What a year this has been -- and what a challenge we have in 2011.

In this podcast, PennFuture's President and CEO Jan Jarrett explains some of our great victories, and what our hopes are for 2011, protecting and promoting Pennsylvania's environment and economy.

But we need your help to continue these victories. Your membership in PennFuture could make the difference. Please join today.

There is so much to do. First and foremost, we must protect our beautiful state from damage from drilling in the Marcellus Shale – we simply must succeed. We must move the state even faster into the great green economy, and create the jobs we so desperately need. And we must protect our air, our water, our land, and our fellow creatures as we do so. Because we know that a great economy and a clean environment go hand in hand.
Some of the environment’s strongest champions are now gone from public office. And with organizations that oppose environmental protection spending record amounts of money in campaign financing and lobbying this year – a total of $4 Billion nationwide – we know we will be facing attempts to weaken laws and regulations that protect our natural resources, communities and health.

Building Pennsylvania’s economy and protecting our environment are bipartisan issues. And we have worked for years across party lines, and will continue to do so. 

We’ve already begun reaching out to the new administration and the new leaders in the General Assembly to demonstrate to them why protecting Pennsylvania’s environment is essential for economic recovery and job creation. So while we are patiently laying the groundwork for the next two years, we will also be looking for opportunities to move some great policies forward.

Please take a minute – now – and join PennFuture. Please go to our secure website and make a tax-deductible donation of $30 - $50 - $120 – or whatever you can spare. You can make a single donation, or spread your gift out quarterly or monthly.

Happy holidays!

Another speaker at the September 20 global warming event in Philadelphia was Michael Livermore, Executive Director of the Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University Law School. The Institute partners with advocacy organizations to use economics and law to ensure that the benefits of better protections are properly counted on environment, health, Internet access, and other issues.

PennFuture’s Director of Outreach, Christine Knapp, interviewed Livermore for this podcast. Livermore explained that, unlike today, environmental issues weren’t partisan issues, and Presidents Richard Nixon and George H.W. Bush – both Republicans – were instrumental in creating strong environmental protections on the Federal level.

And – hey we just found out we’re on the list! (Of course, we never had any doubt.) This list is one gathered by a contractor to the state to warn public safety officials and the drilling industry of possible danger. The whole list is pretty funny to read – it includes the circus, members of Congress, Governor Rendell, Cardinal Rigali and even the Executive Director of the Marcellus Shale Coalition.

But whether or not you made the list – you can join ours! Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you won’t miss any podcasts by subscribing to them through iTunes.

On September 20 in Philadelphia, PennFuture, the Academy of Natural Sciences and the American Cities Foundation hosted a standing room only event on climate destruction and why we need to act now, featuring Bill McKibben, world-renowned environmentalist, author and founder of the international 350.org climate campaign.

Before the formal program, PennFuture’s Director of Outreach, Christine Knapp, interviewed McKibben for this vidcast. Topics ranged from what 350 means to what the future was for the Clean Air Act to why Stephen Colbert is a little scary and David Letterman so scared.

And while PennFuture can’t protect you from Stephen Colbert this Halloween, you can join us to make sure that Pennsylvania’s environment gets lots of treats, and no tricks.  Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you can make sure you don't miss any podcasts by subscribing to them through iTunes.

And Happy Halloween from the staff and board at PennFuture!

 

Our Keep the Promise Tour traveled the state last month, speaking with citizens about the drilling for natural gas deep in the Marcellus Shale, and the need to make the drillers pay their fair share and play by our rules. Our last stop was in Uniontown, where we were joined by Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger.

For this vidcast, PennFuture’s western Pennsylvania outreach coordinator, Tiffany Hickman, interviewed Secretary Hanger about the importance of the severance tax to the environment, and what will happen to great programs like Growing Greener if the tax doesn’t pass.

Take action and let your Senator know that you expect her/him to Keep the Promise and pass a substantial tax on the drillers this session.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania’s environment and economy. Isn’t it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you can make sure you don't miss any podcasts by subscribing to them through iTunes.

PennFuture's Keep the Promise Tour has traveled the state, speaking with citizens about the drilling for natural gas deep in the Marcellus Shale, and the need to make the drillers pay their fair share and play by our rules. Everywhere we went, citizens were grateful for the information, and they wanted to speak out.

Today’s vidcast voice from the road is Tom Gilbert, who attended our Bucks County event. In this interview with Rachel Vassar, PF’s Philadelphia outreach coordinator, Tom makes the case that drilling must be safe and fair – with the drillers paying their fair share and playing by our rules

Take action and let your Senator know that you expect her/him to Keep the Promise and pass a substantial tax on the drillers this session.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania’s environment and economy. Isn’t it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you can make sure you don't miss any podcasts by subscribing to them through iTunes.

Our Keep the Promise Tour has traveled the state, speaking with citizens about the drilling for natural gas deep in the Marcellus Shale, and the need to make the drillers pay their fair share and play by our rules.

Today’s voice from the road is PennFuture supporter Mary Carol Frier from Centre County, who was interviewed by our Central Pennsylvania Outreach Coordinator, Tanya Dierolf, at the second stop of the tour, in Jersey Shore. Mary Carol talks to Tanya about how important she thinks her action on drilling is to the future of all Pennsylvanians.

PennFuture leaders met hundreds of citizens at our tour stops, all of them determined to make their legislators keep their promise to vote for a substantial severance tax on drilling by October 1. Even more citizens are calling and writing their legislators. Take action and let your legislators know that you expect them to Keep the Promise and pass a substantial tax on the drillers, with no loopholes or sweetheart deals.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania’s environment and economy. Isn’t it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you can make sure you don't miss any podcasts by subscribing to them through iTunes.

The Pennsylvania State Legislature promised to pass a severance tax on deep natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale by October 1. Now we must make sure that a promise made is a promise kept.

The drilling companies are spending enormous amounts of money to stop the severance tax. They have hired lobbyists of every stripe – including former Governor Tom Ridge – and are passing out campaign cash like balloons at a county fair to keep the voice of the people from being heard.

The drillers will make enormous profits from the natural gas they take from our land – it's only fair that they pay a reasonable tax that will go to protect our environment and local communities that "host" the drilling, fund our natural resource agencies, and help balance our budget.

This podcast features PennFuture’s Jan Jarrett on September 8 at the first stop on the Keep the Promise Tour, as she began crisscrossing the state with town hall meetings to alert residents of the Keystone State to the need to make sure the Pennsylvania General Assembly passes a substantial severance tax on deep natural gas drillers in the Marcellus Shale formation.

PennFuture has also launched an email, Twitter, and Facebook Campaign to get the truth out about the drillers and their opposition to paying their fair share and playing by our rules.

A survey conducted last month across Pennsylvania shows nearly everyone agrees on one thing: the Marcellus Shale drillers must pay their fair share.

Three out of four voters in both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia want the Legislature to pass a severance tax. Support is even stronger in rural areas, with 84 percent supporting the tax. Three out of four Republicans support the tax and 79 percent of Democrats want the tax passed. Who says we can't all get along?

Take action and let your legislators know that you expect them to Keep the Promise and pass a substantial tax on the drillers, with no loopholes or sweetheart deals.

 

The Choose Clean Water coalition brings together people and more than 130 organizations from Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, working together to help everyone in the region choose clean water.

This vidcast features Ryan Ewing, communications and outreach coordinator for the coalition, detailing the campaign to clean up our water here at home and throughout the region, all the way to the Chesapeake Bay. PennFuture and its Clean Water Starts Here campaigners are excited to be part of this coalition.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania's environment and economy. Isn't it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you won’t miss any podcasts if you subscribe to them through iTunes.

Won’t you be our friend? See us at www.facebook.com/PennFuture. Or at least tweet along with us – our Twitter handle is @PennFuture.

Our podcast this week features State Representative Eugene DePasquale (D-York), the prime sponsor of the Clean Energy and Green Jobs bill (now HB 2405), talking about the need for the legislation at PennFuture’s Clean Energy breakfast, held in York earlier this year. This bill is a major piece of unfinished business for the General Assembly to attend to when the members return in September.

The legislation will help Pennsylvania regain its leadership in the 21st Century green energy economy, by increasing the amount of clean energy – especially solar and wind power – that our utilities must include in our electricity mix. This bill expands and extends our groundbreaking 2004 Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard, which has already created thousands of great green jobs and attracted billions in private investment. This bill will also save Pennsylvania families and businesses more than $2 billion.

Urge your legislator to make passage of the Clean Energy and Green Jobs bill a top priority for the fall. We can’t let the green economy pass us by.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania's environment and economy. Isn't it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you won’t miss any podcasts if you subscribe to them through iTunes.

Dr. Michael Mann, internationally respected climate scientist at Penn State University is a true profile in courage. He has endured attacks on his work and on him personally by the minions of the polluters for years. And each set of attacks has resulted in the same thing – his vindication.

PennFuture’s Heather Sage interviewed Dr. Mann this week as the most recent report was published, totally vindicating him. This interview shows that under that mild mannered exterior is a man of steely courage.

Dr. Mann also spoke at PennFuture’s Global Warming Conference this spring. The video of his presentation is well worth a look.

Smeargate – the smear campaign against Dr. Mann and the other Nobel Prize winning climate scientists – is the real scandal. And right-wing apologists for the polluters, like the Commonwealth Foundation, who attempted to discredit these scientists by creating the “Climategate” scandal out of thin air, must be called on their behavior. Matt Brouillette, executive director of the Commonwealth Foundation should “man up” and issue an apology to Dr. Mann.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania’s environment and economy. Isn’t it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you can make sure you don't miss any podcasts by subscribing to them through iTunes.