About Social Media Today
Our guest blogger is CAP’s Ben Kaldunski of CAP’s Energy Opportunity team.
The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) named Proposition 23 to its “2010 Dirty Dozen” list today, marking the first time that a ballot initiative was placed on the inglorious list which traditionally targets Congressional candidates who consistently vote against clean energy and conservation legislation.
With Election Day less than three weeks away, the fight over California’s clean energy future is gaining in intensity and LCV is the latest organization to throw their political weight against Proposition 23, a ballot measure that will essentially kill California’s aggressive climate legislation which passed with bipartisan support in 2006.
LCV decided that Prop 23 deserved to be a member of the 2010 Dirty Dozen because the measure poses a serious threat to California’s burgeoning air pollution and renewable energy standards. These standards have supported the growth of clean energy industries, created thousands of new jobs, and had a negligible effect on small businesses.
LCV President Gene Karpinski told reporters that Prop 23 is “the single most important race in the country” this election season. Karpinski also reiterated that this issue matters to Californians:
Our members are fired up – and angry – about the fact that Big Oil’s congressional allies have blocked action on comprehensive energy reform that creates jobs, makes America more energy independent and reduces harmful carbon pollution. We are continuing to ramp up efforts and mobilize our supporters to defeat the dirty energy measure in California, re-elect House members who voted for comprehensive energy and climate legislation and defeat climate change deniers running against Senate clean energy champions.
Karpinski’s efforts and enthusiasm are shared by a large number of Californians who do not want their state’s mid-term elections hijacked by out of state and dirty energy corporations whose special interests will stifle the growth of clean energy investment and cripple the local and national economic recovery.
California’s leadership on climate and energy could serve as a blueprint for other states and federal agencies to follow, but it needs to survive the attacks being made by Big Oil and dirty coal special interests. Over 80 percent of the funding for Prop. 23 has come from three out of state oil and gas companies, Valero, Tesoro and Koch Industries. They have spent over $6.5 million to support the Yes on 23 campaign in hopes of preventing renewables and greenhouse gas regulations from cutting into their profits. But the audacity of Big Oil’s brazen attempt to buy out California’s clean energy reforms have aroused a loud response from concerned residents and legitimate grassroots organizations.
The addition of Prop 23 to the Dirty Dozen is indicative of the growing support of grassroots movements against Big Oil and climate deniers. The unprecedented placement of the ballot measure on LCV’s list is a good omen for supporters of California’s landmark climate legislation, but the fight is not yet won.
– Ben Kaldunski is on CAP’s Energy Opportunity team.
Here are five things you can do to win this fight:
- Visit the “No on 23″ website, learn the facts & sign up: www.StopDirtyEnergyProp.com.
- Educate yourself on how California’s climate & energy laws have created companies & jobs: www.CABrightSpot.com.
- Tell your friends by email, on Facebook, at work, & everywhere else.
- Participate in the debate. Write letters to the editor and post comments on blogs & websites.
- Contribute (click here). The other side’s leader, right-wing California Assemblyman Dan Logue, has publicly said he expects the oil companies to spend $50 million.
