UPDATE: CCN Takes a Stand for Climate, New Coordinators Step Up!

[Jesse Jenkins]

CCN Update, May 5th, 2008

-CCN Takes a Stand for the Climate: Opposes Mega-highway Project and Calls on Congress to Pass Strong Climate Bill or Wait Until Next Year-

After filling coordinator positions on last night's network call (see "New Coordinators Step Up" below), the CCN took our first two official actions, taking two strong stands for the climate: 

-The CCN stands with the Coalition for a Livable Future in calling for a Climate Smart Interstate 5 Columbia River Crossing project.  The Columbia River Crossing (CRC) Project is the biggest public works project in our region's history. Projected to cost at whopping $4.2 billion or more, the CRC aims to rebuild and widen the I-5 bridges spanning the Columbia River.

Unfortunately, all current options being considered for the project will significantly increase global warming pollution, harm people’s health, and undermine our region’s vision of a sustainable economy, all while siphoning $4.2 billion of limited public resources from addressing other critical transportation needs.  That's why the Coalition for a Livable Future (CLF) and the CCN are calling for any CRC project to help achieve Oregon and Washington's climate goals and help cut vehicle miles travelled, not increase them.  The CCN will sign on to a letter to voice our support for CLF's campaign for a Climate Smart CRC and partner with them in the future.

For more information regarding CLF's Climate Smart CRC Campaign head here: http://www.clfuture.org/

-The CCN calls on Congress to Fix or Ditch Lieberman-Warner Climate Bill.  After years of ignoring global warming, the U.S. Senate is finally considering legislation to cap greenhouse gas pollution. Unfortunately, the leading proposal, the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act lavishes up to $1 trillion on industries responsible for global warming, and in return asks for reduction targets well below what scientists say are necessary.  The CCN is therefore joining with Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace USA and dozens of other organizations to call on Congress to Fix or Ditch Lieberman-Warner.  

Congress should ensure that the Lieberman-Warner bill:

1) auctions 100% of pollution allowances and uses the revenue for public benefit, not corporate windfall profits; and

2) sets pollution reduction targets that go to work right away and keep in step with evolving science.  Required reductions must be at least 80% by 2050 to give us a fighting chance of avoiding catastrophic climate change.  The current bill sets a 60% target and has provision to weaken the bill, but nothing to strengthen it if science demands it.

If Congress cannot fix the bill, it should ditch it, and wait to pass something that works next year.  The CCN will add our names to a national ad being placed by FoE and Greenpeace in national newspapers like the Washington Post, calling on the Senate to Fix or Ditch Lieberman-Warner.

For more on the Fix or Ditch Lieberman-Warner campaign, or to sign the petition, head here: http://lieberman-warner.org

How were these decisions made?  These two action items were decided according to our new CCN process for decision-making.  All attendees on the May 4th Network Call reached consensus to support these two action items.  Every vote was given equal wait and consensus was required to reach a decision.  Additionally, at least 2/3rds of the quorum-filling coordinator positions currently filled (see above) voted to support the action, either on the Network Call or on personal communications before or afterwards (see official vote tally below).   Questions, contact Jenny Bedell-Stiles at j.bedel...@gmail.com or Jesse Jenkins at jesse.d...@gmail.com.

-New Coordinators Step Up-

Several intrepid Climateers recently stepped up to officially sign up as Cascade Climate Network coordinators for 2008-2009!  The following people accepted positions as CCN coordinators:

Quorum-filling positions (2/3rds of these coordinators are required to reach quorum for official CCN decisions and action items; these people are expected to appear on network conference calls or voice opinions via email or individual calls on any action items.):

Washington State Co-Coordinators: JP Kemick* and Sarah Judkins*

Pacific Lutheran University Campus Coordinator: Rebecca Krzmarzick 

University of Washington: Anastasia Schemkes*

Whitman College: Gary Wang

Oregon State Coordinator: Lacey Riddle*

Portland Metro Regional Coordinator: Natalie Sashkin*

Southern/Central Oregon Coordinator: Jesse Hough*

Oregon (Portland Metro) High Schools Coordinator: Nima Ahmadi

Portland State University Coordinator: Brendan Castricano*

Pacific University Coordinator: Nick Englefried

Linfield College Coordinator: Duncan Reid*

University of Oregon Coordinator: Sara Quinn* (with help from Tara Burke)

Oregon State University Coordinator: Daniel Force*

Southern Oregon University Coordinator: Meryl Six

Non-quorum positions

Network Facilitator:  Jenny Bedell-Stiles*

Trainings Maven: Nathan Jones*

Web Content Coordinator: Jesse Boudart* 

Web Development Team: Jesse Jenkins* and Michael Smith

Newsletter Coordinator: Camila Thorndike

Thanks to all of these climate champs for volunteering for positions and helping make the Cascade Climate Network build a sustainable, just, and prosperous future!

Want to help out too?  Great! There's plenty of ways to help out.  The following positions are vacant.  Contact Jenny Bedell-Stiles if you are interested in volunteering or want to find out more about the responsibilities of each position (j.bedel...@gmail.com).  Someone already volunteer to be campus coordiantor for your school?  No problem, just contact that person about roles and responsibilities and ways to help out on your campus.  There's plenty of climate saving work for everyone!

Vacant Positions

Western Washington University Coordinator

Whitworth University Coordinator

Evergreen State College Coordinator

Centralia College Coordinator

Lewis and Clark College Coordinator

Reed College Coordinator

University of Portland Coordinator

Portland Community College Coordinators (one for each campus)

Willamette University Coordinator

Central Oregon Community College Coordinator

Other Campuses We're Forgetting Coordinators!

Community Bridge-Builders for Every Community

Rock on Climateers!

Jesse Jenkins

_________________________

Cascade Climate Network 

www.CascadeClimate.org

503-333-1737

jesse.d...@gmail.com

What are global warming solutions? WE are global warming solutions.  We are a force for change, a force that can step outside the old energy paradigm to build the future and present that we know is possible.  People like us, acting in every community, hold the ideas and inspiration for change, and we can believe in those people as we believe in ourselves. 

For the record, the following people voted to support the two above action items, including at least 10 of 15 quorum-filling positions currently occupied (see names with *):  JP Kemick,* Sarah Judkins,* Anastasia Schemkes,* Lacey Riddle,* Natalie Sashkin,* Jesse Hough,* Brendan Castricano,* Duncan Reid,* Sara Quinn,*Daniel Force,* Jenny Bedell-Stiles, Nathan Jones, Jesse Boudart, and Jesse Jenkins