress right no

Republicans plan to shut down the government at midnight if Democrats don’t agree to Clean Air Act rollbacks that would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from addressing climate pollution.

The debate about the Clean Air Act is now at the center of the shutdown fight. Please call your senators, representatives, and the White House now to express your strong support for the Clean Air Act and to make it clear that any rollbacks are unacceptable.

PHONE NUMBERS:

Alternatively, use these switchboards:
Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121
White House Switchboard: 202-456-1111

(Note – if the lines are busy, please keep trying. If you can’t get through, you can also make written comments via www.house.gov, www.senate.gov, and http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact.)

SUGGESTED TELEPHONE SCRIPT:

Hello, I am [Your Name], from [Your City], [Your State].

I understand that the future of the Clean Air Act has become central to the debate about whether the government will be shut down.

I urge [Your Elected Official] to do all you can to protect the Clean Air Act. It is outrageous that the House Republican leadership is threatening to shut down the government in order to attack this law.

I want to make it clear that any Clean Air Act rollbacks whatsoever are unacceptable. I expect you to stand up and defend this law.

This action is no longer active. To view the current list of FOS active campaigns click here

Tell President Obama to Defend the Clean Air Act!

Friday, April 1st, 2011

The Clean Air Act is under heavy attack from big polluters in Congress — and even President Obama doesn’t seem willing to stand up for it anymore.

Yesterday the AP reported that behind the scenes the President’s negotiators are insisting some Republican proposals to gut the Clean Air Act must be included in a bill to fund the government through September 30th.

If these reports are true, this would be a betrayal of the millions of voters and volunteers who supported the President in 2008 because of his positions on climate change and clean energy.

The health and welfare of every community in this country and around the world will be jeopardized if Obama lets big polluters gut the Clean Air Act. It’s time to demand that President Obama defend the Clean Air Act from all attacks in Congress — call the White House today:

White House comment line: 202-456-1111

(Report your call)

Here’s what we suggest you say when you call:

My name is __________ and I’m from CITY, STATE. I am outraged about reports that the President may sell out the Clean Air Act and public health protections to big polluters as part of a deal with Congress. The Clean Air is the best tool we have to protect our families from climate pollution and promote clean energy. President Obama needs to stand up to big polluters and their allies in Congress by protecting the Clean Air Act against all attacks. Thank you.

First, the President failed to push through Congress a comprehensive climate and clean energy bill as he promised he would. Now he seems willing to sell out his own EPA’s updated regulations for carbon pollution — the best tools we have right now to deal with climate here at home — to get a spending deal from Congress.

Every American who cares about clean air, healthy communities and the dangers of climate change should be outraged that this giveaway to dirty polluters is even being discussed.

Tell President Obama to defend the Clean Air Act from all attacks by big polluters — call the White House today at 202-456-1111. After your call, please let us know you took action by visiting this page and reporting your call.

Big polluters like coal and oil companies are putting on a full-court press to gut the Clean Air Act. We need President Obama to fulfill his pledge to protect the Clean Air Act, not sell it out to polluters as part of a deal with Congress. Call the President today and tell him to stand up for the American people, not the profits of big polluters.

Thanks for taking action,

Liz Butler
Campaign Director, 1Sky

Bag It! Boulder

Monday, March 14th, 2011

Our mission: Reduce the number of plastic bags used in Boulder.

Why?

The US International Trade Commission reported that 102 billion plastic bags were used in the US in 2009. Using census data, this means that Boulder uses about 25-35 million plastic bags a year. We are not able to recycle our plastic bags along with our regular recycling, so many are thrown out after one or two uses. The bags end up polluting our earth and water (as well as our recycling and compost) as they break down. And we end up finding plastic bags in the strangest of places, like in the stomachs of wildlife, in the tops of our trees, and swirled together forming islands in gyres in our oceans.

In addition to the harm that plastic bags cause our earth, the phthalates used to soften plastic bags also wreak havoc on our bodies. Phthalates are now proven to be toxic, endocrine-disrupting, hormone level-changing, and disease-causing.

We want to urge Boulder City Council to investigate policy options to reduce the number of single-use bags in Boulder. Dozens of other cities and countries have already done so and seen huge reductions. Let’s do our part by adding Boulder to that list!

Sign this petition to add your name to the growing list of supporters who want to limit single-use bags in Boulder.

Protect the Clean Air Act Rally!

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

Care about clean air and a safe climate? Join us!
Protect the Clean Air Act Rally!

When: Saturday, Feb. 26th at 1pm

Where: Municipal Building (corner of Canyon and Broadway), Boulder

Why: The purpose of the rally is to draw attention to the attacks happening in Congress

Help stop phone book waste

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

Eco-Cycle needs your help!

Once a year, we all wake up on a cold winter

Clean Energy Action – Your Input Is Needed!

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

Your input is needed at the Public Utilities Commission: 2022 is too late for shutting down Cherokee!

Email: pucconsumer.complaints@dora.state.co.us

This past spring, a bipartisan team in the Colorado Legislature passed the landmark Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act, HB-1365, which mandated that Xcel Energy cut emissions of nitrous oxide by 70-80% by 2017 by retiring, retrofitting, or replacing aging and dirty coal-fired power plants along the Front Range. This legislation is a first step toward getting Colorado off of polluting energy sources and toward clean and renewable ones.

Xcel Energy has submitted their plan to the Public Utilities Commission, as required by HB-1365, for converting Front Range coal plants. The plan does not meet the requirements of the Bill.

Newlands Greenlands Low Impact Experiment

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Turn off your TV. Stop shopping. Eat a carrot. Get on a bike. Put a moratorium on litter.

In August, a group of us enjoyed viewing the award-winning documentary No Impact Man. The film brought us together and sparked discussion about how we can live better by living lighter. We decided to create our own version of the experiment based on a guide provided by the No Impact Project. The official No Impact Experiment is a one-week carbon cleanse.

Bears in the ‘hood!

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

The following is an excerpt from a post in The Blue Line info@boulderblueline.org by

DECARBONIZE!

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

SMALL ACTIONS:

  1. Eat and drink local foods and beverages
  2. Ride bikes and use public transportation when possible
  3. Switch to compact fluorescents.

BIG ACTIONS:

  1. Pressure government and corporations to make the