With Emissions Up 3%, it's Time to Get Serious

The phrase, "beyond the worst-case scenario," or its equivalent, has become a familiar one to us climate activists. The Antarctic ice cap is melting faster than anyone predicted; on the other end of the end planet, the North Pole is quickly becoming a new ocean faster than was thought possible; and now a new report shows that worldwide greenhouse emissions grew by 3% this year - again, a scenario worse than the "worst case" predicted by scientists a few years ago.

What this shows is that we're going to have to work even harder than we knew to save the planet from catastrophic global warming. It can still be done, but it's time to push beyond the half-measures being advocated by Big Government and Big Business. For a company like Intel, that touts itself as a good steward environment, this news should be taken as a sign that association with anti-environmental groups like Industrial Customers of Northwest Utilities (ICNU) is simply ridiculous. The planetary situation could not be more urgent; and Intel claims to want to do something about it. To prove it's seriousness, the company must not only break away from ICNU, but publicly condemn the lobbying activities of that group. Intel has a power unmatched by any private employer in Oregon to call out anti-environmental business alliances, and urge politicians to move forward in creating a clean, green economy for our region. With the stakes so high, the actions Intel needs to take to live up to its "green" reputation are clear.

Nick Engelfried
Blog and Communications Manager
The Uncover Intel Secrets Campaign

Youth are Calling for Change -- in the Form of Climate Solutions

Students across this nation are calling for change. And not only the type that Sen. Obama has to offer. Nope, we're calling for aggressive solutions to the climate crisis in order to move this country from fossil-fueled dependency to a green energy economy. Which, by the way, Mr. Obama, clean coal will not do.

Here in the Northwest, there are young people are taking the opportunity that global warming presents to build groups, networks, and coalitions and work toward a sustainable, just, and prosperous future for all. We are on the ground, putting our money where our mouth is. Whitman College is raising money to put up a large solar array on campus. Oregon State University and Southern Oregon University are running local food campaigns to lessen their food's carbon footprint and support local farmers. University of Washington is working with their administration to reduce the impacts of their campus power plant. And this is just a small handful of the flurry of activity which is happening. For more information on how young people in the Northwest are contributing to the youth climate movement, check out the website of the Cascade Climate Network, a network of 20 colleges and universities in Washington and Oregon collaborating knowledge, skill, and political geographic breadth to win victories across this region.

Pacific University students are tackling a unique corporate campaign -- they are publicizing the fact that the international corporation Intel regularly lobbies in the state of Oregon against global warming or sustainable energy legislation. Intel has worked hard to develop its green image, publicizing its successes developing green technologies that save more energy and local community initiatives. However, their local lobbying practices fly in the face of this green ethic. Students at Pacific have strategically formed a game-plan to share with the local community that Intel is not the ethical steward they claim. Pacific University is located in Washington Co near Intel's Oregon headquarters and is primely placed to carry forth this effort. Look for them on campus and out in the community pressuring Intel to do the right thing, and support global warming state legislation in our beautiful state of Oregon.

Jenny Bedell-Stiles
NW Regional Organizer
Sierra Student Coalition

Uncover Intel Secrets Takes Off at Pacific U!

The campaign to Uncover Intel Secrets was officially launched in Washington County yesterday, at Pacific University. Today and yesterday combined, I and other student activists told close to a hundred people about Intel's connections to groups that lobby against progress on global warming. Over 80 of the people we talked to were young people who signed the Power Vote pledge to vote for clean, renewable energy, and participate in politics to bring about a transition away from fossil fuels in this country.

Here in Oregon, many of our elected officials are almost ready to take the strong action we need on global warming and energy issues. What's holding them back is the influence wielded by major business alliances opposed to progress on energy policy. As Pacific University students signed the Power Vote pledge these last two days, we let them know about this major stumbling block in Oregon's path to a clean energy future. Eighty people who before knew nothing about Intel's connections to the fossil fuels promotion machine now know that there is something up with Intel. Something not so green, at all.

This is just the beginning, friends. We're going to keep registering students to Power Vote, and will soon begin reaching out to the wider community as well. Intel's little secret isn't going to stay covered up much longer.

-Nick

Not-So-Green Connections

Intel Corporation is the largest private employer in Oregon, and loves to paint itself as a "green" company and environmentally responsible neighbor. It's true that Intel has been involved in some pretty green projects, and even that the company has done some good work to reduce its own energy consumption and emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. That's why I, for one, was surprised to learn about some of Intel's less-than-green activities that have taken place in Oregon over the last few years.

In February of this year, I was part of a group of college students from across the state who visited Oregon's capitol to lobby for the only global warming legislation up for passage during the 2008 special legislative session: HB 3610 - a bill that, if passed into law, would have enabled the State of Oregon to gather needed information about current sources of greenhouse emissions in our state. The group of us students believed 3610 was an important step toward laying the foundations for the kind of strong action to curb greenhouse emissions that we need to see in 2009. Despite our efforts, however, the bill failed to pass; it was beaten back by lobbyists from several corporate business associations which don't want global warming legislation to get in the way of their profits. And what was one of the largest companies in any of the business associations that opposed 3610? Intel.

An alliance of businesses that Intel is a part of also strongly opposed important global warming bills in the 2007 legislative session. Luckily, the 2007 bills passed anyway - but this group of powerful corporations is sure to fight tooth and nail to block similar laws in 2009.

Intel is not directly responsible for all the actions taken by the business associations it belongs to. However, as Oregon's biggest private employer, Intel's name lends a lot of credibility to any association it belongs to. This means that if Intel is serious about making progress against global warming in this state, it needs to break away from groups like Industrial Customers of Northwest Utilities (ICNU) - a strong opponent of making progress on this issue. After ICNU's successful defeat of HB 3610 in February, I and other students were determined to make sure Intel wouldn't be lending its name to such efforts again. So now we are launching a major campaign that will unite college students from different campuses with community groups that are neighbor to Intel's Oregon headquarters, in an effort to make Intel live up to its green image. Join us in uncovering Intel's dirty secrets!

-Nick