WASHINGTON, DC, January 19, 2009 (ENS) – Hundreds of thousands of people participated in more than 11,000 service events across the country today to honor President-elect Barack Obama’s request to Americans of all ages to help fellow citizens in celebration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday and of his inauguration as the 44th President of the United States.

This morning, Obama participated in the renovation of safe space housing for homeless and runaway or disconnected young people at Sasha Bruce Youthwork, an organization that has met the urgent needs of Washington, DC’s at-risk youth and their families for more than 30 years.

Vice President-elect Joe Biden worked with Habitat for Humanity alongside 50 AmeriCorps volunteers, firefighters, and police officers to help build homes for families in need in northeast Washington, DC.

Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha Obama, Dr. Jill Biden, and Ashley Biden participated in the day’s largest service project. At Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, volunteers made more than 85,000 care packages for American servicemen and women stationed around the globe.

Across the country, many people are taking environmental action, planting trees, restoring native plants and removing trash from parks and beaches.

In Exton, Pennsylvania, Diane Peralta says the theme at Exton Elementary School this year is, “No child left inside.” For the day of service, the staff ordered small Arbor Day trees for each classroom that the students can care for. “When the weather gets better we will plant them outside and donate the rest,” said Peralta. “The students will learn about nature in the process! We are bringing the outside inside for the moment.”

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, the Clean Water Fund is making Tuesday a day of service to protect the environment. Organizer Marta Johnson says, “Help us educate the community on important upcoming environmental issues and grow our voice to ensure we get Michigan back on track with a green economy!”

Members of Earth Team plant native species at the Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline. (Photo courtesy Earth Team)

In Oakland, California, Save The Bay worked with volunteers from EarthTeam, a local network of students, teachers and youth leaders, and employees from Kaiser Permanente to restore wetlands and pick up trash at the Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline in Oakland.

Coordinator Darcie Collins said the volunteers are planting native species such as blue wild rye and lavender in the tidal salt marsh. The vegetation provides food and shelter for two endangered species – a bird called the California clapper rail found only in the San Francisco Bay area and the salt marsh harvest mouse, which she says is “no bigger than your thumb.”

Another more ad hoc group brought trash bags to the beach at Long Beach, California and filled them with litter.

Litter is important to Rakesh Baruah, who wants a Litter Free Inauguration on the National Mall on Tuesday for the hundreds of thousands of people who are expected to be there to witness this historic inauguration.

“After President-elect Obama’s speech on election night, volunteers and clean-up crews spent hours picking up the trash left behind by supporters. Let’s make sure this doesn’t happen to the National Mall on Inauguration Day, says Baruah. “If you plan on packing on to the mall to celebrate President Obama’s swearing-in on January 20th, please bring a bag to carry any trash you may have with you when you leave. It’s that simple! Help us spread the word about Litter Free Inauguration 2009.”

Days of service are planned from now until the end of January. In Houston, Texas, for instance, volunteers from Keep Houston Beautiful will plant trees along the trail for the visually impaired on January 31.

And above all, people across the country are rejoicing and helping others – with food drives, neighborhood celebrations, pot lucks, inauguration watching parties, and Renew America gatherings – in parks, golf clubs, restaurants and cafes; in homes, churches, schools, theaters, and in community halls – there is celebration.

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WASHINGTON, DC, January 13, 2009 (ENS) – In honor of President-Elect Barack Obama and Vice President-Elect Joe Biden, millions of people are heading to the nation’s capital to celebrate the inauguration set for January 20.

First up, and greenest, the Green Inaugural Ball: Maximum Celebration, Minimal Impact, on Saturday at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium celebrates grassroots efforts to protect and improve the environment. The carbon-neutral event is open to the public. Tickets for the black-tie gala are $500 apiece and five percent of ticket prices will go to nonprofit groups that have partnered with event planner Event Emissary.

President-elect Barack Obama (Photo courtesy Obama Transition Project)

Grammy Award-winning musician and social activist Wyclef Jean will perform. The Haitian-born performer created the nonprofit foundation Yéle Haiti in January 2005, and the charity already has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of poverty-stricken Haitians through its programs of sustainable development.

This Green Inaugural Ball is produced by Event Emissary, Washington, DC’s first green event planning company, which has thought of everything in terms of how it affects the environment.

Event Emissary co-founder Jenna Mack said, ” With millions of visitors headed to Washington for President-elect Obama’s swearing in ceremony and accompanying celebrations, the impact on our environment will be substantial. Our goal is to create an unforgettable evening while treading lightly on the Earth.”

The Green Ball’s power consumption will be minimal and the electricity used to produce the event will be offset by the purchase of renewable energy credits. Decorative lighting and audio-visuals use only the most efficient equipment. Food waste and floral arrangements will be composted.

Vice president-elect Joe Biden (Photo courtesy Obama-Biden campaign)

Guests are encouraged to take public transportation and the venue was selected because it is located half a block from a Metro station. Event Emissary will purchase carbon credits to offset all truck deliveries and staff commutes for the event.

Even the web hosting company handling the Green Inaugural Ball website is green. AISO.net, based in California, uses solar panels to run their green data center and office and their servers use less energy and generate less heat than conventional equipment.

Obama and Biden are invited to attend The Green Ball: Maximum Celebration, Minimal Impact, but there is no guarantee that they will show up.

A second green inaugural ball will be hosted by former Vice President Al Gore on Monday, the night before the inauguration.

The invitation-only affair at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery is called “The Green Ball: Inauguration of a New Green Economy.” Ticket prices to the sold-out event were not made public.

More than two dozen ecological and environmental coalitions are mentioned on the invitation, which encourages attendees to “bring together a diverse coalition of environmentally-forward organizations, entrepreneurs, scientists and advocates, celebrating a commitment to growing the New Green Economy.”

Poster created for the Obama inauguration (Poster by Bobbi Miller-Moro)

On Saturday, President-elect Obama, Vice President-elect Biden and their families will journey to Washington, DC by train, holding events that are free and open to the public along the way.

Beyonce, Bono, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder are among the performers on stage Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial for the opening celebration for the 56th Presidential Inaugural. The event will be free and open to the public, kicking off what the Presidential Inaugural Committee calls “the most open and accessible Inauguration in history.”

The concert, “We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial,” will be presented by HBO on Sunday, January 18, 7:00-9:00 pm ET/PT. HBO will televise the event on an open signal, working with all of its distributors to allow Americans across the country with access to cable, telcos or satellite television to join in the opening celebration for free.

Musical performers also scheduled for the event include – Mary J. Blige, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, John Mellencamp, Usher Raymond IV, Shakira, James Taylor, and will.i.am.

Reading historical passages will be Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington.

“We have found that the great artists are eager to take part and each one is working with us to find music that expresses the optimism and hope that people bring to the Obama inauguration,” said Michael Stevens, a producer and writer of the show.

On Monday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President-elect Obama will call on all Americans to make an ongoing commitment to serve their communities and their country. A new website, USAservice.org, makes it easy for Americans to organize service events or find existing events. To date, nearly 6,000 events have been organized.

Michelle Obama with daughters Sasha and Malia at the 2008 Democratic National Convention (Photo by Marc Piscotty for Congressional Quarterly)

Monday evening, Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden, and their families will host a free “Kids’ Inaugural” concert to honor military families, broadcast live on the Disney Channel and Radio Disney.

Musical performers for the Kids’ Inaugural event include the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and Bow Wow.

On Inauguration Day, Tuesday, January 20, for the first time in history, the entire length of the National Mall will be open to the public for the swearing in ceremony at 10 am on the west front of the U.S. Capitol.

President-elect Obama will take the oath of office, using President Abraham Lincoln’s Inaugural Bible, administered by the Chief Justice of the United States, the Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr.

On the evening of Inauguration Day, the first ball that President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will attend is the first-ever Neighborhood Inaugural Ball. Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Faith Hill, JAY-Z, Alicia Keys, Shakira and Stevie Wonder are scheduled to perform. Broadcast live on ABC television stations and over the Internet.

The other nine official presidential inaugural balls where President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden are guaranteed to make an appearance are:

Dr. Jill Biden (Photo courtesy Obama-Biden campaign)

Youth Inaugural Ball: for the 18 to 35 crowd. Ticket cost: $75. Venue: Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Ave. N.W.

Obama Home States Inaugural Ball: for Illinois and Hawaii residents, invitation-only. Ticket cost: $150. Venue: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place N.W.

Biden Home States Inaugural Ball: for Delaware and Pennsylvania residents, invitation only. Ticket cost: $150. Venue: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place N.W.

Eastern Inaugural Ball: for residents of Eastern states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, invitation only. Ticket cost: $150. Venue: Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave. N.E.

Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Western inaugural balls: Mid-Atlantic includes invitees from New York to West Virginia; Midwest includes such states as Kansas, North Dakota and Missouri; Western states include California as well as Guam, American Samoa. Ticket cost: $150. Venue: Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Southern Inaugural Ball: for residents of Southern states, invitatio-only. Ticket cost: $150. Venue: National Guard Armory, 2001 E. Capitol St. S.E.

Commander in Chief’s Inaugural Ball: Open to enlisted active-duty and reserve military; ticket cost not released. Venue: National Building Museum, 401 F St. N.W.

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FAIRFAX, Virginia, January 8, 2009 (ENS) – President-elect Barack Obama today pledged to quickly implement a plan that will save or create three million jobs by doubling the production of alternative energy; weatherizing 75 percent of federal buildings and two million American homes; and investing in new infrastructure, science, research, and technology.

In a speech at George Mason University, Obama said the multi-billion dollar American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan he will advance immediately after he takes office on January 20, represents “not just new policy, but a whole new approach to meeting our most urgent challenges.”

President-elect Barack Obama at George Mason University. (Photo Obama Transition Project)

“That’s why I’m asking Congress to work with me and my team day and night, on weekends if necessary, to get the plan passed in the next few weeks,” he said.

“To finally spark the creation of a clean energy economy, we will double the production of alternative energy in the next three years,” Obama said. “We will modernize more than 75 percent of federal buildings and improve the energy efficiency of two million American homes, saving consumers and taxpayers billions on our energy bills.”

“In the process, we will put Americans to work in new jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced,” said Obama, “jobs building solar panels and wind turbines; constructing fuel-efficient cars and buildings; and developing the new energy technologies that will lead to even more jobs, more savings, and a cleaner, safer planet in the bargain.”

The new Democrat-controlled Congress opened on Tuesday, with indications that Obama’s plan will receive support.

At a forum Wednesday held by the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, said that Congress will move quickly to implement the plan.

Said Pelosi, “We will be working in the days ahead with our President-elect so we have legislation before we observe President’s Day this year.” The holiday falls on February 16, 2009.

Senator Harry Reid (Photo courtesy Office of the Senator)

At a news conference Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada detailed the top 10 priorities for the new Congress, beginning with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help improve the economy.

“This Congress, Democrats have one explicit goal: to deliver the change Americans have demanded,” Reid said. “We are confronting some of the most severe problems we have faced in generations. They didn’t happen overnight and they won’t be solved in a day, but by working together in a bipartisan fashion, Democrats know we can move our country forward.”

Bipartisanship is an integral feature of the plan, Obama said today. Pledging transparency in decisionmaking, he said, “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan won’t just throw money at our problems – we’ll invest in what works. The true test of the policies we’ll pursue won’t be whether they’re Democratic or Republican ideas, but whether they create jobs, grow our economy, and put the American Dream within reach of the American people.

Many environmentalists support Obama’s plan.

Friends of the Earth President Brent Blackwelder said, “America is facing profound and deeply intertwined energy and economic crises. President-elect Obama’s speech today indicates he understands the tremendous scope and interrelated nature of these challenges – and that he is committed to leading the bold, transformative changes that will be needed to solve them.”

“With his leadership,” said Blackwelder, “we can create millions of green jobs “and revitalize our economy, while building a clean and efficient 21st Century infrastructure.”

 A crumbling bridge on the I-95 in northeast Philadelphia Pennsylvania (Photo credit unknown)

Friends of the Earth is running a “New Roads = New Pollution” campaign to encourage smart transportation investments in the stimulus package and to block funding for new roads. Instead, the group wants Obama to direct funding towards improving and expanding clean transportation options, including public transit and passenger rail, as well as on maintaining and repairing the roads and bridges that already exist.

“Dollar for dollar,” said Blackwelder, “investments in public transportation and road and bridge repair create more jobs than new road construction and lead to cleaner air and less pollution.”

The advocacy organization Environmental Defense today issued a transportation policy statement that urges the Obama administration and Congress to focus on “getting more value from existing infrastructure” to improve transportation, put Americans to work now, save money in the long run and reduce health-threatening air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Policymakers should, “Increase support for transit in cities of all sizes and in all regions of the country,” said Environmental Defense, putting the emphasis on “innovative but proven systems, such as bus-rapid-transit, that can deliver service quickly using the country’s existing road infrastructure.”

This road in Cedar Falls, Iowa was damaged by flooding in 2008. (Photo courtesy Iowa DOT)

In a letter delivered to Congress Wednesday, 159 businesses and organizations in the Sustainable Energy Network, joined by 61 individual activists, urged the lawmakers to focus on sustainable energy technologies and green jobs, but not nuclear power and fossil fuels, when they consider the economic stimulus bill this week.

The letter argues that “funding should be targeted at those energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that can be brought on line quickly, will maximize job creation, will curb greenhouse gases and energy imports, and have the least adverse social and environmental impacts.”

Obama said today that his American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan will “put people to work repairing crumbling roads, bridges, and schools by eliminating the backlog of well-planned, worthy and needed infrastructure projects.”

To “retrofit America for a global economy” he plans to update electricity transmission by building “a new smart grid that will save us money, protect our power sources from blackout or attack, and deliver clean, alternative forms of energy to every corner of our nation.”

He plans to expand broadband lines across America, “so that a small business in a rural town can connect and compete with their counterparts anywhere in the world.”

But Obama did not minimize the difficult problems he faces as he takes the reins of power on January 20.

“We start 2009 in the midst of a crisis unlike any we have seen in our lifetime – a crisis that has only deepened over the last few weeks,” said the president-elect. “Nearly two million jobs have now been lost, and on Friday we are likely to learn that we lost more jobs last year than at any time since World War II.”

Obama listed America’s economic woes – manufacturing at a 28 year low, businesses that cannot borrow or make payroll, families who cannot pay their bills or their mortgages, workers watching their life savings disappear.

 A new smart grid is needed to move power from new alternative energy sources such as this SunEdison photovoltaic power plant near Alamosa, Colorado. (Photo by Tom Stoffel courtesy NREL)

“I don’t believe it’s too late to change course, but it will be if we don’t take dramatic action as soon as possible,” he said. “If nothing is done, this recession could linger for years. The unemployment rate could reach double digits. Our economy could fall $1 trillion short of its full capacity, which translates into more than $12,000 in lost income for a family of four.”

“We could lose a generation of potential and promise, as more young Americans are forced to forgo dreams of college or the chance to train for the jobs of the future,” Obama said. “And our nation could lose the competitive edge that has served as a foundation for our strength and standing in the world.”

Obama placed the blame for America’s weakened economy on “an era of profound irresponsibility that stretched from corporate boardrooms to the halls of power in Washington, DC,” reciting the now well-known problems – “imprudent and dangerous decisions” by Wall Street executives, banks and borrowers, and politicians who have “spent taxpayer money without wisdom or discipline.”

“The result has been a devastating loss of trust and confidence in our economy, our financial markets, and our government,” he said.

But sounding his perennial message of hope, Obama said opportunity and prosperity can be restored, and he promised to begin rebuilding America immediately.

“The very fact that this crisis is largely of our own making means that it is not beyond our ability to solve,” he said. “Our problems are rooted in past mistakes, not our capacity for future greatness.”

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CHICAGO, Illinois, December 10, 2008 (ENS) – President-elect Barack Obama signaled that he is ready to tackle the climate crisis immediately upon taking office, following a meeting Tuesday with former Vice President Al Gore and Vice President-elect Joe Biden.

“All three of us are in agreement that the time for delay is over, the time for denial is over,” Obama said.

The three men met at the Transition’s Chicago headquarters to discuss energy and climate policy – and how addressing those issues can drive the nation’s economic recovery.

“This is a matter of urgency and national security,” Obama said. “It is not only a problem, it is also an opportunity.”

From left, Vice president-elect Joseph Biden,
President-elect Barack Obama, former Vice
President Al Gore at Transition headquarters.
December 9, 2008 (Photo courtesy Obama
Transition Team)

“We have the opportunity now to create jobs all across this country in all 50 states to repower America,” said Obama, “to redesign how we use energy and think about how we are increasing efficiency to make our economy stronger, make us more safe, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and make us competitive for decades to come – even as we save the planet.”

Obama’s “repower America” comment Tuesday is an echo of Gore’s plan, made public in July, to Repower America with 100 percent clean electricity within 10 years.

The plan to Repower America outlines immediate investments in three areas: energy efficiency, renewable generation and transmission.
# Energy Efficiency: A national upgrade to eliminate waste, save money, and improve comfort. Make every bit of energy we produce work harder for us.

# Renewable Generation: Accelerate the ramp-up of clean, renewable electricity sources through policies that support increased private and public investment in technologies that work, like wind, solar, and geothermal.

# Unified National Smart Grid: Modernize transmission infrastructure so that clean electricity generated anywhere in America can power homes and businesses across the nation. National electricity ‘interstates’ that move power quickly and cheaply to where it needs to be; local smart grids that buy and sell power from households and support clean plug-in cars.

The president-elect and the former vice president appear to be in accord on the urgent need to address global warming after eight years of denial, delay and neglect during the Bush administration. Obama is taking advice from Gore, who shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for his work to publicize the dangers of global warming through his Oscar-winning documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.”

In November, the We Can Solve It campaign mounted by Gore’s nonprofit Alliance for Climate Protection launched an advertising and grassroots effort to support the president-elect as he enacts policies to revitalize the American economy and help solve the climate crisis.

Obama is not waiting until he takes office to go green. His will be the first eco-friendly inaugural celebration in American history.

Event Emissary, a DC-based event planning company, announced today that it will host the Green Ball to kick off the Obama Inaugural on January 17, 2009 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. www.greeninauguralball.com

Co-founder Jenna Mack explains, ” With millions of visitors headed to Washington for President-elect Obama’s swearing in ceremony and accompanying celebrations, the impact on our environment will be substantial. Our goal is to create an unforgettable evening while treading lightly on the Earth.”

Every facet of The Green Ball is designed to reduce the impact on the environment. Catering will be 100 percent organic and include both vegetarian and vegan options. The bars will feature local and organic beverages. Food waste and floral arrangements will be composted and bottles will be recycled.

Decorative lighting will focus on the use of LED Color Blasts that utilize a fraction of the power compared to more traditional lighting sources. Entertainment audio-visual production will be tailored to minimize environmental impact, using only the most efficient lighting and equipment.

“That which cannot be reduced will be offset,” says Mack. “Energy usage will be measured closely and offset through the purchase of wind power credits. Transportation for deliveries to the event, as well as vendor and staff transportation will be offset through the purchase of carbon credits.”

Event Emissary Co-founder Stephanie Campbell said, “While one green event is a step in the right direction, our goal is to bring attention to this issue while the Presidential Inaugural Committee and many other groups are still early in their planning. We hope to set an example to other organizations and encourage them to green their events, as well.”

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WASHINGTON, DC, November 5, 2008 (ENS) – Congratulations to President-elect Barack Obama and his team with messages of hope and pledges of support rolled in today from environmental and sustainable business groups across the political spectrum.

The Sierra Club said in a statement, “If the Obama administration is as smartly, deliberately, and thoughtfully run as his presidential campaign, our country and our future are in very capable hands.”

Obama declared in his victory speech, “We cannot go back to the old way of doing things.”

The groups agree and each organization – from the investors of the Ceres Group to the grassroots members of Defenders of Wildlife – has words of advice for Obama along with their congratulations and compliments.

Many groups are reminding Obama of his pledge to make clean energy his top priority, to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, kickstart economic recovery, create millions of jobs, and curb climate change.

Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense said, “This election offers us the greatest opportunity we have ever had to change course on global warming.”

“We must do everything we can to pass climate legislation here at home and to craft a global compact that unites the world against the common enemy of rising temperatures, melting ice caps, erratic weather and the spread of disease,” said Krupp.

President-elect Barack Obama (Photo
courtesy Obama for America)

Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres, the largest coalition of investors, environmental and public interest organizations in North America, said members of her group want the Obama administration and Congress to curb global warming by passing legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent below 1990 by 2020, and 80 percent below the benchmark by 2050.

Ceres urges reform of the capital markets to require “honest accounting of financial risks that companies and investors face from climate change.”

An Obama administration should end tax incentives and subsidies for high carbon-emitting technologies and projects and enact mandates that 20 percent of the nation’s electricity come from renewable power by 2020 and at least 30 percent by 2030, Lubber said.

“The new administration and Congress must shun the excuse that it is ‘too expensive’ to act to curb global warming, to treat our resources as limited, or to end our allegiance to high-carbon fuels,” said Lubber. “It is too expensive not to act, and the cost of inaction in a future world of 9 billion people is what Barack Obama last night called “a planet in peril.”

“It is a world in a headlong rush toward climate instability, water scarcity, high food prices, deeper global poverty, and locked in a perilous addiction to oil and coal,” she said.

“The reward for action is a green and sustainable economy that creates new business opportunities, trains a legion of new workers, helps heal the environment and assures our future,” Lubber said. “We believe investors, companies and those who work for them are just waiting for the signals from Washington to begin this work. Those signals should come quickly – in the first 12 months of the new administration.”

With 750,000 members and activists, Environment America and its federation of state environment groups endorsed Obama for president and 29 candidates for Congress and lobbied swing voters on behalf of their candidates.

“This election pitted the energy policy of last 30 years against that of the next 30 years,” said Anna Aurilio, director of Environment America’s Washington, DC office. “”This is now a clean energy Congress – 65 percent of new House members and all of the new Senate members come from states with strong renewable electricity requirements.”

“Senator McCain focused on the oil, coal and nukes of the past, while Senator Obama called for a new energy economy fueled by renewable energy such as wind and solar, investments in clean technologies of the future and five million new jobs. From Senator Obama on down the ballot, the candidates who won were talking about a clean energy future and voters understood that this was the key to a stronger economy, a more secure world and the solution to global warming,” she said.

The Alliance to Save Energy today urged Obama to fulfill his campaign promise to make building a sustainable energy future for America a key priority upon taking office in January.

“The Obama-Biden ‘New Energy for America’ plan contains many exciting, creative, and urgently needed energy-efficiency actions,” said Alliance President Kateri Callahan. “The Alliance stands ready to help our new president and his team deliver a new energy future for America that is built on a bedrock of energy efficiency.”

The Apollo Alliance of environmental, labor and business organizations said, “President-elect Barack Obama’s priority list jives with Apollo’s clean energy, good job goals. Sweeping Democratic victories in yesterday’s elections are expected to bring good fortune to wind and solar interests and hope to all those interested in stabilizing the climate.”

With his congratulations, Wildlife Conservation Society President and CEO Steven Sanderson said, “Our nation is positioned to be a world leader in saving wildlife and wild places across the globe, including policies to address climate change.” He encourages the incoming administration and Congress to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, “including reducing rates of deforestation which may account for 20 percent of all global carbon emissions.”

“Efforts such as these are good for both wildlife and humanity,” said Sanderson, “which share a common future as creatures inhabiting the same planet.”

The historic victories of President-elect Barack Obama and environmental champions in Congress create a new era of opportunity for environmental priorities, said Defenders of Wildlife president Rodger Schlickeisen.

“A new day is dawning in Congress and the White House. Environmental champions won major victories at the polls yesterday, and the prospects for environmental progress in 2009 look bright,” he said, urging them to tackle global warming, safeguard endangered species and better protect wildlife on public lands.

“Let’s be clear – we have a lot of work ahead of us. We’ve just had eight years of the most anti-environmental presidency America has ever seen,” said Schlickeisen. “Reversing the damage done by the Bush administration will take years of hard work.”

“Defenders of Wildlife looks forward to working with President Obama and our champions in Congress to reverse President Bush’s assault on our environment and promote a green economy for the people and wildlife of America.”

The Center for Biological Diversity looks forward to working with the Obama administration and the new Congress to take swift action to stem the extinction crisis, reverse the current course toward runaway global warming, and promote the cultural diversity that is the essential foundation of a fulfilling life for all peoples, plants, and animals,” said Executive Director Kierán Suckling.

“Mass extinction, global warming, and erosion of diversity are the greatest threats humanity has ever faced,” he said. “The time left to address them is growing short. In our 20 years advocating for wildlife, wilderness, and untamed culture, we’ve never before witnessed a presidential election with so much promise to actually solve these issues.”

Eli Pariser, executive director of MoveOn.org Political Action, “Our members sense the opportunity to achieve things that seemed improbable if not impossible only a year ago. For our members, this is the culmination of a decade of work to build a progressive, people-driven politics in America.”

After endorsing President-elect Obama in February, MoveOn’s 4.5 million members contributed more than $88 million towards Obama’s presidential campaign, the organization announced today. More than one million MoveOn members worked in a coordinated field effort with the Obama campaign.

“President Obama will face daunting challenges from the day he takes office,” said Pariser. “We look forward, however, to being part of the enormous wave of civic and political engagement that his Presidency has inspired and that will enable him to achieve the things that have been on the top of his agenda and ours. We look forward to the change all of us worked so hard to create.”

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Africa. Most of us know little about it. Even some important political figures [www.huffingtonpost.com] in this country don’t even know it’s a continent. I remember an assignment my freshman history teacher at Berkeley High gave us that demonstrated to me how ignorant so many of us, even in the “enlightened” town of Berkeley, were about Africa. My teacher asked us each to write down anonymously what came to mind when we heard the word, “Africa.” We then handed her what we had written and she read them all aloud: “Big, equator, wild animals, AIDS, poverty, Kenya, Ghana, AIDS, elephants.” And this was Berkeley. Not that our public schools are recognized for providing an outstanding education, but they were known for teaching cultural awareness. Apparently this lesson also fell short.

In a high school that offered African American economics classes as an alternative to “regular” economics classes, African American psychology, a mandatory ethnic studies class for all freshman and Swahili language as an alternative to French and Spanish, it was pretty upsetting to discover that very few of us knew much about Africa, especially considering how much we had learned about Europe, Latin America and even part of Asia.

The problem, as I saw it, was that for most of us—and the ethnic and racial break-down of Berkeley High School mirrors that of the country—Africa did not seem relevant the way Europe or even Latin America did. Few of us had been there (and for those of us who have been to Africa, it was probably to Morocco via Spain).

But if anyone in this country felt that Africa was not relevant before, it is now. Our president-elect is the son of a Kenyan. For those of us who have felt little reason to live abroad, there is now. Obama spent much of his childhood with his family in Indonesia. For those of us who believe that single-parent homes cannot provide what children need, we now know they can. Our president-elect was raised by a single mother. He only knew his father for one month.

Obama’s win is a victory for Africa—and thereby for the world for finally paying attention to a significant part of it that has traditionally gone ignored. It’s a victory for those with international backgrounds, for cross-cultural understanding, for exploration, for curious minds, for single parents and their children and for everyone one else in their communities.

–Jamie Wong

Top Hollywood talent agent and inspiration for Jeremy Piven’s character, Ari Gold, in the HBO series, Entourage, Ari Emanual, will no longer need big development deals to have his influence on the country’s most popular narrative. Emanual’s brother, Rahm Emanual, is going to be President-elect Barack Obama’s Chief of Staff. This will make the two Emanual brothers arguably two of the most powerful men on either coasts of the country.

Ari Emanual is well-known not only for his reputation as a notorious and successful agent at the Hollywood talent agency, Endeavor, and also for his contributions to the Democratic party. He works closely with the Weinstein brothers—other major Democrats in the industry—and is behind the careers of leftist stars such as Michael Moore.

Rahm has been a long-time colleague of Barack Obama, serving as an Illinois congressman and was former Clinton White House staffer.

Both brothers have a reputation for abrasive personalities, foul language, and unparalleled determination (obviously).

Perhaps this newest chapter in the American tale can provide Entourage, will a plot revival which it desperately needs after four years on the air.

This latest twist in the national narrative that has come about with Obama’s win will undoubtedly provide all of Hollywood—not just Endeavor—with new story ideas, characters and settings in which to tell American stories. This is a victory not only in Washington, but also in Hollywood, as underrepresented actors, untold stories and new realities have a shot at the small and large screens.

–Jamie Wong

WASHINGTON, DC, November 5, 2008 (ENS) – In a landslide, Americans Tuesday elected Barack Obama as the first African-American president in the nation’s history. The Democratic senator from Illinois won 338 electoral college votes – far beyond the 270 needed to win election to the White House.

With 81% of all precincts nationwide reporting, votes for Obama stand at 54,996,099 (52%), while 50,320,092(47%) voters chose Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona.

President-elect Barack Obama
(Photo by David Katz courtesy
Obama for America)

Before 70,000 people packed into Chicago’s Grant Park, Obama addressed the world for the first time as president-elect, saying, “Change has come to America.”

“Above all,” he told the cheering crowd, “I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you.”

Obama indicated that environmental concerns are at the forefront of his mind as he prepares for his presidency.

He quieted the crowd with sober recognition of “the enormity of the task that lies ahead.”

“For even as we celebrate tonight,” he said, “we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime – two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.”

“This is our moment,” said Obama. “This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can.”

McCain admitted defeat late Tuesday, saying, “The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly.”

McCain called Obama to offer his congratulations just after the polls closed on the West Coast, giving Obama the electoral college votes that catapulted him to victory.

“Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and his country,” said McCain.

Democrats increased their majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

With four Senate seats still undecided, the balance of power in the Senate stands at 56 seats occupied by Democrats and 40 by Republicans.

In the House, Democrats captured 247 seats to the Republicans 166.

The environment was a winner in Congressional races as at least seven of the “Dirty Dozen” lawmakers as named by the League of Conservation Voters, lost their seats.

On October 24, the LCV announced its trademark Dirty Dozen candidates for Congress. These are legislators – regardless of party affiliation – who consistently vote against clean energy and conservation and are running in races in which an LCV campaign against them has a substantial chance to affect the outcome.

“The Dirty Dozen represent the biggest roadblocks in Congress on the road to America’s clean energy future,” said LCV President Gene Karpinski. “Siding with the oil industry at every turn, they have consistently voted against policies that would create jobs, ensure our national security, and guarantee a sustainable future for our country.”

“Members of Congress who have consistently sided with the oil industry and against the interests of those they are elected to represent need to go,” said Karpinski. “LCV is proud of its record of defeating members of the Dirty Dozen and we expect to build on that record in 2008.”

The election results for the 2008 League of Conservation Voters’ Dirty Dozen List show at least seven of them were defeated. The assessments of their legislative performance are those of the LCV.

* OUT – Elizabeth Dole, North Carolina Republican Senator – Dole’s lifetime LCV score is 12%. She is one of Big Oil’s biggest Congressional allies, and has consistently voted to extend tax breaks and subsidies to the industry, weaken automobile fuel efficency standards, and eliminate any increase in renewable energy production. She has accepted $312,606 from the oil and gas industry.

Dole was defeated by state senator Democrat Kay Hagen.
* OUT – Dean Andal, California Republican Congressman – Andal received a 9% lifetime score from the California League of Conservation Voters. During his time as a state senator, he voted against banning offshore drilling and routinely opposed legislation promoting fuel efficiency and cutting petroleum use, measures that would save consumers hundreds of dollars each year.

Andal was defeated by incumbent Congressman Jerry McNerney, a renewable energy engineer.
* OUT – Joe Knollenberg, Michigan Republican Congressman – Knollenberg has repeatedly voted for corporate polluters and against environmental protections, earning him a lifetime LCV score of only 9%. An opponent of fuel efficiency and renewable energy, he has taken $642,388 in contributions from polluting energy interests since 2001.

Knollenberg was defeated by former state senator and lottery commissioner Gary Peters, the first Democrat to represent the district in 75 years.
* OUT – Anne Northup, former Kentucky Republican Congresswoman, Louisville – Northup has a lifetime LCV score of only 7% and voted against every major piece of environmental legislation in the 109th Congress. She has accepted $334,877 from oil and gas interests during her career.

Northup was defeated by incumbent Congressman John Yarmuth, who defeated her to win the seat two years ago.
* OUT – Steve Pearce, New Mexico Republican Congressman who ran for a U.S. Senate seat – Pearce earned a pathetic 3% lifetime LCV score and has earned three 0% scores in his tenure. Since his election, there have been 93 key conservation votes in Congress and, in all but three, Pearce has voted against clean air, clean energy, and protecting our natural heritage. He has accepted more from the oil and gas industry, $706,324, than from any other economic sector. Pearce, who owned a small oil services company, says he supports clean coal technology.

Pearce was defeated by Tom Udall, the son of former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall and nephew of former Arizona Congressman Mo Udall, who has pledged to carry on a family tradition of conservation. He earned a 92% on the latest LCV scorecard.
* OUT – Bob Schaffer, Colorado Republican businessman running for a seat in the Senate – A career politician-turned-oil executive, Schaffer has a 5% LCV lifetime. He was a major proponent of the Bush/Cheney energy plan, which doled out $33 billion in tax breaks for the energy industry. Now, as an energy executive, he has made oil deals in Iraq and his company has sided with the dirty energy of the past instead of the clean, renewable energy of the future. He has accepted $242,826 from oil and gas interests.

Schaffer was defeated by another member of the Udall family, Democrat Mark Udall who gave up his seat in the House of Representatives to run for the Senate seat. Mark Udall also earned a 92% on the latest LCV scorecard.
* OUT – Tim Walberg, Michigan Republican Congressman – Walberg was one of the most anti-environment members of the 2006 Congressional class, has an abysmal 3% LCV lifetime score, and, in 2008, voted against every major piece of clean energy and energy efficiency legislation.

In a close race, Walberg was defeated by state senator Mark Schauer.

Four of the LCV’s Dirty Dozen lawmakers were re-elected.

* IN – Jim Inhofe, Republican Senator from Oklahoma, former chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, a position California Senator Barbara Boxer now holds. Inhofe has a lifetime LCV score of 4%, one of the lowest in Congress. He refuses to acknowledge the existence of global warming and consistently has voted on the side of polluters while taking more than $1.1 million in campaign contributions from oil and gas interests.

* IN – Mitch McConnell, Republican Senator from Kentucky, who has served as Senate Minority Leader since 2006 – McConnell has a measly 7% lifetime LCV score, has earned an annual score of 0% an astounding 12 times, and has cast only three pro-conservation votes in the last 14 years. He has accepted $713,961 from oil and gas interests. McConnell was overwhelmingly chosen as the 2008 candidate who has committed the most egregious environmental offenses in an online vote by over 25,000 concerned citizens.

* IN – Sam Graves, Missouri Republican Congressman – Grave’s lifetime LCV score is a feeble 4%. Since elected, he has consistently voted in line with the failed Bush/Cheney energy policies. He voted against efforts to increase the use of clean energy technologies, against maintaining the standards of the Clean Water Act, and against taking away royalties and tax incentives for Big Oil.

* IN – Mary Landrieu, Louisiana Democratic Senator – Landrieu has the worst LCV Lifetime score of any Democrat in the Senate currently running for re-election and is the only Democrat on the 2008 Dirty Dozen List. She has accepted more than $666,994 from the oil and gas industries and in 2003, 2005, and 2007 voted to give billions in tax breaks and subsidies to oil companies while voting against fuel efficiency 11 times since 1999.

The last two of the Dirty Dozen races have yet to be decided because they are both in Alaska, but at posting time it appears as if Senator Ted Stevens, 84, will be re-elected to his eighth term in the Senate.

* IN – Ted Stevens, Alaska Republican Senator – Since 1977, Stevens has voted for billions of dollars in tax breaks for oil companies. His lifetime LCV score is a mere 13% and he was found guilty by an Alaska jury of taking illegal gifts from oil industry executives. He has accepted nearly half a million dollars in legal donations from oil and gas interests as well. He supports construction of a natural gas pipeline and opening the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration.

* TO BE DETERMINED – Don Young, Alaska Republican Congressman – Young has served in Congress over 30 years, has a lifetime LCV score of just 9%, and has scored 0% a staggering 13 times on LCV’s National Scorecard. Time and time again he has voted against repealing subsides for Big Oil. He has accepted more that $963,763 from the oil and gas industry since taking office.

Since the Dirty Dozen was launched in 1996, the League of Conservation Voters has defeated more than half of the candidates named to the Dirty Dozen List.

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