
COEJL wants a climate change bill (CORRECTED)
The Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life is ready to work for comprehensive climate change legislation in the Senate.
"Today we urge the United States Senate to move quickly to enact comprehensive climate and energy legislation built on strong, science-based targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions; targeted protections for low-income individuals and families; and robust financing for international adaptation programs that live up to our obligations to the most vulnerable around the world," wrote Jewish Council for Public Affairs president Rabbi Steve Gutow and Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism director Rabbi David Saperstein, on behalf of COEJL, in a statement.
The full statement is after the jump:
In response to today’s introduction of comprehensive climate legislation in the United States Senate, Rabbi Steve Gutow, president of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), the parent organization of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL), and Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and a COEJL Board Member, together released the following statement:
“It is time for the United States to take the lead in tackling the climate and energy crisis, and the Jewish community stands ready to work with Senate leadership and their colleagues to pass comprehensive and equitable climate legislation this year. The Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, a partnership of over two dozen national Jewish organizations – including the four mainstream denominations of American Jewry – is working to create a more sustainable American Jewish community and working with our partners throughout the faith community toward national climate and energy policies that protect the planet and the poor. As we countdown the final days until the United Nations conference in Copenhagen, we will continue to take steps to mitigate climate change in our individual and communal lives, and call on our elected officials to walk with us and lead the way to a fair and effective international deal.
“As people of faith, we are encouraged by the emerging understanding of the need to protect our most vulnerable brothers and sisters at home and around the world from the impacts of climate change as we attempt to live up to our obligation “to till and to tend” God’s earth (Genesis 2:15). The evidence is clear that climate change will affect poor and vulnerable communities most severely, and effects including changing rainfall patterns, increased flooding, and more frequent water scarcity, are already being felt. We also know that well-crafted climate and energy legislation creates opportunities to enhance the lives of those with the greatest need through good, green jobs, and increased access to clean, affordable sources of energy. We hope our leaders in the Senate and Administration will continue to support legislation that honors both of these central values, creating the foundation for the United States to become a truly global leader on this issue.
“Above all, we understand that the most dangerous course of action – for the poor and for all creation – is to do nothing at all. Today we urge the United States Senate to move quickly to enact comprehensive climate and energy legislation built on strong, science-based targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions; targeted protections for low-income individuals and families; and robust financing for international adaptation programs that live up to our obligations to the most vulnerable around the world.”
2 Comments
Comments RSS Feed Reader Comments
“A Global Green New Deal”
1. The Need For Change In Energy Platform :
A. About two thirds of deficit in the U.S. accrue from oil import.
B. Over $1 trillion and 4,346 dead as the Iraq war is winding down. By converting this excessive military budget into a constructive foundation of 21st energy and health care, world can live in harmony for good.
C. Tremendous trade deficit with China. The most expensive premiums of health care driving buyers into Wal-Mart .
D. Provided the average temperature is getting higher, accordingly all forms of germs, viruses, and influenza etc are more likely to multiply.
Some skeptics say the warning against hazards of climate change is overstated, but judging from more frequent and widespread outbreaks of e. coli, salmonella, and bird, swine flu cases endangering human lives and economic recovery seriously, some prompt measures need to be taken, I guess.
2. The Cost Of Inaction :
As with “Inaction” cost, $9trillion over the next decade in Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, supposedly the same is of inaction on the 21st energy bill to determine war & peace, catastrophe & prosperity.
In this economy, fuel price is hovering around $65 to $75 a barrel, which underscores the actual value might be much the same as $145 per barrel of the peak price. Last year, the petrol price jumped from about $60 to $145 per barrel in quite a short period.
I think energy market also needs competition between sustainable and conventional one to bend the cost curve, otherwise, the global economy stays flat for some time and is plummeting into another great depression as the international stimulus package can’t last long.
3. The Root Of Recession :
My sense is that this great recession is ascribed to excessively higher price of petrol in recent years. This price spelled about higher consumer prices and the continued hike in mortgage rates as a way to slow inflation, which wound up with crash in financial and construction markets. In an attempt to circumvent the censure of two petrol wars, the mainstream economists put focus on the both markets, and it postponed the prompt action on the long and long overdue contemporary energy needs.
Looking to worthless, painful and wasteful oil wars, to waste time bickering over meaningless things and drag feet on a defining energy bill are sure to shake the embryonic effect of stimulus package that is an interim measure for build-out of a new foundation.
As the overall oil reserve in Middle East, let alone the rest of oil-producing areas, is on the decline more than known, the region blessed with affluent sun rays also needs to lay a new groundwork, particularly in this context UAE is beginning to concentrate on future energy and Iranian EV is rolling out recently, the countries in the region will never stand still on the occupation, that means no matter what the result is, the repetitious mistake at the cost of invaluable lives and gigantic spending will end up with an irreversible tragedy later on.
4. Hope For Better Change & Job Boost :
As a major driver, IT industry stalled and stranded in a game industry for the lack of 21st energy policy over the stretch of two wars needs to expand into the all but indefinite energy, medical, and academic industry where the investors are eagerly waiting for policy-makers to act now, which I guess is why the far-reaching and long overdue health care and 21st energy bill have come into focus.
Thankfully and interestingly enough, 100s of Companies (with $13 Trillion) Are Demanding Strong Climate Deal in Copenhagen just like environmental activists, a coalition of more than 500 Global Businesses is also demanding ambitious new climate deal, and the report by Blair and the Climate Group, a London-based nonprofit organization, found a climate-change accord among all countries would spur economic growth and create as many as 10 million jobs by 2020.
Beyond the report, according to a new report published by the Global Climate Network of think tanks, “A Global Green New Deal” could create tens of millions of new jobs by agreeing to invest in low carbon technologies.
This research shows that while jobs will be lost in conventional, carbon-intensive sectors, more jobs will be created than lost provided that policies to promote sustainable industry are ambitious enough and it is one of the most effective means of handling rising unemployment.
It concludes that measures to creating markets for low carbon technologies will serve the dual purpose of creating extra jobs in renewable energy, information technology and service sectors, as well as helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
5. Funding For Hopeful Change :
A. Converting the excessive and destructive military budget into constructive financing for the 21st energy.
B. Phasing out subsidies for carbon-intensive industries, and taxing carbon emissions.
C. For the most part, the poor regions ranging from Africa to South Asia severely affected by climate change are abundant in sun rays, and the compensation by way of placement of large solar plants as well as the other measures could generate enormous effects.
D. The Congressional Budget Office released an analysis of the effects of House bill, concluding that in 2020 the bill would cost the average family only about $175 a year. This is 48 cents per day –- a little more than the cost of a postage stamp.
The budget office also predicts that real G.D.P. will be about two-and-a-half times larger in 2050 than it is today, so that G.D.P. per person will rise by about 80 percent. The cost of climate protection would barely make a dent in that growth
6. Promising And Excess Tech In The Work :
In brief, only technology and innovation can meet the challenge, and the world of science has potential enough to get past this turbulence and for all over the globe to go along in harmony. Recently, GM and Reva that achieved a fantastic innovation of “wireless electricity"/ “instant remote recharge” have joined hands to develop Electric Vehicles.
In the near term, improving energy efficiency needs some up-front investments, though, in the long term, it promises much better future, and the current tech is sure to do better enough.
Thank You !
Leave a Comment
To leave a comment, you must first be logged in to JTA. If you are not registered, please click here.
Already a JTA member?
Need to know? Get JTA's free e-newsletters!
Share



Michael L. Wagner
10/01/09 12:57 AM
The Climate Change Bill reads:
“… nuclear energy supplies consistent, base-load electricity, independnet of environmental conditions ... nuclear power plants virtually eliminate emissions of greenhouse gases ...”
Yet there’s a compelling reason not to go that route:
“An astrophysicist from Tufts University has pointed out in his research that even after controlling the greenhouse effect, the earth would warm up due to heat wasted from energy use. The scientist suggests that solution lies in using renewable sources that don’t add extra heat to the planet.”
Above from: Energy waste causing another global warming / One World South Asia (http://southasia.oneworld.net/todaysheadlines/energy-waste-causing-another-global-warming/?searchterm=energy waste causing another global warming)
Meanwhile...:
“… according to a 2006 analysis by the U.S. Department of Energy, General Electric, and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, offshore wind resources on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts exceed the current electricity generation of the entire U.S. power industry.”
Above from: Wind Power That Floats / Technology Review (http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/20500/)
Indeed, the Colossal Magnetic Levitation Wind Turbine simply uses Permanent Magnets to reduce friction = operates with wind as slow as 2 MPH = approx. $50 million price tag.
And so..., use Wind Power to make clean Hydrogen for backup in power plants…
Here Consider:
“Most modern generators can switch between gas and fuel oil, and many can switch to coal as well.”
Above from: Fuel Substitution: Power Plants Currently Switching to Natural Gas / Seeking Alpha (http://seekingalpha.com/article/162361-fuel-substitution-power-plants-currently-switching-to-natural-gas)