fusclimate Mailing List: FW: President Obama steps to the plate

[Shannon Williams (sjc]

Below is a link from 350.org to watch the Presidentâs climate speech tomorrow.

 

Shannon Williams

Social Justice Coordinator

First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis

 

From: Bill McKibben - 350.org [mailto:organizers [at] 350.org] 
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2013 2:53 PM
To: sjc [at] firstunitarian.org
Subject: President Obama steps to the plate

 

Friends,

Well, some good news: five years in, we're starting to see at least the 
outlines of a strategy from President Obama to deal with climate change.

He's clearly heard the clamor that you have raised, and Tuesday at 1:35 PM EDT, 
he will make a speech in DC laying out his plans.

We hope you'll join in watching it -- there will be a 350.org virtual watch 
party, hosted on our site, where you can watch and see analysis as it happens 
via our Twitter account. For those of you who use twitter, tweet in with the 
hashtag #ForwardOnClimate to be a part of the conversation on our site. If you 
can bring together friends or even some coworkers around for a quick break to 
watch with us, that would be excellent too.

To join the watch party, just click here when the time comes: 
act.350.org/thanks/watch-party-obama-climate-speech/ 
<http://act.350.org/go/3352?t=1&akid=3279.824190.MGgnAG> 

If you'd like a reminder to tune in, just click this link and we'll send you an 
email a little bit before the speech tomorrow: 
act.350.org/sign/obama-watch-party-reminder/ 
<http://act.350.org/go/3353?t=2&akid=3279.824190.MGgnAG> 

As for the speech itself, here's what I'm hoping for: tough action on emissions 
from coal-fired power plants. Local activists and groups like the Sierra Club 
have done a great job in facing down the expansion plans of the coal industry 
in recent years, blocking dozens of proposed coal plants. The industry is 
weakened enough that the administration may be willing to challenge it more 
directly with regulations on existing power plants -- and this would be indeed 
be an important step forward.

And here's what I'm not expecting: anything at all about the Keystone XL 
pipeline. That is still wending its way through a twisted bureaucratic process. 
But if I was being optimistic, I'd say tomorrow's speech makes eventual victory 
more likely: the President is above all a logical man, and kicking off a 
climate action plan only to approve a tar sands pipeline is like saying you're 
ready to quit smoking then buying a carton of Marlboros.

At any rate, we'll do all that we can think of to keep up the pressure. If this 
were a race, you can think of this speech as the starter's pistol, after a long 
slog to get the runners all lined up. There is still a race yet to run.

Your hard work made this possible. Given the siege of extreme weather we now 
see daily around the planet, it's one of many steps we need to take. But it is 
in the right direction, and thatâs good news.

Bill McKibben

PS -- Since this seems to be an important moment, please share this photo with 
your Facebook friends to let them know that this is all happening tomorrow:

Click here to share this image 
<http://act.350.org/go/3354?t=3&akid=3279.824190.MGgnAG> 

 <http://act.350.org/go/3354?t=4&akid=3279.824190.MGgnAG> 

  <http://act.350.org/o.gif?akid=3279.824190.MGgnAG> 

  _____  

350.org is building a global movement to solve the climate crisis. Connect with 
us on Facebook <http://facebook.com/350.org>  and Twitter 
<http://twitter.com/350> , and sign up for email alerts 
<http://350.org/signup?akid=3279.824190.MGgnAG> . You can help power our work 
by getting involved locally, sharing your story 
<http://local.350.org/stories/?akid=3279.824190.MGgnAG> , and donating here. 
<http://350.org/donate?akid=3279.824190.MGgnAG>  

To stop receiving emails from 350.org, click here. 
<http://act.350.org/cms/unsubscribe/unsubscribe/?t=5&akid=3279.824190.MGgnAG>