Subject: [big campaign] Election Round-Up: Summary of Sierra Club Activities in the Clean Energy Election
From: [email-masked]
To: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:52:23 -0400
List-Id: <bigcampaign.googlegroups.com>

For Immediate Release
October 31, 2008

Contact: David Willett, 202-675-6698

                ’08 Elections and the Clean Energy Economy
                 Sierra Club Political Program Highlights

Washington, DC:  As the election heads into its final days, it is already
clear that the need to invest in clean energy and green jobs, concern about
record gas prices, record oil company profits, and demand for energy
independence and action on global warming elevated Sierra Club’s priority
issues to an unprecedented level.

"For the first time in a Presidential election, candidates and voters are
connecting the dots between energy, the environment and the economy," said
Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director. "Barack Obama, in particular,
has made it clear that  investing in cleaner energy will be "priority
number one" in his plans for economic recovery."

"Even with the economic crisis rightly dominating the national
conversation, candidates are touting investment in renewable energy and
energy efficiency technologies as the answer that would jumpstart our
economy, create millions of jobs, new industries and opportunities,"said
Cathy Duvall, Sierra Club Political Director.  "And for the first time in
American electoral history, presidential candidates aren't debating the
existence of global warming but discussing instead the policies they would
pursue to curb climate change."

Clean energy has become a defining issue in all of the major battleground
Senate races as well as dozens of House contests. The issue is working to
draw distinctions between candidates who favor politics as usual candidates
who took money from Big Oil and voted to give the oil companies tax breaks
and candidates who promise to deliver change in the form of an increased
reliance on renewable power and energy efficiency.  Candidates around the
country are introducing voters to the new lexicon of "green jobs", "clean
energy future,"and "cap and auction."

For several years the Sierra Club has been working to build momentum and
support among the public and office-holders for clean energy as a solution
to both the economic and environmental problems Americans face.

The Sierra Club Political Committee’s ran a number of programs focused on
contrasting endorsed candidates including Barack Obama and his job-creating
clean energy investment plan, with John McCain’s continuing of the Bush
administration’s energy and environmental policies .  The Sierra Club’s
program included:

*A national TV ad and scorecard through an independent program highlighting
the stark difference between McCain’s proposals to continue rewarding Big
Oil while Obama’s plan stops corporate giveaways.  Radio ads were also run
in Ohio and in Spanish in Nevada.

*An independent direct contact program that’s reached tens of thousands of
targeted swing voters in key battleground states.  Efforts to promote
Barack Obama and his job-creating plans for clean energy focused in NH, CO
and OH have included 140,248 phone contacts and 478,540 pieces of mail.

*Our independent canvass knocked on 60,000 doors in PA, OH and VA to
discuss Obama’s plans for 5 million new green jobs in the U.S. through
clean energy and fair trade.

*The Sierra Club is also engaged in an extensive independent canvass on
campuses in Denver, Colorado educating young voters on Barack Obama and key
ballot initiatives in the state.

*Organizers for the independent program are conducting outreach and voter
education about the Presidential and targeted Senate candidates NH, NM, CO,
PA, OH, MN, WI, NV and OR.

*Separately, Sierra Club’s largest-ever grassroots program coordinated with
campaigns deployed 55 staff and thousands of volunteer Sierra Club members
to the Obama campaign and targeted Congressional races  in 15 states--5
senate races and 33 house races.

*Members have also employed their greatest strength the ability to recruit
more grassroots supporters to engage in the election, by using a
combination of online organizing tools and existing volunteer structure to
recruit Sierra Club members from non-battleground states to phone, e-mail,
and travel into swing states to get out the vote.

*Activists will also be reminding their friends and neighbors to vote using
text message, via an innovative new website that allows you to "bank"
friend's cell phone numbers for an election day text reminder.

*An allied organization, the Sierra Club State Action Fund, is engaged in a
number of ballot initiatives and issue advocacy campaigns including energy
initiatives in Colorado, Missouri, Utah as well as development and
transportation ballot measures in South Dakota and Nevada.  The Sierra Club
State Action Fund provided voter education on energy and water issues.  The
program included a total of one million pieces of mail sent, over 200,000
calls made and, in Colorado, over 190,000 doors knocked.

*As part of our continuing and growing collaboration with the American
labor movement, earlier this month the Sierra Club and Working America, the
community affiliate of the AFL-CIO, held conference calls with their
respective members in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Governor Ted Strickland,
Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka, and Carl Pope, Sierra
Club's Executive Director joined on a conference call with Ohio members to
discuss the importance of good jobs and clean energy in this year's
election. In Pennsylvania a similar call was lead by Pope, Governor Ed
Rendell and United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard. Carl Pope and Cathy
Duvall also joined Working America reaching out to their members in Oregon
and Virginia.

*The Sierra Club is also fighting against Amendments 47, 49 and 54 in
Colorado, Amendment 47 is a so-called “Right-to-Work” initiative that would
threaten workers’ rights, workplace safety, and would lower wages;
Amendment 49 would weaken the rights of workers to spend their own money as
they see fit and make it harder to bargain for better wages; and Amendment
54 would silence the voices of people who work for state and local
government who want to participate in the political process.

*Sierra Club and its student arm, the Sierra Student Coaltion (SSC)
supported and engaged in Power Vote—an effort spearheaded by the Energy
Action Coalition to unite young "climate voters" behind a platform centered
on combating global warming pollution, creating millions of new green jobs,
and ensuring our nation's energy independence by transitioning to a dynamic
new clean energy economy.  The SSC has been active with this effort on over
50 campuses.

###
On Wednesday, November 5th, Sierra Club will join with other environmental
groups to discuss the election results and what this election means for
moving forward with clean energy solutions with a new administration and
Congress.  The press conference will be at 2 PM at the National Press Club
in Washington, DC.

David Willett
National Press Secretary
Sierra Club
(202) 675-6698 (w)
(202) 491-6919 (m)
[email-masked]
www.sierraclub.org
----- Forwarded by David Willett/Sierraclub on 10/31/2008 01:50 PM -----
                                                                           
             "TEST MESSAGE                                                 
             FROM: David                                                   
             Willett"                                                   To 
             <david.willett@si         [email-masked]        
             erraclub.org>                                              cc 
                                                                           
             10/31/2008 01:28                                      Subject 
             PM                        Election Round-Up: Summary of       
                                       Sierra Club Activities in the Clean 
                                       Energy Election                     
             Please respond to                                             
               "TEST MESSAGE                                               
                FROM: David                                                
                 Willett"                                                  
             <david.willett@si                                             
               erraclub.org>                                               

                                                                           

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                ’08 Elections and the Clean Energy Economy                 
                 Sierra Club Political Program Highlights                  

           Washington, DC:  As the election heads into its final           
           days, it is already clear that the need to invest in            
           clean energy and green jobs, concern about record gas           
           prices, record oil company profits, and demand for              
           energy independence and action on global warming                
           elevated Sierra Club’s priority issues to an                    
           unprecedented level.                                            
                                                                           
           "For the first time in a Presidential election,                 
           candidates and voters are connecting the dots between           
           energy, the environment and the economy," said Carl             
           Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director. "Barack Obama,            
           in particular, has made it clear that  investing in             
           cleaner energy will be "priority number one" in his             
           plans for economic recovery."                                   

           "Even with the economic crisis rightly dominating the           
           national conversation, candidates are touting                   
           investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency            
           technologies as the answer that would jumpstart our             
           economy, create millions of jobs, new industries and            
           opportunities,"said Cathy Duvall, Sierra Club                   
           Political Director.  "And for the first time in                 
           American electoral history, presidential candidates             
           aren't debating the existence of global warming but             
           discussing instead the policies they would pursue to            
           curb climate change."                                           

           Clean energy has become a defining issue in all of              
           the major battleground Senate races as well as dozens           
           of House contests. The issue is working to draw                 
           distinctions between candidates who favor politics as           
           usual candidates who took money from Big Oil and                
           voted to give the oil companies tax breaks  and                 
           candidates who promise to deliver change in the form            
           of an increased reliance on renewable power and                 
           energy efficiency.  Candidates around the country are           
           introducing voters to the new lexicon of "green                 
           jobs", "clean energy future,"and "cap and auction."             

           For several years the Sierra Club has been working to           
           build momentum and support among the public and                 
           office-holders for clean energy as a solution to both           
           the economic and environmental problems Americans               
           face.                                                           

           The Sierra Club Political Committee’s ran a number of           
           programs focused on contrasting endorsed candidates             
           including Barack Obama and his job-creating clean               
           energy investment plan, with John McCain’s continuing           
           of the Bush administration’s energy and environmental           
           policies .  The Sierra Club’s program included:                 
                 A national TV ad and scorecard through an                 
                 independent program highlighting the stark                
                 difference between McCain’s proposals to                  
                 continue rewarding Big Oil while Obama’s plan             
                 stops corporate giveaways.  Radio ads were also           
                 run in Ohio and in Spanish in Nevada.                     
                                                                           
                 An independent direct contact program that’s              
                 reached tens of thousands of targeted swing               
                 voters in key battleground states.  Efforts to            
                 promote Barack Obama and his job-creating plans           
                 for clean energy focused in NH, CO and OH have            
                 included 140,248 phone contacts and 478,540               
                 pieces of mail.                                           
                                                                           
                 Our independent canvass knocked on 60,000 doors           
                 in PA, OH and VA to discuss Obama’s plans for 5           
                 million new green jobs in the U.S. through                
                 clean energy and fair trade.                              
                                                                           
                 The Sierra Club is also engaged in an extensive           
                 independent canvass on campuses in Denver,                
                 Colorado educating young voters on Barack Obama           
                 and key ballot initiatives in the state.                  
                                                                           
                 Organizers for the independent program are                
                 conducting outreach and voter education about             
                 the Presidential and targeted Senate candidates           
                 NH, NM, CO, PA, OH, MN, WI, NV and OR.                    
                                                                           
                 Separately, Sierra Club’s largest-ever                    
                 grassroots program coordinated with campaigns             
                 deployed 55 staff and thousands of volunteer              
                 Sierra Club members to the Obama campaign and             
                 targeted Congressional races  in 15 states--5             
                 senate races and 33 house races.                          
                                                                           
                 Members have also employed their greatest                 
                 strength the ability to recruit more grassroots           
                 supporters to engage in the election, by using            
                 a combination of online organizing tools and              
                 existing volunteer structure to recruit Sierra            
                 Club members from non-battleground states to              
                 phone, e-mail, and travel into swing states to            
                 get out the vote.                                         
                                                                           
                 Activists will also be reminding their friends            
                 and neighbors to vote using text message, via             
                 an innovative new website that allows you to              
                 "bank" friend's cell phone numbers for an                 
                 election day text reminder.                               
                                                                           
                 An allied organization, the Sierra Club State             
                 Action Fund, is engaged in a number of ballot             
                 initiatives and issue advocacy campaigns                  
                 including energy initiatives in Colorado,                 
                 Missouri, Utah as well as development and                 
                 transportation ballot measures in South Dakota            
                 and Nevada.  The Sierra Club State Action Fund            
                 provided voter education on energy and water              
                 issues.  The program included a total of one              
                 million pieces of mail sent, over 200,000 calls           
                 made and, in Colorado, over 190,000 doors                 
                 knocked.                                                  
                                                                           
                 As part of our continuing and growing                     
                 collaboration with the American labor movement,           
                 earlier this month the Sierra Club and Working            
                 America, the community affiliate of the                   
                 AFL-CIO, held conference calls with their                 
                 respective members in Ohio and Pennsylvania.              
                 Governor Ted Strickland, Secretary-Treasurer of           
                 the AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka, and Carl Pope,               
                 Sierra Club's Executive Director joined on a              
                 conference call with Ohio members to discuss              
                 the importance of good jobs and clean energy in           
                 this year's election. In Pennsylvania a similar           
                 call was lead by Pope, Governor Ed Rendell and            
                 United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard. Carl            
                 Pope and Cathy Duvall also joined Working                 
                 America reaching out to their members in Oregon           
                 and Virginia.                                             
                                                                           
                 The Sierra Club is also fighting against                  
                 Amendments 47, 49 and 54 in Colorado, Amendment           
                 47 is a so-called “Right-to-Work” initiative              
                 that would threaten workers’ rights, workplace            
                 safety, and would lower wages; Amendment 49               
                 would weaken the rights of workers to spend               
                 their own money as they see fit and make it               
                 harder to bargain for better wages; and                   
                 Amendment 54 would silence the voices of people           
                 who work for state and local government who               
                 want to participate in the political process.             
                                                                           
                 Sierra Club and its student arm, the Sierra               
                 Student Coaltion (SSC) supported and engaged in           
                 Power Vote—an effort spearheaded by the Energy            
                 Action Coalition to unite young "climate                  
                 voters" behind a platform centered on combating           
                 global warming pollution, creating millions of            
                 new green jobs, and ensuring our nation's                 
                 energy independence by transitioning to a                 
                 dynamic new clean energy economy.  The SSC has            
                 been active with this effort on over 50                   
                 campuses.                                                 

                                    ###                                    

           On Wednesday, November 5th, Sierra Club will join               
           with other environmental groups to discuss the                  
           election results and what this election means for               
           moving forward with clean energy solutions with a new           
           administration and Congress.  The press conference              
           will be at 2 PM at the National Press Club in                   
           Washington, DC.                                                 

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