Here comes the rain again… looks like a potentially soggy weekend for me, but I’m not sad about it. My garden has been a little crunchy with our lack of rain, so I will take it!
This week’s must read: In the South, sea level rise accelerates at some of the most extreme rates on earth (Inside Climate News)
I was really taken with this article which opens with a 50-year boat captain waxing about his experiences with major floods and then details what’s at stake in the region, where “tides are rising at accelerating rates that are among the most extreme on Earth.”
Of note: “Florida is uniquely vulnerable to sea level rise, with some 1,350 miles of coastlines, flat topography and porous geology. The state’s 35 coastal counties are home to some 76 percent of the population. In Florida, the sea level rise similarly has accelerated, from a rate of some 3.1 millimeters a year since the mid 20th century to 5.9 millimeters a year since 1993 and 8.2 millimeters a year since 2003, according to a study based on 14 tidal gauges in the state.”
Rep. Curtis champions PROVE IT in House
Utah Congressman John Curtis teamed up with California Congressman Scott Peters to introduce the House companion to the Providing Reliable, Objective, Verifiable Emissions Intensity and Transparency (PROVE IT) Act. Senators Kevin Cramer and Chris Coons introduced the original bill in the U.S. Senate last year.
“We should embrace the fact that American industries produce cleaner and with better standards than anywhere else in the world,” Curtis said in a statement. “This bill is not just about proving our energy dominance; it’s about leveling the playing field in international competition. Russia and China are on an unapologetic trajectory to energy dominance, using none of the innovative technologies or regulations that make our energy cleaner in the United States. This legislation will help American businesses compete globally, strengthen our trade relationships, and provide our allies with a reliable energy partner.”
The bill would charge the Department of Energy with gathering data on the carbon intensity of nearly two dozen domestic industrial imports. This information is expected to demonstrate the U.S. in cleaner and more efficient than many of its trading partners.
ICYMI: Take our FLASH POLL
Natural gas is a cleaner-burning fossil fuel than coal, producing 50% less CO2. However, it still emits carbon pollution in the form of methane gas (read more about methane and one of the ways technology is finding and fixing leaks). How permanent of a “bridge” do you want to build with natural gas? We’d like to hear your views, EcoRight!
Take 30 seconds and answer these 3 quick questions!
From the road: Bob in the wild
Our executive director was in Florida this week, meeting with other EcoRighters in the Treasure Coast. In advance of his events came this profile, Former GOP Congressman Bob Inglis spreading gospel on climate change (Blake Fortenay, TC Palm)
From the article:
Inglis has already met with members of other local groups, including the Kiwanis Club of Stuart and the Guardians of Martin County.
“The message is, it’s inherently conservative to care about climate change,” Inglis told me during a telephone interview.
Too often, Inglis said people speak about climate change using “the language of the left.” Instead, he believes his political colleagues are more likely to be persuaded by “the language of free enterprise.”
Do you have an event in one of our target states (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Indiana, Iowa, Utah, Idaho) that you’d like us to speak at or otherwise participate in! Let’s talk!
SAVE THE DATE: National Clean Energy Week 2024
National Clean Energy Week (NCEW) is a bipartisan celebration of the policies, industries and innovations that power our daily lives while producing no or very little greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) and CRES Forum and sponsored by a slew of clean energy leaders, the 8th annual NCEW is a time to celebrate the great strikes being made toward a more sustainable future, as well as a time to have hard conversations about the reality of what it will take to become energy independent.
To register for one or more of the components of this event, head here. From a young professionals happy hour to a policymakers symposium that will feature an impressive line of up speakers, there is something for everyone.
See you next week, gentle readers!