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Civil rights groups send letter to Waxman and Markey: Opportunity for all in ACES!

Posted by Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins at Jun 23, 2009 10:35 PM |
Dear Chairmen Waxman and Markey:


We commend you on the effort you have undertaken in crafting the American Clean Energy & Security Act (ACES) of 2009. We hope that you will include in the ACES manager's amendments language that will allocate some emission allowances in ACES to train workers in renewable energy and energy efficiency industries, and that will make construction jobs under ACES available to all segments of the community.


As you recognize, climate change is not simply an issue of environmental policy. It is also one of the most important civil rights issues of our time. Unchecked, the impacts of global warming will be costly for everyone, but they will hit low-income people and people of color first and worst.


At the same time, the shift to a green economy has the potential to create large numbers of quality green-collar jobs for American workers and to ensure that those who most need work are prepared to do the work that most needs to be done.


Toward that end, we ask you to include in the ACES more concrete opportunities for the people in the communities we represent to gain pathways into prosperity in the clean energy economy.


Simply creating jobs is not enough for low-income workers, who too often are people of color. They need to acquire the skills, and the connections to unions and employers, to access and succeed in those jobs. This requires investments in workforce education to prepare workers for jobs and careers in the clean energy economy. It also requires that clean energy investments be tied to strategies that maximize opportunities for local workers and under-represented populations.


The following are goals that the ACES can realize with two key improvements:


1. Provide Green Pathways out of Poverty: Beyond the assistance it rightly provides to workers dislocated from carbon-intensive industries, ACES allocates no resources to train the vast majority of workers in this country who need new skills for the jobs that will repower and rebuild this nation. Without real pathways out of poverty, the legislation will fall well short of its economic and equity promise. Accordingly, we ask that you allocate some emission allowances in ACES to the Green Jobs Act, which trains workers for family-sustaining jobs in renewable energy and energy efficiency industries.

2. Improve Access to Good Jobs: A number of tools designed to achieve "community benefits" have been field-tested with great success on local development projects around the country. Congressman Bobby Rush has authored a provision, which we believe must be included in the legislation, ensuring that the construction jobs created by ACES are good jobs that are accessible to all segments of the community.

We have an opportunity with this legislation to lay the foundation for a clean energy economy that will also improve the lives of low-income Americans. Please ensure that this foundation contains access to jobs and pathways out of poverty. If you have any questions, please contact Paul Edenfield, LCCR Senior Counsel, at 202-263-2852.


Sincerely,


Wade Henderson
President & CEO
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights


Nancy Zirkin
Executive Vice President
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights


Deepak Bhargava
Executive Director
Center for Community Change


Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins
Chief Executive Officer
Green For All


Hilary O. Shelton
Director
NAACP Washington Bureau


Stephanie Jones
Senior Vice President for Advocacy / Executive Director
National Urban League Policy Institute


Kim Bobo
Executive Director
Interfaith Worker Justice


Jorge Mursuli
National Executive Director
Democracia USA

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Clean Energy Act

Posted by J.Richard Smit at Jun 24, 2009 10:10 AM
As an average citizen, I'm qualified to let you know that the "everyday" man is very much in support of American Clean Energy & Security Act (ACES) of 2009. While there may be few existing lobyists to strongly support the effort, the ideas our President has expressed on this topic ring very clear and have our support. Please take this into account as you consider these policies. Thank you. Richard

Going Green

Posted by David Bernstein at Jun 24, 2009 08:53 PM
As an average citizen, I'm qualified to let you know that the "everyday" man is very much in support of American Clean Energy & Security Act (ACES) of 2009. While there may be few existing lobyists to strongly support the effort, the ideas our President has expressed on this topic ring very clear and have our support. Please take this into account as you consider these policies.

Thank you,
David Bernstein
366 Lincoln Street
Franklin, MA 02038

Why breed them if you can't feed them clean

Posted by Julie Otto at Jun 24, 2009 11:04 AM
water and fresh air?!

For the sake of our children and our children's children, please Support "ACES 2009" !!!

Thank you !

green economy

Posted by stuart phillips at Jun 24, 2009 11:32 AM
change to a green economy now please so we can live. me

Green Jobs for All

Posted by Kim at Jun 24, 2009 11:37 AM
It has come to my attention that we are all having problems seeing where the 'Green Employment' opportunities are;
we are aware that we need to install Solar on homes, businesses, car parks, in all new construction and on Solar farms but where are the employed in this new industry?
we know that we need to rebuild and build out the railroad system in the US but I only hear talk; why aren't our cities filled with bikes that are located at every other street corner so that we can just hop on bike and go where we need and drop the bike off (a simple metro card system for picking up and dropping off the bikes would solve this issue) and of course seeing the construction of new bike lanes - NOT new car lanes would be simple compared to what we see going on now;
we hear of 'green roofs' where food can be grown hydroponically but I don't see any jobs be offered in this sector;
trees are the most important absorbers of so many of the toxic emissions that we create and yet it seems I see more businesses that cut down trees then those who plant them and care for them.
I still see - though there is improvement - many lost recycling opportunities or half hearted ones; surely this is an area where a vast of amount of jobs can be created. I don't mean dirty, low-paid jobs going through mountains of other people's trash and pulling out what can be saved and recycled: I mean creating community shops where we can easily refill containers rather than having to re-purchase plastic containers every time we need yogurt, milk, shampoo, laundry products etc etc; every city could easily have a corner stall where refills are given out; a great outdoor and community oriented job for our young people, seniors, and parttime parents etc.

Jobs

Posted by Bert Primavera at Jun 24, 2009 11:47 AM
 I am an Electrical Engineer with over 35 years experience. Until this year I was able to find employment. Now due to the drop in the Economy and OUTSOURCING I have been out of work for almost a year. My experience mis in need in the green jobs. I have designed controls for Power Stations and other power related projects. Please Help me I have a wife and 3 children to support.
                        Thank You:
                     Humbert Primavera

The Clean Energy Act

Posted by Michael Hetz at Jun 24, 2009 12:25 PM
Two of the biggest problems we face, the damaged environment and lack of good, paying jobs can be addressed by adding Green Pathways and Access to Good Jobs to the Clean Energy Bill. If we're not doing all we can in these crucial areas, we're not doing enough.We can lead the world by creating a new sustainable economy with access for all.

Green Jobs for America

Posted by Lisa at Jun 24, 2009 03:20 PM
For too long subsidies and tax incentives have been going to carbon-based businesses. It's now time to invest in our future and provide the support to those green industries that will lead us and our American workers into the this green century. We need to get our workers out of coal mines, off oil derricks, out of dozers that are leveling the mountains of our nation and onto learning to provide support for wind, solar and geothermal industries. After working in the oil industry for my career, I know it is not our future. We need to move on. Societies have made major changes in the past, and it's time to move to a new future for America and the world now.

ACES Green economy

Posted by Mother Larsen at Jun 25, 2009 05:27 PM
All my friends and neighbors are as willing as myself to go solar,recycle, use alternative energy like biofuel diesel oil from hemp, etc. What is missing is the infrastructure. That is where the government can best help. Bike lanes so you're not risking life and limb competing with cars, FHA, HUD DOE loans for what they term "unconventional" eco- friendly homes, FREE POST-SECONDARY education to turn out the leaders and innovators in engineering, design, teaching, agriculture that we need to development the new WORLD economy. Single- payer universal healthcare would be green by giving incentive to the government to keep all honest about pollution, food safety as being medical cost reducers.
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