Guest Blogging: Kansas Interfaith Power and Light
December 19, 2008
Kansas Interfaith Power and Light congregations across the state are working to conserve energy, save money, and be better stewards of creation. In this Guest Blog Series, Kansas Interfaith Power and Light members are invited to share their ideas about energy stewardship.
Today’s guest blogger is Shane Moore, a seminarian at St. Paul’s School of Theology in Kansas City, MO. He is also youth pastor at Indian Hills United Methodist Church in Overland Park. We invited Shane to speak about energy stewardship from his perspective and faith tradition.
My tradition has been UMC for all of my life. Thus my theological, Biblical, and historical grounding when discussing environmental issues comes from a very Wesleyan (Methodist) view point.
As such, when thinking about environmental issues I first go to the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church. There are two statements from this document that I would like to highlight.
“All creation is the Lord’s, and we are responsible for the ways we use and abuse it. Water, air, soil, minerals, energy resources, plants, animal life, and space are to be valued and conserved because they are God’s creation and not solely because they are useful to human beings.”
All of creation is God’s. God created and found joy in creation. God found joy in creation and gave us dominion over creation so that we may also find such joy. I must say that most of the time we have not found joy in creation the same way God does. We have found joy in creation because we have been able to abuse creation and use it to better ourselves. We have not cared for creation as God cares for us. We must not abuse creation because we can, but we must care for creation because it is God’s and God has called us to care for creation.
“Therefore, let us recognize the responsibility of the church and its members to place a high priority on changes in economic, political, social, and technological lifestyles to support a more ecologically equitable and sustainable world leading to a higher quality of life for all of God’s creation.”
When we care for creation we increase the quality of our lives and also of the lives of others. We increase the quality of the world we live in. It is our responsibility as those called by God to care for the environment and all of creation. It is our responsibility and we must live up to it. The question is in what ways can we live up to our responsibility to care for the world. I am a big believer in understanding that even the little things count for something.
One morning in Sunday school we were discussing stewardship and our role in being good stewards over creation. I asked the youth for ideas of how they could be good stewards and they talked about driving environmentally friendly cars, as well as other ideas that were larger then what they could implement. I then asked them for concrete ideas for what they could do and how they would implement these ideas.
The first idea the youth had was to have the church recycle bulletins and other paper. The youth bought a box, decorated it, and have for over a year been recycling paper in the church.
What concrete things are you doing to take responsibility for what God has given us?
Now I know that these small ideas will not save the world and that we do need large goals, but it is important to remember that the small things do matter. Even by doing the small things we are taking responsibility for all that God has given us. Because, God saw all that God had made and it was good.
Shane’s congregation, Indian Hills United Methodist Church in Overland Park, recently joined Kansas Interfaith Power and Light and completed an energy audit of their facilities. Through the audit, they learned that they can save $2500 per year through energy efficiency upgrades to their building! Interested in putting your faith into action to address climate change? Click here to learn more about Kansas Interfaith Power and Light!
-IPL Guest Blog Series coordinated by Eileen Horn
Live Blogging - Notes from the KEEP meeting, 12/09/08
December 12, 2008
KEEP - the Kansas Energy and Environmental Policy advisory group. Many CEP readers are followers of the KEEP process, but in case you aren’t, KEEP was formed in spring 2008 by Governor Sebelius, and charged with carrying out a climate action planning process for the state of Kansas.
Climate action planning process? What huh? Translation - reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with minimum burdens and maximum benefit for the Kansas economy.
It’s more or less an 18 month planning process. Started out with gobs of options on the table, participants added more, then the technical working groups just recently narrowed those options down to 46-48 (depending on who’s counting). Those proposals will be fleshed out, economic modeling and other quantative analysis will take place, then the KEEP will analyze what works, what doesn’t, and vote on what policy recommendations to submit to the legislature.
That’s the short version, but I think it hits the highlights.
Nope, forgot the big one - as part of the executive order forming KEEP, the group is charged with developing an inventory and forecast of GHG sources and emissions from 1990 through 2025, as well as short-, medium-, and long-term goals for statewide GHG reductions.
The KEEP met in Topeka earlier this week. Ice and snow made the drive home interesting for all. It was almost one year to the day since the ice storm that shut down NE KS for weeks (and from which several utilities are still trying to recover).
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As is fairly standard, the meeting kicked off with an address by Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson. He was recovering from the flu, and very considerately did his intro via conference call so as not to spread germs.
Gist: KS has recently gotten very busy on the renewables and carbon fronts. Lot of discussion re the Midwest Governors Association (MGA) climate accord process.
Review - about a year or more ago KS signed up for the MGA process, which is looking at establishing a regional cap and trade system (similar to the process started by Western Governors, which KS is observing). The recent history of climate action and carbon regulation is that it comes from the state level, not the feds - but with the election of Barack Obama, that trend could certainly change. However, the MGA process is still widely considered to be (in the words of KEC Chairman and KEEP member Ken Frahm) a “valuable dress rehearsal” for what will happen with carbon regs on the federal level.
KS is one of the very few ag states participating in this process, though. As the Lt.Gov also put it, “we need to be engaged in the national process in order to get our issues on the table.”
Case in point - carbon offsets for soil sequestration of carbon dioxide. Non-ag states don’t particularly get those or necessarily think they’re important. Ag states hopefully do. Thanks in no small part to the efforts of the KS MGA delegation, offsets are still on the table. And I can’t recall if a low-carbon fuel standard was mentioned in this context or in the KEC meeting the next day - but that is an example of a complementary policy for cap and trade that also matters to ag states.
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Two big things happened at this KEEP meeting - (1) the group offered its first round of feedback on the draft Kansas GHG Emissions Inventory and Forecast report (.pdf), and (2) the KEEP’s five technical working groups (TWGs) offered recommendations on their priority policy options for future analysis.
I need to make this sound more interesting. Okay - basically, the inventory is a giant list of all the GHG emission sources in Kansas. Why does this matter? Well, if you were on that list and knew that carbon regulation was likely coming down the pike, wouldn’t you care? This document will provide the baseline. Carbon sinks are included as well (sinks absorb carbon emissions). Emissions are broken down by economic sector.
Some of the feedback on the draft inventory so far - and this was not the last opportunity for feedback, this is a document in progress:
Putting Energy into Stewardship: Kansas Interfaith Power and Light
December 10, 2008
Yes, we too have been struggling to identify the perfect acronym. Is it KIPL? Is it KSIPL? If this catches as a national trend among the other state chapters, then Georgia becomes GIPL, Vermont becomes VIPL, and Nebraska becomes….?
One thing we haven’t had to struggle with though is recruitment of member-congregations. The interest in Kansas IPL has been outstanding and inspiring! Congregation leaders from across the state, from a rural Episcopal church with 30 families in McPherson to a 300 family Methodist church in Overland Park, have contacted us.
They all want to know: How can their congregation spend less money on their utility bills? (and thereby, spend that money on mission trips, food bank supplies, and materials for religious education classes, etc.)
Therefore, our first task has been to connect congregations with resources for low cost (and sometimes free!) energy audits of their facilities. The point of an energy audit is to help the facility managers identify the cost-effective, immediately available measures they can do to reduce their building’s energy use.
We’ve partnered with Energy Solutions Professionals (ESP), an Overland Park-based company, that has done free preliminary energy analyses for several of our member congregations. The results have been inspiring! For example, one congregation in Mission, Kansas, could reduce its energy costs by $7500 PER YEAR by instituting a series of energy-saving measures and investing in energy efficient equipment.
Many of the recommended measures have been similar, and include:
- Upgrading to fluorescent lightbulbs
- Using programmable thermostats fully- with aggressive temperature set-backs
- Installing water saving devices
- Installing EnergyStar rated appliances and equipment
Let me repeat: Measures like these save congregations THOUSANDS of dollars in avoided energy costs/year.
And the bonus? Reducing energy use reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Congregations can meaningfully address climate change, be better stewards of creation, AND save money at the same time.
For that congregation that could save $7500/year, ESP made the following table- highlighting the other impacts of their reduced energy use:
Interested in joining Kansas IPL? Contact Eileen Horn at horn@climateandenergy.org
Want to learn more about how congregations can save energy?
Check out EPA’s Energy Star for Congregations page and publications.
-by Eileen Horn, CEP’s director of education and outreach
Heat Pump, Part I: The prep work
October 7, 2008
Bruce Robinson of Anchor Refrigeration plans the heat pump installation for the home of CEP's Maril Hazlett and her husband, Brian.
Banks are trembling, markets are falling, and soon the sky probably will, too - but as blog readers know, this summer Maril’s AC/ heater unit completely blew out. And despite the moment’s financial uncertainties, this sort of infrastructure investment can’t really wait.
(Sob.)
Oh well.
As part of CEP’s work in energy efficiency, we figured this would be a great time to bring our readers an up close look at the installation of a heat pump, from the financing (or lack thereof) to the installation.
What is a heat pump? A heat pump is one of the most energy-efficient heating and cooling decisions you can make. The technology is generally considered to be a form of geothermal heat, which can be ground source or air source. (Since my husband and I live on a rocky hill where trenching would be horribly expensive, we went with air source.)
According to EnergyStar, an air source heat pump “uses the difference between outdoor air temperatures and indoor air temperatures to cool and heat your home.”
Why a heat pump? This decision will vary by homeowner, but a heat pump was especially a good idea for us because our regular heater ran on propane. We usually just depended on our wood stove, since propane was so expensive.
There are those who would say that when your electric provider is a rural electric cooperative with some of the highest rates in the state, moving to an all-electric heat pump is iffy. I say right back - then you pay for the propane.
Actually, this wasn’t just knee-jerk. The switch-over also penciled out for us. We are going with one of the most efficient heat pumps on the market, which means it is also more expensive. However, we are also pretty conservative electricity users. We also keep our thermostat low in the winter and high in the summer. Given these and other factors, this investment should pay off in 5-7 years at the outside, even as electricity price will probably continue to rise.
Also, Maril likes where our electricity comes from. Our co-op is part of KEPCo. Compared to other Kansas rural co-ops and utilities, KEPCo has a much smaller carbon footprint. It gets a large chunk of its electricity from low-carbon emission sources such as nuclear, hydropower, and wind.
Propane is also still right for us, for other types of uses. In the future, if at all financially possible, we’d like to add a propane generator, and possibly a heater for Brian’s woodshop (aka, the garage). When it comes to more limited, targeted uses (versus heating and cooling a 2100 square foot home), we will be more able to afford it.
Getting the Groundwork Set
Rebates from utility. Luckily for us, Leavenworth-Jefferson County Electric Cooperative (LJEC) does offer a rebate for installing heat pumps. The amount you receive depends on the level of efficiency you choose to install. Also, they’re very nice when you call up to talk to them.
Financing. First, we looked into the KEEP program, administered by Kansas Housing Resources Corporation in partnership with Sunflower Bank or other financing interests. This is a low-interest loan plan for Kansas citizens to carry out energy efficiency improvements, and it is available to all Kansans, regardless of income.
Brian, late at night, doing the demo for the ductwork
Walk the Talk - saga of the reusable coffee cups
August 29, 2008
I made a really rash promise a while back. No more disposable coffee cups. I now have to bring my own re-usable cup - or, no coffee. (Eek.)
Sounded easy enough.
Three - wait, four - brand new cups later, I have to confess… it’s not.
This whole kick started where change usually starts - when two disconnecting sections of your brain all of a sudden link up, sizzle, and you go, OH. My disconnect was that while I could recycle the cardboard cup, I was somehow ignoring the fact that those plastic lids cannot be recycled. Once in a dump, they pretty much last forever. I have probably used thousands of them in my lifetime.
Eternal life is a big concept and people argue about it all the time, but I am pretty sure no one thinks it should be symbolized by ten billion coffee cup lids. I know I don’t. That was my reconnect moment.
Then I made my rash pledge.
Of course, it’s not exactly smart or economical to buy coffee, anyway. Ideally I should be making it at home and taking it to work with me in a thermos. Sometimes this happens. Mostly it doesn’t, so I have been trying to keep a re-usable mug with me at all times. At work, in the car, in my computer bag, in my purse, etc.
Well, 95% of the time, I actually have one. At least it started out as one. Then I slipped up and lo, it was two. Next my husband decided to get with the program, and he took one of my cups. I couldn’t find my original one and had to buy another. Upon which the original one immediately turned up, oh well.
Looking back, I realize that at first my husband thought this new kick of mine was kind of cute. However, looking at three re-usable coffee cups sitting on the kitchen counter yesterday, he started to do a little math.
Every time I forget a cup, it adds up. They aren’t cheap.
This is probably why he panicked with me on the phone yesterday. We were talking, I was running late and pulling into a Starbucks (because as much as I like the KCC meetings they go a lot easier with caffeine), and I said, “Honey! Oh dear! I forgot my cup!”
He said, “NOOOOOOOO. No!”
I said, “What?”
Since I didn’t marry a dummy, he backed right off the direct order and tried trickery, I mean persuasion. He knows what arguments usually work with me, too.
“Think about all the resources it takes to make those reusable cups!” he pointed out. “Don’t buy another one! Come on. Don’t do it.”
I totally got his point. Moderation is a good thing. Still! Since I was running late, I decided to cut off the next five minutes of back and forth. Instead, I went straight to the kill shot - my underlying emotional reason. I’ll feel guilty about the lack of moderation thing later.
Sadly I said, “Oh but baby… I promised.”
(Let’s simply translate his next statement as “Argh!”)
I then rushed in and bought another blessed cup. The fourth cup. Geez.
Why, again, do I drink coffee?
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
Energy Efficiency + Watermelon = Happy Neighbors
August 15, 2008
In the dog days of summer, what could be better than a block party with your neighbors?
How about a block party where you learn to save money and energy in your home?
Well, CEP partnered with neighborhoods, and local energy companies this summer to do just that.
We gathered a group of energy efficiency experts and vendors and traveled around Kansas City suburbs camping out at neighborhood hotspots. Each party has been great fun so far, with at least 50-100 people in attendance at each block party. We’ve had many great conversations on how practical and easy energy efficiency can be in and around the home.
The types of questions we heard varied from issues pertaining to our state’s wind potential, energy policy in the state of Kansas, and more daily-living questions such as automotive efficiency and the pros and cons of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
Attendees participated in hands-on demonstrations of different types of insulation, signed up for new energy saving solutions developed through KCP&L, and also learned about financing options and rebates that are offered to those replacing an old air conditioner unit with a new one. If you live in the KC area, you can find out what energy efficiency programs you qualify for here.
Don’t panic! With one more party scheduled on August 23rd from 1-4 at Lowell and 51st street in Overland Park, you can still come out and get your efficiency education, satiating refreshments and complimentary CFL party favors.
Hope to see you there!
If you can’t make it to one of our block parties, check out CEPs energy tips for many no-cost and low-cost energy solutions.
Thanks to all the sponsors and vendors who came out to these events:
Kansas City Power and Light
The Energy Savings Store
Performance Plus Homes
The Sierra Club, Kansas Chapter
Solar Solutions
Metzler Remodeling
The Hayes Company
Millenium Insulation Phone: 816-765-4840, thenergysavers@yahoo.com
The Metropolitan Energy Center
Pulaski Bank
Al Pugsley and Ed de Garay
- Ben Morgan
Voted “CEPs Best Summer Intern 2008″
Walk the Talk: More on the no air conditioning saga… or, how much can you afford to spend on green building?
July 14, 2008
Several folks have written in to ask whether or not my husband and I have air conditioning yet, during our remodeling process (see Living without AC isn’t SO bad…)
Answer: Kind of. Once we finally found a new sheetrocker to put the ceiling back up, we went to turn the AC on again. (Is it a good idea to have the AC on when there’s no insulation yet in your ceiling? No. But how else are you going to get the drywall mud to dry when it is 98% humidity out?)
Click, and…. the AC didn’t work. I thought fine, I wanted to put in a programmable thermostat anyway, next to the cost of the ceiling I won’t even feel it, so have the AC guy come on out and fix the whole mess.
He did. He also managed to discover a hole the size of a small elephant in the heat exchanger (we have a combined heat/ AC system). “Ma’am, you’re lucky you didn’t die of carbon monoxide poisoning this winter.” And if we didn’t depend so much on our woodstove - well, who knows.
So he got the AC to limp along - which beats having a brand new programmable thermostat hooked up to nothing, right - but… Well. Yeah. We can’t ever use the heater portion of the unit again. We really do need some form of heat back-up to keep our pipes from freezing in the winter, too… dangit…
More or less, we need a whole new system. A heat exchanger is a pretty big deal. The unit is 13 years old. It has a 15 year life. Replacing the heat exchanger now is kind of the equivalent of replacing the alternator on a car that has over 200,000 miles - ie, not really worth it.
This is about the point when I went fetal and crawled under my desk. I did come out at one point, to grab a calculator. Then I crawled back into my little hole and tried to figure out how for the life of me I was going to make all the numbers work. They haven’t gotten back to us with an estimate yet, but I can’t imagine this experience will be cheap.
About this time I crawled out and went to a party (why not). Where I immediately ran into two people who asked after the remodel, heard the story, then more or less exclaimed “I can’t believe it! You’re so lucky! Now you get to upgrade to a more efficient system!”
I smiled, throttled no one, and went home and thought about it. They’re right. And at this point, it looks like we will go with a heat pump system, which is a form of geothermal.
How am I going to pay for it? Still not certain. However, frankly, with the price of fossil fuels going through the roof (and no end in sight), buying an energy efficient system is actually the most prudent move we could make.
Paying the equipment and capital costs up front stinks. No question. Paying the fuel costs on the back end, though - at the moment, those costs are a giant unknown. And I’d really rather not risk that.
Basically, the whole experience has made me think - when it all hits the fan, are you still going to go green? And what does going green mean to you?
There’s lots of green things that we didn’t do on this remodel. Most of that came down to materials. It would have been nice to get all environmentally-conscious surfaces and substances, but we couldn’t do those and make energy efficiency improvements, too. Our resources are limited, so we went with the choices that in the long run, would lower our energy costs.
It’s what was right for us (I hope! We’ll see how that heat pump works out). Our choices might not be right for others.
But - we’re the ones paying for it 
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
Walk the Talk: Living without AC isn’t SO bad…
July 3, 2008
According to EnergyStar.gov, heating and cooling costs make up 49% of the average homeowner energy budget. Air conditioning makes up about 15% of that.
According to ACEEE, energy consumption for home air conditioning accounts for almost 5% of all the electricity produced in the U.S., costing homeowners over $15 billion. It also producing roughly 140 million tons of fossil fuel carbon dioxide emissions per year.
And according to every utility person I have ever talked to, summer is a time of peak load when everyone has the AC running, and this draw is a big part of why additional fossil fuel burning power plants are still on the drawing board.
All this totals up to one really horrible fact - an environmentally responsible homeowner should strive to use their AC as little as possible. You can do this in several ways:
- Seal and weatherstrip your home
- Install a programmable thermostat to raise the AC temperature when no one is home, and to lower it before you return
- Only run the AC when the temperature is over 90 degrees, or later in the summer when it doesn’t cool off at night
- Install an energy-efficient AC, energy-efficient windows, and insulation
- Use fans instead
- Sweat it out.
Or… you can accidentally do as Maril and her husband did. You can start remodeling your kitchen in late June, realize that the whole ceiling (drywall, insulation, the whole schmeer) needs to go and really, you might as well rewire ALL the ancient wiring while you’re at it (firefighters tend not to like bad wiring, there was no hope of just covering that stuff back up) ….
… and then you are living in an uninsulated shell of a house (more like a barn, really), and what’s the point of using your AC then? Why air condition the great outdoors?
And then it becomes July. And then your drywall guy flakes on you and there’s the July 4 holiday and the other folks can’t get to it until afterwards. And then oh yeah, you and your husband both work outside the home. Remodeling when day jobs are involved is not the easiest thing. And did you know that an attic fan doesn’t really work well when there’s no attic? Not kidding.
Thus for the past week or so we have been exploring the sweat it out option.
The good news - you adjust. I’ll admit it, I’m normally a wimp. Usually our AC solution is to keep it at 78 degrees, just to keep the edge off. It’s been a bit above 78 degrees in Kansas lately, you may have noticed.
However, since it’s always cooler outside than inside now (until about 8:00 p.m.), we’re spending lots more time outside. Gardening, walking, messing with the biodiesel, whatever. This is has got to be healthier than sitting around on your rear indoors in the AC, I figure. And you end up actually talking to your neighbors. Imagine.
And really. You do adjust to the lack of AC. You may not be happy about it but you adjust. I had a friend give me a major reality check the other day, too. I griped, and the response was: “Oh yeah? Well right now in Iraq it’s about 120 degrees in the shade.”
I said, oh. Well. I do believe you are right. Gulp.
Then someone else pointed out that when the families started to return to Greensburg after the tornado last year, about that time Kansas would have been heading right into summer, and there sure wasn’t any AC there then. And do you think that everyone in Chapman has AC right now? Probably not.
So! Yeah. What are we griping about, again?
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
Walk the Talk: What will it take to go green?
June 27, 2008
According to a new survey of public opinion, Americans are shifting their thinking on green living (info located by CEP’s Christina!) (RBC Capital). Some would argue the shift is slight. Some would say it is significant.
Some of the major findings: Americans are less likely to object to nearby renewable energy installations, such as wind power, and 4 in 10 are considering moving closer to their place of work to cut down on driving.
Also very interesting - six out of 10 said they believed that their personal activities have a meaningful impact on global warming, yet 20 percent admitted they are not taking any steps to reduce their own carbon footprint.
More interesting findings (reprinted from the article):
Six out of 10 say they would rather pay more for cleaner fuels, but an almost equal number of Americans (58 per cent) say it is more important to keep the green in their wallets than to participate in green initiatives.
76 percent said they are driving less, 19 per cent are using or plan to take public transportation more often and 11 percent have made or are considering carpool arrangements.
82 percent of respondents said they will consider buying a hybrid when they purchase their next vehicle.
Americans with incomes of more than $100,000 are also feeling the energy pinch, with 48 per cent saying they are dining out less often and 21 per cent saving less for retirement.
When asked how their summer vacation plans have been altered, half of those surveyed said they are either staying locally or are not vacationing at all.
Almost two-thirds of Americans said they would support a ”holiday,” or repeal, of the federal gas tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Of this group, none said they would drive less, and nearly 20 per cent said they would actually drive more because they could afford to.
Only 16 per cent of Americans said that they would oppose the construction of any type of energy plant or facility in their hometown, down from 23 per cent in 2007.
Seventy-one per cent of Americans said they would support an alternative-energy system in their hometown, including a wind or solar facility, up from 58 per cent last year.
Although a majority of Americans attribute the rapid rise in gas prices to a lack of oil refining capacity in the U.S., eight out of 10 said they oppose the construction of an oil refinery in their hometown.
When asked if the U.S. will ”find a solution to its energy problems in your lifetime,” 66 per cent of survey respondents said no, up from 42 per cent last year. Eight out of 10 Americans polled said they will consider a candidate’s stand on energy issues in this year’s presidential election, an increase from about five out of 10 in 2004.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
Walk The Talk: abundance, scarcity, and asking questions
June 15, 2008
by Maril Hazlett
Beautiful Sunday afternoon - our household is relaxing after a large family meal (the family all went home and that is why we can now relax). Several animals and one husband are asleep all around me, orioles are building a nest outside the porch window, and I’m thinking about the current global food crisis.
I “got” to host the family brunch. To save my sanity I kept it pretty simple - an egg dish, salad, coffeecake. We picked flowers out of our own garden.
I’m not sure if those around the table realized it, but most of the food they ate was produced locally: Eggs, dairy, bacon, flour, vegetables. The sugar, baking soda, coffee, spices, olive oil for the salad dressing, the chocolate - those ingredients all came from much further away than Kansas.
If you look at that list, it’s pretty clear that Kansas can produce the basics. Luxury agriculture, like chocolate and sugar, no…(sadly)… but the protein and vitamins that most of us need, yes. We’re fortunate, we’re blessed - however you want to put it.
Abundance. Today, my family experienced that. Yet at the same time, our country faces scarcity. Food prices in grocery stores all across the nation are skyrocketing. According to the New York Times, prices of staples have risen - eggs are up 25%; milk, dried beans, peas and lentils, 17%; cheese 15%; bread 12%; pasta and rice 13%.
More than 10% of Americans now experience food insecurity - uncertainty over where their next meals will come from - and food stamp enrollments are rising fast. Our friends in different parts of the country report seeing missing items on grocery store shelves. Food shortages are closer than most Americans think.
There’s global food shortages. Also reported in the Times, Haiti’s staples have risen more than 45%. The hungry and desperate population has rioted. Bread riots also occurred in Cairo. Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Senegal - hungry people are angry people. Angry people often become violent.
Kansans feed people. We pride ourselves on it. We’re kind of a mom state. If people are hungry, Kansans start to wonder why.
And we start to wonder if there’s anything we can maybe do a little different.
by Eileen Horn
Okay, okay, full disclosure: 100 people came out for the annual BBQ in Mayetta, KS this past Saturday. But, with a population of 312, that’s a pretty decent turnout!
This year, Mayor Jonathan Wimer wanted a new focus for Mayetta’s annual BBQ: Energy.
As Mayor Wimer put it, “The point of the BBQ and Energy Expo is this: First, to help the people of Mayetta save money on their energy bills. Second, it’s to learn about energy efficiency and renewable energy businesses in Jackson county that they can support.” Mayor Wimer arranged presentations at City Hall for the morning, and then an “Energy Expo” with representatives from CEP, Westar Energy, Smalley Heating and Air, and Kansas Wind Power.
As CEP’s representative at the Expo, I got to talk to many Mayetta residents about their energy concerns. While many residents wanted the energy conservation tips I was handing out, the main questions I received were about wind energy - at all scales.
Mayetta is located on Hwy 75 North of Topeka, and many residents commented on the number of commercial wind turbines passing by town on their way to wind projects in Kansas and Nebraska. Residents were curious about the final destination of these blades and the number of wind projects Kansas currently has.
Also, residents were very interested in State Representative Rocky Fund’s presentation of federal and state incentives for small wind systems. Mayetta residents were visibly frustrated after the talk, as they learned that Kansas lacks a net metering policy that would allow owners of small wind turbines to sell excess energy back to their utility. Forty-three other states have net metering policies.
For me, the day’s highlights occurred during two unlikely conversations:
- The first was with a 65 year-old landowner and lifetime resident of Mayetta. This gentleman was frustrated with the current energy costs, and the lack of policies in Kansas to support landowners who want small wind energy systems. When I asked him why he was concerned about energy, I was expecting a response that matched my prejudgment of him: A response about economics, about energy independence, etc. What I got: “Well, because of global warming. Climate change is happening, and we have to do something about it.
- The second highlight came from a conversation with a 12 year-old boy asking about wind turbines. We talked for awhile about how they work, but then he seemed bored, and took off on his bike to chase some friends down the street. Later in the day, he passed with his family, and as his mom blew off my offer for some energy tips handouts, the boy paused and said, “Wait mom, you should really check this out. It’s actually pretty cool.”
I think they’re both on to something.
— Eileen Horn, www.climateandenergy.org
by Eileen Horn
At a recent Community Energy Forum held at Wichita State University, one of the audience members asked a panel of Kansas legislators, “What is the best way to communicate with all of you? What is the most effective means to make our voices heard?”
Their answers might surprise you.
Although many of us forward those mass emails prompted by Action Alerts from our various organizations, Rep. Nile Dillmore of Wichita stated that these aren’t that persuasive for him. He said that it’s easier to dismiss a mass email with talking points that have clearly been cut and pasted from an Action Alert than to dismiss a personal letter. Rep. Dillmore noted that what makes the biggest impact on him are personal messages, crafted from the person’s values and in their own words.
For Rep. Jim Ward, it’s about personal relationships. Rep. Ward stated that when a constituent has a personal relationship with a legislator, provides them with good information, and allows the legislator to explain themselves, it is much more effective. “Nobody likes to be threatened,” he said.
Rep. Josh Svaty pointed out another useful tactic. “Go to public events that your legislator is at,” he said, “and if you want something, remind them over and over in public. Follow their voting records, and be there to remind them of what you want and expect of them.”
For more ideas and links to contact your legislators, visit the “Pass It On” page of CEP’s website.
—Eileen Horn, www.climateandenergy.org
As CEP’s readers know, when the legislature reconvenes on Wednesday, April 30, our worthy representatives will be considering important, weighty issues - like overriding Governor Sebelius’s veto on the coal bills.
That same morning is scheduled for PACK THE CAPITOL, an event where concerned citizens can come support the veto, and a clean energy future for Kansas.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but until all this energy stuff got started, the last time I had been to the Capitol building in Topeka was during grade school.
I’ll admit it, when I showed up on February 5 to cover the Holcomb hearings, I was very very very nervous. Impressive building. Important people. Eek.
This state of awe and terror lasted for a bit. Then I realized - my childhood, spent showing horses on the 4-H and Quarter Horse circuits in Kansas, had in fact perfectly prepared me to hang around the Capitol. In particular, watching legislators was much like hanging out at the American Royal, which I can only describe as a livestock extravaganza.
I realize that half my readers know exactly what I am talking about. The other half are thinking oh dear, they just wandered into a digital stockyard, and are now checking the bottom of their shoe.
If you’ll allow me, I’ll explain.
First off. Whether it’s the American Royal, the KS State Fair, Denver Stock Show, the legislature - get there early. Not much will be actually happening in the arena, but back in the stalls and out by the trailers, things are really hopping.
Wander. Observe. Smile nicely, find some coffee, steer (ha!) clear of single cowboys - and watch where you step.
Second. Grab a program. In the Capitol, this means that you go by the Documents room - enter at the visitors entrance on the building’s east side, Documents is on the right just before you get to the rotunda - and pick up a copy of the House and Senate calendars. They’re just laying on the shelf out front. Grab one. Say hi to the very nice people who run Documents.
If you know the bill number you are interested in - probably SB 327 or SB 148 - just ask for a copy.
Third. Be prepared for the program to bear no relationship to what actually happens in the main arena. Show organizers - and legislative leaders - have the power to switch classes and bills around pretty much at will. Show organizers actually get a lot of grief when they do this. If legislative leaders do, that I haven’t noticed.
Fourth. There’s no shame in asking. If you’re new to any of this, horse shows, stock shows, the Capitol - remember, it’s all still Kansas. People are basically nice. If you need someone to hold your horse, or watch your stuff while you run off to grab a candy bar or take a bathroom break, or just to tell you what the heck is going on - ask. It’s no big deal.
Last. When it comes to the Capitol, remember - you’re the judge. Seriously. All those people parading around down there and performing on the floors of the House and the Senate - they had better impress YOU. You - the voter, the constituent, the citizen - are the ultimate judge.
See? American Royal, Capitol, whatever. No problem. If you’ve been to a lot more stock shows lately than you have been to the Capitol, you might think about coming to Topeka to observe your state government in action.
It’s not all that different than what you’re used to.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
As released by the Great Plains Alliance for Clean Energy (GPACE) and the Sierra Club:
Join other concerned citizens Wednesday April 30th in Topeka to show our support for Kansas’ clean energy future! PBS Frontline will be there to film the KS coal controversy. (For a .pdf flier of this announcement, please click here.)
As lawmakers return to Topeka next week for the fast-moving “veto wrap-up” session, an attempted override of the Governor’s veto of SB 327 and SB 148 is expected to take place upon arrival at the Capitol. A two-thirds vote is required in both the Senate and House to do so. And while the Senate stands poised to deliver more than the votes necessary to override, proponents of both bills in the House have twice fallen short of gaining the 84 votes needed.
But time and political pressuring have worn on some legislators, and facing the end of the session, some seem prepared to cast their vote in support of the bill in order to simply put the energy debate behind them.
However we MUST let those lawmakers who are waffling know that this is no issue to simply “put behind them” - that energy policy isn’t ONE of the pivotal issues facing Kansas, it is THE issue.
TO ALL CONCERNED KANSANS STATE-WIDE:
JOIN TOGETHER TO ENSURE AN ENERGY FUTURE THAT BENEFITS ALL KANSANS -
TODAY, TOMORROW, AND IN GENERATIONS TO COME
TOGETHER, AFTERWARDS, WE WILL ATTEND THE FULL SESSION OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, FOLLOWED BY THE OPPORTUNITY TO DRAFT AND SEND A LETTER TO YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER’S EDITOR.
THE DAY ENDS WHEN YOU MEET WITH YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE.
WHERE: KANSAS CAPITOL BUILDING 3rd floor elevator, TOPEKA
Energy policy cuts across political divides. It affects all ages, each of our communities, and those of every ideological view.
We have made a powerful statement so far, but one incredible opportunity remains. Join us next Wednesday in Topeka to show lawmakers that 84 votes is no match for the voice of ONE Kansas.
If you have offered your time previously, your continued support is much needed - bring someone new this time if you can.
If you simply can no longer stand to sit back and watch as powerful interests seek to undermine Kansas’ future prosperity - then make your first act to be a part of this historic day.
There is no time to wait. Make the commitment to a new future for Kansas.
ONE KANSAS.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30th, 2008
Find your Representative at GPACE.org. Schedule a meeting with her/him for Wednesday.
Visit www.kansascleanenergy.com to find a carpool leaving from your area.
Contact GPACE to learn more about the event. Email Chris Cardinal - ChrisCardinal@gpace.org
Want to know more about the Kansas coal controversy? Check out CEP’s FAQs.
Pope Benedict traveled to the U.S. last week for his first official visit. He spoke at the United Nations (New York Times) (the text of his address is available at that link).
His comments ranged widely. In essence he argued that human rights - guarantees of justice and equality - are essential to the common good, and that both politics and religion offer ways to secure these rights for all peoples.
His words also contained points of interest for conversations on climate and energy. For example, the Pope called attention to a general problem in international politics - that consensus “continues to be in crisis because it is still subordinated to the decisions of a small number, while the world’s problems require from the international community that it act on a common basis.” He continued:
Indeed, questions of security, the development goals, the reduction of inequalities, both locally and globally, the protection of the environment, of resources and of the climate, require that all international leaders act together and show a readiness to work in good faith, in respect of the rule of law, to promote solidarity in the most fragile regions of the planet.
These remarks take place against the background of international conflict over a proposed treaty that would establish targets for greenhouse gas reductions. The United States has been one of a small yet powerful number of nations who have resisted such targets. One of the Bush’s administration’s concerns has been the economic costs of carbon regulation.
The Pope’s remarks offered another general perspective on how regulations impact the common good. Rather than economic costs, he is worried more about the human costs of not acting, on whatever the issue may be.
These regulations do not limit freedom. On the contrary, they promote it when they prohibit behavior and actions which work against the common good, curb its effective exercise and hence compromise the dignity of every human being.
In the name of liberty, there has to be a correlation between rights and responsibilities, on the basis of which every individual is called to shoulder responsibility for his or her choices, while taking into account relations with other people.
Previously, few of us have probably thought of our society’s development of science and technology as something for which we bear individual responsibility, let alone about how it impacts our relations with other people.
But as the Pope pointed out - if these developments compromise creation, then they definitely affect spiritual and community life as well:
Here our thoughts turn also to the way the results of scientific research and technological advances have sometimes been used. While recognizing the immense benefits that humanity can draw from them, some of the uses constitute a clear violation of the order of creation, to the point where not only is the sacred character of life contradicted, but the human person and the family are robbed of their natural identity.
Likewise, international action to preserve the environment and to protect various forms of life on earth must not only guarantee a rational use of technology and science, but must also rediscover the authentic image of creation.
This never requires a choice to be made between science and ethics: rather it is a question of adopting a scientific method that is truly respectful of ethical imperatives.
The Pope’s words raise the question: When it comes to climate and energy issues, can the larger community of nations achieve this vision?
If so, then to some extent they will have to transcend the limited confines of the current debate. Protecting sovereignty is one thing. Acting nationalistically against the common good of the international community is another.
The Pope phrased this broader tension a bit differently.
The action of the international community and of its institutions… should never be interpreted as an unwarranted imposition or a limitation of sovereignty.
On the contrary, it is indifference or failure to intervene that do the real damage.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
Walk the Talk: Earth Day is sexy! (who knew?) and other thoughts on today’s momentous occasion
April 22, 2008
by Nancy Jackson, CEP Executive Director
Last week, Governor Schwarzenegger (it’s still fun to say that out loud) said that environmentalism is getting a makeover, from guilt-powered to revolutionary, “from hand wringing and whining, to an image that is hip, that is cutting edge, forceful and self confident. Even sexy.”
CEP likes that idea – and proposes that one reason for the new image might be the new makeup of the group. Because yesterday’s “tree-hugging hand-wringers” have grown up into and recruited today’s Fortune 500 CEOs, evangelical Christians, hospital presidents, farmers, and soccer moms and dads.
“Environmentalist” today describes a huge number of quite diverse people. In fact, more than 85% of Americans say they are environmentalists to some degree. A recent Gallup poll showed that 28% of us have made “major changes” to live green, and a whopping 55% of us have made minor changes. We are solution-oriented, can-do folks.
These days, we realize that “environment” isn’t something “out there.” It’s something “right here,” too. We’re in it – part of it. When we care for the earth – for our life-support system of air, water, and soil – we take care of us in the bargain.
So. Maybe we need a new name for our hip, self-confident, sexy movement? Better-life-ism? Future-ism? Solution-ism? How about In-My-Back-Yard-ism? After all, in a global economy, everything is basically in our backyard. IMBYism will be about what we do want back there.
IMBY’s Earth Day will turn out young and old, rich and poor, conservative and liberal for a giant, jubilant celebration of our one excellent planet. This one day will be a huge party to recognize the miracle of life in conditions that don’t appear to exist anywhere else. (What better reason for a party?)
The rest of the year, we will talk about how to beautify and maintain the Earth, our communal back yard. For some, it will be a fun hobby, like gardening. For others, it will be a mild yet satisfying annoyance, like mowing the grass or recycling. For others still IMBYism will drive important policy discussions, as health care does today. In fact, IMBYists (which will be virtually all of us) will recognize that caring for our support system is the most basic form of health care.
Taking care of ourselves isn’t always fun (flossing, exercise) and it isn’t always cheap (root canal, bypass). It also isn’t much of an option, given the alternative. And taking care of ourselves all makes life longer and better, so at the end of the day, it does feel like a fair trade.
Thomas Jefferson said every generation needs a new revolution. IMBYism might just be ours. Focusing on what we do want in our global back yard, getting out and enjoying it together, creating an economy that improves our life support systems – those would be revolutionary acts.
Perhaps our new frontiers (another preoccupation of Jefferson’s) are no longer out there, but are right here. Perhaps our moon shot is improving our quality of life – and our longevity – down here.
Earth Day, in that context, takes on a whole new meaning. It becomes irresistible – the ideal embodiment of the hip, self-confident, sexy movement for our future.
Happy Earth Day from CEP.
— Nancy Jackson, www.climateandenergy.org
Need information on climate and energy for your own community’s Earth Day celebration? Check out CEP’s hugely popular Earth Day Kit!
Did you find our blog because you were reading up on the current coal debate in Kansas? Then check out CEP’s FAQs on the Kansas coal controversy.
CEP Wind Week: Wind energy projects- beautiful or intrusive? One artist’s perspective.
April 17, 2008
The newest wind energy project in Kansas, Smoky Hills, is located 20 miles west of Salina along I-70. The 56 turbines that make up Phase I of the project will produce clean energy for 30,000 Kansas homes per year, and their highly visible location (just north of I-70 and easily seen from the highway) has allowed many Kansans to see a wind energy project up close for the first time. Jason Becker, an artist from Colwich, Kansas visited the project recently, and has shared his photos with CEP.
He also shared some of his impressions of the experience:
“Growing up and having lived in Kansas my whole life, I am on a first name basis with the wind. I would like to say the wind and I are friends, but as a person who enjoys being outdoors as much as possible, I know the downside to any, otherwise pleasant day outside…is that darn old wind. However, I am well aware that wind has its upside, and so decided to check it out on a calm, beautiful evening in mid March. I took a trip out to the Smoky Hill Wind Project near Lincoln to see the wind turbines up close and personal.
I have for a few years now seen flat bed tractor-trailer rigs going up and down the interstate carrying individual blades, each barely hanging off the end of its long trailer, but it wasn’t until that day in March that I had actually seen one in action…up close at least. They aren’t hard to spot, you can see them from nearly twenty miles away on a clear day, but seeing them at a stone’s throw is an all together different experience.
They are remarkably quiet, peaceful things, and aesthetically far more pleasing than I had ever given them credit for. They tower over you like a quiet giant, but are far less threatening. The very faint ‘woosh, woosh, woosh’ of the blades is almost hypnotic in its rhythm. As I stood beneath one of the towers, I was overcome with a sense that I was seeing something very special, very important. 
There are those who will inevitably criticize them as being an eyesore, breaking up the landscape, and destroying a beautiful view. I see their point, I really do. However, as someone who lives in the shadow of a coal fired power plant I would trade my present view for turbines any day.
Each of these turbines was not only enjoyable to look at and hear the rhythm of, but is, more importantly, freeing each of us from a fossil fuel-dependent future. I realize this might sound sappy, over-the-top perhaps, but in the long run I believe that others will feel the same way. With wind energy, ingenuity meets opportunity, and Kansas stands poised to reap the benefits.
To those who wish to argue against wind turbines, I would encourage each to go see what they are all about, up close. Not only are they, for a lack of a better word, “cool” to look at, but they also symbolize what is possible for sustainable energy in our great state. Wind is something we are good at, and we should foster and nurture the technology, and the process for years to come.
So, wind and I are sure to still have our quarrels- especially when it puts a damper on an otherwise perfect day at the lake, but I think I’ll cut him some slack from now on. He’s doing as much for Kansas at the moment as most of us…and doesn’t even mind working nights.” -Jason Becker
Jason’s perspective is one among many.
Clearly, the issue of the aesthetic impact of wind energy is one that each of us will decide personally.
Have you visited a wind project lately? Want to share your thoughts with CEP?
Email us at: info@climateandenergy.org.
We’ll post a sample of the responses at the end of Wind Week!
Interested in reading more about the aesthetic impact of wind energy? Check out this recently-released report by the National Academy of Sciences, “Environmental Impacts of Wind Energy Projects.”
-Eileen Horn, www.climateandenergy.org
Other offerings in CEP’s Wind Week so far:
Wind power and human health
Photo essay, Smoky Hills Wind Farm
What you need to know to get started on wind energy
Colby Wind Summit
Wind in the News
In the words of the Evangelical Environmental Network (ENN) - What Would Jesus Drive?
Good question! And a great conversation starter. ENN is one of the many groups now exploring the links between faith and environment (check CEP’s handout for others). ENN has declared their moral obligation to reduce global warming pollution, and taken a pledge to do so by making smart transportation choices.
All across the U.S., religious communities are speaking out about the care of creation. In particular, they are addressing the climate crisis, and its potentially severe environmental, social, moral, economic and spiritual consequences. These groups have begun to speak out about stewardship, and the moral imperative to care for the world’s poor and vulnerable who will be most adversely affected by climate change.
At the Climate and Energy Project, these are the kind of conversations we like to help get started. Partnering with faith groups provides a great opportunity for CEP to do what we love best: Fostering creative and respectful conversations about climate change among concerned Kansans.
CEP’s newest outreach program, a Kansas chapter of Interfaith Power and Light, aims to connect Kansans with the information and tools necessary to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of their places of worship. By providing low-cost energy audits for congregations, partnerships with energy performance contractors, monitoring of GHG reductions achieved, and educational outreach to individual members, CEP hopes to both reduce total GHG emissions from congregations and allow Kansans an opportunity to put their faith into action.
To launch the Kansas Chapter, CEP is working with Kansas and Missouri-based interfaith environmental groups and the national chapter of Interfaith Power and Light (IPL), a nationwide campaign to mobilize a religious response to climate change.
With 26 states and 4,000 congregations already participating, Interfaith Power and Light has helped congregations and individuals reduce their carbon footprint through energy efficiency, renewable energy, and conservation. Some of our favorite successful programs are the California Interfaith Power and Light Program and the Iowa Interfaith Power and Light, which have reduced CO2 emissions in their congregations by 20 million pounds.
Envisioning and planning the Kansas IPL has been inspiring! We’ve met some great local faith groups who are working to foster individual and collective action on climate change. The Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition in Kansas City, MO, is an interfaith coalition which advocates sustainable living and ecological justice for all creation. We’ve also met with the Trinity Environmental Stewardship Team in Lawrence, St. Andrew’s Group for Ecology in Overland Park, and the Grassroots Environmental Action Team in Pawnee Rock. All are working on raising awareness of climate change issues in their congregations!
Concerns about creation are not limited to religious communities. In all of CEP’s conversations with Kansans about climate change, many tell us that they’ve switched to a low-carbon lifestyle because, “it’s the right thing to do” or because they believe that prudence and “not wasting what we’ve been given” is an important moral value.
Creating a Kansas chapter of Interfaith Power and Light will require input from people from all faith backgrounds, and from all parts of the state. Please consider talking with your faith leader and members of your congregation about the moral responsibility of addressing climate change.
We can do this. Let’s put our faith into action on climate change.
For more information, or to become one of the inaugural Kansas IPL congregations, please contact:
Eileen Horn, horn@climateandenergy.org
— Eileen Horn, www.climateandenergy.org
More links of interest:
National Religious Partnership for the Environment
Catholic Coalition on Climate Change
Evangelical Climate Initiative
Eco-Justice Ministries
CEP’s Interview with pastor Thad Holcomb on the interfaith nature of creation care
Walk the Talk: What quality of life really means
April 7, 2008
By Nancy Jackson
Last week, KU students packed an incredibly warm room to watch Leonardo DiCaprio’s film, The 11th Hour, and stayed well after to listen to a bunch of mostly old people like me “discuss the issues.”
Those of us who discussed were glad to be there, honored to be among good company who arguably do know a thing or two about the topic. (I was seated between renowned environmental historian Donald Worster and climatologist and IPCC contributor Johannes Feddema.)
Our answers were not wrong. And yet mid-discussion, as I looked out at earnest, hopeful faces and listened to the panel’s mature judgment and informed answers, I couldn’t help but remember Albert Einstein’s assertion that “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”
Consider, for example, my fumble of the best, the simplest question that came my way: Why is The Land Institute working on climate and energy issues?
I gave my stock answer—that the future of food and farmers depends on how we manage the risks of climate change, that we have tremendous opportunities in Kansas both to use less energy through efficiency and conservation and to produce much more sustainable, resilient energy from renewable sources like wind and the sun. I said our economy can prosper as we transform it, that we can do well while doing good.
All true, but not the real answer.
The Land Institute works on climate and energy because we recognize that these two systems, intricately connected, support everything that we are and do in twenty-first century America.
Energy – mostly from fossil fuels – supports our entire economy and has provided us with unprecedented levels of education, medical care, entertainment, productivity, and general ease.
The combustion of those fossil fuels – burning all that long-dead, highly compressed plant and animal carbon – releases carbon dioxide and other gases that now threaten the stability of our climate.
And climate – that elegant interchange between earth, air, water, and sunlight that creates our seasonal temperature, precipitation, evaporation, and storms – supports everything from soil fertility to ocean health. Climate makes us comfortable and safe, and it sustains our ability to feed ourselves.
So, the real question – the question for young people who will inherit what we create now – is this: how do we balance these concerns? How do we choose to live?
On another panel before a very different audience just last week, my happy-talk about energy efficiency and conservation was met with skepticism by a consumer advocate who asked a different question. “How far,” he asked, “how far are we willing to go to deal with this climate issue? Are we going to ask people to go back and live in caves? What about quality of life?”
Quality of life is the crux of this matter, isn’t it? And that’s where Einstein’s consciousness becomes so important. Because truth be told, our vaunted “quality of life” isn’t really floating most of our boats.
On the World Map of Happiness (yes, someone studies this – drawing from no less than eight international data sets), the U.S. doesn’t even make the top 20. In one of the most prosperous nations in the world, children and adults alike are medicated at alarming rates for ADD, ADHD, anxiety, and depression. Americans are working longer hours each year to buy bigger houses, cooler cars, and stuff to put in both – average household credit card debt is over $8,000. (Holy cow!) We see less and less of our kids, who are suffering in record numbers from asthma, obesity and diabetes – the latter caused in part by an average 4 ½ hours of electronic entertainment daily and very little time outdoors.
I am going to go out on a limb here and suggest that quality of life may actually improve with some strategic changes.
Here are the real questions for young people at KU and everywhere: When am I happiest? Most satisfied? Most fulfilled? What was the best time I had last year, last month, yesterday?
My bet is that our best memories center around people and laughter, not stuff; engagement and experience, not “entertainment.” The Beatles may have fallen a bit short with “All you need is love.” But it probably does remain true that the best things in life are free, or close to it.
So let’s get to the best questions How do we improve our lives while also improving the natural systems that support them? This does not have to be an either/or proposition. Our big, creative brains are absolutely capable of answering this question in symphonic ways. Let’s upend our tired assumptions and get to it!
Nancy Jackson, CEP Executive Director
www.climateandenergy.org
Last week’s drama ended in a stand-off. So it appears.
The issue was whether Sunflower Electric’s supporters would push thru a veto override vote on their first bill, SB 327, in the Kansas House before the regular session ended on Friday. That bill would have allowed Sunflower to build two new coal-fired power plants totaling production of 1400 MW and eleven million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. The bill also would have severely restricted KDHE Secretary Bremby’s power to protect the health and environment of Kansas.
The situation was quite tense. Friday morning was the final action vote on the second Holcomb bill, SB 148, which contains the same two provisions. The vote on this second bill was widely seen as a test vote for the override vote on the first bill, which pretty much everyone at the Capitol expected to happen that afternoon.
Sunflower supporters needed 84 votes. They got only 83.
What does this mean? Hard telling. However, plans for a veto override vote were canceled for later that day.
Between the morning and the evening, many unknowns could have occurred in this critical interim, but one thing CEP does know - constituents did a very good job of contacting their legislators. Every single piece of the puzzle matters. (For who voted how, and especially for names of those legislators who switched their votes from against the measure, to for it, please check here.)
Those waiting for the veto vote to occur in the Friday night session, though, didn’t yet know how all this would work out. Evidently neither did many of the legislators in the House. When the leadership told them to clean off their desks, everyone was apparently very surprised. They had been ready for a fairly intense debate.
What happens next?
Regular session is over. Legislators are on break until 10:00 a.m. April 30, when the veto session begins. There has been some understandable confusion about what the veto session is - understandable, because the name is very misleading.
Apparently when veto session started (only a short while back) it was indeed meant to be a separate time set apart to smash at the big tough issues, so those big issues didn’t derail the regular session. However, work from the regular session started to bleed into the veto session - legislators began using more and more of the time for wrap-up (conference committees, etc.), to finish off the business they manage to get to in the regular session.
The veto session is no longer just for vetoes. It’s like having finals, then getting to go back and turn in late homework. Likewise, vetoes don’t only take place during the veto session.
This year, issues more suitable for the veto session have bled over copiously into the regular session. Rather than be put on the back burner, the coal plant issue has clogged up the entire legislative agenda since January. Originally the plants were supposed to be dealt with quickly - hearings started in early February and by mid-February the bill was supposed to be rammed through both chambers, with veto-proof majorities.
For whatever combinations of reasons, that didn’t happen.
I know. I’m tired of it. You’re tired of it. We’re all tired of it. When will the legislative chapter of this debate finally end?
The veto session has no fixed length. Legislators are supposed to deal with business and then get the heck out of there. This year, there is a lot of business left - immigration, health care, and the budget, plus the Holcomb plants.
On the Holcomb issue, there are also two bills in play. The House has the first three or four days of the veto session (depending how you count) to override the Governor’s veto on the first Holcomb bill, SB 327. If Sunflower supporters cannot override the veto, they then have time to consider the second Holcomb bill, SB 148. The Senate concurred on the House’s vote on Friday, and that second bill should reach the Governor’s desk sometime next week. She will probably veto that one as well, setting up a chance for a second override attempt.
The strategy seems to be fairly obvious. Already, supporters of the plants are trying to position SB 148 as a “green” bill, a true compromise. Considering that it contains the whole of the first bill within it, plus a few token measures that are at best a pale lime color, this is not a convincing argument.
However. People are tired, they may buy it. But here’s the good news - really, this break could not be better timed. It’s April! There’s Earth Day and other related events all month long, all over the state. Yeah baby! Time to educate and inform.
Moments like this, I like to quote my Dad. “When the going gets tough… the tough get going.”
(And they also check to make sure they have chocolate.)
Hope everyone had a great weekend. Monday night too will be tense, but for entirely different reasons. I can only say - never again do I want to face the threat of a veto override vote AND North Carolina in one week. That was seriously un-fun.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
