If you’re reading this chances are that you are an outdoor enthusiast and have a great appreciation for the white fluffy stuff. Over the years we’ve seen a decrease of snow and our riding seasons are consistently getting shorter. Jeremy Jones decided it was time to take action and started Protect Our Winters (POW):
POW was founded on the idea that if we harness our collective energy and put forth a focused effort, the winter sports community can have a direct influence on reversing the damage that’s been done and ensure that winters are here for generations behind us.
Jeremy and POW are now asking for our help to get The American Clean Energy and Security Act passed. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill in May of 2009 but now it is being held up on in the Senate. POW is asking that we contact our Senators and let them know where we stand on The American Clean Energy and Security Act. The POW web site has made it easy as ever to get a hold of your Senators. Simply go to their TAKE ACTION link and you will be able to see where your state is currently standing and you will be able to send your Senators an email as easy as entering your zip. They have a message ready to send out, but if you would like to create your own that is an option as well. As of right now we only have 22 days to get our Senators to take action, so we need to contact them NOW!
If you would like to know more about the bill before you give it your approval you can read this article from The Washington Post or visit this link at the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Here are a few key points of the bill:
- Requires electric utilities to meet 20% of their electricity demand through renewable energy sources and energy efficiency by 2020.
- Invests $190 billion in new clean energy technologies and energy efficiency, including energy efficiency and renewable energy ($90 billion in new investments by 2025), carbon capture and sequestration ($60 billion), electric and other advanced technology vehicles ($20 billion), and basic scientific research and development ($20 billion).
- Mandates new energy-saving standards for buildings, appliances, and industry.
- Reduces carbon emissions from major U.S. sources by 17% by 2020 and over 80% by 2050 compared to 2005 levels. Complementary measures in the legislation, such as investments in preventing tropical deforestation, will achieve significant additional reductions in carbon emissions.
- Protects consumers from energy price increases. According to recent analyses from the Congressional Budget Office and the Environmental Protection Agency, the legislation will cost each household less than 50 cents per day in 2020 (not including energy efficiency savings).
