"Beat the Heat" with PennFuture and friends on July 30

This summer, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will finalize its Clean Power Plan -- the first federal standard on carbon pollution from power plants. This is big news and an historic achievement toward mitigating climate change. What's more, the rule is a step toward a zero-carbon, clean energy future. 

We need to show strong support for the Clean Power Plan, which will have significant public health benefits and will create jobs in the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors. It will also provide states the flexibility to implement plans tailored to their unique situations. 

Will you join us during your lunch hour to support the Clean Power Plan? PennFuture and many partner organizations will gather for rallies in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia to show support for the Plan. Bring a friend, hold a sign, and enjoy FREE ice cream. 

Looking forward to seeing you there!

When, where and more:  

Pittsburgh Rally:
Thursday, July 30: 12:30 - 1:00 p.m.
Courtyard of Pittsburgh City-County Building, 414 Grant St., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219
Updated location: Courtyard at the Allegheny County Courthouse (Enter on Fifth St.), 436 Grant St., Pittsburgh, PA 15219
There will be a brief lineup of speakers and FREE ice cream for attendees. 
Please let us know you'll attend by registering on our website.

Philadelphia Rally:
Thursday, July 30: 12:30 - 1:00 p.m.
Outside of Senator Casey's Office, 2001 Market St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19103
There will be a brief lineup of speakers and FREE ice cream for attendees. 
Please let us know you'll attend by registering on our website.

Katie Bartolotta is PennFuture's southeastern Pennsylvania outreach coordinator and is based in Philadelphia. She tweets @KatieBartolotta.

The summer of reason: The G7 pledges to act on climate.

Global climate change is front and center this summer. Earlier this week, the Group of Seven (G7), comprised of leaders from seven of the world’s largest industrialized nations, convened in Germany for a two-day annual summit to discuss global economic challenges. 

As part of the summit, the G7 announced its commitment to phase out fossil fuels by the end of this century. A majority of the participating G7 countries have already set carbon emission reduction goals. For example, the United States has pledged an 83 percent reduction from its 2005 greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. But for countries that have been less proactive in this realm such as Canada and Japan, this agreement indicates a new and exciting commitment to address climate change. 

Much credit was given to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, also known as the “climate chancellor,” for making climate change a priority in G7 planning. From The Guardian:

     [Jennifer] Morgan [of the World Resources Institute] praised the momentum that appears to be developing among the world’s leaders for climate action.

     “Politically, the most important shift is that chancellor Merkel is back on climate change. This was not an easy negotiation. She did not have to put climate change on the agenda here. But she did,” she said.

While the G7 agreement on de-carbonization by the century’s end is non-binding, this pledge by seven of the world’s major economies is expected to have the effect of driving investment away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy and energy efficiency. Also from the Guardian (emphasis added):

     [Tom Burke, environmental advisor to Shell,] said that outside the numbers, the G7’s primary function was to send signals to other countries and to markets and that the announcement today would shift things significantly. 

     “Everyone gets over focused on what the text of the treaty is. What really matters is what gets done in the real economy and the extent that the players in the real economy react to this signal. You’re going to shift the needle of interest in the investing community away from oil and gas and towards renewables, storage and energy efficiency. And I think that’s further than probably the oil companies had anticipated,” said Burke.

Other climate news to watch this summer:

• Pope Francis’ much-anticipated encyclical on the environment will be released on Thursday, June 18.
• A mid-July release is expected for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan, which will be the first federal standard on carbon pollution. 

Katie Bartolotta is PennFuture's southeastern Pennsylvania outreach coordinator and is based in Philadelphia. She tweets @KatieBartolotta.

A lump of coal

Hailing from the heart of the historical anthracite coal mining region, I know coal well. Our PennFuture Wilkes-Barre office is in a building that, in a fitting twist, was founded in 1911 as the Miners' Bank Building, and was once home to coal barons and financiers. Our region has one of the last standing defunct coal breakers in NEPA, a 1930's behemoth on the skyline that teeters on the edge of demolition. Deep mining ended here in 1959, but its traces remain, and its stories are an essential part of who we are. A network of rails-to-trails now crosses the old tracks that carried the black gold to market. Like hundreds of thousands, my ancestors mined it, built homes alongside it, and even perished with it. Coal played a major part in our nation's and Pennsylvania's history and, as descendants of immigrant laborers, many of us wouldn't be here without it.

But it's 2013, and we've known for a long time the damage coal does -- to those who mine it, to human health, and to the planet. A recent federal report confirms the sobering news that global coal consumption ---and, thus, climate change -- will continue to increase this century, particularly in developing nations. But the United States, as the third-biggest coal consumer in the world, can lead the way in other sources of energy, despite increases in China, India, and other nations.

We have the benefit of better science and technology today to recognize our diverse energy solutions. Putting our eggs in the renewables basket is the only reasonable option, for our health and economy.