Speaker Series: Critical Issues in Climate Change

Critical Issues in Climate Change
The Green Economy and Clean Energy: Implications from the Gulf Oil Spill

-Thursday, June 17, 9:00 a.m., Columbus Room, Union Station-

Oil in the Gulf of Mexico (Photo: Reuters)

Over the past two months, millions of gallons of oil have flowed into the Gulf of Mexico – the most catastrophic oil spill ever. The extent of the damage it has created is still unclear, but a severe impact has already been seen in wildlife populations, polluted shorelines and illnesses experience by local residents and clean-up workers.

In light of this ongoing crisis, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies chose to focus the first Critical Issues in Climate Change Speaker Series around the oil spill and its implications to the growing green economy and movement toward clean energy.

According to the Joint Center’s official statement on the Gulf oil spill, “Without addressing energy sovereignty in the U.S., our coasts will continue to bear the brunt of our collective addiction to oil.” The move toward clean, renewable energy, and the subsequent development of a green economy, is a key to environmental and economic sustainability and success.

Joining host and Joint Center President and CEO Ralph B. Everett at the inaugural speaker series are:

• Leslie G. Fields, Esq., National Environmental Justice Director for the Sierra Club and member of the Commission to Engage African Americans on Climate Change;

• Dr. Arjun Makhijani, author and President of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research;

• Dr. Michael K. Dorsey, assistant professor of environmental studies at Dartmouth College and visiting scholar at the Joint Center;

• Daniel J. Weiss, Senior Fellow and Director of Climate Strategy at the Center for American Progress.

See the full invitation after the jump.

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Briefing on Capitol Hill with Congressman Bobby Rush

Wednesday, May 19, 2010
10:00-11:30am
2322 Rayburn House Office Building

Sponsors: NAACP, BlueGreen Alliance and Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families

The NAACP, BlueGreen Alliance and the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families Campaign are pleased to invite you to a briefing with leaders from the civil rights, religious and environmental communities about new legislation to reform the broken and outdated Toxics Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976, our country’s primary law to manage dangerous chemicals. Congressman Bobby Rush (D-1st IL) and Congressman Henry Waxman (D-30th CA) recently introduced a discussion draft in the U.S. House of Representatives reforming this statute. We are honored to have Congressman Rush scheduled to kick off the briefing on Wednesday at 10am.

The briefing will include a short tutorial on TSCA, an overview of the bills now moving through Congress to update TSCA and a presentation on the positive impact TSCA reform could have on the health and living conditions of people of color and low income communities across the United States.

If you have questions, please email Emily Enderle at Earthjustice: eenderle@earthjustice.org

Joint Center scholar Michael Dorsey to debate on Democracy Now!

Please join us at the TckTckTck Fresh Air Center in downtown Copenhagen for “Real Talk” a happy hour from 6-8pm sponsored by the UN Foundation.

We’ll start at 7pm with “10 Provocations on Climate Change”, a slideshow performance by The Canary Project.

After that we’ll host rapid fire exchange on the state of play of emerging carbon markets between Professor Michael Dorsey of Climate Justice Now and Dirk Forrister of the International Emission Trading Association. The debate will be moderated by Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!.

Where: Fresh Air Center, Rådhusstræde 13, Copenhagen
When: 6pm happy hour, 7pm performance, 7:15pm debate

PRESS RELEASE: Joint Center Announces Delegation to UN Climate Change Conference

WASHINGTON – The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the leading research and public policy institution focusing on issues of concern to African Americans and other people of color, has been granted Civil Society Observer Status for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP15) that will convene next week in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Joint Center delegation to the conference will include six members of its Commission to Engage African Americans on Climate Change and three staff members, and will be led by Carolyn L. Green, Managing Partner, EnerGreen Capital Management, LLC based in Philadelphia.  Other Commission members on the delegation are Dr. Robert D. Bullard, Clark Atlanta University; Leslie G. Fields, Esq., Sierra Club; Dr. Julianne Malveaux, Bennett College for Women; Frank M. Stewart, American Association of Blacks in Energy; and Dr. Beverly Wright, Dillard University.