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   Joining E2 is the most effective way to stay informed about cutting-edge environmental issues, leverage your professional network, and use your skills to influence important environmental policy issues. 
 
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Articles in this Issue:
E2 Membership Survey - Who Joins E2 and Why? E2 Membership Survey
The Numbers E2 was founded in the summer of 2000. In our first year, 196 people joined, two-thirds of whom continue to be active members. Seven years later, E2 has grown to over 850 members in 24 states, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. People tend to join E2 and stay for the long term. Originally, most of our members came from Northern California, but in the last few years, we have seen significant growth outside of California.
Our members come from a variety of professional backgrounds (based on those who completed the survey and self-identified into one of the categories we defined):
E2 has grown primarily by word of mouth: Q: How did you hear about E2?
Why Join? Joy Covey: We were drawn to the analytical and economically grounded approach and vocabulary that E2 brings. Jennifer DeGolia: I was inspired by the mission that what is good for business is good for the environment, that we can be productive and thrive best while preserving our earth, and I was very compelled by the focus on bringing substantive information to the members through the EcoSalons. Scott Dietzen: Feeling like I am staying in touch with the key issues and even making a contribution, even though my free time is very limited. Ken Goldsholl: I believe that government, when left to the motivation of politicians and industry lobbyists, cannot solve our environmental and economic problems, and that an organization like E2 can provide leadership. Steven Koch and Kathy Nyrop: Education on issues is important to me, [as is] advocacy for these issues at State and National levels. I have been most proud of groundbreaking legislation in CA regarding emissions controls. Isaac Kos-Read: E2 fills a critical void in the environmental advocacy world. For environmental policies to be successful, they must have sound economics and be espoused by business people and entrepreneurs. Jenny Robb: I wanted to support an organization that takes a new approach and that gets results; E2 does both. I like the fact that E2 debunks the myth that protecting the environment is bad for business. Member Interests
Thirty-one percent of our members currently use online social networking tools, with LinkedIn being the most popular among those respondents (25 percent of users) and Facebook following with six percent. However, 65 percent of you said you would use on-line tools for E2 discussion forums, coordination of local advocacy, blogs and for meeting each other if E2 had such tools available via our website. Our members want to be active through E2. With almost every member choosing at least one of the following:
Summary
Expanded regional leadership: We are expanding our regional leadership in all regions in order to increase the number of activities we can manage and to create new opportunities for E2 members to contribute. In July, we added additional leaders for the Northeast and Colorado. This month we have expanded leadership in Northern California and we expect to expand in New York soon.
Please be on the lookout for more information on these initiatives in upcoming newsletters. If you took the three minutes to complete your survey already, we wholeheartedly thank you. If you have not yet completed it yet, or if you need to make edits to your responses, please do so at . California Legislative Wrap-Up
The California Legislature adjourned its regular session on September 12, sending hundreds of bills to the governor’s desk. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger now has until October 12 to sign or veto the bills. While some important environmental bills passed, the legislature was largely preoccupied with other issues, including health care, criminal justice and an overdue state budget. Below is a status report on bills that E2 supported and one that we opposed. SB 375 (Steinberg) - Land use planning: Land use planning is an important greenhouse gas reduction strategy and SB 375 is a key first step toward some reforms to traditional land use patterns. The bill made it to the final stages of the legislative process, but was held in the fiscal committee pending further discussions with Assembly leadership and stakeholders. It can pick up where it left off when the legislature reconvenes in January. Although supporters would have liked to move the bill to the governor’s desk this year, it has already made it farther than any other significant bill to tackle land use planning in recent memory. E2 sent a support letter to legislative leaders in early September with more than 190 members signing on.
SB 974 (Lowenthal) - Clean ports investment: This bill will help clean the air around the state’s largest ports by initiating a modest fee on cargo containers to fund air quality measures and infrastructure improvements. Major retailers and their trade associations oppose the fee and failed to offer a constructive proposal of their own. When the bill reached the Assembly floor (the last step before the governor), Governor Schwarzenegger asked the bill’s author to hold the measure until January, while signaling that he shared NRDC’s goal of addressing the environmental impacts of cargo movement through the ports. E2 members in Southern California worked tirelessly on the bill by meeting with legislators in their district offices and securing support letters from business allies and health professionals. NRDC, E2 and our coalition partners will continue building the support list over the next few months, while working with Senator Lowenthal and Governor Schwarzenegger to ensure that the best possible bill moves forward in January. Click here to read E2’s SB 974 support letter. AB 493 (Ruskin) - Clean Car Discount: This bill would establish a system of rebates on vehicles with the least global warming emissions funded by surcharges on those vehicles that have the highest emission levels. This market-based solution to global warming has broad support, but also significant opposition from car manufacturers and dealers who mobilized against the bill in several key Assembly districts. Unfortunately, the bill failed to muster sufficient votes to pass the Assembly floor by the June deadline, but supporters are working to secure the final few votes and can take the bill up again early next year. E2 supported the bill during its Sacramento trip in March and with a letter to the Chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee. AB 1190 (Horton) - California Clean Fuel Incentive: AB 1190, sponsored by e2 and NRDC, encourages the distribution and sales of alternative fuels that have significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions than today’s gasoline and diesel fuels. The incentive reduces the sales tax on cleaner fuels - making them more affordable for the consumer and more profitable for the distributor of those fuels. The authors and sponsors decided to defer the bill to next year in order to work with the state Board of Equalization on how best to structure the implementation. SB 411 (Simitian) - Renewable Portfolio Standard: This bill would accelerate the state’s renewable portfolio standard to 33 percent by 2020. The California Public Utilities Commission and the governor’s Climate Action Team are relying upon acceleration of current renewable targets in order to achieve 11 million tons of CO2 equivalent reductions by 2020. The bill was held in its final committee but can move forward next year. E2 sent a letter of support on this bill.
SB 59 (Cogdill) - Water Supply Bond Act of 2008: Early this year, E2 successfully opposed a proposal by Senator Dave Cogdill and Governor Schwarzenegger to use more than $4 billion in public funds for costly and environmentally destructive dams. Thanks to allies in the Senate, the bill failed to move past its first policy committee. We won round one but this fight is just beginning. Before the regular 2007 legislative session ended, Governor Schwarzenegger called for special sessions on water and health care. The special sessions are already underway; Governor Schwarzenegger and Senator Perata both have their own water bond proposals on the table. NRDC’s Western Water Project and California Advocacy teams are working to ensure that if a bond moves forward, it is environmentally sound and cost-effective for Californians. The legislature has until mid-October to pass a bond that would go before voters on February 5, 2008. Northern California Welcomes New Chapter Leader
Maureen has been an entrepreneur for over 20 years, having co-founded the technology public relations firm Blanc & Otus in 1985, which represented numerous successful start-ups, software, internet and consumer technology clients. After the acquisition of Blanc & Otus by Hill and Knowlton, Maureen served as the head of the Hill and Knowlton Technology Practice from 2001 until 2003. Since that time, Maureen has been working in the non-profit sector, most recently as Vice President of Marketing for the International Museum of Women. Maureen was a founding board member of Friends of the Children (San Francisco) and acts as an advisor to cultural, educational and environmental organizations around the country. Maureen’s involvement with E2 goes back to our early days. In E2’s first year, Blanc & Otus helped us to launch by providing pro bono PR consulting. In 2004, she was an E2 delegate to Washington, DC. Maureen is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in English literature, and did post-graduate work at Stanford University. She lives with her husband and daughter in San Francisco. A message from Maureen: "I think E2 has tremendous potential to become an even bigger business voice in the community - locally, nationally and globally. Watching E2 at work over the past eight years, in cooperation with NRDC, has been personally satisfying as it delivers on its mission and provides measurable results to its members. I look forward to accelerating the growth and continuing E2’s great advocacy track record at this pivotal point in its development." E2 New England Update
E2 New England members in Massachusetts have been busy this month testifying and writing in response to initiatives from the Patrick Administration. E2 New England submitted written testimony in support of regulations that would align utility profit motives with energy efficiency investments, commonly known as "decoupling." We made the economic case that decoupling will improve the Commonwealth’s competitive position; increase economic growth and new job creation; and reduce the high cost of energy. The decoupling proposal has met resistance from Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM), a powerful old line business group that believes decoupling is anti business. E2 has petitioned to speak at the hearings on behalf of the proposal. In another positive move, the Patrick Administration published its implementation plan for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a pact by 10 Northeastern states to cap CO2 emissions from power plants. E2 New England strongly supported auctioning 100 percent of the RGGI pollution allowances and using the bulk of the proceeds for energy efficiency. We were pleased to see that this is incorporated in the draft regulations. However, in our testimony we cautioned that the level at which the cap is set might be too high, based on the latest data of actual emissions. We plan to track this very carefully and take further action if necessary.E2 Member Nancy Floyd Testifies on Capitol Hill
Nancy reports that Representatives Ed Markey (Chair, D-MA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Gerald McNerney (D-CA) stood out as being extremely knowledgeable. Of the experience, Nancy says: "What I observed during his hearing is something I’ve experienced when I’ve been on DC trips with E2 delegations. Simply put, a business perspective carries significant weight. I got feedback that my comments were seen as "bridging the gap" between opposing viewpoints. I would personally like to thank Jim Presswood, Liz Martin and Karen Wayland at the NRDC for their help in prepping me for this hearing. Thanks also to Nicole Lederer for her unwavering support." E2 and NRDC thank Nancy for taking the time to appear before the Select Committee on Capitol Hill on our behalf and conveying E2’s mission in her testimony. Boston Event on Global Warming 'Facts on the Ground'
On September 18, nearly 70 E2 members and guests gathered at the offices of Mintz-Levin in Boston to hear a trio of experts discuss the challenges and solutions to global warming at the local, regional, national and international levels. E2 member Charlotte Kahn, the Director of the Boston Indicators Project, laid out the twin opportunities and challenges of energy dependence and green innovation, placing Boston’s issues into the framework of its revolutionary history as well as broader trends such as population growth and global innovation. Dale Bryk, a Senior Attorney at NRDC who directs its state climate policy work, noted that 17 states have adopted mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions and 13 more are considering them. Moreover, at the local level, over 500 cities have signed on to voluntarily meet the Kyoto goals for greenhouse gas reductions. Sue Tierney, Managing Principal at Analysis Group and former Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Energy, currently chairs the board of the Energy Foundation and the board of Clean Air - Cool Planet. Sue looked at the problem from the perspective of national foundations and their decision to focus on policy issues, such as setting efficiency standards and caps on emissions, as the way to gain the greatest leverage. National TeleSalon on Toxics in China
On September 17, E2 members across the country dialed into an E2 TeleSalon to hear Linda Greer, Director of NRDC’s Public Health Program, talk about her recent trip to China and her program’s work on stemming the tide of toxic chemicals in and from China. After a recap of the various health scares the world has seen in the past few months regarding food and manufactured products from China, Linda discussed the root causes of the problems, emphasizing that all the blame could not be put solely on the shoulders of the Chinese. While the Chinese public needs to be made more aware of environmental and health problems at their factories - and the Chinese government held more strictly to standards on toxics - the U.S. also needs to ensure adequate funding and authority to its agencies that oversee inspections and adherence to U.S. standards of imported goods. Additionally, U.S. and multinational retailers need to take environment and public health into account as they deal with Chinese manufacturers. To this end, NRDC’s Green Watch initiative seeks to provide retailers with the information they need to recognize which manufacturers are the dirtiest and which ones make an effort to follow environmental and health standards.E2 Hosts Western Water Dinner in Denver
On September 12, E2 members in Colorado met over supper in Denver with the NRDC Western Water Program’s Monty Schmitt, Senior Scientist, and Barry Nelson, Senior Policy Analyst. They discussed how climate change will continue to reduce water supplies and change precipitation patterns in Colorado and the West, how water management uses significant portions of energy supply in several states, and the need for business leadership to convince state and federal governments to address the related challenges of freshwater management and global warming. E2 and NRDC are working together to form a strategy for advocating on this and other top environmental issues to Colorado’s elected officials in its statehouse and in Congress. Our thanks go to E2 Leader Andrew Currie for organizing the event. NRDC News
Green Light for Vermont and California's Clean Car Standards
On September 12, a federal court in Vermont upheld California’s landmark global warming tailpipe standards (AB 1493) against a legal attack brought by the auto industry. NRDC joined with several states and other groups in defending the California rules in court, and David Doniger, Policy Director of the NRDC’s Climate Center, played a leading role in securing the court’s decision. The court ruled that the federal fuel economy law does not block California and other states from adopting laws to cut global warming pollution from vehicles. The court also rejected automakers’ claims that the standards would hurt consumers or are technically infeasible. E2 was involved in AB 1493’s original legislative campaign and rulemaking at the regulatory agency level. Air Fresheners Contain Chemicals that May Affect Human Reproductive Development
On September 19, NRDC released its analysis of tests that found that most common household air fresheners contain phthalate chemicals that may affect hormones and reproductive development, particularly in babies. The following day, Walgreens announced plans take proactive steps to protect its customers, including pulling potentially harmful products from their shelves, conducting independent safety testing on them and making phthalate-free versions available in their stores soon. Phthalates are hormone-disrupting chemicals that can be particularly dangerous for young children and unborn babies. Exposure to phthalates can affect testosterone levels and lead to reproductive abnormalities. The State of California notes that five types of phthalates - including one that NRDC found in air freshener products - are "known to cause birth defects or reproductive harm." NRDC tested 14 different brands of common household air fresheners and found that 12 contained the hormone-disrupting chemicals known as phthalates. None of the air fresheners tested listed phthalates in their ingredients or anywhere else on their packaging. The federal government does not currently test air fresheners for safety or require manufacturers to meet any specific safety standards. In conjunction with the study, NRDC, along with the Sierra Club, Alliance for Healthy Homes and the National Center for Healthy Housing, have filed a petition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, calling on the agencies to start assessing the risk air fresheners pose to consumers by comprehensively testing all air freshener products on the market. Senior Scientist Gina Solomon and Attorney Mae Wu of the Public Health Program have led NRDC’s efforts to address this problem.New Study on Smog
People living in 10 mid-sized metropolitan areas are expected to experience significantly more "red alert" air pollution days in coming years due to increasing lung-damaging smog caused by higher temperatures from global warming. The analysis, Heat Advisory, was prepared by researchers at Yale, Johns Hopkins and Columbia universities, in collaboration with researchers at State University of New York at Albany, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and released by NRDC on September 13. The study projects that higher temperatures mean more smog for a given level of precursor emissions. Smog is formed when pollutants from cars, factories, and other sources mix with sunlight and heat. On "red alert" days, everyone - particularly children and people with asthma and other respiratory illnesses - is advised to limit prolonged outdoor exertion. The report looks at 10 cities located in the eastern and southern half of the U.S., because of their size, population and geographical differences. The study uses data from the 2007 journal Climatic Change, which looks at climate change, ambient ozone, and public health in U.S. cities. Researchers project that, unless action is taken to curb global warming, by mid-century people living in a total of 50 cities in the eastern United States would see a doubling of the number of unhealthy "red alert" days; a 68 percent increase in the average number of days exceeding the current 8-hour ozone standard established by the U.S. EPA; and a 15 percent drop in the number of summer days with "good" air quality based on EPA criteria because of global warming. Dan Lashof, Science Director of NRDC’s Climate Center, helped bring this report to fruition. Red Sox and NRDC Greening Fenway Park
On September 20 the Boston Red Sox and NRDC announced a partnership to make Fenway Park even more "green" through a series of initiatives to improve the environment. Giving a second meaning to the color of its interior and well-known left field wall (the "Green Monster"), efforts to make Fenway more green will include a recycling program, improved removal of refuse, and the consideration of solar panels to reduce energy consumption. With guidance from the NRDC, the Red Sox are partnering with KeySpan, now a part of National Grid; Waste Management; and ARAMARK to create these initiatives which will take place over the next five years, culminating in 2012, when baseball celebrates the 100th anniversary of "America’s Most Beloved Ballpark." Allen Hershkowitz, Senior Scientist at the NRDC, is coordinating of the Red Sox organization’s greening initiatives. Click here for further details on the planned initiatives. Energy Efficiency Plan Could Save Californians Billions
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved a plan on September 20 to accelerate the state’s energy savings and reduce global warming pollution. Under the plan, if California’s investor owned utilities - Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Southern California Gas - exceed energy efficiency thresholds, then they can earn rewards of up to $150 million on average before taxes each year. If they do a poor job meeting targets, then they face penalties of up to $150 million. The maximum reward is less than 1 percent of consumers’ total annual cost for electricity and natural gas. According to NRDC Staff Scientist Audrey Chang consumers will save more than $2 billion if the utilities meet goals for the current three-year (2006-2008) energy efficiency program cycle. That represents more than a 100 percent return on investment. The CPUC’s action complements its requirement that utilities design and deliver programs that encourage consumers to save energy by using it more efficiently. Energy efficiency is a cornerstone of the state’s plan to implement its Global Warming Solutions Act, a landmark law that requires California to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping pollution to 1990 levels by 2020. Federal Judge Orders Reduced Pumping to Protect Delta Smelt
On August 31, a federal judge in Fresno ordered state and federal water project managers to reduce the amount of water pumped from the San Francisco Bay Delta to protect the threatened delta smelt from extinction. Attorneys and experts of NRDC, including Western Water Project Co-director Barry Nelson and Senior Attorney Kate Poole, say a federal judge’s order to reduce the amount of water pumped from the delta is an opportunity to restore an invaluable resource to millions of Californians. The ruling can help improve the quality of drinking water drawn from the delta, and delta farmers who struggle to irrigate their crops with water that’s too salty from the overdrafting of the delta will also benefit from the judge’s order. In addition, the ruling will help protect the delta recreational fishing economy and the jobs of North Coast salmon fishermen. Under the ruling, state and federal water project operators to take actions to protect the delta smelt by maintaining minimum flow levels in Old and Middle Rivers during the delta smelt’s spawning period; prohibiting the closure of barriers during a portion of the spring to help keep smelt away from the pumps when they are spawning; and improving the monitoring of the location and abundance of smelt in the estuary, and near the pumps in particular, to help biologists determine what protective actions to implement at what time. According to NRDC, water managers already know how to use water wisely. Water agencies have built over 6 million acre-feet of surface and groundwater water storage south of the delta to help prepare for seasonal delta pumping reductions - that’s equivalent to 1.5 times the size of Lake Shasta, the state’s largest reservoir. The state’s own water plan identifies conservation, water recycling and improved groundwater management as the biggest sources of new water for the state. All these sources can be tapped to ensure that there’s enough fresh water to keep the delta healthy and meet the needs of Californians.Calendar of Events
Tuesday, June 25, 2013 (12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PST) Focus Meeting
Leading By Example: The White House Plan for America's Clean Energy Future
President Obama has identified clean energy and climate change as key issues for his second term – good news given the scant hope for meaningful action from Congress. Presidential authority includes numerous tools, including executive orders and regulatory action that can produce meaningful results and strong market signals for clean energy investment - without Congressional action. The President is using all of these tools to affect national policy and government performance, including investments in advanced transportation and grid modernization, appliance efficiency standards from DOE, power plant emissions regulations from EPA, building efficiency standards for all government facilities, and a broad slate of clean energy initiatives at the DOD. All of these actions are in service to the President’s goals that include reducing energy waste by 50% and doubling renewable energy production by 2020.
Please join us for the rare opportunity to hear directly from the President’s Federal Environmental Executive, Jon Powers, who oversees these initiatives from the White House. E2 has worked extensively with Jon in his current role and when he led clean energy initiatives for the Army. He will give an overview of the President’s strategy to advance the clean energy technologies of the 21st century, and discuss opportunities for E2 members to engage. If you have questions, please contact Erik Chen at erik@e2.org or 415-875-6100.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013 (6:00 PM - 7:30 PM EST) Focus Meeting
Sheltering Prometheus: Allowing a Small Flame to Heat the Passive House
Imagine a housing system that not only saves up to 90% of space heating costs, but also provides terrific indoor air quality. That's Passive House. The Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) has found that building and certifying a Passive House provides a seamless compliance path for meeting the Energy and Atmosphere section of the LEED for Homes certification requirements; and Passive House technology offers seeds for more creative and efficient commercial building envelope design. Yet, Passive House technology has not been quickly adopted in the United States, largely due to thin markets for the required building components and lack of requisite design and construction expertise.
Saturday, July 20, 2013 (6:30 PM - 9:00 PM EST) SpecialEvent
NRDC Local Sea to Table Dinner Hosted by Chris and Patty Arndt (Montauk, NY)
Please Join NRDC’s Ocean Team for a Local Sea to Table Dinner By Chef Sam Talbot Hosted by E2 and NRDC members Patty Jen Arndt and Chris Arndt at their Home July 20, 2013 Montauk, NY Invitation to follow For more information, contact events@nrdc.org (return to top) E2 Membership
We hope you’ll tell your friends about E2 and NRDC. To learn about E2 and our programs please go to www.e2.org. Information about NRDC can be found at www.nrdc.org. Thanks for your support. Comments, questions and introductions to possible new members are always welcome! Learn how to join E2 at how to join. To learn more about the leaders of E2 please read about the E2 co-founders. |
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