To Till and to Tend

This Week’s Crop

While environmentalists may be feeling somewhat listless and down-in-the-dumps on this 100th day after the Gulf disaster began due to the loss of an opportunity to put forth comprehensive energy and climate legislation, there may yet be hope on the horizon. Though it may not come to fruition until after the mid-term elections in November, President Obama pledged on Tuesday to keep pushing for legislation to fight climate change despite a move in the U.S. Senate to focus energy reform more narrowly on offshore drilling. “I want to emphasize it’s only the first step and I intend to keep pushing for broader reform, including climate legislation,” he told reporters in the White House Rose Garden after meeting with congressional leaders. “We can’t afford to stand by as our dependence on foreign oil deepens, as we keep on pumping out the deadly pollutants that threaten our air and our water and the lives and livelihoods of our people,” he said. While the President tries to push forward with the core environmental issues of climate change and energy legislation, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled a bill for energy and oil disaster measures – the Clean Energy Jobs and Oil Spill Accountability Plan. Read the COEJL statement on the legislation here. A rough outline of the proposed legislation suggests that it will remove the current $75,000,000 cap on the liability of responsible parties owning or operating offshore facilities. It creates a $5 billion “Home Star” energy-efficiency program to incentivize home retrofits. It also provides incentives for natural gas vehicles and transportation, and boosts funds for the Land and Water Conservation Fund back to its intended levels of $900 million annually for the next five years. And in 2016, $500 million will be made available from the LWCF, without further appropriation, with additional amounts available if appropriated. This much needed effort was originally established in 1965 and is now finally set to be revitalized. Learn more about the LWCF here.

Other positives, the bill will also not provide major incentives for coal and nuclear power, nor will it eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate greenhouse gases. These provisions in combination will likely help stimulate growth in the energy efficiency sector while providing needed relief for those hurt by oil spill environmental and economic damages and help conserve important natural resources. However, the bill does lack the coveted renewable energy standard (RES)  and the climate piece dictating carbon caps and creating a market for trading carbon emissions sought by environmental leaders. While the legislation will not make the U.S. a 21st century economy, as President Obama says, it is a “first step” along the way and is expected that Democrats will uniformly support it. (Grist)

States continue to lead (NY Times) on the issue, despite Congress’ resistance to creating a federal carbon cap. We hope to see climate policy that caps carbon-dioxide introduced in the fall and we’ll all do our part to make it happen. (Bloomberg). Click here to go to the Religious Action Center to take action and write your Senators.

The Slick – Day 100

The Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection held a hearing on Tuesday, July 27,  2010 to explore the damages suffered by the tourism industry in the Gulf region and the process by which the independent Gulf Coast Claims Facility will evaluate tourism-related claims. Ken Feinberg says BP is holding up payments to economic victims (CNBC) of the disaster. Feinberg, speaking to reporters at a town hall meeting in southern Alabama said, “I have a concern that BP is stalling claims. Yes, BP is stalling. I doubt they are stalling for money. It’s not that. I just don’t think they know the answers to the questions (by claimants).”

Hayward out – Dudley In. BP announced yesterday that CEO Tony Hayward will be stepping down on October 1st, 2010 and replaced by American, Robert Dudley. (CNN) Speaking of Tony Hayward, “No Golden Parachute for Hayward,” demands Rep. Ed Markey (MA). In a letter sent Tuesday, Markey says outgoing BP chief Tony Hayward should not get his reported multi-million-dollar severance package until all the damages of the gulf spill have been paid.  “At a time when BP should be devoting every possible resource to ending the spill, cleaning up the Gulf and fully compensating the residents who have had their livelihoods impacted, I find it extremely troubling that BP’s board would consider providing such a large severance package to Mr. Hayward,” writes Rep. Markey to Carl-Henric Svanberg, Chairman of BP. “BP should be dedicating its resources to compensating the residents of the Gulf Coast who are the victims of this tragedy, not handing out multi-million dollar golden parachutes.” (Read Markey’s Statement)

My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean
On another front, it is fortunate that Tropical Storm Bonnie petered out over the weekend and clean-up efforts were expected to return to their full capacity today. (Wall Street Journal)

Another Oil Leak Spotted in the Gulf
Just when you thought the oil spillage in the Gulf might be coming to an end, another oil leak (NY Times) was spotted in the Gulf. A wellhead in southeastern Louisiana was spewing oil up to 20 feet into the air on Tuesday morning, local officials said. This is at least the third unrelated oil leak in the area since the Deepwater Horizon spill began 100 days ago.

Community News and Views

Rabbis Converge on High Holiday Environmental Programming
On August 9th, COEJL will host four rabbinic leaders from all four of the major Jewish religious streams Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Conservative and Reform in a conference call to discuss environmental program ideas for the coming high holidays and parshat Noach to engage their communities on environmental and energy issues. Rabbinic leaders are invited to join in the call to express their ideas, success stories and experiences. For those rabbinic leaders who would like to attend the call, please contact COEJL’s Program Director, David Marks: dmarks@coejl.org

A Day of Prayer for the Gulf
This Friday, July 30, communities of faith throughout the Gulf region will host a special day of prayer and reflection on the oil spill disaster. Visit the Religious Action Center (RAC) and Canfei Nesharim websites (Canfei Nesharim) for resources on Jewish values and the Oil Disaster.

Nashville Eco-Challenge
On Sunday, August 1st, 2010 from 1 to 4 PM the Nashville Jewish Community will host a free event to kick off the Nashville Eco-Challenge, which will be held in partnership with COEJL’s Jewish Energy Covenant Campaign. Participants will pledge to complete a personal checklist of six simple and effective ways to reduce their ecological footprint and conserve resources, such as signing up for the TVA In-Home Energy Evaluation (IHEE) program and always using reusable shopping bags at stores. The sponsoring organizations will sign a pledge as well.

United On Ending U.S. Reliance On Foreign Oil
Rabbi Steve Gutow, President and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, expressed his thoughts in the Jewish Week on energy independence from the standpoint of the JCPA and the Jewish community at large. “The American Jewish community is a large, complex group, likened to a family with many and sometimes divergent interests. We strive in our own ways to build a strong foundation for our community’s future, work to build a better America, advocate for Israel, and focus on tikkun olam, repairing the world. It is easy to see our concerns as self-contained, each occupying its own space in the communal and national discourse. We have multiple perspectives regarding the world around us and pursue different solutions.’…’the purpose of our initiative is to convey the Jewish community’s broad belief that America becoming energy independent is a matter of vital national interest.” Read the full article at the (Jewish Week).