The Schwarzenegger Plan a la Maryland

This just in from Mike Tidwell of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and author of "We Are All Smith Islanders":

Historic global warming bill suddenly has a chance in Maryland legislature!
So-called "Schwarzenegger Plan" could change the world. Really! But your help is critical. You're invited to an emergency conference call this week with two top Maryland lawmakers and CCAN director Mike Tidwell.

In six years as director of this organization I have never written an appeal like this. But right now in Maryland we have a chance to change the world. The "Global Warming Solutions Act," a bill we thought could take years to pass, suddenly has a chance to pass now in Maryland thanks to skyrocketing concerns about the collapsing global climate.

The bill would make our state just the second in America - behind California - to mandate huge, statutory reductions in greenhouse gases by 2020 (learn more). It's a radical and utterly appropriate commitment. More importantly, it encourages other states to do the same, raising pressure for strong federal legislation.

But the Maryland bill will NOT pass without your help. We need at least 100 committed citizens from across the state to join an emergency grassroots campaign over the next six weeks to push the bill through. We actually need only a small amount of your time, but we need it in a coordinated, strategic way.

So, on behalf of my 9-year-old son and every child in your own family, I want to make an emotional direct appeal to you to join me on a conference call this week to learn more about this emergency campaign (see call details below). Also on the call will be MD Senator Paul Pinsky and Delegate Kumar Barve, chief sponsors of the bill. Together, we'll carefully describe what volunteers can do in the form of emails, calls, letters, and in-person visits over the next few weeks.

Again, we've never had an emergency campaign like this before at CCAN. But we've never had an opportunity quite like this, either. Please don't miss out on your chance to make history and really change the world.

See you on the call.

Sincerely,

Mike Tidwell
Director, Chesapeake Climate Action Network


Emergency Campaign to bring the Schwarzenegger Plan to Maryland: Please Dial in to a Grassroots Conference Call this week

For your convenience, there will be two calls to pick from:

Call #1: Thursday night Feb. 22, 7:30 pm. Call-in number: 1-888-537-8139, code 82531915

Call #2: Saturday Feb. 24, noon. Call in number: 1-888-537-8139, code 82531915

Here's what will happen on the call: Senator Pinsky, Delegate Barve, and Mike Tidwell will open by explaining the bill's historic significance and outlining the political strategy for getting it through both the MD Senate and House and on to the governor. Josh Tulkin and Claire Douglass of the CCAN staff will then explain the proposed emergency grassroots campaign and answer any questions you may have. We hope to keep the call to one hour, with follow up by email.

Please send all replies to Info@chesapeakeclimate.org