Take Action, Today, Nationwide: Transforming Catastrophe into Opportunity

RSVP for Transforming Catastrophe into Opportunity
A Conversation on Gulf Eco-Crime, Big Oil, & Carbon Tax as a Tool to Transition Off Fossil Fuels

Featuring:

• Antonia Juhasz - author of The Tyranny of Oil
• James Handley - CarbonTax.org, and
• Kathy Callan - Legislative Coordinator, PDA's Global Warming Issues Organizing Team

RSVP for Instructions to Join Conversation on Monday, May 10 at 5:30pm (Pacific) / 8:30pm (Eastern)

As we recoil in horror that not 1,000 - not 5,000 - BUT 25,000 barrels of oil per day are gushing into ocean waters poisoning the Gulf of Mexico, let us prepare for action. This is another "shock doctrine" moment - and it is up to us to seize it. On May 16, actions will be held in around the country. Don't you think it's time to shift the national dialogue away from Wall Street dependent solutions and time to assess fossil fuels for their true cost?

Backbone Campaign is organizing Monday's (5-10) Conversation with the Cabinet conference call/interview/webcast to help you channel your rage into action with the strongest possible demands. We have a moral obligation and a strategic opportunity to seize the debate and insist on real tools for the transition off fossil fuels and one of those tools is the Carbon Tax.

Monday, May 10 - Oil Industry expert Antonia Juhasz will help us better understand the Tyranny of Oil. James Handley of CarbonTax.org and PDA will describe what a carbon tax is, is not, and how it will work. And Kathy Callan of PDA's global Warming & environment Team will update us on allies in Congress and next steps to move progressive legislation forward. We will also discuss local policy strategies and messaging for upcoming actions.

Instructions and links to "RSVP" email a question, or listen online are below.

Join us!

Bill Moyer
Backbone Campaign

Three ways to participate:

1. CONFERENCE CALL: First, RSVP by email with "Carbon Tax" in the subject line, so we can reserve a spot for you on the call and send you instructions for cueing up for "on air" questions in the chatroom. At the time of call, dial
1-(218) 339-4300,
follow prompts and enter access code 1037729 followed by #.

and/or

2. WEB RADIO: Go to Voice of Vashon and see "click here to listen" at the top right corner.
To ask questions while you listen, you will need to RSVP for a password and log in at the live chat.

and/or

3. E-MAIL: Click RSVP to email your questions ahead of time.

To prepare for Tomorrow's Conversation (Monday 5-10-10) here are some links:

Scientist James Hansen Proposes "People's Climate Stewardship Act"
The People's Climate Stewardship Act
Tom Hayden's Nation article connects BP crime against the planet is connected to Halliburton, Goldman Sachs and more. (Read here.)

Here are PDA's Climate Principles:

1. Protect EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act
2. Direct carbon pricing (an upstream carbon fee or tax on oil, coal, and natural gas) with revenue recycling to consumers
3. Emissions reduction targets that will reduce CO2 levels to the 350 ppm current scientific evidence says is necessary to avoid a climate crisis
5. Eliminating or significantly reducing offsets, with a strengthening of offset quality
6. Eliminating subsidies for dirty/dangerous energy sources such as nuclear power, expanded domestic oil drilling, "clean coal," and carbon capture and sequestration technology (CCS)
7. Protecting low and middle-income families by eliminating free allowances for industry and by recycling revenue from carbon fees directly to households