LCV in the News

Gene Karpinski, in the Washington Post, offers his rebuttal to the statement in the Sept. 7th editorial "Energy Loss" that the energy policies of Obama and McCain are similar.

Jonathan Poisner, Executive Director of the Oregon LCVEF, urges Oregonians as consumers and voters to be a piece of the solution to global warming.

California Lawmakers passed the first bill to link housing, land use, and transportation funding in an effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions and stop urban sprawl.

Kate Troll, Executive Director of Alaska Conservation Voters, compares Sarah Palin to her environmental counterpart--George Bush.

Alaskan Village Sues Energy Giants

Talk about David and Goliath: today a village of less than 400 inhabitants in Kivalina, Alaska, sued Exxon Mobil Corp, BP PLC, seven other oil companies, 14 power companies and one coal company. The villagers of Kivalina accused the energy giants of releasing greenhouse gases that are causing the land around them to erode into the sea, and melting the ice that once shielded the village from storm waves and surges. Relocation costs have been estimated at $400 million. Villagers also accused some of the defendants of a conspiracy to mislead the public about the causes and effects of global warming. If successful, the trial could influence future courts to hold energy companies accountable for the havoc their emissions inflict on communities.

See International Herald Tribune article

Friday Funny

Why Irish eyes are smiling

Did you know that every minute the world uses more than half a million plastic bags, most of which end up in landfills or as litter? There’s hope: Saturday’s New York Times reveals how the Irish love for green surpasses clovers and leprechauns. In 2002 Ireland passed a tax on plastic bags, whereby customers who want them must pay 33 cents per bag at the register. A few weeks after the law passed plastic bag use had dropped by 94%, and within a year plastic bags had become "socially unacceptable. " Nowadays fabric bags in Ireland seem to be as widespread as Guinness. This year the Irish government also plans to ban conventional light bulbs, and only make low-energy long-life florescent bulbs available.

American presidential candidates wanting to tout their green credentials would be wise to endorse a similar policy. Getting rid of plastic bags and inefficient light bulbs is one of the easiest ways we can cut down on the country’s oil use and greenhouse gas emissions.