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Today, more than 100 New Yorkers joined community groups, environmental justice leaders, national environmental organizations, and local officials on the steps of City Hall to thank Mayor Bill de Blasio for his commitment to power 100 percent of City operations with renewable energy and urge him to ensure that offshore wind power plays a major role in achieving that goal.
At the rally, a letter signed by over 50 diverse organizations calling for offshore wind power was delivered to the Mayor. The letter highlights the massive potential of offshore wind power to reduce pollution and spark transformative job creation in New York City and across the state. Prioritizing offshore wind power for NYC is also crucial for meeting Mayor de Blasio's broader goal of cutting climate pollution in New York City 80 percent by 2050 and 35 percent within government operations by 2025. The letter also calls on New York State and the Federal Government to take the actions necessary to launch offshore wind power for New York.
With the Supreme Court issuing a temporary stay to President Obama's federal Clean Power Plan just last week, moving forward to develop clean energy--and especially offshore wind--has never been more important.
In addition to the Mayor's goals to drastically cut carbon emissions 80 percent by 2030, New York City is the largest city in the world to set a 100 percent renewable energy generation goal for city operations.
Event partners offered the following quotes detailing their support for offshore wind power:
"The construction and utilization of offshore wind power has the potential to transform New York's economy and environment, replacing dirty coal with a clean and abundant form of energy. As New York strives to meet the goal of 50 percent generation of electricity from carbon-free renewable by 2030 outlined in Governor Cuomo's ambitious Reforming the Energy Vision initiative, wind power will play an increasingly essential role. Achievement of these long-term goals, however, will require a long-term commitment from our state. Working with stakeholders like the Sierra Club and my colleagues in the legislature I look forward to implementing a progressive plan for wind power production that invests in New York's future while respecting the interests of local communities and wildlife habitats."
-- State Senator Brad Hoylman, Ranking Member of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee
"Thanks to Mayor de Blasio, New York City is leading by example by pledging to make the switch to renewable energy. Investing in offshore wind power will help us make that transition while creating jobs for New Yorkers and reducing local air pollution. I look forward to working with the administration, the Sierra Club, NYPIRG, and the Center for Working Families to make ensure we make smart choices as we move away from fossil fuels."
-- New York City Councilman Ben Kallos
"We applaud Mayor de Blasio for making New York City a leader on equitable climate action. Now the state and federal government can take the next step with a commitment to build a thriving offshore wind industry which would mean tens of thousands of good jobs in New York City and communities upstate alike."
-- Bill Lipton, Director, New York Working Families
"With his bold commitment to power city operations with 100 percent renewable energy, Mayor de Blasio is continuing to set a high bar for climate leadership, and we're calling on him to make offshore wind a significant part of reaching that 100 percent goal. Not only is offshore wind power poised to make a serious dent in our climate pollution, but a significant commitment to developing offshore wind promises improved urban air quality, long-term job creation across a wide variety of sectors, lower, more predictable energy costs, and the opportunity to invest our energy dollars locally."
-- Lisa Dix, Sierra Club, Senior Representative of the New York Beyond Coal campaign
"New York City can no longer afford to ignore the golden opportunity of offshore wind power. We need Mayor de Blasio, Governor Cuomo, and the federal government to take swift action to launch offshore wind power for New York at the scale necessary to spark massive job creation, reduce local air pollution, and protect wildlife and communities from the dangers of climate change."
-- Catherine Bowes, Senior Manager, National Wildlife Federation
"As an organization that formed in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, we deeply understand what is at stake if we, as a city, state, nation and world do not get serious about transitioning to renewable energy now. We are excited at the great potential for local jobs and sustainable energy that offshore wind would bring to NYC. We call on Mayor DeBlasio to stand with those communities most impacted by climate disaster and support offshore wind development. We can lead the way to a healthy, safe and just future. We can be the example that coastal cities across the nation look to. The future is looking bright...and windy!"
-- Kalin Callaghan, Rockaway Wildfire
"New York City is now positioned as a national climate leader with goals for New York City to cut emissions by 80 percent, divest from coal, expand green buildings, double solar power, and power 100 percent of city operations with renewable energy. One of the key next steps is for the state and federal government to open the door for offshore wind development. Building a thriving offshore wind industry will create thousands or tens of thousands of good jobs, slow climate change, and help prevent future storms like Hurricanes Sandy and Irene. The U.S. Energy Department has estimated that it would create nearly 40,000 jobs and 100 businesses around New York are ready to start building components for turbines."
-- Stephan Edel, Policy Director, Center for Working Families.
"Offshore wind energy has the power to transform our city. This technology could create good local jobs, make us more resilient in the face of climate change, and hasten our transition away from the dirty fuels of the past. The sooner Mayor de Blasio commits to offshore wind, the sooner we can make that transformation a reality, and lead New York State into the renewable economy."
-- Patrick Robbins, Co-Director, Sane Energy Project
"Offshore wind is a proven technology worldwide that needs to grow in New York. The offshore wind industry stands ready to help New York City meet its clean energy goals."
-- Anne Reynolds, Executive Director, Alliance for Clean Energy New York
"NYPIRG applauds Mayor de Blasio's leadership in committing to power its buildings through 100 percent renewable energy by 2030--an ambitious and doable goal. But the Mayor must take tangible steps to make the promise come to life. New York City can be a global leader in renewable energy by committing to offshore wind now."
-- Brennan Ortiz, NYPIRG member and Hunter College student.
"New York State banned hydraulic fracturing of dirty natural gas, stopped the creation of the Port Ambrose LNG port, and defeated the coal industry. It is now time to devote resources to building the renewable energy infrastructure, which depends on massive offshore wind, to propel us to meeting our reduced greenhouse gas emissions goals. Let's Win Wind now and provide clean air and green jobs to thousands of New Yorkers as we protect our state from the pending devastation of climate chaos.
-- Marilyn Vasta, 350NYC
"Scaling up offshore wind power around New York City can play a key role in delivering on the mayor's bold commitment to power the city's governmental buildings and operations with 100% renewable energy," "Not only will boosting local offshore wind power help fight climate change, reduce harmful air pollution and protect public health, but it will create good clean energy jobs right here in the city. We look forward to working with the city to get homegrown New York offshore wind power off the ground."
-- Kit Kennedy, Energy & Transportation Program Director, NRDC
"Offshore wind can help power New York with abundant pollution-free energy. We look forward to working with city and state leaders to make New York City a leader in the transition to 100 percent renewable energy."
-- Heather Leibowitz, Director of Environment New York.
"Staving off the worst impacts of our changing climate means we must transition from an electricity grid reliant on fossil fuels to systems powered by clean resources such as solar and wind. New York City has an opportunity, with its commitment to 100 percent renewable energy, to offer cities around the world a roadmap to a clean energy future. One of the keys to maintaining reliability and affordability will be a diverse and consistent clean energy supply. Offshore wind has proven it is up to the challenge and should be an integral component to the City's plan."
- Conor Bambrick, Air and Energy director, Environmental Advocates of New York
"Offshore wind is potentially the best option for delivering large scale renewable electricity generation to New York City and Long Island. Offshore wind power will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel use for New York City, it will also generate jobs and stimulate local economy. With climate change and sea level rising, time is of the essence. New York City needs to begin developing offshore wind power now."
-- Ling Tsou, Co-Founder, United for Action
"The Bronx, much of which is an environmental justice community, much of which suffers from environmental racism, much of which is an environmental sacrifice zone, demands a rapid shift to a just, 100 percent renewable energy economy and massive investments in energy efficiency and retrofitting. Bronx Climate Justice North stands with the rising tide of people all over New York City urging Mayor de Blasio to make offshore wind a significant component of a democratic energy future for all New Yorkers."
-- Jennifer Scarlott, Bronx Climate Justice North
"As a community-based peace and justice group with hundreds of members throughout Brooklyn, Brooklyn For Peace sees the issue of renewable energy as central to a long-term strategy for achieving peace for ourselves as well as for future generations. Development of renewable energy sources such as offshore wind will give our nation the possibility of energy independence and remove one of the major sources of conflict leading to war. We urge Mayor de Blasio to lead the way!"
-- Charlotte Phillips, M.D, Chairperson, Brooklyn For Peace
"There is no way for the US to avoid catastrophic climate change without a massive offshore wind effort. We look forward to the leadership of Mayor de Blasio to jumpstart offshore wind by having our city make a long term commitment to purchase electricity from wind."
-- Mark Dunlea, Green Education and Legal Fund
"Unlike offshore drilling, offshore wind provides power directly to coastal communities where we need energy the most, without the risk of oil spills or carbon pollution, while protecting our precious ocean ecosystems and marine-life."
-- Claire Douglass, Climate & Energy Team Campaign Director, Oceana
"NYC is in the position to be a leader on climate change, but in order to reach the 100 percent renewable goal, we need to begin investing in offshore wind now. We have the potential to generate 5,000 to 8,000 MW of wind power off the coast of Long Island alone, but we need a firm commitment from our elected leaders to ensure offshore wind projects move forward."
-- Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizen's Campaign for the Environment
Moving to clean energy, like the abundant wind power off our coasts, can help us tackle rampant racial and economic inequality. The federal Clean Power Plan, combined with ambitious state and local initiatives to move forward with renewable energy offers states a chance to expand economic opportunities, especially for communities of color and low-income communities.
-- Edgar Gomez, organizer with Community Voices Heard, an affiliate of National People's Action.
On Friday February 19, Sane Energy Project will be hosting a forum entitled "Offshore Wind for NYC From 4 Perspectives" at Saint Peter's Lutheran Church, 619 Lexington Avenue at 54th Street, New York, NY. For more details, call (917) 364 7461.
The Sierra Club is the most enduring and influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. We amplify the power of our 3.8 million members and supporters to defend everyone's right to a healthy world.
(415) 977-5500While the front-runner for the 2024 GOP nomination faces various legal issues, it is the first time a former U.S. president has faced federal charges.
This is a developing story… Please check back for possible updates...
Former President Donald Trump said Thursday night that he has been indicted in the special counsel investigation into his handling of classified documents, a development that sources familiar with the matter also confirmed to multiple media outlets.
While the Manhattan district attorney in April charged Trump with 34 felony counts involving alleged multiple hush money payments during the 2016 election cycle, the latest indictment marks the first time an ex-president has faced federal charges. Both CNN and The New York Times reported that he faces seven new criminal counts.
According toABC News, the charges "include willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document or record, concealing a document in a federal investigation, scheme to conceal, and false statements and representations."
\u201cABOUT DAMN TIME\u201d— Public Citizen (@Public Citizen) 1686271298
"Today is a historic day for accountability and upholding the principles upon which our democracy was founded. No one is above the law—not even an ex-president," said Lisa Gilbert, executive vice president for Public Citizen, in response to the news. "This fact should unite us, not divide us."
"The Justice Department has found what numerous legal scholars have found: sufficient evidence that Trump committed a federal crime in the handling of classified documents since he left office," added Gilbert. "Even Trump's own attorney general, Bill Barr, told CBS News that 'This would have gone nowhere had the president just returned the documents, but he jerked them around for a year and a half… There is no excuse for what he did here.'"
"What's left is for the courts to decide," she said, "as they would in any criminal case."
Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, announced the indictment in a series of posts on his Truth Social platform. After taking aim at President Joe Biden, who beat him in 2020 and is seeking reelection, Trump said that he has been summoned to appear at the federal courthouse in Miami on Tuesday afternoon.
The ex-president proclaimed his innocence and declared that "this is indeed a DARK DAY for the United States of America." He posted a four-minute video about what he called "A CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME" and is already fundraising off of the development, urging supporters to "prove that YOU will NEVER surrender our country to the radical Left."
After Trump announced his 2024 campaign in November, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Jack Smith, a longtime federal prosecutor, as special counsel to oversee probes into the twice-impeached former president's role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and his handling of classified documents.
Smith's appointment came after the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida residence, last August. Later that month, the U.S. Department of Justice released a redacted affidavit which explained what prompted the raid, during which agents retrieved several boxes of materials.
Ahead of Trump's announcement Thursday, David Rothkopf argued in a piece for the Daily Beast that "my brothers and sisters in the media and the D.C. commentariat need to stop referring to the former president's theft of classified documents vital to our national security as merely 'the documents case.'"
Rothkopf continued:
Based on evidence that has already been made public we know that Trump did not mistakenly shift a classified document or two from the White House to Mar-a-Lago. He was briefed repeatedly on the proper handling of classified materials. He has even acknowledged, on tape, that he understood how such sensitive, easily weaponizable documents should be treated.
But he ignored the law. He ignored the advice he was repeatedly given. And, based on reporting to date, he stole scores of items that were not his, to which he had no right, which could put the lives of Americans and our national interests and those of our allies at risk.
Linking to the article, Noah Bookbinder, head of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, tweeted: "This is important. Donald Trump is likely to be charged soon not for mishandling documents, but for endangering America's national security. How we talk about this matters, and that is a more accurate and appropriate description."
"Carbon capture and storage is a scam, and as these documents show, the call is coming from inside the house," said one campaigner.
As wildfires continued to cause air pollution problems across eastern North America on Thursday, The Narwhalrevealed it obtained documents showing that fossil fuel giant Suncor "provided input on the first draft" of the Canadian government's forthcoming Carbon Management Strategy and a company executive sat on an "obscure" advisory panel.
Highlighting the "important reporting" from The Narwhal's Carl Meyer, Torrance Coste—national campaign director at the Wilderness Committee, a Canadian nonprofit—tweeted that "carbon capture and storage is a scam, and as these documents show, the call is coming from inside the house."
Meyer, an investigative reporter at the nonprofit Canadian media outlet, shared details from a February 2022 briefing note prepared for Natural Resources Canada Deputy Minister John Hannaford—whom Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has just named as clerk of the Privy Council and secretary to the Cabinet, a promotion set to take effect later this month.
The briefing note was developed for a meeting with Jacquie Moore—then Suncor's vice president of external relations and now its top lawyer—and lobbyist Daniel Goodwin that "served as Hannaford's introduction to some Suncor 'key initiatives,' including the company's membership in the 'Oilsands Pathways to Net Zero alliance,' the former name of the Pathways Alliance, which was then a fledgling organization in the oilpatch," Meyer reported.
"The alliance wants to soak up at least $10 billion in public funding to build a mammoth, unprecedented system that would capture carbon from oilsands operations in Alberta and pipe it to an underground reservoir in the province's east," the journalist noted.
\u201cSuncor recently announced it will be cutting 1500+ jobs to ensure profitability. There's no incentive for them to create a climate strategy that limits their own production. All this will likely mean is that our climate strategy will be weaker for their involvement.\u201d— Phillip Meintzer (he/him) (@Phillip Meintzer (he/him)) 1686247028
While serving as Suncor's vice president of regional development, Chris Grant was chosen to be on a "thought leaders' senior reference group" for the government plan—previously known as the Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) Strategy—according to the briefing note. Grant has since retired from the Calgary-based energy company.
Although Grant, Suncor, and the Pathways Alliance did not respond to requests for comment, Natural Resources Canada spokesperson Michael MacDonald told The Narwhal that "Suncor's input had no impact whatsoever on the timelines for the development of the strategy," the company was "one of nearly 1,500 organizations and individuals" who weighed in, and "input was solicited from all interested Canadians" online from July 2021 to November 2022.
MacDonald also said that members of the 13-person advisory board, including Grant, "were asked to bring their expertise and experiences to the table as individuals, not as representatives of their respective organizations."
The board included a University of Alberta professor, a clean energy consultant, a Shell Canada manager, the NRG COSIA Carbon XPrize executive director, CEOs of CarbonCure and Svante, president of Wolf Carbon, and vice presidents at BMO's Impact Investment Fund, Carbon Engineering, Cement Association of Canada, International CCS Knowledge Center, and Scotiabank.
"As the entire country burns, one has to wonder: should fossil fuel companies be weighing in on our national climate change policy?"
Meyer reported that the panel—convened by Drew Leyburne, Natural Resources Canada's assistant deputy minister for energy efficiency and technology—met three times between April and July 2021, then corresponded over email the following year. One member said they served as "a sounding board," providing "casual, nonbinding, nonconsensus advice."
The government spokesperson did not say when the plan will be released but said that "it was determined that a more holistic view of carbon management solutions was necessary in this space," given that CCUS "technology is not, on its own, a silver bullet to combat climate change," but it is "one component of an overarching strategy" that will also include nature-based solutions such as tree-planting and wetland restoration along with other technologies like direct air capture.
Some global campaigners and experts have long argued that CCUS is "a false solution" that has become "a dangerous distraction driven by the same big polluters who created the climate emergency," as Common Dreams has reported. Critics have also warned that industries promote "nature-based solutions" so they can "keep burning fossil fuels, mine more of the planet, and increase industrial meat and dairy production."
\u201cas the entire country burns, one has to wonder: should fossil fuel companies be weighing in on our national climate change policy? \n\nhttps://t.co/JCdTLKXxwb\u201d— Michelle Cyca (@Michelle Cyca) 1686235428
The reporting on the Canadian government's evolving carbon plan came as smoke from Canadian wildfires—intensified by global heating largely driven by fossil fuels—disrupted travel and outdoor activities across the U.S. East Coast as officials warned millions of people to stay indoors due to poor air quality.
Fatima Syed, Meyer's colleague at The Narwhal, tweeted that "this story is bonkers when you consider wildfires."
Emma McIntosh, another reporter at the outlet, similarly said that his "scoop feels like a bad joke when you read it under a layer of wildfire smoke: Suncor, a massive oil company, helped the federal government write its climate change strategy. Which is now a year late."
The president "can stop MVP just like he stopped Keystone XL" and "can reclaim his climate legacy by stopping all new fossil fuel projects."
Progressives descended upon the White House on Thursday to demand that U.S. President Joe Biden use his executive authority to cancel the Mountain Valley Pipeline and declare a climate emergency to expedite the end of the fossil fuel era.
Approval of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) was fast-tracked last week via the debt ceiling agreement that Biden, eschewing his options for unilateral action, forged with House Republicans who took the global economy hostage. The fracked gas development in Appalachia—pushed hard by the GOP and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), a coal profiteer and Congress' top recipient of Big Oil money—is one of several fossil fuel projects that Biden has the power to stop.
While Biden was inside the White House talking with right-wing United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, hundreds of people gathered outside to remind the president that "he can stop MVP just like he stopped Keystone XL." The rally was organized by People vs. Fossil Fuels, a coalition of more than 1,200 organizations. It marks the start of multiple days of action nationwide.
\u201cBREAKING: Frontline communities (@OurWVRivers, @POWHR_Coalition, and more) and allies are rallying for Biden to declare a climate emergency and stop dirty oil and gas projects like the Mountain Valley Pipeline.\u201d— Elise Joshi (@Elise Joshi) 1686250842
Many people wore masks due to the hazardous air quality in Washington, D.C. The East Coast's smoke-filled skies are a direct result of climate change-intensified wildfires now spiraling out of control in Canada—a fact that observers were keen to point to as evidence for why Biden should revoke the permits needed to complete MVP and other planet-heating fossil fuel projects.
\u201cLawmakers in the Senate now can\u2019t see the Washington Monument because of wildfire smoke. Those same lawmakers just voted to expedite a fossil fuel pipeline.\u201d— David Sirota (@David Sirota) 1686228891
\u201cCan\u2019t stop thinking about how Congress just had to prevent a fake and manufactured \u201cdebt ceiling crisis\u201d by fast-tracking fossil fuel projects like the Mountain Valley Pipeline which will only make the very real climate crisis even worse. This is the price of corruption. Look up.\u201d— Warren Gunnels (@Warren Gunnels) 1686191276
When asked by a reporter Wednesday if the coalition planned to cancel Thursday's protest as a public health precaution, Fossil Free Media director Jamie Henn said, "No, this is exactly why we have to take these sorts of actions." On Thursday, he added that "we're not going to sit idle as the world burns."
A separate rally scheduled for Thursday in New York City had to be canceled, however, because the record-setting air pollution blanketing the country's most populous metropolitan area in an apocalyptic orange haze poses too great a risk.
"We're fighting for a future," West Virginia resident Maury Johnson said during the demonstration in the nation's capital. "Not one that's filled with smoke."
Climate justice advocates were joined outside the White House by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.). Noting that MVP has nothing to do with raising the nation's debt limit—an arbitrary and arguably unconstitutional cap on federal borrowing the GOP has weaponized to impose its agenda on multiple occasions—the progressive lawmaker denounced the inclusion of the project's approval in the debt ceiling deal.
\u201c\ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25\u201cWe have the right to breathe clean air. Do you know what 1 asthma attack can do to a whole family? Mountain Valley Pipeline should never have been part of the debt ceiling deal. I call bullshit!\u201d @RepRashida \ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25 @POTUS #StopMVP #EndtheEra #ClimateEmergency @FightFossils\u201d— Ben Goloff (@Ben Goloff) 1686249477
As The Guardianreported Thursday, "The Mountain Valley Pipeline project has been enmeshed in legal challenges for years due to opposition from grassroots groups and landowners but the deal passed by Congress to raise the U.S. debt ceiling, signed by Biden over the weekend, singles out the pipeline as being 'required in the national interest' and therefore should be allowed to proceed, shielded from any future judicial review."
The approval of MVP comes just months after Biden greenlighted ConocoPhillips' massive Willow oil drilling project in the Alaskan Arctic. Additionally, despite possessing the executive authority to cancel nearly two dozen proposed fracked gas export projects that threaten to generate heat-trapping emissions equivalent to roughly 400 new coal-fired power plants, the Biden administration has moved to increase fracked gas export capacity, especially in the U.S. Gulf Coast, since Russia invaded Ukraine last February. The president has also rubber-stamped more permits for fossil fuel extraction on public lands and waters than his White House predecessor.
The Biden administration has done all of those things despite mounting evidence of the climate emergency's worsening toll and ample warnings from scientists about the incompatibility of expanding fossil fuels and preserving a livable planet. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres recently told Biden and other wealthy country officials in no uncertain terms that their current climate policies amount to a civilizational "death sentence."
People vs. Fossil Fuels has argued that the president "can reclaim his climate legacy by stopping all new fossil fuel projects."
Thursday's rally outside the White House marks the beginning of what the coalition called "a stampede of distributed actions across the country" from June 8-11.
Participants have four main demands for Biden:
As another alliance of progressive advocacy groups has explained: "The president has a long list of actions that he could take or instruct his agencies to take, ranging from stopping fossil fuel infrastructure approvals to instructing the [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency] to issue a stringent pollution prevention rule for the oil and gas sector. Declaring a climate emergency under the National Emergencies Act would unlock additional statutory powers, including the ability to halt crude oil exports and directing funds to build resilient, distributed renewable energy."
In a statement this week, Zero Hour organizing director Magnolia Mead said that "young people are angry and fed up with watching President Biden cave to the fossil fuel industry time and time again."
"We need an immediate transition to renewable energy to slow the climate crisis, and that's impossible while our president is still approving massive fossil fuel expansion," said Mead. "If President Biden cares at all for future generations and frontline communities, he must choose to end the era of fossil fuels."