2015 ACTION REPORT
An Update on our Postcard Issues
Climate Stabilization, Renewable Energy, & Environmental Protection
- President Obama denied a permit for building the Keystone XL pipeline. This was a major victory and reflected years of focused action on the part of 2020 members and many other organizations. As a result, some of the world’s dirtiest and most energy-intensive oil will not be piped across the U.S. to the Gulf of Mexico to be shipped abroad.
- The EPA finalized its rule for CO2 Regulations for New Power Plants. It also put forth regulations to clean up or shut down existing coal-burning power plants, and to reduce emissions from large and mid-size vehicles.
- The EPA also updated its rules & regulations regarding the Clean Water Act to include smaller waterways in conformity with Supreme Court rulings. We opposed the Senate move to scuttle these new regulations, and the Senate move failed. The new EPA regulations stand!
- The EPA currently requires ethanol additives to gasoline to stretch oil supplies and reduce CO2 emissions. Experience shows that more fuel was used to make the ethanol than was saved and that diverting all that corn affected the food supply. We urged Congress to support Senate and House bills to overturn these rules. As of Nov. 24th, no vote has been taken on this issue.
- We asked our Representatives to co-sponsor and promote the "Cap-and-Dividend Bill" to auction off decreasing numbers of CO2 emission permits with the proceeds going back in equal measure to all US residents. This would reduce CO2 output and on average help those of lower income. This had very little traction even though economists love it and the Heritage Foundation proposed it. Its time has not yet come—but it will come.
- The pictures of the garish-yellow Animas River at an abandoned "hard rock" mine spill are unforgettable. A poster for mining irresponsibility. We urged Representatives to support HR 963, to hold mining corporations responsible for their cleanups. No action has been taken as of this writing.
- Congress did pass legislation that restored the 179D energy efficient building tax deduction, along with other renewal energy tax incentives. 179D allows for building owners to claim a tax deduction of $1.80 per sq. ft. of building area to offset the initial design and construction costs associated with better building systems. These systems reduce the total energy and power costs by 50 percent or more when compared with a reference ‘standard’ building.
Military Spending, Foreign Policy, Nuclear Weapons & Nuclear Power
- In 2015 the U.S., U.K., France, Russia, China and Germany (called the P5+1) reached a negotiated nuclear agreement with Iran that will keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons in return for lifting economic sanctions on Iran. Once the agreement was reached, the question became whether the U.S. Congress would move to approve or to oppose it. Since the agreement was not a treaty, it didn’t need Senate ratification and ultimately Congress did not take action. The Iran agreement stands as approved by the Administration.
- We asked President Obama to de-alert our nation’s 450 nuclear missiles that are on hair-trigger alert in order to reduce the possibility of an accidental nuclear war. The President has not done this, but a major push is planned for him to take this action before he leaves office.
- In April 2015 we encouraged our members to be part of the Peace and Planet conference, march, and rally that was held in NYC near the United Nations. The call was for an end to nuclear weapons and for actions to strengthen peace, build economic justice, and stabilize our climate. The event was huge with people from everywhere—over 1,000 from Japan alone.
- We urged Congress to exercise its oversight responsibilities and press the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to enforce and strengthen its safety regulations at nuclear power plants. Congress has not yet taken this action.
- The proposed U.S. Nuclear Weapons Modernization Program is expected to cost one trillion dollars over the next 30 years. We urged Congress to support the SANE bill that would cut about 1/3 of these funds. This spending issue has not yet been resolved.
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