Earth Week 2009
| FRIDAY 4/24: | - Former Vice President Al Gore and former Senator John Warner, R-VA, joined in bi-partisan support for the Waxman-Markey clean energy jobs bill.
Former Vice President and Nobel recipient Al Gore supports Waxman-Markey legislation - he sees it as an opportunity to create jobs and fight the climate crisis.
Foreign policy expert and statesman Senator John Warner (R-VA) testified in favor of clean energy and security legislation. Calling for a ‘beachhead" against pollution and letting the committee know his grand children are the reason he advocates for clean energy and climate policy.
Al Gore condemns industry executives who sought to suppress public health warnings and the science regarding the danger of global warming.
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| THURSDAY 4/23: | - 'Industry Ignored its Scientists on Climate' - In a front page New York Times story today, reporter Andrew Revkin reports that an organization worked to supress global warming science, concealing the danger to the public well-being, using the same tactics the tobacco companies that were used to supress the link to lung cancer.
- Business leaders continued to join with labor and environmental leaders to support clean energy jobs legislation and putting a cap on pollution.
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| WEDNESDAY 4/22: | - Three cabinet level officials from the Obama Administration testified in support or clean energy jobs legislation. Steven Chu (Secretary of Energy), Ray LaHood, (Secretary of Transportation) and Lisa Jackson (EPA) all testified.
- Chairman Markey introduces the recycling bottle bill.
- The Earth Week celebration went virtual as TechSoup and OneSky/OneClimate launched the EcoCommons Island in Second Life. Select Committee staff delivered the keynote address.
- President Obama marked Earth Day by visiting a wind turbine factory in Newton, Iowa –a plant that was left idle after a refrigerator factory left town. Now it has been retooled to make wind turbines and saved those manufacturing jobs in Iowa. The CEO of the company, Steven Lockard, testified before the Select Committee last year.
- John Fetterman, Mayor of the Pennsylvania steel working town of Braddock, testified before the Energy and Commerce Committee that his community, and the country, are ready to tackle the green jobs that capping carbon pollution will generate.
- WalMart announces they will double their use of solar power.
- White House Council on Environmental Quality advisor Van Jones green jobs quote: "There's a wingspan on these jobs goes from GED to Ph.D."
- Hilda Solis, Former Select Committee member now serving as Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis joined with Energy Secretary Chu for an op-ed on green recovery jobs.
- Chairman Markey welcomed constituents from Massachusetts 7th District to Washington, DC for Constituent Day.
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| TUESDAY 4/21: | - The Energy & Commerce Committee and the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment began hearings on the Waxman-Markey climate change legislation.
- Speaker Nancy Pelosi held an event with House committee chairmen, faith and business leaders.
- The Catholic Church launched an intiative to fight climate change and stand up for vulnerable communities in harms' way across the world.
- A new savings report released today from the Union of Concerned Scientists found that implementinga suite of energy, climate and transportation features would save consumers and businesses $465 billion in 2030 - including $900 on electricity bills and $580 on transportation.
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| MONDAY 4/20: | - China is outspending the United States in the race for clean energy technology and jobs, according to a new report by the Center for American Progress. The report suggests China is spending $12.6 million an hour to green their economy.
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| SUNDAY 4/19: | - Thousands gathered on the National Mall to kick off Earth Day events. Chairman Markey spoke before young climate activists as part of the Earth Day on the National Mall celebration. He was joined by Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the EPA, along with musical artists Moe and The Flaming Lips.
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| SATURDAY 4/18: | - At 103 events across the country, 70 members of Congress took part in Focus the Nation town hall events to discuss the clean energy economy and creating green jobs with students and community leaders across the country.
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PLEASE NOTE: The House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming was created to explore American clean energy solutions that end our reliance on foreign oil and reduce carbon pollution.
The Select Committee was active during the 110th and 111th Congresses. This is an archived version of the website, to ensure that the public has ongoing access to the Select Committee record. This website, including external links, will not be updated after Jan. 3rd, 2010.
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