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, James Handley, and Kathy Callan
05/10/2010

Position(s) nominated for:
Movement 
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 Friday, May 14, 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 organized 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 helped us better understand the Tyranny of Oil. James Handley of CarbonTax.org and Progressive Democrats of America described what a carbon tax is, is not, and how it will work. And Kathy Callan of PDA's Stop Global Warming & Environment Issues Organizing Team updated us on allies in Congress and next steps to move progressive legislation forward. We also discussed local policy strategies and messaging for upcoming actions.

Some useful links:

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.
  4. Eliminating or significantly reducing offsets, with a strengthening of offset quality.
  5. Eliminating subsidies for dirty/dangerous energy sources such as nuclear power, expanded domestic oil drilling, "clean coal," and carbon capture and sequestration technology (CCS).
  6. Protecting low and middle-income families by eliminating free allowances for industry and by recycling revenue from carbon fees directly to households.


Action Steps:

Links to people, groups, articles, books, and events mentioned in this webcast:

Backbone "incubator projects":