Congressional Black Caucus Opposes Mountaintop Removal

According to Appalachian Voices and ILoveMountains.org, the vast majority of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) opposes mountaintop removal. This opposition comes in the form of their cosponship of H.R. 1310, the Clean Water Protection Act, which effectively bans the practice by protecting nearby creeks and streams. AAEA supports the legislation. Thirty members of the CBC are cosponsors:

Rep Payne, Donald M. [NJ-10]
Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14]
Rep Rush, Bobby L. [IL-1]
Rep Kilpatrick, Carolyn C. [MI-13]
Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9]
Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15]
Rep Lewis, John [GA-5]
Rep Edwards, Donna F. [MD-4]
Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC]
Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5]
Rep Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-5]
Rep Carson, Andre [IN-7]
Rep Christensen, Donna M. [VI]
Rep Cummings, Elijah E. [MD-7]
Rep Meek, Kendrick B. [FL-17]
Rep Brown, Corrine [FL-3]
Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-1]
Rep Hastings, Alcee L. [FL-23]
Rep Watson, Diane E. [CA-33]
Rep Davis, Danny K. [IL-7]
Rep Towns, Edolphus [NY-10]
Rep Scott, Robert C. [VA-3]
Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-2]
Rep Clarke, Yvette D. [NY-11]
Rep Waters, Maxine [CA-35]
Rep Butterfield, G. K. [NC-1]
Rep Johnson, Hank [GA-4]
Rep Fattah, Chaka [PA-2]
Rep Richardson, Laura [CA-37]
Rep Marcia Fudge [OH-11]

There are still 11 members of the Congressional Black Caucus who have not signed on:

Rep Watt, Melvin L. [NC-12]
Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18]
Rep Meeks, Gregory W. [NY-06]
Rep Sanford Bishop [GA-02]
Rep Jim Clyburn [SC-06]
Rep Artur Davis [AL-07]
Rep Al Green [TX-09]
Rep EB Johnson [TX-30]
Rep Gwen Moore [WI-04]
Rep David Scott [GA-13]
Rep Bennie Thompson [MS-02]

AAEA is encouraging those 11 CBC members to sign onto HR 1310 as cosponsors to help facilitate passage of the legislation.

AAEA Supports The Clean Water Protection Act, H.R. 1310

AAEA opposes mountaintop removal.

The Clean Water Protection Act, H.R. 1310 was introduced by Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) on March 4, 2009 and amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to define "fill material" to mean any pollutant that replaces portions of waters of the United States with dry land or that changes the bottom elevation of a water body for any purpose and to exclude any pollutant discharged into the water primarily to dispose of waste.

For years, the Clean Water Act allowed for the granting of permits to place 'fill material' into waters of the United States, provided that the primary purpose of the 'filling' was not for waste disposal. The intention was to prevent industries such as coal mining from using the nation's waterways as waste disposal sites. That changed in 2002, when the Army Corps of Engineers, without Congressional approval, altered its longstanding definition of 'fill material' to include mining waste. This change accelerated the devastating practice of mountaintop removal coal mining and the destruction of more than 1,200 miles of Appalachian streams.

H.R. 1310 restores the original intent of the Clean Water Act to clarify that fill material cannot be comprised of mining waste. The legislation has 154 cosponsors and has bipartisan support. (ILoveMountains.org)

Cardin & Alexander Seek To Ban Mountain Top Removal

Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md), left, and Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn), right, have introduced legislation (Alexander-Cardin Appalachian Restoration Act- S. 696) to ban mountaintop-removal coal mining. They hope to stop the removing ountaintops in West Virginia and Kentucky and prevent a resurgence of the practice in Tennessee. Tennessee produced 2.3 million tons of coal last year, compared with 158 million tons in West Virginia and 120 million tons in Kentucky.

The bill would effectively end mountaintop removal by amending the Clean Water Act to prohibit the dumping of mining waste in streams. It would allow other types of open-pit, surface mining.

AAEA opposes mountaintop removal and supports the Alexander-Cardin legislation.

Alexander has introduced legislation with Sen. Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.) to reduce the sulfur, nitrogen and mercury emissions of coal-burning power plants, which provide about 60 percent of Tennessee's power. Alexander supports coal and has described it as "an essential part of our energy future," and he has pushed for "a mini-Manhattan project" for research into carbon capture and sequestration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal plants. Alexander is also a big proponent of nuclear power, which provides a third of Tennessee's energy. He also supports wind energy in general, but opposes proposals for wind farms in the Appalachian Mountains. (Wash Post, 7/26/09)

Socially Responsible Mutual Funds

I plan to roll my 401k into a Socially Responsible Mutual Fund.

Here's information I've found.

Does good triumph over all?
As an investor, you cannot be completely philanthropic and expect nothing in return for your investment other than that pure feeling of having invested in a company that reflects your own values. So how does the performance of socially responsible mutual funds measure up to that of a regular portfolio? On average, its performance has been close to that of regular mutual funds. There are several indexes that track the performance of stocks considered socially responsible investments. According to KLD Indexes, the total returns for the Domini Social 400 Index between 1990 (its inception) and September 2007 was 12%. Over the same period, the S&P 500 returned 11.49%.

The Price for Doing Good
Socially responsible mutual funds tend to have higher fees than regular funds. These higher fees can be attributed to the additional ethical research that mutual fund managers must undertake. In addition, socially responsible funds tend to be managed by smaller mutual fund companies and the assets under management are relatively small. Under these circumstances, it is difficult for SRI funds to make use of the economies of scale available to their larger rivals. (For related reading, see Stop Paying High Fees.)

http://www.investopedia.com/articles/mutualfund/03/030503.asp

California Standards Tests for Academic Performance Index

From 2nd grade through 11the grade our children are tested on their academics.

Here are some of the questions that are on the CST (California Standards Tests), the results from this test are reported into the API (Academic Performanc Index) for the nation.

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/css05rtq.asp

Sample for 2nd grade:

FIND THE WORD THAT HAS THE SAME SOUND AS THE UNDERLINED LETTER OR LETTERS IN THE FIRST WORD.

board

A scared

B card

C boat

D tore

National Black Chamber of Commerce Annual Conference

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

By Norris McDonald

Harry Alford, president of the National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC), invited me to their 17th annual conference as a special guest. Thanks Harry. It was a great conference that addressed some cutting edge issues, including global warming, green jobs and energy entrepreneurship. It was the first time that AAEA, American Association of Blacks in Energy and the NBCC got together in one place to strategize. This strategizing was combined with interactions among energy companies and associations, including Peabody Energy (coal), Edison Electric Institute, American Petroleum Institute and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson was the keynote speaker at the Friday breakfast. I introduced her to our Vice President Derry Bigby and introduced her deputy to NBCC Board Chairman Mike Little. There was all kinds of dynamic networking going on.

Particularly interesting was the energy panel entitled, "Energy, Green Jobs, and Renewable Sources: What is this all about? What is a 'green job?' Where are the grants- routine, stimulus, descretionary? We can show you." The moderator was Maurice Stone-Chair, NBCC Energy Committee and panelists included Bryan Just, Senior Economist, American Petroleum Institute, Ross Eisenberg, Energy and Environmental Counsel, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Morry C. Davis, Government Relations, Peabody Energy Corporation.

Another excellent keynote presentation was given by David Owens, Executive Vice Presdent of Business Operation, Edison Electric Institute.

Numerous Obama administration officials also participated in the conference, including Karen Mills, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, among many others.

Halle made a drawing for me

I came home from work and my daughter handed me this picture =)