A few weeks ago, Intel's Government Affairs Manager assured me that Intel "remains committed to the principle that Oregon continues to lead on the critical issues of carbon reduction and climate change." He also said, "I hope and believe there will be legislation this year that delivers on that goal." This was after members of the Cascade Climate Network, myself included, had invited Intel to lobby in support of Oregon's Senate Bill 80 - a cap on greenhouse emissions in our state. Intel's reply, in essence, can be summed up like this: We can't lobby for SB 80 right now, but don't worry; we're confident Oregon will pass plenty of great global warming laws this year.
Well, a few weeks after Intel tried to reassure us that there was no need for them to lobby on behalf of SB 80, the bill is in tatters. SB 80 is no longer even a cap on greenhouse emissions - it simply instructs Oregon agencies to find ways of reducing emissions, and gives them a lot of discretion in the process. Hmm....looks like Intel was a little over-confident about the prospects for prospects on "the critical issues of carbon reduction and climate change" moving forward without their help. Of course, while refusing to step up in defense of SB 80, Intel was still lending its membership to the alliance of corporate interests bent on destroying climate policy in this state....
Intel helped kill SB 80. It's time to hold them accountable.
-Nick Engelfried
Showing posts with label greenhouse emissions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label greenhouse emissions. Show all posts
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Is Intel a Fossil Fool?
Yesterday, approximately 50 students from colleges and universities across Oregon converged on our state capitol to lobby our elected officials for bold climate policy. A representative of Intel was there with us, to support the goal of a clean energy future for Oregon, and show that the largest private employer in this state is willing to stand with the youth of Oregon in confronting the most urgent environmental challenge of our time.
April fools!!!
The part about Oregon's youth climate movement is true; we really were in Salem yesterday to push our representatives for real action on global warming and clean energy. We members of the Cascade Climate Network showed that the young people of this country are not going to sit there and let industry kill the progressive climate legislation moving forward in Oregon. But the part about Intel is the April Fools (Fossil Fools) Day joke. The Cascaded Climate Network's Corporate Accountability branch challenged Intel to live up to its green rhetoric by lobbying with us yesterday. But Intel's head lobbyist said no.
The part about Oregon's youth climate movement is true; we really were in Salem yesterday to push our representatives for real action on global warming and clean energy. We members of the Cascade Climate Network showed that the young people of this country are not going to sit there and let industry kill the progressive climate legislation moving forward in Oregon. But the part about Intel is the April Fools (Fossil Fools) Day joke. The Cascaded Climate Network's Corporate Accountability branch challenged Intel to live up to its green rhetoric by lobbying with us yesterday. But Intel's head lobbyist said no.
Show Intel what you think of their foolishness by voting in the pole at left!
What was Intel's excuse? We asked them to support SB 80 - the bill that would put a permanent cap on Oregon's greenhouse emissions - and Intel claimed they couldn't get behind it because they hadn't yet seen the exact wording of the bill. Well, that's understandable. But then I suggested that they join us in simply lobbying for a cap on carbon, with the understanding that the company couldn't commit to any bill until they saw the final wording. Intel still wouldn't join us. In fact, their head lobbyist said it was "disturbing" that we would assume Intel supported a cap on carbon, just because they claim to be a leader in corporate sustainability. Come again?
I'd say that this week, Intel showed itself to be a true "fossil fool" - a company that may talk the talk, but is not walking the walk when it comes to leadership in sustainability. If you agree, please vote on the poll at left, and help the Cascade Climate Network deliver Intel a "foolie" - an award that officially recognizes their fossil foolishness, and urges them to get their act together.
Let's call for an end to Intel's foolishness.
-Nick Engelfried
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Guest Column: Oregon Energy Agenda '09
This guest column by climate activist Jesse Jenkins is cross-posted from WattHead - Energy News and Commentary. Jesse gives us a preview Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski's plan to curb greenhouse emissions and facilitate our state's transition to renewable energy sources in 2009. If the steps Jesse outlines become reality in our state, we will truly be a national leader in the emerging clean energy economy - but we have to make sure the giant business associations don't stand in the way of this transition. All I have to add to Jesse's piece is that if you follow the link to the Oregonian article below, you'll see that Industrial Customers of Northwest Utilities (ICNU) is already speaking up against Kulongoski's ambitious plan. If that's not a sign that Intel needs to distance itself from the rampantly anti-environmental ICNU, then I don't know what is. -Nick
Guest Column: Governor Ted Kulongoski Unveils Clean Energy Agenda for 2009
By Jesse Jenkins
Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski unveiled the ambitious clean energy agenda he hopes to see implemented by the 2009 Oregon Legislature on Monday. Following up on a landmark 2007 legislative session that saw the Beaver State enact an ambitious renewable energy standard, expand tax credits for clean energy, and enact new standards for energy efficiency, Governor Kulongoski isn’t resting on his laurels.
“Climate change is the most important environmental and economic issue of our time,” Kulongoski said as he laid out his proposal for new clean energy tax incentives and ambitious goals he wants the 2009 Legislature to adopt.
On Monday, Governor Kulongoski said it’s time to redouble the state’s commitment to a clean energy future. “In 2009, we must be bolder, more comprehensive and even more visionary,” Kulongoski said. Right on!
According to the Oregonian, Kulongoski’s proposals include:
• Greenhouse gas reduction: Authorizes regional cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions; sets limits on emissions from the state’s largest sources; sets low-carbon standards for all new electricity generation
• Energy efficiency: Establishes energy performance certificates for new homes or commercial buildings, similar to MPG ratings for new cars; sets goal of zero-emission new buildings by 2030; allows 50 percent tax credit for large-scale energy efficiency projects, up to $20 million
• Renewable energy: Sets up pilot program to pay for energy produced from solar projects; establishes tax credit for residents who donate to a renewable energy incentive fund
• Transportation: Offers $5,000 credit for purchase of new plug-in hybrid or all-electric car; authorizes new low-carbon fuel standard similar to those in Washington and California
His plans to implement a cap and trade program, joining with other states in the Western Climate Initiative, will likely draw the most opposition. Groups representing industrial energy consumers are already lining up in opposition. But it’s clear that Governor Kulongoski, who faces his last legislative session as Oregon’s governor, has decided to pin his legacy on efforts to make Oregon a clean energy leader and tackle global warming.
Jesse Jenkins is leading student activist in the western US states. He is a co-founder of the Cascade Climate Network, and blogmaster for Watthead - Energy News and Commentary. He is now co-directing the Breakthrow Institute's IN campaign in California. Jesse has fought to bring renewable power into fruition in the western states, and helped prevent 800 MW of new coal plants from going on-line in the Northwest. He now lives in Berkely, California.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
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
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
Sunday, September 7, 2008
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
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
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