What’s Green and Good about Obama’s Plan

[Towntalk]

UPDATE:

According to latest reports the Senate Bill isn't doing too well, and a number of provisions have already been taken out of it.

If and when it comes to a vote, it will not be in the form that it was Monday morning, and please don't forget that when the Senate version is passed, it will have to go over to the House for a vote and then the two versions will go to a House-Senate Conference whose job it will be to hash out a final version, then back to the House and Senate for a final vote.

Senate Lacks Votes to Pass Stimulus

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/03/AR2009020304024_pf.html

Stimulus bill bogs down in Senate discord

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/02/04/MNPC15MGPH.DTL

[irishbobcat]

What's Green and Good about Obama's Plan

Here are three things we think you'll be especially excited about in President Obama's economic recovery plan:
1.  GREEN JOBS ACT: $500 Million
In 2007, Green For All and our allies got the Green Jobs Act signed into law. The Act authorizes federal support for green-collar job-training programs. But last year, Congress failed to appropriate the money. Now, President Obama and the House want to invest $500 million in these programs. (YAY!)

But the Senate wants to create a grant program at half that amount, and divide this smaller pie into smaller pieces - by directing the funds to train workers in various industries (not just green ones). (Boo!)

With the support of the President and the House, full funding for the Green Jobs Act finally is within sight. But we need your help to move the Senate.

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2.  WEATHERIZATION: $6.2 Billion
President Obama's recovery package contains the largest weatherization investment in history, as well as funding for a number of other programs that will increase the energy efficiency of America's buildings. Upgrading our buildings so that they protect us better from the weather means we can spend less energy heating and cooling them.
This is the single biggest thing we can do right now to stop global warming. Nothing in the country uses as much energy as our buildings - not even our transportation. And weatherizing won't just save lots of energy and reduce greenhouse gases - it will also create a ton of new green-collar jobs!

3.  DOUBLING RENEWABLE ENERGY
Efficiency is only part of the solution. We also need to replace the fossil fuels we're burning with renewable energy. The recovery plan is part of that, with plans to double our capacity to generate renewable energy in just three years. Another big job engine!

Please contact your senators and tell them not to derail this plan! It's time to go green now!
Dennis Spisak
Mahoning Valley Green Party
Ohio Green Party
www.ohiogreens.org
www.votespisak.org/thinkgreen/