Jan. 22nd is the B to B day for business buyers, CEOs, press, & procurement professionals.

Jan. 23-24th is for all business professionals & all consumers & their families.

Hundreds of exhibits will encompass a wide variety of green products & services ranging from solar panels, hybrid cars, organic personal care products, eco-pet supplies, greener gadgets, eco-fashion, and home and building supplies that will help us live a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle.

Eco-Celebrity speakers, authors & thought leaders such as Ed Begley Jr., Mariel Hemingway, John Picard & Eric Corey Freed will lead informative discussions! Don’t miss Los Angeles’ ultimate eco-extravaganza! Limited booth space is still available. Contact Seth Berk at 212-655-4505 ext. 224 or sberk@gogreenexpo.com today.

Details: www.GoGreenExpo.com
Use promo code GREENPROFS for 50% off ticket price of only $10 for the entire weekend!

For small business owners (United Kingdom) looking to reduce their “Energy Use” contact Mr Go Green at www.theenergysavingco.co.uk. We have negotiated a very special package with British Gas where they will send in trained energy auditors to explain, highlight and offer solutions to (a) reducing your energy use (b) solutions to reducing your Carbon Emissions (c) how to save money.

Is it worth it? Saving £1:00 a day may not seem very exciting! Saving £365:00 a year most definately is!

This is a unique and very special offer in that British Gas only charge £100+vat with the proviso that if they cannot save your energy costs to a sum equal to this amount, not only will they complete your “Energy Audit” – They will refund 100% of the fee. As one client so deliciously put it! “This is a no-brainer for anyone looking to save money”. We are also recipients of a “Green Apple Award” for Environmental Awareness.

Our blog can be seen at www.theenergysavingco.co.uk/blog.

Regards! Mr Go Green.

President Barack Obama
The White House
FAX: 202-456-2461

RE: Organizing for America; a real economic stimulus and actuation plan

Dear Mr. President:

For months after the election, those who worked for the Obama campaign received emails from “Organizing for America.” These consisted of invitations to submit questions to the White House about what we wanted; or opportunities to watch a video; or requests to check off ways we wanted to help this grass roots initiative. I and the millions who supported you are still waiting impatiently for the opportunity to actually DO SOMETHING! Many of us are out of work, we have plenty of time. Now is the time to capitalize on the energy and motivation that was instilled during the campaign. Now is the time to act.
As former Chair of the Green Party of New Jersey, I know that no matter how passionate your desire for change and reform, nothing can be accomplished in a vacuum. You have millions of people throughout the United States who want to do something to help you effect change, but they do not know what to do nor how to do it. You said in your address to the U.N. that the world should not look to America to save the planet. But who better to effect change? It can be done and we are the ones to do it.

The answer is, create a brand new industry: the environmental industry

HOW:
a. Put people to work: There are at least 29,000,000 unemployed people in the United States at this time. Utilize your broad internet network that was formulated during your campaign. Identify an Executive Committee (EC) in each hub community throughout this existing network. Using the parameters of your campaign, furnish each EC with an office storefront. I assure you that there are many empty storefronts throughout the United States that are available. People who have the time and interest can come in to an EC and be put to work for minimum wage. Each EC consists of administrators with committees who receive and write progress reports, identify and are responsible for carrying out environmental initiatives and projects.
b. Research: The EC will research what environmental projects are already available in the community by identifying existing green companies and associations. There are many established and grass-roots projects languishing because they continuously fight the existing system and there is no communication between them. The EC will identify challenges as well as motivate new projects: gardens, open spaces, reclamation and sustainability. As the EC is in the local community, it is better positioned to spread the word on how we can ALL join forces for sustainable ecological stimulus.
c. Education: community outreach and education will instill confidence in a society that is desperate for it. We shall disseminate information on reducing our carbon footprint on the Earth.
d. Financial: each EC will open a checking account and keep budgets and books.
e. Funding: Initial funds will come from a government initiative package. Sustaining funds will not only come from government and local set-asides but will be augmented by creating and selling green municipal bonds.

Prioritizing needs and projects.
a) Reduce, Recycle, Reuse must become the mantra for this new environmental initiative.

Green cars, trucks and buses
Right now there are ways to retrofit every car, truck and bus in America with hydroelectric engines. Just as cars were required to have catalytic converters in 1975, 2010 must be the year to take the giant step away from the consumption of fossil fuels.

Water, soil, air conservation
•Make alternative energy programs economically feasible and available for the average American user.
• Practically all packaging materials are made from plastics. Grocery stores spearheaded an initiative to carry reusable bags to the grocery store. Ludicrously, produce and meat packagers still cover everything with plastic and continue to use plastic foam containers. Incentives to use 100% recycled packaging must be put into place.
• Industrial culprits are still fouling our water and airways. Green police must be educated and utilized.
• Mandatory recycling education must be a part of our lives. People must learn how to conserve water. Biohazardous products (paint, detergents, cleaners, fertilizers, and pesticides, to name a few) must be taken off the market; there are hundreds of alternatives already available.
• Green companies must be identified and supported. Other companies must be offered incentives to go green or be shut down.

An immediate paradigm shift must occur, away from fossil fuel toward eco-sustainability. Drastic measures are called for if the Earth is to remain habitable in 50 years. Our children look to us. We have procrastinated long enough! The millions of Americans who are out of work, waiting for economic stimulus, all beg you to consider this plan. You have the means — this is the way. Put people to work and save the earth.

Respectfully, Hally Abbott
cc:
House of Representatives:
Neil Abercrombie, HI 1st
Gary Ackerman, NY 5th
Robert Aderholt, AL 4th
John Adler, NJ 3rd
Todd Akin, MO 2nd
Rodney Alexander, LA 5th
Jason Altmire, PA 4th
Robert Andrews, NJ 1st
Michael Arcuri, NY 24th
Steve Austria, OH 7th
Joe Baca, CA 43rd
Michele Bachmann, MN 6th
Spencer Bachus, AL 6th
Brian Baird, WA 3rd
Tammy Baldwin, WI 2nd
J. Gresham Barrett, SC 3rd
John Barrow, GA 12th
Roscoe Bartlett, MD 6th
Joe Barton, TX 6th
Melissa Bean, IL 8th
Xavier Becerra, CA 31st
Shelley Berkley, NV 1st
Howard Berman, CA 28th
Marion Berry, AK 1st
Judy Biggert, IL 13th
Brian Bilbray, CA 50th
Gus Bilirakis, FL 9th
Rob Bishop, UT 1st
Sanford Bishop Jr, GA 2nd
Timothy Bishop, NY 1st
Marsha Blackburn, TN 7th
Earl Blumenauer, OR 3rd
Roy Blunt, MO 7th
John Boccieri, OH 16th
John Boehner, OH 8th
Jo Bonner, AL 1st
Mary Bono, CA 45th
John Boozman, AK 3rd
Madeleine Bordallo, Guam
Dan Boren, OK 2nd
Leonard Boswell, IA 3rd
Rick Boucher, VA 9th
Charles Boustany Jr., LA 7th
Allen Boyd, FL 2nd
Kevin Brady, TX 8th
Robert Brady, PA 1st
Bruce Braley, OA 1st
Bobby Bright, AL 2nd
Paul Broun, GA 10th
Corrine Brown, FL 3rd
Henry Brown, SC 1st
Virginia Brown-Waite, FL 5th
Vern Buchanan, FL 13th
Michael Burgess, TX 26th
Dan Burton, IN 5th
G.K. Butterfield, NC 1st
Steve Buyer, IN 4th
Ken Calvert, CA 44th
Dave Camp, MI 4th
John Campbell, CA 48th
Eric Cantor, VA 7th
Joseph Cao, LA 2nd
Shelley Moore Capito, WV 2nd
Lois Capps, CA 23rd
Michael Capuano, MA 8th
Dennis Cardoza, CA 18th
Russ Carnahan, MO 3rd
Christopher Carney, PA 10th
Andre Carson, IN 7th
John Carter, TX 31st
Bill Cassidy, LA 6th
Michael Castle, DE
Kathy Castor, FL 11th
Jason Chaffetz, UT 3rd
Ben Chandler, KY 6th
Travis Childers, MS 1st
Donna Christian-Christensen,
US V.Islds.
Judy Chu, CA 32nd
Yvette Clarke, NY 11th
William Clay Jr., MO 1st
Emanuel Cleaver, MO 5th
James Clyburn, SC 6th
Howard Coble, NC 6th
Mike Coffman, CO 6th
Steve Cohen, TN 9th
Tom Cole, OK 4th
K. Michael Conaway, TX 11th
Gerald Connolly, VA 11th
John Conyers, MI 14th
Jim Cooper, TN 5th
Jim Costa, CA 20th
Jerry Costello, IL 12th
Joe Courtney, CT 2nd
Ander Crenshaw, FL 4th
Joseph Crowley, NY 7th
Henry Cuellar, TX 28th
John Culberson, TX 7th
Elijah Cummings, MD 7th
Kathy Dahlkemper, PA 3rd
Artur Davis, AL 7th
Danny Davis, IL 7th
Geoff Davis, KY 4th
Lincoln Davis, TN 4th
Susan Davis, CA 53rd
Nathan Deal, GA 9th
Peter DeFazio, OR 4th
Diana DeGette, CO 1st
William Delahunt, MA 10th
Rosa DeLauro, CT 3rd
Charles Dent, PA 15th
Lincoln Diaz-Balart, FL 21st
Mario Diaz-Balart, FL 25th
Norman Dicks, WA 6th
John Dingell, MI 15th
Lloyd Doggett, TX 25th
Joe Donnelly, IN 2nd
Mike Doyle, PA 14th
David Dreier, CA 26th
Steve Driehaus, OH
John Duncan Jr, TN 2nd
Chet Edwards, TX 17th
Donna Edwards, MD 4th
Vernon Ehlers, MI 3rd
Keith Ellison, MN 5th
Brad Ellsworth, IN 8th
Jo Ann, Emerson, MO 8th
Eliot Engel, NY 17th
Anna Eshoo, CA 14th
Bob Etheridge, NC 2nd
Eni Faleomavaega, Am.Samoa
Mary Fallin, OK 5th
Sam Farr, CA 17th
Chaka Fattah, PA 2nd
Bob Filner, CA 51st
Jeff Flake, AZ 6th
John Fleming, LA 4th
Randy Forbes, VA 4th
Jeff Fortenberry, NE 1st
Bill Foster, IL 14th
Virginia Foxx, NC 5th
Barney Frank, MA 4th
Trent Franks, AZ 2nd
Rodney Frelinghuysen, NJ 11th
Marcia Fudge, OH 11th
Elton Gallegly, CA 24th
Scott Garrett, NJ 5th
Jim Gerlach, PA 6th
Gabrielle Giffords, AZ 8th
Phil Gingrey, GA 11th
Louie Gohmert, TX 1st
Charlie Gonzalez, TX 20th
Bob Goodlatte, VA 6th
Bart Gordon, TN 6th
Kay Granger, TX 12th
Sam Graves, MO 6th
Alan Grayson, FL 8th
Al Green, TX 9th
Gene Green, TX 29th
Parker Griffith, AL 5th
Raul Grijalva, AZ 7th
S. Brett Guthrie, KY 2nd
Luis Gutierrez, IL 4th
John Hall, NY 19th
Ralph Hall, TX 4th
Debbie Halvorson, IL 11th
Phil Hare, IL 17th
Jane Harman, CA 36th
Gregg Harper, MS 3rd
Alcee Hastings, FL 23rd
Doc Hastings, WA 4th
Martin Heinrich, NM 1st
Dean Heller, NV 2nd
Jeb Hensarling, TX 5th
Wally Herger, CA 2nd
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, SD
Brian Higgins, NY 27th
Baron Hill, IN 9th
Him Himes, CT 4th
Maurice Henchey, NY 22nd
Ruben Hinojosa, TX 15th
Mazie Hirono, HI 2nd
Paul Hodes, NH 2nd
Pete Hoekstra, MI 2nd
Tim Holden, PA 17th
Rush Holt, NJ 12th
Mike Honda, CA 15th
Steny Hoyer, MD 5th
Duncan Hunter, CA 52nd
Bob Inglis, SC 4th
Jay Inslee, WA 1st
Steve Israel, NY 2nd
Darrell Issa, CA 49th
Jesse Jackson, IL 2nd
Sheila Jackson Lee, TX 18th
Lynn Jenkins, KS 2nd
Eddie Bernice Johnson, TX 30th
Hank Johnson, Jr., GA 4th
Sam Johnson, TX 3rd
Timothy Johnson, IL 15th
Walter Jones, NC 3rd
Jim Jordan, OH 4th
Steve Kagen, WI 8th
Paul Kanjorski, PA 11th
Marcy Kaptur, OH 9th
Patrick Kennedy, RI 1st
Dale Kildee, MI 5th
Carolyn Kilpatrick, MI 13th
Mary Jo Kilroy, OH 15th
Ron Kind, WI 3rd
Pete King, NY 3rd
Steve King, IA 5th
Jack Kinston, GA 1st
Mark Kirk, IL 10th
Ann Kirkpatrick, AZ 1st
Larry Kissell, NC 8th
Ron Klein, FL 22nd
John Kline, MN 2nd
Sozanne Kosmas, FL 24th
Frank Kratovil, Jr. MD 1st
Dennis Kucinich, OH 10th
Doug Lamborn, CO 5th
Leonard Lance, NJ 7th
Jim Langevin, RI 2nd
Rich Larsen, WA 2nd
John Larson, CT 1st
Tom Latham, IA 4th
Steven LaTourette, OH 14th
Robert Latta, OH 5th
Barbara Lee, CA 9th
Christopher Lee, NY 26th
Sander Levin, MI 12th
Jerry Lewis, CA 41st
John Lewis, GA 5th
John Linder, GA 7th
Daniel Lipinski, IL 3rd
Frank LoBiondo, NJ 2nd
David Loebsack, IA 2nd
Zoe Lofgren, CA 16th
Nita Lowey, NY 18th
Frank Lucas, OK 3rd
Blaine Luetkemeyer, MO 9th
Ben Lujan, NM 3rd
Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming
Daniel Lungren, CA 3rd
Stephen Lynch, MA 9th
Connie Mack, FL 14th
Daniel Maffei, NY 25th
Carolyn Maloney, NY 14th
Donald Manzullo, IL 16th
Kenny Marchant, TX 24th
Betsy Markey, CO 4th
Ed Markey, MA 7th
Jim Marshall, GA 8th
Eric Massa, NY 29th
Jim Matheson, UT 2nd
Doris Matsui, CA 5th
Carolyn McCarthy, NY 4th
Kevin McCarthy, CA 22nd
Michael McCaul, TX 10th
Tom McClintock, CA 4th
Betty McCollum, MN 4th
Thaddeus McCotter, MN 11th
Jim McDermott, WA 7th
James McGovern, MA 3rd
Patrick McHenry, NC 10th
John McHugh, NY 23rd
Mike McIntyre, NC 7th
Buck McKeon, CA 25th
Michael McMahon, NY 13th
Cathy McMorris Rodgers, WA 5th
Jerry McNerney, CA 11th
Kendrick Meek, FL 17th
Gregory Meeks, NY 6th
Charlie Melancon, LA 3rd
John Mica, FL 7th
Michael Michaud, ME 2nd
Brad Miller, NC 13th
Candice Miller, MI 10th
Gary Miller, CA 42nd
George Miller, CA 7th
Jeff Miller, FL 1st
Walt Minnick, ID 1st
Harry Mitchell, AZ 5th
Alan Mollohan, WV 1st
Dennis Moore, KS 3rd
Gwen Moore, WI 4th
Jerry Moran, KS 1st
Jim Moran, VA 8th
Christopher Murphy, CT 5th
Patrick Murphy, PA 8th
Scott Murphy, NY 20th
Tim Murphy, PA 18th
John Murtha, PA 12th
Sue Myrick, NC 9th
Jerrold Nadler, NY 8th
Grace Napolitano, CA 38th
Richard Neal, MA 2nd
Randy Neugebauer, TX 19th
Eleanor Holmes Norton, DC
Devin Nunes, CA 21st
Glenn Nye III, VA 2nd
James Oberstar, MN 8th
David Obey, WI 7th
Pete Olson, TX 22nd
John Olver, MA 1st
Solomon Ortiz, TX 27th
Frank Pallone Jr., NJ 6th
Bill Pascrell, NJ 8th
Ed Pastor, AZ 4th
Ron Paul, TX 14th
Erik Paulsen, MN 3rd
Donald Payne, NJ 10th
Nancy Pelosi, CA 8th
Mike Pence, IN 6th
Ed Perlmutter, CO 7th
Tom Perriello, VA 5th
Gary Peters, MI 9th
Collin Peterson, MN 7th
Thomas Petri, WI 6th
Pedro Pierluisi, PR
Chellie Pingree, ME 1st
Joseph Pitts, PA 16th
Todd Platts, PA 19th
Ted Poe, TX 2nd
Jared Polis, CO 2nd
Earl Pomeroy, ND
Bill Posey, FL 15th
David Price, NC 4th
Tom Price, GA 6th
Adam Putnam, FL 12th
Mike Quigley, IL 5th
George Radanovich, CA 19th
Nick Rahall, WV 3rd
Charles Rangel, NY 15th
Dennis Rehberg, MT
David Reichert, WA 8th
Laura Richardson, CA 37th
Silvestre Reyes, TX 16th
Ciro Rodriguez, TX 23rd
Phil Roe, TN 1st
Harold Rogers, KY 5th
Mike Rogers, AL 3rd
Mike Rogers, MI 8th
Dana Rohrabacher, CA 46th
Tom Rooney, FL 16th
Peter Roskam, IL 6th
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, FL 18th
Mike Ross, AK 4th
Steven Rothman, NJ 9th
Lucille Roybal-Allard, CA 34th
Ed Royce, CA 40th
Dutch Ruppersberger, MD 2nd
Bobby Rush, IL 1st
Paul Ryan, WI 1st
Rim Ryan, OH 17th
Gregorio Sablan, Northern Mariana Islands
John Salazar, CO 3rd
Linda Sanchez, CA 39th
John Sarbanes, MD 3rd
Loretta Sanchez, CA 47th
Steve Scalise, LA 1st
Jan Schakowsky, IL 9th
Mark Schauer, MI 7th
Adam Schiff, CA 29th
Jean Schmidt, OH 2nd
Aaron Schock, IL 18th
Kurt Schrader, OR 5th
Allyson Schwartz, PA 13th
David Scott, GA 13th
Robert Scott, VA 3rd
F. James Sensenbrenner, WI 5th
Jose Serrano, NY 16th
Pete Sessions, TX 32nd
Joe Sestak, PA 7th
John Shadegg, AZ 3rd
Carol Shea-Porter, NH 1st
Brad Sherman, CA 27th
John Shimkus, IL 19th
Heath Shuler, NC 11th
Bill Shuster, PA 9th
Mike Simpson, ID 2nd
Albio Sires, NJ 13th
Ike Skelton, MO 4th
Louise Slaughter, NY 28th
Adam Smith, WA 9th
Adrian Smith, NE 3rd
Chris Smith, NJ 4th
Lamar Smith, TX 21st
Vic Snyder, AK 2nd
Mark Souder, IN 3rd
Zachary Space, OH 18th
Jackie Speier, CA 12th
John Spratt, SC 5th
Fortney Pete Stark, CA 13th
Cliff Stearns, FL 6th
Bart Stupak, MI 1st
John Sullivan, OK 1st
Betty Sutton, OH 13th
John Tanner, TN 8th
Ellen Tauscher, CA 10th
Gene Taylor, MS 4th
Harry Teague, NM 2nd
Lee Terry NE 2nd
Bennie Thompson, MS 2nd
Glenn Thompson, PA 5th
Mike Thompson, CA 1st
Mac Thornberry, TX 13th
Todd Tiahrt, KS 4th
Pat Tiberi, OH 12th
John Tierney, MA 6th
Dina Titus, NV 3rd
Paul Tonko, NY 21st
Edolphus Towns, NY 10th
Niki Tsongas, MA 5th
Michael Turner, OH 3rd
Fred Upton, MI 6th
Chris Van Hollen, MD 8th
Nydia Velazquez, NY 12th
Peter Visclosky, IN 1st
Gred Walden, OR 2nd
Timothy Walz, MN 1st
Zach Wamp, TN 3rd
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, FL 20th
Maxine Waters, CA 35th
Diane Watson, CA 33rd
Mel Watt, NC 12th
Henry Waxman, CA 30th
Anthony Weiner, NY 9th
Peter Welch, VT
Lynn Westmoreland, GA 3rd
Robert Wexler, FL 19th
Ed Whitfield, KY 1st
Charles Wilson, OH 6th
Joe Wilson, SC 2nd
Robert Wittman, VA 1st
Frank Wolf, VA 10th
Lynn Woolsey, CA 6th
David Wu, OR 1st
John Yarmuth, KY 3rd
C.W. Bill Young, FL
Don Young, AK
Senate: Sen. Mark Begich, AK
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, AK
Sen. Jeff Sessions, AL
Sen. Richard Shelby, AL
Sen. Blanche Lincoln, AR
Sen Mark Pryor, AR
Sen. Jon Kyl, AZ
Sen. John McCain, AZ
Sen. Barbara Boxer, CA
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, CA
Sen. Michael Bennet, CO
Sen. Mark Udall, CO
Sen. Christopher Dodd, CT
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, CT
Sen. Thomas Carper, DE
Sen. Edward Kaufman, DE
Sen. George LeMieux, FL
Sen. Bill Nelson, FL
Sen. Saxby Chambliss, GA
Sen. Johnny Isakson, GA
Sen. Daniel Akaka, HI
Sen. Daniel Inouve, HI
Sen. Chuck Grassley, IA
Sen. Tom Harkin, IA
Sen. Mike Crapo, ID
Sen. James Risch, ID
Sen. Roland Burris, IL
Sen. Richard Durbin, IL
Sen Evan Bayh, IN
Sen. Richard Lugar, IN
Sen. Sam Brownback, KS
Sen. Pat Roberts, KS
Sen. Jim Bunning, KY
Sen. Mitch McConnell, KY
Sen. Mary Landrieu, LA
Sen. David Vitter, LA
Sen. John Kerry, MA
Sen. Benjamin Cardin, MD
Sen. Barbara Mikulski, MD
Sen. Susan Collins, ME
Sen. Olympia Snowe, ME
Sen. Carl Levin, MI
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, MI
Sen. Al Franken, MN
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, MN
Sen. Christopher Bond, MO
Sen.Claire, McCaskill, MO
Sen. Thad Cochran, MS
Sen. Roger Wicker, MS
Sen. Max Baucus, MT
Sen. John Tester, MT
Sen. Richard Burr, NC
Sen. Kay Hagan, NC
Sen. Kent Conrad, ND
Sen. Byron Dorgan, ND
Sen. Mike Johanns, NE
Sen. Ben Nelson, NE
Sen. Judd Gregg, NH
Senn Jeanne Shaheen, NH
Sen. Frank Lautenberg, NJ
Sen. Robert Menedez, NJ
Sen. Jeff Bingaman, NM
Sen. Tom Udall, NM
Sen. John Ensign, NV
Sen. Harry Reid, NV
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, NY
Sen. Charles Schumer, NY
Sen. Sherrod Brown, OH
Sen. George Voinovich, OH
Sen. Tom Coburn, OK
Sen. James Inhofe, OK
Sen. Jeff Merkley, OR
Sen. Ron Wyden, OR
Sen. Robert Casey, Jr., PA
Sen. Arlen Specter, PA
Sen. Jack Reed, RI
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, RI
Sen. Jim DeMint, SC
Sen. Lindsey Graham, SC
Sen. Tim Johnson, SD
Sen. John Thune, SD
Sen. Lamar Alexander, TN
Sen. Bob Corker, TN
Sen. John Cornyn, TX
Sen Kay Bailey Hutchison, TX
Sen. Robert Bennett, UT
Sen. Orrin Hatch, UT
Sen. Mark Warner, VA
Sen. Jim Webb, VA
Sen. Patrick Leahy, VT
Sen. Bernard Sanders, VT
Sen. Maria Cantwell, WA
Sen. Patty Murray, WA
Sen. Russell Feingold, WI
Sen. Herb Kohl, WI
Sen. Robert Byrd, WV
Sen. John D. Rockefeller, IV, WV
Sen. John Barrasso, WY
Sen. Michael Enzi, WY
NY Times, public@nytimes.com
The Atlantic, letters@theatlantic.com
The Progressive, editorial@progressive.org
The Washington Post,letters@washpost.com
Economist letters@economist.com
C-Span news and Washington
Journal: journal@c-span.org
Whole Foods, John Mackey, CEO
Fax: 512.482.7000
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon
Jamie.Dimon@chase.com
Sierra Club CEO Carl Pope
Fax: 415-977-5799 (headquarters)
Fax: 202-547-6009 (legislative
office)
Dareandcare.com
Daniel P. Schrag, Director, Harvard
University Center for the
Environment
Schrag@eps.harvard.edu
Comment posted facebook response to tcktcktck.org

The British Government has just recently announced its plans to install smart energy meters in every home in the UK by the end of the next decade. The meters that monitor energy consumption on a regular basis will prove to be a revolutionary change to the energy industry for a number of reasons.

The meters key attribute is that it communicates energy consumption from a house directly to the supplier saving the consumer and supplier a considerable amount of time and cost. From the suppliers point of view the cost of resources will fall considerably as they will no longer need to employ staff to visit each and every home to collect meter readings and will be able to reduce the amount of staff employed in call centres as there will be less if any bill queries and customers phoning in with their meter readings. From the consumers perspective there will hopefully be less error in the amount billed for energy supplies meaning that no consumers will be over charged for their energy consumption. Also, consumers will no longer have to spend endless hours and funds on making phone calls to resolve cost queries and correct meter readings. However, as with everything good there is a down side, which will be that the initial cost of installing the smart meters will be passed on by energy suppliers to the consumer. Once the government enforces this plan the cost of installing the meters for the suppliers will be given to consumers via their energy prices which are likely to increase during this time.

Although initially energy prices may increase slightly in the long run the new smart meters should see gas and electricity prices fall as the energy industry become more efficient and cost effective.

The Federation of Small Businesses has welcomed a report by MPs into the consequences of rising energy bills.

Related Articles:

• Clever firms can save cash on energy
• Smart energy meters to cut business bills

The Business and Enterprise Select Committee called for action today on rising gas and electricity invoices, and the FSB has reiterated its concerns that the situation will only get worse with the closure of Energywatch and has called for recognition of the similarity between small businesses and domestic consumers in the energy market.

In a recent FSB snap poll of more than 1000 business owners 57% have made complaints to their energy companies with only half of those complaints being dealt with satisfactorily.

Energywatch disbanded

With over 30,000 calls from small businesses received every year, Energywatch is a familiar brand to many business owners. But from October 1 2008 it will be disbanded.

The FSB is warning that Energywatch’s work is unlikely to be covered by Consumer Direct, which will nominally take over Energywatch’s responsibilities but has shown little willingness or ability to tackle small business energy issues.

John Holbrow, FSB environment and energy chairman said, “it is alarming that with increased prices there will be nowhere for small businesses to turn.”

Holbrow however did go on to say that , “the FSB welcomes the recommendations of The Business and Enterprise Select Committee on rising energy prices today and the recognition that these costs have an extremely adverse effect on business. “Small business owners are very similar to small domestic consumers in terms of energy consumption patterns and expertise but often fall foul of complex bill formats, infrequent meter readings, incorrect billing, poor customer service and lack of information on switching suppliers.

[This article is a recap of the Green Media panel on May 19, 2009.]

Greenwash at your own risk. Greenwashing, a term used to describe the practice of companies deceptively promoting their products and policies as environmentally friendly, frustrates environmentally-conscious companies. Now, according to attorney Dan Myers, if the FTC catches a company at it, their phony attempt at being green could cause them to be red-faced with embarrassment – and maybe even pay a fine.

Myers, of Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean was a key panelist at the Green Chamber of Commerce’s event: ‘Green Media: Practical and Legal Considerations for Communicating Your Message’ on May 19 at the Environmental Defense Fund in San Francisco.

The FTC is in the process of updating green guides that prohibit unfair or deceptive advertising and marketing claims, Myers said. Although some ads may escape FTC notice, competitors and others may initiate litigation.

Emily Cowan of Ecofabulous added that new green products have to overcome consumer’s tendencies to gravitate to traditional and familiar brands. Melissa Mansfield of Green Gorilla Media pointed out that the increase in groups offering green certification has consumers confused. But some consumers are willing to pay more for products with green certification, Christina Weber of Sustainable Industries said.

Other advice for businesses from the panel:

• Tell an authentic story
• Don’t worry about being green, be amazing
• Live your brand
• Once you lose your green credibility, it is difficult to get it back

Volvo is delivering FlexiFuel cars powered by renewable bioethanol on some European markets this coming autumn. Also, Volvo’s green model range will be extended to include the new C30. The latter will also be offered with FlexiFuel power.

“Interest in ethanol as a vehicle fuel is growing in Europe,” said Gerry Keaney, senior vice president market, sales and customer service of Volvo Cars. “We are therefore expanding our range with additional models on a total of 9 markets. First to get Volvo’s FlexiFuel cars outside Sweden will be Britain, Ireland, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Norway. It’s very encouraging that the market is expanding and that political initiatives are being taken.”

France announced that it will put up 500 fuel stations for E85 next year. E85 is a combination of 85 percent renewable ethanol and 15 percent petrol. Said fuel will be generated from local agricultural products. So far, there are 23 plants that are producing ethanol in Europe. This number is anticipated to increase to more than 60 plants by 2008. In Europe, about 1.8 million liters of ethanol are produced every year. The ethanol produced came primarily from sugar-beet and other grains in Europe. The produce is also expected to soar threefold in the year 2008.

The expanded green model range includes 3 Volvo models C30, S40 and V50. They are all available with optimized FlexiFuel alternative. The C30 is marketed as a groundbreaking hatchback that is especially designed for the new generation of drivers. S40 and V50 are both compact luxury cars. They belong to the second generation of Volvo compact cars. Volvo S40 upgrade parts are built on the Volvo P1 platform. Last year, the car was nominated for the World Car of the Year. V50 is a station wagon version of S40. Its interior highlights soft ‘theatre’ lighting.

Now, C30, S40 and V50 are powered by a 4-cylinder naturally aspirated engine generating 125 horsepower. They are also equipped with modified fuel hoses, valves and gaskets to withstand ethanol’s more corrosive properties. They also use an updated version of the software calibration, which is specifically designed for ethanol. Also, the engine management system accurately supervises the mix of bioethanol and petrol in the fuel tank and suits ignition and injection automatically.

“A renewable fuel will not on its own be able to replace today’s fossil fuels, and the range of alternative fuels will probably be far wider in the future. Many different fuels and technologies will therefore be developed in parallel. Ethanol reduces dependency on fossil fuels and Volvo’s FlexiFuel programme thus makes a vital contribution to our strategy of environmental sustainability,” concluded Gerry Keaney.

In the weeks it took for the global recession to turn from an alien concept to a reality for millions of households and businesses throughout the UK, the amount of coverage given to ‘Green’ issues would suggest a significant change in the public perception.

            Environmental issues have long been greeted with anything from malaise to contempt in the popular press as journalists try and find new angles on a very simple hypothesis- ‘we are destroying our planet’. Indeed an emerging optimistic argument would suggest that the earth is in a voluntary cycle of warming and humans are flattering themselves by thinking they can make a difference- one way or the other.

            However with national governments straining under the weight of bail-out debts and businesses unable to access vital credit another crucial ingredient has been added to the environmental broth- cost. It is suddenly patently obvious that global financial systems can no longer function on there current practices, regulation needs to be tightened, risk takers need to be held to account and sustainability must replace boom and bust.

This has been recognised by the Obama administration who have ring-fenced $150 billion dollars in green energy recognising that in order to reduce cost they must start at the beginning with energy cost and sustainability. Although short term costs maybe higher particularly in replacement and development, the US government recognises that the fastest way to recover from a recession is not to weather the storm but to change and adapt, using the gale-force winds to excel.

But is not just global politics where sustainable decisions are made, its in the households and businesses across the UK who recognise that now, more than ever, is the time to switch to a more sustainable way of life, simple things like proper insulation and swapping your light bulbs for energy saving bulbs. These easy steps will not conquer the global recession on their own, but it will help you save those valuable pounds that are so important in the current climate.

It is easy to become depressed watching the news or reading the paper hearing the constant themes of unemployment, reduced output and increased taxes however unless we learn from the this recession that sustainability, both financial and environmental is paramount in our global recovery it will have all been in vain.

            Please visit www.greenhouseuk.org for all your energy saving light bulbs.

Linde’s CEO Wolfgang Reitzle has stressed that he will be driving hydrogen-powered BMW Hydrogen 7 from now on.

The objective is very clear for Professor Dr. Reitzle. He said, “Hydrogen-powered cars should become an everyday sight on our streets.”

The Chairman of the Executive Board of Linde AG has started practicing what he preaches by collecting a BMW Hydrogen 7 at the Linde Hydrogen Center. Professor Dr. Reitzle is to get a brand new model of what is considered to be the first top-end saloon in the world with a bivalent hydrogen-powered combustion engine. The new car will be handed over by Professor Dr. Joachim Millberg, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of BMW Group.

Professor Dr. Reitzle also added, “BMW and Linde are working closely together to achieve sustainable mobility using hydrogen as a fuel. With the BMW Hydrogen 7, BMW has taken a very important step towards mass production. For me, this vehicle is much more than just a new company car. The BMW Hydrogen 7 proves that hydrogen technology is suitable for everyday use.”

The new car will be re-fuelled with climate-neutral hydrogen at the Linde Hydrogen Center in Unterschleißheim which presently supplies BMW’s own test vehicles.

Professor Dr. Millberg said, “We need network partners from the fields of politics, the sciences and economics, so that we can continue to develop and expand appropriate infrastructures and technologies to support the use of hydrogen as a fuel. Linde and BMW are united by a common vision of achieving sustainable production and supply of hydrogen.”

For so long, Linde has been at the cutting edge when it comes to the development of environmentally-friendly hydrogen technology. The company also provides a complete range of technologies necessary for the functioning of a hydrogen value chain and that involves production to re-fuelling.

Linde is also involved in other initiatives which aim to demonstrate the suitability of hydrogen as an everyday fuel. It is also BMW’s exclusive gas partner for its CleanEnergy Project. The company has also taken a leading role as a supplier of mobile re-fuelling systems.

BMW the producer of top-of-the-line BMW 323is parts and Linde are ensuring Germany’s position as the center of innovation reinforcing it with the creation of an infrastructure of hydrogen filling stations. Earlier this year, the Linde Hydrogen Center in Unterschleißheim was voted as one of the “365 Landmarks” by the federal initiative “Germany-Land of Ideas”.

The German automaker has already produced a series of 100 models of its Hydrogen 7 which is the first top-end saloon in the world to be equipped with a hydrogen-powered combustion engine with bivalent drive. The Hydrogen 7 is a combination of hydrogen technology, good handling, high-performance, and of course luxurious comfort which BMW is known for. The range of Hydrogen 7 vehicles is to be presented in the course of 2007 to selected individuals in political and economic spheres and also to distinguish members of the society for use as an everyday mode of transport.

The remarkable speech delivered by California’s Honorable Governor Schwarzenegger has turned the afternoon at the Georgetown University into an inspiring event.

Here is the print version of the keynote address of Gov. Schwarzenegger (with the introduction part cut):

GOVERNOR: Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you, John, for the wonderful introduction, I appreciate it very much. And it is great to be here today at Georgetown University, also known in my house as the alma mater, because of course my wife went to school here, and she graduated here at Georgetown. (Applause)

So I want to thank my wife also for coming here today and sitting here in the front row. And she is, of course, the most terrific first lady that the United States has ever seen, so give her a big hand again. (Applause)

So I have to say that I am somewhat amazed to be here, and the reason is because three and a half years ago when I ran for governor I was followed around by environmental protestors with signs. They didn’t like my Humvees and Hummers, and my SUVs, or anything that I did. As a matter of fact, when I promised that I would improve the environment when I became governor, they didn’t believe that either. So here we are, three and a half years later, and I’m on the cover of Newsweek as one of the big environmentalists. Only in America, that’s all I can say. (Applause)

But let me tell you something; even though I love being on the cover of Newsweek, but there should have been some other people on that cover as well, and those are people that were my partners in the Legislature. They have worked very hard, they were incredible partners, and I’m talking here about, first of all, Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and Senator Perata. I invited both of them to come here but they couldn’t make it, but I just wanted to thank them publicly for being such great environmentalists and such great leaders in the environment. So let’s give them a big hand, even though they’re not here. (Applause)

And I want to thank also someone that is here with us today, and this is Assemblywoman Fran Pavley. She has been such a great, great warrior. (Applause)

Let me tell you something; this is the real deal. This is the real deal. This woman has been fighting for the environment way before I ever became governor, and she has really been the author of these very important legislations, and she has worked with our office, and she is a team player. And this is, you can see here, she’s a Democrat. Also the Speaker is a Democrat. Senator Perata is a Democrat. So this is what I’m talking about, working together in a bipartisan or post-partisan way, and this is how we get things done, because we work what is best for the people of California and for America. So thank you again to Assemblywoman Pavley. (Applause)

Now, I know this is an environmental conference, but I do want to start talking first about bodybuilding. And the reason is because bodybuilding is another passion of mine, as you probably know, and it has similarities there. Bodybuilding used to have a very sketchy image. As a matter of fact, so much so that some people that worked out seriously and pumped weights didn’t admit they were doing bodybuilding. As a matter of fact, say in the old days, some of the very famous Hollywood actors like Kirk Douglas, Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, and the list goes on and on, they all worked out with weights, but they never admitted it publicly because they didn’t want to be associated with the gymnasiums that were like dungeons and that had fanatics, and that had weird people training in there. That is the kind of an image that it had.

But we changed that, we consciously changed that. And what we did was, we came out with a book called Pumping Iron—I know a lot of you are familiar with that, especially the students—then the movie Pumping Iron, and that changed bodybuilding, the image of bodybuilding, dramatically. As a matter of fact, the perception of bodybuilding began to change and it became more and more hip and more and more attractive. And then all of a sudden, everyone wanted to exercise. As a matter of fact, today you can go to any place in the world and you will find a bodybuilding gymnasium or a place where you can do weight resistance training, and you can go into any gymnasium and you will find ordinary people talking about their abs, their lats, their deltoids, body fat, and all those kinds of things. So this is how much it changed. It became mainstream, it became sexy, attractive.

And this is exactly what has to happen with the environmental movement. Like bodybuilders, environmentalists were thought of as kind of weird and fanatics also. You know, the kind of serious tree huggers. Environmentalists were no fun; they were like prohibitionists at a fraternity party. (Applause)

So someone the other day just showed me a cartoon that was of a car salesman in a showroom talking to this couple. And the car salesman pointed at the car and said, “This car runs on an ordinary gasoline-powered engine, and then when it feels a little guilt, when it senses guilt, it switches over to battery power.” Now, that’s funny, it’s a cartoon. But let me tell you something; there’s a lot of truth to that. For too long the environmental movement had been powered by guilt.

But I believe that this is about to switch over from being powered by guilt to being powered by something much more positive, much more dynamic, something much more capable of bringing about major change. You know the kind of guilt I’m talking about; the smokestacks belching pollution that are powering our Jacuzzis and our big-screen TVs, and in my case powering my private airplanes. So it is too bad, of course, that we can’t all live simple lives like the Buddhist monks in Tibet. But you know something? That’s not going to happen.

So ladies and gentlemen, I don’t think that any movement has ever made it and has ever made much progress based on guilt. Guilt is passive, guilt is inhibiting, and guilt is defensive. You remember the commercials a number of years ago, the commercials specifically of a Native American who sees what we have done to the environment and then a year runs down his cheek. You all remember that? Well, let me tell you something; that approach didn’t work, because successful movements are built on passion, they’re not built on guilt. They’re built on passion, they’re built on confidence, and they’re built on critical mass. And often, they’re built on an element of alarm that galvanizes action.

The environmental movement is, to use a popular term, about the tipping point. It’s about to get to the tipping point. There’s a tipping point, and I believe the tipping point will be occurring when the environmental movement is no longer seen as a nag or as a scold, but as a positive force in people’s lives. Now, I don’t know when that tipping point occurs, but I know where—in California. In California, we are doing everything that we can to tip the balance on the environment.

Now, first, let me start with government policy. I don’t want to go into all the initiatives that we have passed and all the laws that we have passed, because that was already eloquently explained by John when he introduced me. But there are two things that stick out that have gotten us the most attention.

1. We passed a law to cap greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by the year 2020. That basically means we are rolling back the greenhouse gases to the 1990 level by the year 2020, and then we go 80 percent below that by the year 2050.

2. I ordered a 10 percent cut in the carbon content of transportation fuels.

Now, do I believe that the standards that California sets will solve global warming? Of course not. But what we are doing is applying leverage so that at some point the whole environmental thing tips. That’s what we are trying to do. It’s like a seesaw. You walk up to it and then slowly it tips the other way. That is what we are trying to do. California, as you know, is big, California is powerful, and what we do in California has unbelievable impact and it has consequences. As a matter of fact, when you look at the globe, California is a little spot, but the kind of power of influence that we have on the rest of the world is an equivalent of whole huge continent.

We are sending the world a message. What we are saying is that we are going to change the dynamic on greenhouse gas and on carbon emissions. We are taking actions ourselves. We are not waiting for anyone, we are not waiting for the federal government or for Washington. We are creating our own partnerships. We are partnering with Great Britain, we are partnering with provinces in Canada, with states in the United States, with the western states, with the northeastern states. And you know something? Every year we are adding more and more partners to our team. We are increasing the momentum for change.

Now, there’s a billboard in Michigan that accuses me of costing the car industry 85 billion dollars. They say because of our new carbon fuel standards I cost them 85 billion dollars. The billboard says “Arnold to Michigan—drop dead.” The fact of the matter is, what I’m saying is, Arnold to Michigan—get off your butt. Get off your butt and join us. (Applause)

In fact, California may be doing more to save US automakers than anyone else, because what we are doing is we are pushing them to make changes, to make the changes so they can sell their cars in California. And we all know—let’s be honest—that if they don’t change, someone will. The Japanese will, the Chinese will, the South Koreans will, the Germans will, they all will. So what I want to do is, I want to prevent that from happening. I want them to sell their cars in California. I believe strongly in American technology, and I think in the end it will be technology that will ultimately save Detroit.

Now, California, for instance, has already a car company that’s called Tesla Motors. Tesla Motors has just designed and produced a car that’s called the Tesla Roadster. It’s 100 percent electric. Now, why is it that a car company that has never produced a car before is already producing a car with zero emissions—zero emissions—and Detroit is still lagging behind? Now, this car, let me tell you something, is a very sexy looking car. It’s really cool. I mean, I test drove it. It goes from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds. It drives 130 miles an hour, and it has 250 miles on a charge, and then the recharging only takes 3 1/2 hours. Now, that’s what I call cool. And the car cost 100,000 dollars—to be exact, 98,000 dollars—and it is so popular, it sold out immediately. And now the second version is being produced, and that car, the cost will drop down to 50,000 dollars.

So we can see where that is heading, economics tells us where this is heading. It’s like the cell phones. I remember when I bought a cell phone, the first cell phone, which was kind of a radio phone, 20 years ago. It was 1,600 dollars. The next version I bought a few years later was 1,200, and the next one was 750. I just recently bought a cell phone for my daughter and it was below 90 dollars. Now, because of the costs that have dropped down, almost everyone can afford a cell phone, and the same thing is going to happen to the environmental technologies in cars. Government can give a push by setting standards, so California is giving the nation and the world a push.

Now, beyond government policy, the second tipping factor is economic. California is the leading edge of what I call ‘the environmental economy’. The aerospace industry built the modern economy of southern California. The computer industry and the internet built the economy of Silicon Valley. And now the green clean technology, along with biotech, will be the next wave of California‘s economy.

Right now in California‘s university labs, corporate research parks, even in plain looking offices and in strip malls, something very exciting is happening—something very exciting. The nation’s brightest scientists and the smartest venture capitalists are all racing to find alternative or new technologies for alternative energy. It is a race that is fueled by billions and billions of dollars. Capitalism, interestingly enough, which was the alleged enemy of the environment, is today giving new life to the environmental movement.

Daniel Jurgen, the famous oil analyst, says that if this all-out activity continues, expect dramatic results. And the head of PG&E, California‘s largest utility, says that the energy industry is on the brink of a revolution. And you know something is up when General Electric says that it’s selling its plastic business because it sees more potential in growth and profits in environmental goods and services.

In an environmental economy the great thing is that we can do both; we can protect the environment and protect the economy, and that’s what I’ve been saying for years. Of course, people didn’t believe in it. People said that you have to choose between one or the other; we have to choose between the environment and the economy. And I said no, we can do both. We can protect the economy and protect the environment, and we have proven that in California.

Now, the third tipping point that I want to mention is the attitude of the people. I believe the environmental movement is in the midst of redefining itself as something more modern, more confident, and more positive. As governor, I talk to scientists in our universities, I talk to CEOs that run major corporations. And let me tell you, those are not wacky people. Mainstream scientists are convinced, mainstream CEOs are convinced, and if you look at the surveys, mainstream Americans are convinced that global warming and climate change is real and we have to do something about it. So who are the fanatics now? Who are the fanatics? They are the ones who are in denial. They’re in environmental denial, they’re in economic denial, and they are in political denial. Who are the fanatics when DuPont has hired the former head of Greenpeace International? Who are the fanatics when major companies are now demanding that the federal government once and for all passes new laws to set standards for greenhouse gas emissions? Major companies like DuPont, GE, Wal-Mart, BP and PG&E believe that the climate change is real. That is the mainstream speaking, that is the establishment speaking.

Now, some of you have maybe seen the cable TV show called Pimp My Ride. Have you seen that? Maybe not, maybe not everyone has seen it. But the fact of the matter is, it’s a real cool show. It’s a real cool show, and what they do is, they take old junk cars that we normally should crush, and they make them into lowriders and they make them into muscle cars. Now, my teenage son watches that show all the time, and sometimes I watch it with him.

As a matter of fact, I recently did a segment of that show that will air on Earth Day, and the reason why it will air on Earth Day is because we take this cool show and they did something, and added something that was environmentally hip. Here’s what we did. We took a 1965 Impala, and we made it into a lowrider, but not an ordinary low-rider. We dropped in an 800 horsepower engine, and that 800 horsepower engine goes from zero to 60 in 3 seconds. Now, you know how fast that is—in 3 seconds. But it is biofueled, and that means that it emits 50 percent less greenhouse gases and it goes twice as far. Now, that’s what I call cool.

You see, now we cut down on the greenhouse gas emissions, so we don’t have to really go and take away the muscle cars, we don’t have to take away the Hummers or the SUVs or anything like this, because that’s a formula for failure. Instead what we have to do is make those cars more environmentally muscular. That is what we have to do. Now, because of that, one of my Hummers now is running on biofuel, and another one of my Hummers is now running on hydrogen. So those are the kinds of changes that we have made instead of getting rid of the Hummers. (Applause)

So the new environmental movement is not about guilt, it’s not about fringe, and it’s not about being overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem, but it is about mainstream momentum, exactly what I talked about earlier with bodybuilding. We have to make it mainstream. We have to make it sexy. We have to make it attractive so that everyone wants to participate.

So finally, let me just say something about politics. Politics plays a big part in the tipping point here. If you are against taking action on greenhouse gases and common emissions your political base will melt away as surely as the polar icecaps, I can guarantee you that. You will become a political penguin on a smaller and smaller ice floe that is drifting out to sea. Good-bye, my little friend. That’s what is going to happen. (Applause)

Because the environment is a public value, and politicians who ignore it are doing so at their own peril. Now, privately I know many politicians have come up to me and said, “How can we do what you are doing in California?” And I tell them there are only two words that I have to mention, and this is mandates and markets, mandates and markets, like we have in California. And then I also added, I said, “And you have to have political courage.” I said, “Just remember that political courage is not political suicide.”

Now, some of my fellow Republicans, of course, are raising a very valid point. They say, “What good does it do if we do all of those great things for the environment, and in the meantime the developing world, where emissions are growing the fastest, doesn’t do anything?” Now, I believe in free trade, and I believe that it lifts everyone’s standard of living. But eventually, we will look at the countries that produce goods without regard to the environment the same way as we look at countries that produce goods without regard to human rights—and that means that those countries, of course, that I’m talking about are the ones that have sweat shops. My guess is that within the next decade or so if an economy ignores the damage that it’s doing to the environment, the civilized world will impose environmental tariffs, duties, and other trade restrictions to those countries. This is a matter of fair trade. Nations cannot dump products, nations cannot dump anything, and in the future they will not be able to dump carbon or greenhouse gases either, because this is an unfair trade advantage.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, in closing let me just say that there are still a lot of people that are pessimistic about how we’re going to deal with the environmental problems. I am optimistic—but I’m always optimistic—but in this case I’m very optimistic, and the reason is because I feel things tipping. I feel things tipping, I feel things moving forward. As a matter of fact, I say do not be downhearted about the environment, because things are about to tip our way.

Look what has happened this last month. A documentary about global warming has won the Oscar. You can today open up any newspaper and they’re talking about global warming and how we all can participate. Any television show, any radio show you can turn on, they’re going to talk about global warming and about the greenhouse gas emissions and green technology and so on.

Today I went to a magazine store, and in the magazine store I saw eight covers—eight covers. As a matter of fact it was nine, I found another one just an hour ago. Nine covers—nine magazine covers, all talking about green technology, about plug-in cars, and about Mother Earth, and Town and Country has a green issue, and it goes on and on. Including, of course, let’s not forget the best issue of all, Newsweek. You all saw that, right? (Applause)

So basically what I’m saying is, things are tipping our way. Thank you very much for listening, and I really appreciate you being here. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you very much. And now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to bring over to the podium my friend and a great environmentalist, great leader, great warrior for the environment, Fran Pavley, our Assemblywoman. Please. (Applause)

It can be noted that the speech of California’s Governor is directed to US automakers asking them to be vigilant in helping to resolve environmental problems by producing environment-friendly vehicles. The most popular “green vehicles” employed in the US today are hybrid cars and most of the brands that we love have joined the bandwagon except for the iconic Jeep brand which has not yet turned “green”. But in fairness to the Chrysler’s iconic brand it has improved its auto components like for instance its Jeep Wrangler parts to reduce harmful emissions.