Oil and utility industry-backed measures seek to rollback global warming bill and restrict local governments' abilities to purchase clean energy

May 17, 2010 (San Diego) – Two energy measures drawing controversy this election season will be topics of discussion at an event Tuesday evening hosted by the Sustainability Alliance of Southern California.

By Congressman Bob Filner
Democratic Representative from the 51st Congressional District

The impacts of the climate crisis are already being seen around the world through increasing hurricane intensity, melting ice caps, and refugees fleeing extreme weather conditions. Here in Southern California, we are particularly vulnerable to a variety of threats posed by unchecked global warming – threats to our environment, our economic stability, and our overall quality of life.

While residents of San Diego are no strangers to drought and emergency water conservation measures, climate change will bring a new generation of drought’s stranglehold on our communities as we see our water supply shrink from increasing average global temperatures. Local Scripps researchers concluded in an April 2009 report that if human-induced global warming continues to reduce runoff from the Colorado River, San Diego will be unable to deliver a regular water supply to the region (The press release can be found online at http://scrippsnews.ucsd.edu/Releases/?releaseID=977).

 
September 19, 2009 (San Diego)--Congressman Bob Filner (D-San Diego)  announced that a $299,993 Recovery Act grant has been awarded to San Diego State University (SDSU) Research Foundation through the U.S. Department of Energy. Funds will be used for a web-based carbon dioxide (CO2) subsurface modeling project and will create training opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to develop skills for implementing and deploying carbon capture and storage technologies. 
 
“If we are serious about cutting greenhouse gas emissions, then we need trained scientists to find ways to limit carbon emissions from coal-fired utilities,” said Filner. “This funding for SDSU carbon capture research is the key to making so-called ‘clean coal’ a potential reality.”

 
By Miriam Raftery

August 25, 2009 (Rancho Sa Diego/El Cajon)—The setting was serene, but the political exchanges were rocky at “Politics in Paradise,” a community legislative forum sponsored by the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce Friday evening at Cuyamaca College’s Water Conservation Garden.
 
“Welcome to East County’s first town hall yelling match on healthcare reform,” emcee Barry Jantz quipped, though the forum covered a broad range of issues. Congressmen Bob Filner D-San Diego) and Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) took center stage (photo, above) in a rare dual appearance, along with Assemblyman Joel Anderson (R-Alpine) and supervisor Diane Jacob.  (Assemblyman Marty Block (D-Lemon Grove) and State Senator Denise Ducheny (D-San Diego) were unable to attend the evening of impassioned discussion about issues impacting East County businesses and residents.

 
July 28, 2009 (San Diego)--How can California achieve energy sustainability?  Our state's lieutenant governor, John Garamendi, wll speak on this topic in San Diego on Wednesday, August 5 from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m.  This special event will take place at the new Scripps Seaside Forum at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography on the UCSD Campus. 
 
The event is organized by United Green, a division of the nonprofit Heartland Coalition, East County Magazine's publisher.
 

By Miriam Raftery June 17, 2009 (Washington D.C.)—Recent warming in the Southwestern U.S. including San Diego County has been among the worst in the nation, according to a newly-released federal report begun under the Bush administration and finalized by the Obama administration. Average temperatures here have increased 1.5 degrees during the past 20 years and are projected to soar three to five degrees above the historical baseline by 2050 and up to ten degrees by the end of this century, the report predicts. Further, precipitation along the Southwestern border region has fallen as much as 40% over the past 50 years.