Washington, D.C. – With the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee expected to mark up the American Clean Energy and Security Act this week, the Pew Environment Group is releasing new bipartisan survey findings that show strong support for action to create clean energy jobs, energy independence, and a reduction in carbon pollution. Phyllis Cuttino, who directs the Pew Environment Group's U.S. global warming campaign, says the survey was conducted jointly by the Mellman Group, which is a leading Democratic firm, and Public Opinion Strategies, a prominent Republican firm. She says it shows that 77 percent of voters want action to reduce carbon pollution.

"The American voter believes very strongly that global warming is happening. It's happening now, and they want members of Congress and this government to take action to reduce global warming emissions."

Chris Hesla, executive director of the South Dakota Wildlife Federation, says global warming is a real issue facing South Dakotans. He says a one-degree increase in temperature would be devastating to the state's most vulnerable prairie pothole wetland ecosystem, a primary breeding ground for North American waterfowl. Hesla says the state could preserve its wildlife resources, create new jobs, and be a big player in solving global warming issues by rebuilding infrastructure with clean energy alternatives.

"One of the best things to start with is probably to clean up the pollutants that come out of our power plants that burn coal. You know, there's technology now out there that can scrub them to where they're a lot better for the environment than they are now. Wind energy and local types of energy are the best future that we have; I think we need to focus on those in the next 20 to 25 years."

Cuttino says the bi-partisan survey shows that 63 percent of Republicans, 70 percent of independents, and 73 percent of Democrats believe jobs that improve energy efficiency are "very important" to helping the economy over the next 10 to 15 years. 59 percent of all voters surveyed said they believe efforts to tackle global warming will create new American jobs, with 61 percent believing the U.S. economy will be stronger if it becomes less dependent on oil and coal and more dependent on alternative energy sources, such as solar, wind and biofuels.

A summary of the polls is at www.pewglobalwarming.org


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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- People who live on the Navajo Nation near the San Juan Basin are closely following work by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to adopt new methane rules to restrict oil and gas emissions at well sites.

Kendra Pinto, community field advocate for Earthworks and a resident of the Navajo Nation, was one of several New Mexicans who testified this week when the EPA held three days of hearings to gather public input.

"The decisions made in offices hundreds of miles away from the oil fields have a direct impact on people," Pinto asserted. "Those faces must be considered. Do not waste any more time, when change is needed now."

On Wednesday, a coalition of oil and natural gas businesses in New Mexico released a commissioned study showing state and local governments are more reliant than ever before on the industry to pay for basic public services, including public education. It claims the oil and gas sector pumped a record $5.3 billion into New Mexico communities in Fiscal Year 2021.

Some 200 educators responded to the report, calling on elected leaders to continue efforts to diversify the state's economy and reduce reliance on revenues from extraction.

Pinto pointed out the health of her community would be greatly improved if the new methane rules are adopted for oil and gas sites.

"Due to the proximity of the sites near schools and residential areas, it is imperative that oil and gas sites are regulated with the full authority of the Clean Air Act and monitored thoroughly," Pinto contended.

Under the Trump administration, the EPA rolled back limits on methane pollution from the oil and gas industry enacted by the Obama administration. President Joe Biden has since signed legislation to reinstate the 2016 safeguards.

SALEM, Ore. -- The Oregon Department of Forestry recently approved its first Climate Change and Carbon Plan, to embrace climate-smart forest management in the state.

The Board of Forestry unanimously approved the plan last month.

Danny Norlander, forest carbon and forest health policy analyst for the Oregon Department of Forestry, said the plan has three legs: adaptation, mitigation and a social dimension, focusing on communities and local economies.

He explained adaptation is looking at how forests can adapt to the changing environment, using different tree species, for instance, and mitigation is using forests to store carbon.

"The third leg there is the social dimensions," Norlander emphasized. "We really need to just support natural resource-dependent economies in rural Oregon that have been experiencing a lot of impacts from wildfires and the heat wave that we had last summer."

He added the plan also gets into urban and community forestry, to make sure no communities get left behind.

Grace Brahler, Oregon climate action plan and policy manager for Beyond Toxics, said the plan incorporates strategies and goals of a bill passed this year, Senate Concurrent Resolution 17, which calls attention to the disproportionate impact of climate change on BIPOC, immigrant, rural and low-income communities.

She pointed out it also emphasizes the need to invest in a regenerative economy, and to have a fair and participatory process.

"Incorporating SCR 17 principles into Forest Practices will result in cleaner air and water, good jobs with family sustaining wages and a range of workforce services and skills training, and more climate resilient forests and communities across Oregon," Brahler outlined.

Peter Hayes, a 6th generation experimental family forest business owner in the Oregon coast range who is working towards a better model of forestry, noted almost half of Oregon is covered in forests, and historically a lot of focus for forests has been on producing lumber.

"Our superpower is the capacity of our land -- in particular, our forests -- to catch and hold carbon," Hayes contended. "And I think the plan marks a shift to acknowledging that we need to have a range of priorities."

HELENA, Mont. - Nearly three dozen Montana businesses are thanking U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., for his work on the infrastructure bill signed by President Joe Biden last month. They're also urging Tester and other senators to pass the Build Back Better Act, which passed the House last week.

In a letter to the senator, the businesses say the bill takes a critical step on climate action.

Robert Keith signed the letter as co-founder of Beartooth Group, which invests in and advises conservation-minded Montana ranches. He said he thinks a transition to a clean economy is necessary for Montanans to maintain their livelihoods.

"That really is what's at stake, whether you're a fly-fishing outfitter or an agricultural producer or everything in between," he said. "We need to be addressing climate change at a large scale."

Keith said droughts and wildfires have hit Montanans hard in recent years. Just this week, the annual West Yellowstone Ski Festival was canceled because of lack of snow.

Opponents of the Build Back Better Act say it's too costly and that its scope is too wide.

In their letter to Tester, the signers underscored the important role outdoor recreation plays in Montana. It makes up more than 5% of the state's gross domestic product, the second largest share of a state's economy in the country.

Steven Ladefoged, who owns Montago Coffee in Helena, signed the letter. He said these bills would help protect the state from the effects of climate change, which in turn protects the state's recreation economy.

"If we can make a lot of money from it and we can continue to grow in a sustainable way, it just benefits everyone," he said, "especially those future generations who will rely on cleaner energy, so that the impacts of climate and severe storms aren't as bad as they could be."

The Build Back Better Act is a spending package totaling about $2 trillion over 10 years, including $555 billion for climate-related and clean-energy investments. It now awaits a vote in the Senate, where certain provisions will be hotly debated.