Call To Action: Biochar Senate Bill

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Lopa Brunjes

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Sep 28, 2009, 5:50:33 PM9/28/09
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Hi PNW Group:

This is an email I sent out to a bunch of biochar and green-space colleagues earlier today.  Please, call your Senators and pass it on!  Let's not let this opportunity pass us by! 



Dear Esteemed Colleagues and Friends,

As many of you may already know, we are on the verge of a great biochar victory! Last week, a biochar bill was introduced into the Senate, entitled the Water Efficiency via Carbon Harvesting and Restoration (WECHAR) Act of 2009. It was introduced by Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, with four cosponsors, including Senators Max Baucus and John Tester of Montana, Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, and Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico.  The bill includes project development, loan guarantees, a biomass availability assessment, and research grants, and focuses largely on forest fuel load reduction and invasive species mitigation with .  The full text of the bill, a summary, and Q&A sheet are attached here.

This bill was made possible in large part to the tireless work of the International Biochar Initiative.  However, every person included on this email has also had some part in making this possible.  All of our efforts have a common purpose and each of our efforts contributes, in ways seen and unseen, to that goal. 

However, we are not all the way there yet, and hence, I am writing you urging you to take action.  Please, as soon as you read this email, pick up the phone immediately and call your Senators to tell them that you support WECHAR and want them to support it, too.  It's a simple, short call, and will only take a minute or two.  You can find out who your Senators are and their contact info here: 

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=CA


If you want to take further action, please send an email requesting that your friends, family, and colleagues do the same as well.  Now is the time to reel in your social capital!  Let's see if we can get this to go viral.  If the Senate's phones and ears are ringing with the word "biochar," and they have the sense that the public wants this, they are far more likely to say "yes" when it is time to vote. 


If this bill passes, it will be a massive boon to biochar!  Your time in doing this could reap great rewards for us, the U.S., and the whole planet.  Don't delay, and don't be shy! Just make the call now, and don't have it hanging over your head.  If you can't do it now, set an alarm for yourself so you don't forget.  Time is of the essence! 


I hope this finds you in good health and good spirits.  And, if we haven't been in contact in a while and you're so inclined, feel free to shoot me an email to say hello.


Thank you to all of you for your great work!


Warm regards,

Lopa




Lopa Brunjes

Executive VP
Biochar Engineering Corporation
San Francisco Office


w: 415.920.9151
 
c: 415.342.8692



www.biocharengineering.com
www.biocharsystems.com
http://biocharfactor.wordpress.com


*** Email does not always convey a message well.  Please call me if you have questions or need further clarification.
[ http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb06/egos.html ]***



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WECHAR 9-23-09.pdf
Summary_WECHAR_9.24.09_SenatorReid.pdf
Qs and As_WECHAR_09-23-09_NV.pdf

Don Hennick

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Sep 28, 2009, 8:51:19 PM9/28/09
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Dear Mr. Hennick:



Thank you for contacting me regarding S. 1713, the Water Efficiency via
Carbon Harvesting and Restoration Act of 2009, which is currently
pending in the United States Senate. I appreciate knowing your views on
this matter.



In the Senate, this legislation falls under the jurisdiction of
the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. While I am not a member of
that Committee, I want to assure you that I will be following the
progress of this bill and will keep your views in mind if this or
related legislation comes before the full Senate for consideration.



Again, thank you for contacting me. I hope you will continue to keep in
touch.



I hope all is well in Seattle.


Sincerely,

Patty Murray
United States Senator
> www.biocharengineering.com <http://www.biocharengineering.com>
> www.biocharsystems.com <http://www.biocharsystems.com>
> http://biocharfactor.wordpress.com
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Ron Lussier

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Sep 28, 2009, 10:55:57 PM9/28/09
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FYI

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources members

Democrats Republicans
 
Chairman Jeff Bingaman (NM)
Byron L. Dorgan (ND)
Ron Wyden (OR)
Tim Johnson (SD)
Mary L. Landrieu (LA)
Maria Cantwell (WA)
Robert Menendez (NJ)
Blanche Lincoln (AR)
Bernard Sanders (I) (VT)
Evan Bayh (IN)
Debbie Stabenow (MI)
Mark Udall (CO)
Jeanne Shaheen (NH)
Lisa Murkowski (AK)
Richard Burr (NC)
John Barrasso (WY)
Sam Brownback (KS)
James E. Risch (ID)
John McCain (AZ)
Robert Bennett (UT)
Jim Bunning (KY)
Jeff Sessions (AL)
Bob Corker (TN)





Don Hennick wrote:



No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com 
Version: 8.0.138 / Virus Database: 270.13.113/2400 - Release Date: 9/28/2009 5:51 AM



  

Lopa Brunjes

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Sep 29, 2009, 2:10:18 PM9/29/09
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Many thanks, Ron!

Ladies and gentlemen, start callin'!


:)


Lopa Brunjes

Executive VP
Biochar Engineering Corporation
San Francisco Office


w: 415.920.9151
 
c: 415.342.8692

http://biocharfactor.wordpress.com


*** Email does not always convey a message well.  Please call me if you have questions or need further clarification.
[ http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb06/egos.html ]***


Get Connected: LinkedinFacebookTwitter

Lopa Brunjes

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Sep 29, 2009, 2:17:46 PM9/29/09
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Also, I would like to recommend that people visit:


http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_1713.html

and vote FOR!  (in right hand column)




To biochar!





Lopa Brunjes

Executive VP
Biochar Engineering Corporation
San Francisco Office


w: 415.920.9151
 
c: 415.342.8692



www.biocharengineering.com
www.biocharsystems.com
http://biocharfactor.wordpress.com


*** Email does not always convey a message well.  Please call me if you have questions or need further clarification.
[ http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb06/egos.html ]***



Get Connected: LinkedinFacebookTwitter


Lopa Brunjes

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Sep 29, 2009, 4:03:32 PM9/29/09
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Hey Everybody,

I just went through and called all the Senators on this list, and to make it easier for anyone else inclined to do so (hint, hint!), I wrote copied all the phone numbers for each one (a few dems' websites were down or didn't post a phone #).

The conversation is really easy, and can go something like, "Hi, I'm calling to express my support for a bill introduced to the Senator's Energy and Natural Resource Committee last week.  It's bill S. 1713, entitled WECHAR, the Water Efficiency via Carbon Harvesting and Restoration Act of 2009.  I'd like to express my support and hope that the Senator will support it, too."

For fun, when I was calling the Southern states, I put on mah fayvorite southern ayk-saynt...Lobbying doesn't have to be boring.  :)

Easy!  And for every call they get, they send the Senator a message stating so.  If they start to get some numbers (hint, hint, again!), they may realize that the public really wants it. 


Go, team, Go! 


Warmly,

Lopa



Committee on Energy and Natural Resources members

Jonah

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Sep 30, 2009, 9:38:20 AM9/30/09
to PNW Biochar
Dear All-
The two video links that follow will take you to Sec. of Agriculture
Tom Vilsack's Keynote speech at NABC 2009. The language used by the
Sec. is in support of the language in the bill. If this is of use-
feel free to pass it on. Additionally please know that all video and
audio from the conference with associated annotated timing and
attached abstracts are close to being available in open access.

(cut and paste into your web browser)
http://www.vimeo.com/6737473
http://www.vimeo.com/6737480

Please feel free to be in touch if I can lend a hand.

Best
Jonah
> http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?St...
>
> If you want to take further action, please send an email requesting that
> your friends, family, and colleagues do the same as well.  Now is the time
> to reel in your social capital!  Let's see if we can get this to go viral.
> If the Senate's phones and ears are ringing with the word "biochar," and
> they have the sense that the public wants this, they are far more likely to
> say "yes" when it is time to vote.
>
> If this bill passes, it will be a massive boon to biochar!  Your time in
> doing this could reap great rewards for us, the U.S., and the whole planet.
> Don't delay, and don't be shy! Just make the call now, and don't have it
> hanging over your head.  If you can't do it now, set an alarm for yourself
> so you don't forget.  Time is of the essence!
>
> I hope this finds you in good health and good spirits.  And, if we haven't
> been in contact in a while and you're so inclined, feel free to shoot me an
> email to say hello.
>
> Thank you to all of you for your great work!
>
> Warm regards,
>
> Lopa
>
> Lopa Brunjes
>
> Executive VP
> Biochar Engineering Corporation
> San Francisco Office
>
> w: 415.920.9151
> c: 415.342.8692
>
> www.biocharengineering.comwww.biocharsystems.comhttp://biocharfactor.wordpress.com
>
> *** Email does not always convey a message well.  Please call me if you have
> questions or need further clarification.
> [http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb06/egos.html]***
>
> Get Connected: [image:
> Linkedin]<http://www.linkedin.com/in/lopabrunjes%20%20>[image:
> Facebook] <http://www.facebook.com/lopa.brunjes>[image:
>  WECHAR 9-23-09.pdf
> 61KViewDownload
>
>  Summary_WECHAR_9.24.09_SenatorReid.pdf
> 92KViewDownload
>
>  Qs and As_WECHAR_09-23-09_NV.pdf
> 79KViewDownload
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