Major conservation bill up for vote in US congress

The following letter is from the National Wildlife Federation to it's members. It is a call to action in support of the American Clean energy and Security Act. Among many things in the bill is a system of cap and trade for carbon plus money to the states to help wildlife and fish adapt to warming. Dirty coal and the many of the other polluting energy companies are against this system and have pulled out the stops to defeat the bill. The vote is this Friday the 26th. Your congressman needs to hear from you!

June 22, 2009

House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative:

On behalf of the millions of members and volunteers that our organizations represent, we
write to urge you to support final passage of the American Clean Energy and Security
Act of 2009 (ACES).

We also urge you to do everything possible to strengthen the bill between now and final
passage, and along its journey to the President’s desk.

ACES will help build America’s clean energy economy and launch the United States’
first national plan of action to address the growing threat of climate change. ACES offers
our country the most important opportunity in generations to jumpstart our economy,
create millions of new, well-paying jobs, and set the stage for America to compete and
prosper in a 21st century economy.

We believe this is one of the most important votes of our time. There are rare moments
in American history when the urgency to act is clear, the stakes are high, the costs of
inaction are untenable, and the need for courageous leadership is paramount. Now is one
of those moments. An opportunity like this may not come again for many years.

ACES will deliver important benefits for consumers, workers, and businesses, while
protecting public health, national security, and the parks, forests, and coastlines that
define America’s natural heritage. Specifically:

• ACES launches the first national plan of action to address climate change. The
legislation includes a steadily declining cap to reduce pollution from major
sources such as power plants and oil refineries, and launches a new, large-scale
program to protect tropical forests. The legislation includes a clear scientific
process for evaluating the plan over time and recommending updates.
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• ACES creates and funds programs to helps states, communities, public health
officials and wildlife professionals prepare for and respond to those impacts of
climate change that can no longer be avoided.

• ACES includes an energy efficiency plan that includes new standards and
incentives to use smarter energy technologies and save energy where we live and
work. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy estimates that
ACES will save consumers billions of dollars annually on energy bills.

• ACES creates new incentives for clean energy and provides states with
allowances worth billions of dollars annually to promote energy efficiency and
clean energy in every part of the nation and in all communities, with specific
measures targeted at low-income communities. The Center for American
Progress estimates that, combined with the already-enacted American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act, ACES can help create 1.7 million clean energy jobs.

• ACES includes several important programs to save oil by investing in the next
generation of vehicles, supporting the development of smarter transportation
plans, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from heavy trucks, construction
equipment, trains, and airplanes. In addition, it creates energy efficiency
programs that will reduce oil consumption from homes and businesses.

• ACES delivers cleaner energy with an affordable framework that is fair to
Americans across all income groups. According to the Congressional Budget
Office (CBO), the 20% of households with lowest income in America will see an
average net economic benefit of $40 annually. Overall, CBO estimates that the
net cost to the average household will be under 50 cents per day, and this estimate
doesn’t include the energy bill savings potential from the legislation’s energy
efficiency measures.

• CBO has determined that ACES reduces the national budget deficit, lightening the
financial load on future generations even as we begin to reduce the environmental
debt we will leave behind.

The window of opportunity to act is short. Although ACES is just the beginning of an
effective long-term national strategy on climate change, the science is clear that we must
get started now and have already delayed far too long. By passing ACES, the House will
create vital momentum for action this year by the Senate and the President, as well as for
global action. As we approach the December 2009 deadline for climate treaty
negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark, we must show the world the U.S. is ready to
commit to action toward solving this global problem.

As ACES is considered on the floor, we urge that you oppose any amendments that
weaken the bill’s clean energy incentives and environmental goals. We urge you to
support amendments that strengthen the bill, particularly those that create more clean
energy jobs with stronger renewable energy and energy efficiency provisions, as well as
amendments that increase investments that help foster a fair and effective global
agreement and help prepare for the impacts of climate change to natural resources and
vulnerable communities that can no longer be avoided.

Most importantly, we urge that you vote “yes” on final passage to get started now on a
national effort to address climate change, and that you reach out to your colleagues to
build a strong coalition of support for a clean energy future.

Our members, partners and allies are mobilizing as never before to capture this historic
opportunity. Now it’s time for Congress to act.

Sincerely,

The Alliance for Climate Protection
American Rivers
Center for American Progress Action
Fund
Clean Water Action
Climate Solutions
Defenders of Wildlife
Environment America
Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Law & Policy Center
Interfaith Power and Light (IPL)
League of Conservation Voters

National Audubon Society
The National Hispanic Environmental
Council (NHEC)
National Wildlife Federation
Natural Resources Defense Council
Oceana
Oxfam America
Pew Environment Group
Sierra Club
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
The Wilderness Society
Union of Concerned Scientists

Click HERE TO TAKE Action