Advocacy Project: Letter to an Elected Official

December 9, 2011

Sean P. Duffy

House of Representative

1208 Longworth HOB

Washington, DC 20515

VOTE NO ON H.R. 97—FREE INDUSTRY ACT (INTRODUCED IN HOUSE-IH)

The proposed issue will have a major impact on people worldwide and the environment. The bill is requesting that the Greenhouse Gases be taken off of the Clear Air Act. If this bill were to pass, it would be a huge mistake, as we are trying to improve our environment from the damage we have already and currently are causing.

As a student in an environmental health class I have become more aware of issues that are going on in the world, especially in the United States. And although we have made great strides in trying to improve our environment by becoming more consciously aware and implementing new ideas and programs, taking the Greenhouse Gases off the Clear Air Act, I feel, would set us back.

A supporter of this bill might say that industries are capable of regulating what toxins are put into the atmosphere or that Greenhouse Gases aren’t responsible for Global Warming. A supporter may even go as far as to say that Global Warming doesn’t even exist. Although there may be evidence to show that Global Warming isn’t occurring, there is stronger evidence showing that it is.  Glaciers are melting, leaving certain animals, such as the polar bear, without a habit to live in adequately.  

I appreciate you for taking the time to listen. I hope to see that you care just as much about the environment as I have become and vote “no” to H.R. 97. If I can provide anymore information, please feel free to contact me at 555-123-4567.

Andrea Volinkaty    

Advocacy Project: Fact Sheet

Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming

Facts from United States Environmental Protection Agency

What are Greenhouse Gases?

Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat from the sun in the atmosphere causing the atmosphere to slowly keep getting warmer and warmer, causing Global Warming or Climate Change.

What are the types of Greenhouse Gases?

The major greenhouse gases that enter the atmosphere because of humans are as followed:

·      Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)- Carbon Dioxide does occur naturally along with being created by human activity. Carbon Dioxide enters through the burning of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal), solid waste, trees and wood products, and also as a result of other chemical reactions, such as manufacture of cement.

·      Methane (CH₄)- Methane enters during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane is also emitted through the waste of livestock and decay of organic waste in municipal waste landfills.

·      Nitrous Oxide (N₂O)- Nitrous Oxide enters the atmosphere during agricultural and industrial activities and during combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste.

·      Fluorinated Gases- Fluorinated Gases are synthetic, powerful greenhouse gases that enter from a variety of industrial processes. Fluorinated Gases include, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. These gases are usually emitted into the atmosphere in smaller quantities, but they are considered High Global Warming Potential gases because they are so potent.

What are the effects of Greenhouse Gases?

Greenhouse Gases are causing Climate Change. Some of the effects of Climate Change is temperatures are rising, ice sheets are melting, oceans are rising, flowers are blooming earlier, snow is melting sooner, and birds aren’t flying as far south as before. These effects cause other effects such as, more powerful storms, more flooding and more droughts. All of these change habitats and lives causing animals to have a harder time finding food and maybe even threaten their species.

Advocacy Project: issue overview

The issue being addressed is to amend the Clean Air Act to provide that greenhouse gases are not subject to the act.  This is also saying that the greenhouse gases don’t affect global warming

Bill Number and Name: H.R. 97—Free Industry Act (Introduced is House-IH)

This bill would affect society as a whole. We would be the ones to lose if this bill gets passed and we would lose the privilege of having clean air. The people who don’t believe that global warming is happening would be the ones who gain from this. It would give them more evidence to help their theories.

The consequences of this issue are the same for individuals, their families, and for society. People may stop caring, worrying, and trying to prevent global warming affecting everything and everyone.

There is one group that supports this bill so far and that is American for Prosperity. Some of the groups who oppose this bill are OMB Watch, Sierra Club, Natural Resource Defense Council, Clean Air Council, Health Care without Harm, etc. The common that both support groups and opposing groups share is they are passionate about global warming. Both groups can contribute to advocacy efforts by just helping make aware of the issue, not to tell their sides. 

This bill hasn’t been in the community long, it was first introduced in January of 2011. The last action was February 1^st, 2011, House Committee on Energy and Commerce: referred to the subcommittee on energy and power. There are no results yet.

An economic cost would be that global warming would get worse faster because no one would be trying to prevent it and society would bear these costs. An economic benefit would be that there wouldn’t be so much money spent on plug-in cars, solar systems, etc. Society would also benefit from this.

A barrier addressing this issue is that there is strong evidence saying that these gasses are causing global warming. This barrier, however, can be overcome by finding evidence that is against global warming.

Some resources that will be needed is the level of these gases that are in the atmosphere.

My recommendation: Vote No for Bill H.R. 97- Free Industry Act

Healthy People/THOMAS

The objective I chose from Healthy People 2020 was Outdoor Air Quality. Poor outdoor air quality is said to be linked to premature death, cancer, and long-term damage to the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
H.R. 97---Free Industry Act (Introduced in House-IH)

Title: To amend the Clean Air Act to provide that greenhouse gases are not subject to the Act, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep. Blackburn, Marsha [TN-7] (introduced 1/5/2011) Cosponors (125)

Lastest Major Action: 2/1/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Power.

Recommendation: Vote NO  for H.R. 97 Free Industry Act

My Political Representative: Congressmen Sean P. Duffy

Advocacy Project: My Political Representatives

This week we are exploring who are political representatives are.  For our state legislators and governor I decided to do the state of Wisconsin. I currently live in Minnesota and plan on becoming a Minnesota Resident again but seeing that I'm still a Wisconsin Resident and that the majority of the class is from Minnesota, I thought I would change it up and do Wisconsin.
We all know that the President of the Unites States is President Barack Obama and although you can't directly contact him, you are able to send the White House an email at this website. The congressmen (Senate) for Wisconsin is Herb Kohl and Ron Johnson. You can contact Senator Kohl by email via this website and you can contact Senator Johnson by emial via this website. The U.S. House Republican is Sean P. Duffy. The State Legislators are Senator Robert Jauch and Representative Janet Bewley. Senators Jauch's contact phone number is (608) 266-3510, Representative Bewley's contact phone number is (608) 266-7690. Both of them can be emailed at this website.
The Governor of Wisconsin is Scott Walker. You may contact him by phone or email. The phone number is (608) 266-1212 and the email is wisgov@gov.state.wis.us. The closest thing I could find to the Sawyer County Board President was the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors. The head Chairmen is Hal Helwig, there was no contact information but there was a website. The Mayor of Hayward, Wisconsin is Bill Swintkowski, his address is 10686 Beal Avenue  Hayward, WI  54843, his phone number is (715) 634-4198 and his email is bjswin@cheqnet.net, all of this information can be found at this website. 

Welcome to Fun in the Sun with Andrea

Welcome to Fun in the Sun with Andrea

My name is Andrea  and I'm studying Community Health Education. Something I love to do is to be outside in the sun biking, hiking, or just being a beach bum. This blog is going to be about having fun outdoors, under the warm sun while being environmentally friendly! There are 5 possible types of posts on my blog. They Include:

1. Advocacy Project
2. Eye Openers
3. Reflections
4. Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change
5. Share and Voice

If you notice at the bottom of this post, the categories will be listed as labels. This post has been labeled with all five kinds of posts. You will also see the number of each kind of post in my Labels Gadget at the top of the page. All post titles from now on will begin with one of the categories above.

The members of my web group are:

1. Amy and Kristen@Enviro-Surfing with Amy & Kristen 
2. Sarra@Sarra's Notes in Nature
3. Jamie@Jamie on the Big Lake
4. Caleb@Caleb Cares About Contamination 

You can follow my blog by clicking "Follow this Blog" in the gadget column. You can see my complete profile and all the blogs I am following by clicking on "See Complete Profile." I hope everyone learns to have just as much fun in the sun as I do!