Oxfam Action Corps NYC Marches in the Great Dominican Parade

Oxfam Action Corps NYC marched today in the Great Dominican Parade of the Bronx. We had the opportunity to shake hands with Congressman Rangel, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, and to talk briefly with his staff about the ways in which climate change affects vulnerable communities. 

We met many interested people along the way, many of whom decided to march with us!  We were also joined by Nathaly Agosto-Filion, the Vermont Oxfam Action Corps co-leader, who danced her way through the parade with style! Thanks to all who made it such a great day!  

Oxfam Calls on G8 Leaders to Fight Climate Change

Oxfam members dressed as G8 leaders hold balloons representing the carbon their countries emit per capita.

Unless the G8 leaders agree to immediate action and medium-term targets for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, any long-term promises will be unattainable, international agency Oxfam affirmed today in Japan. The agency also called for dramatic increases in funding for developing countries to adapt to climate change, far beyond those contemplated in the new G8 Climate Investment Funds.

“For the millions of poor people already living with the disastrous consequences of climate change, this G8 is a significant opportunity not to be missed,” said Antonio Hill, Oxfam spokesperson. “We don’t need more haggling or finger-pointing. We need urgent action to ensure emissions peak in the next few years. Without it, decades of progress in the fight against poverty will be undone.”

“Any emissions reductions target for 2050 is a pipe dream without action now,” Hill added. “Canada, the US, and Japan are holding the world hostage on 2020 targets – and poor people are paying the price.” China, India and all other developing countries already agreed in Bali to do their fair share. Major developing countries and the four European G8 members agree 2020 targets are a benchmark for success at this G8.

Oxfam acknowledged the new Climate Investment Funds could help poor countries adapt to changes that are now inevitable, but said it is a drop in the bucket and will be taken away from aid money to fund health and education. Ethiopia’s immediate climate adaptation needs alone will cost US$800 million, the agency said. Besides the new funds, rich countries have pledged only US$170 million to the UN’s adaptation fund for all of the 49 Least Developed Countries.

Oxfam decried the imbalance between the G8’s new clean technology fund (US$4 or $5 billion) and its adaptation fund (US$500 million). “The G8’s priorities are out of whack,” said Jeremy Hobbs, executive director of Oxfam International. “Billions for their own companies to fund technology, and peanuts for the poorest to adapt. They talk of a promise to reduce emissions by a date when none of them will be alive, yet refuse to address the next few years when they can make a difference and which are absolutely crucial.”

Oxfam America Press Release - July 8, 2008

For more information, contact:
Louis Belanger, Media Officer
202-496-1173 (office)
lbelanger@oxfamamerica.org

Oxfam Action Corps NYC at the Coldplay Concert

A team of enthusiastic and dedicated Oxfam Action Corps NYC volunteers talked with over 300 Coldplay fans at tonight's concert about the ways in which they can get involved in fighting poverty and injustice worldwide.

Coldplay's fans were excited to hear about Oxfam's work in over 100 countries to bring relief to the 40% of the world's population living on less than $2 a day. It was a great evening! To learn more about Coldplay's work with Oxfam, visit http://www.oxfamamerica.org/coldplay.

Oxfam Action Corps NYC Marches in the Bronx Week Parade

Increasing hurricanes, floods, cyclones and other disasters are making poor people walk farther and farther for clean water. We represented this struggle today by organizing a Walk for Climate Justice. We carried buckets and signs with our messages to Congress in the Bronx Week Parade to show solidarity with those hit first and worst by climate change related disasters. To get more information about today's event or to be involved in future marches for justice, send an email to newyorkcity@oxfamamerica.org.

Environment Day at the Bronx River Festival

Oxfam Action Corps NYC participated today in Environment Day at the Bronx River Festival, hosted by the Bronx River Alliance. Oxfam Action Corps NYC was thrilled to work side by side with the Bronx River Alliance as they work to achieve environmental justice and community empowerment through commitments to public participation and principles of sustainability, transparency, and self-determination.

Senator Schumer Responds to Oxfam Action Corps NYC Letter on Climate Change

Dear Mr. Evans-Frantz:

Thank you for your letter regarding actions that Congress should be taking to curtail global climate change. I share your concern for the health of our environment, especially the fragile balance of ecosystems that may be destroyed by the climatic changes that we are now experiencing. As Senator, I have pushed legislation that would address some of the causes of climate change, in particular by trying to reduce carbon emissions. In particular, I am a sponsor of S. 2191, the Lieberman-Warner bill called America’s Climate Security Act of 2007.

The Lieberman-Warner bill would set an economy-wide cap on carbon emissions and would allocate “credits” to various institutions to emit carbon. Although Lieberman-Warner is not as strong as I would like it to be, I believe that it is an important step in the right direction. I will be working with my colleagues in the Senate to make the bill stronger before it finally passes.

The recent passage in the Senate of H.R. 6, the Clean Energy Act of 2007, provided an important first step toward improving the ways our nation uses energy. This bill includes substantial increases in fuel economy standards for cars, including a 35mpg standard by 2020 and closing the SUV and flex-fuel-vehicle loopholes. The Senate’s success in this area will reduce our consumption of foreign oil by 10.7 billion gallons annually by 2020. I believe that H.R. 6 makes important steps towards curbing climate change. For the first time in decades, the Senate has produced a bill that does not give tax breaks to big oil, but instead gives incentives to companies to use renewable fuel sources, makes significant improvements in cars’ fuel economy, and requires improved energy efficiency in government actions.

However, there is still more to be done to reduce our consumption of petroleum and fossil fuels. In the current Congress, I have introduced two bills that seek to improve energy efficiency in practical, cost-effective ways. The first bill, S. 2078, would require states to make their building codes 30% more energy efficient. The Alliance to Save Energy estimates that if our nation were to meet these targets by 2030, the nation could save 5% of its total energy use, save consumers $50 billion a year, and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by an amount equivalent to that of taking 70 million cars off the road. The second, S. 2079 would require power utilities gradually to reduce their fuel consumption by improving their efficiency to reach a final target of 10% less fuel use by 2020. The technologies exist today to achieve the increases in efficiency that my bills demand – all we need do is create incentives for their implementation. With smart changes, like these improvements in efficiency, our nation can grow our economy while shrinking our dependence on petroleum, reducing fuel costs, and protecting the environment.

I also support several other bills aimed at helping to slow this crisis. I am a co-sponsor of S. 590, Securing America's Energy Independence Act of 2007, which would extend and improve tax credits for individuals and companies to invest in solar technology. I also co-sponsored the Clean Air Planning Act, S. 1177, a multi-pollutant bill that would require fossil-fuel-fired power plants to cut their emissions of four dangerous compounds, including carbon dioxide. This bill would halt the increase in CO2 emissions in 2012 and will implement a 57% cut from today’s levels by 2050. I was also an original co-sponsor of S. 339, the DRIVE Act, which will reduce our oil use through a range of actions – from improving fuel economies to encouraging development along existing transit corridors, rather than into new areas. That bill was passed by the Senate as part of the Clean Energy Act.

Climate change matters to all of us and we need smart, pragmatic policies now if we are to address this crisis. We cannot afford to delay action in the hope that a “silver bullet” will save us: there will be no perfect new technology to produce infinite energy, no special sponge to take carbon out of the air, no global air-conditioning system. It takes lots of smart changes in the ways that we make and use energy to fix this problem, and we need to approach this complex problem from every angle possible.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me on this important issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can ever be of assistance to you on this or any other matter.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator

Oxfam Action Corps NYC Lobbies Representative Eliot Engel

Oxfam Action Corps NYC met today with staff for Representative Eliot Engel (D-NY) to ask him to sign the Principles for Global Warming Legislation letter, released by Representatives Markey, Waxman, and Inslee. Specifically, we asked Representative Engel to agree to the following four principles:

1) Reduce emissions to avoid dangerous global warming;
2) Transition America to a clean energy economy;
3) Recognize and minimize any economic impacts from global warming legislation; and
4) Aid communities and ecosystems vulnerable to harm from global warming.

We explained that climate change is hurting those least responsible for carbon emissions and asked Representative Engel to stand up for those hit first and worst. Representative Engel has already taken many steps towards reducing climate change impacts on our environment and his staff informed us that he is in the process of reviewing the letter and agrees with many of its major principles.