RE: Martin O'Malley: Zero out fossil fuels by 2050

From:john.podesta@gmail.com To: jsullivan@hillaryclinton.com CC: bfallon@hillaryclinton.com, jschwerin@hillaryclinton.com Date: 2015-06-18 20:21 Subject: RE: Martin O'Malley: Zero out fossil fuels by 2050

Hard to get all the oil out but wouldn't want to fight with him about that. On Jun 18, 2015 6:14 PM, "Jake Sullivan" <jsullivan@hillaryclinton.com> wrote: > John – you think that is realistic? > > > > *From:* Josh Schwerin [mailto:jschwerin@hillaryclinton.com] > *Sent:* Thursday, June 18, 2015 6:03 PM > *To:* Jake Sullivan > *Cc:* John Podesta; Brian Fallon > *Subject:* Re: Martin O'Malley: Zero out fossil fuels by 2050 > > > > That's how I read it > > > > I believe, within 35 years, our country can, and should, be 100% powered > by clean energy, > > Sent from my iPhone > > > On Jun 18, 2015, at 5:52 PM, Jake Sullivan <jsullivan@hillaryclinton.com> > wrote: > > But he is saying zero fossil fuels, period, isn’t he? Transport, > buildings, and energy? Or am I missing something? > > > > > > > > *From:* Josh Schwerin [mailto:jschwerin@hillaryclinton.com] > *Sent:* Thursday, June 18, 2015 5:02 PM > *To:* John Podesta > *Cc:* Jake Sullivan; Brian Fallon > *Subject:* Re: Fwd: Martin O'Malley: Zero out fossil fuels by 2050 > > > > OK we'll hold off > > > > On Thu, Jun 18, 2015 at 5:00 PM, John Podesta <john.podesta@gmail.com> > wrote: > > We need the get to 80% emission reduction by 2050. Which implies close to > a zero carbon energy sector. > > On Jun 18, 2015 4:52 PM, "Josh Schwerin" <jschwerin@hillaryclinton.com> > wrote: > > Martin O'Malley published an op-ed this morning calling for 100% renewable > energy by 2050. Tom Steyer has praised it as well as some other > environmental types. > > > > I don't know much about the issue but zeroing out fossil fuels in 35 years > seems unrealistic. We're considering asking friends to pitch a smart > enviro reporter or columnist on a story about how this may be > well-intentioned but its not a serious proposal. Does that seem right to > you? > > > Martin O'Malley: Zero out fossil fuels by 2050 > > > http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/06/18/pope-francis-encyclical-clean-energy-technology-campaign-column/28859409/ > > *Martin O'Malley**9:19 a.m. EDT June 18, 2015* > > Today, Pope Francis published his first encyclical —an official teaching > document to all 1.2 billion <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-21443313> > Catholics — on the moral imperative of addressing climate change. He is not > alone among leaders of world faiths making such a clarion call for action. > > We have come a long way as a nation in making > <http://foreignpolicy.com/2012/01/03/energy-independence-a-short-history/> > ourselves more energy independent. Now is the time to take this progress to > the next level — the future of our country and our planet depends on it. > > New technologies <http://www.iea.org/topics/cleanenergytechnologies/> now > put an independent clean energy future decidedly within our reach as a > nation. > > But reach for it we must. > > Clean energy represents the biggest business and job creation opportunity > <http://energy.gov/articles/clean-energy-economy-creating-jobs> we've > seen in a hundred years. And reliance on local, renewable energy sources > means > <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/science/earth/05fossil.html?pagewanted=all> > a more secure nation and a more stable world. > > Given the grave threat that climate change poses to human life on our > planet, we have not only a business imperative but a moral obligation to > future generations to act immediately and aggressively. > > This is why protecting the United States from the devastating impact of > climate change — while capitalizing on the job creation opportunity of > clean energy — is at the center of my campaign for president > <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2015/05/30/martin-omalley-president-announcement/27330857/> > . > > All of us can acknowledge that with an "all of the above strategy," > President Obama has made the United States more energy independent in every > category of fuels, including oil and gas. > > But America did not land a man on the moon with an "all of the above > strategy." It was an engineering challenge. > > Making the transition to a clean energy future is also an engineering > challenge. > > We cannot meet the climate challenge with an all-of-the-above energy > strategy, or by drilling off our coasts, or by building pipelines that > bring oil from tar sands in Canada. > > Instead, we must be intentional and committed to one over-arching goal as > a people: a full, complete transition to renewable energy — and an end to > our reliance on fossil fuels. > > Saving the world is a goal worthy of a great people. It is also good > business for the United States of America. > > I believe, within 35 years, our country can, and should, be 100% powered > by clean energy, supported by millions of new jobs. To reach this goal we > must accelerate that transition starting now. > > As president, on day one, I would use my executive power to declare the > transition to a clean energy future the number one priority of our Federal > Government. > > I would create a new Clean Energy Jobs Corps to partner with communities > to retrofit buildings to be more energy efficient, improve local > resiliency, create new green spaces, and restore and expand our forests so > they can absorb > <http://www.cfr.org/forests-and-land-management/deforestation-greenhouse-gas-emissions/p14919> > more greenhouse gases. > > I would retrofit federal buildings to the highest efficiency standards and > require new federal buildings to be net-zero, require the federal fleet to > be subject to low- or zero-emissions purchasing agreements, and require all > federally-funded infrastructure projects to meet climate resiliency > standards <http://www.usgbc.org/Docs/Archive/General/Docs18496.pdf>. > > As president, I would direct the Environmental Protection Agency to take > aggressive action to limit greenhouse gases: expanding rules to other large > sources of emissions beyond power plants, adopting a zero-tolerance policy > for methane leaks from current oil and gas production, and setting higher > energy efficiency standards for new buildings while requiring energy costs > to be transparent to building tenants and purchasers. > > And I would reject projects like Keystone XL > <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/03/04/fact-check-keystone-xl-pipeline/24334099/> > and drilling off our coasts > <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/01/29/fishermen-lawmakers-blast-atlantic-coast-drilling-plan/22511855/> > and in Antarctica and Alaska > <http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/05/27/chukchi-sea-spill-drill-oil-shell-column/27962771/>. > Furthermore, I would keep domestically produced oil and gas in the U.S., > instead of selling > <http://www.wsj.com/articles/bhp-to-sell-texas-oil-overseas-without-formal-u-s-government-approval-1415140850> > it abroad — unless there is a clear strategic security rationale. > > Beyond executive actions, I would make clean energy deployment — and > employment — a first-order priority. > > I would set a national, cross-sector Renewable Electricity Standard so our > nation is powered by 100% clean energy by 2050, and a national goal of > doubling energy efficiency within 15 years. Many states like California and > Maryland are already leading > <http://aceee.org/files/pdf/summary/u1408-summary.pdf> the way forward > for the United States. > > I would fight for federal legislation for a cap on carbon emissions from > all sources, with proceeds from permits returned to lower and middle-class > families, transition assistance, and new jobs with the Clean Energy Corps. > > As president, I would support a Clean Energy Financing Authority to > support projects to increase efficiency and resiliency upgrades in cities, > towns, and rural communities nationwide. > > I would prioritize modernizing our electric grid to evolve to support > localized, renewable energy generation, reduce electricity waste and > increase security from sabotage or attack. > > And I would increase our investment in basic clean energy research so the > U.S. can reclaim the lead on energy innovation, including advancing > development, deployment, transmission and storage for renewable energy and > new efficiency technologies. > > The fact is, there is no either/or choice between our prosperity and > protecting our planet — we can create a future where there are more jobs, > and a future with a livable climate. And there is no future for humankind > without a livable climate. > > The reality, as I learned in Maryland, is that the two goals are > indivisible. Driven by ambitious targets, we created > <http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LASST240000000000006?data_tool=XGtable> > thousands of new jobs while deploying clean energy technology and reducing > <https://data.maryland.gov/Energy-and-Environment/Greenhouse-Gas-Emissions-Estimates/8cmy-9rim> > greenhouse gas pollution by nearly 10% over just seven years. > > As the nation, we can do far more — with a bold vision for America's clean > energy future and the strong leadership needed to get it done. > > *Martin O'Malley has served as the governor of Maryland, mayor of > Baltimore, and a city councilor — earning a reputation as a bold, > progressive, and pragmatic executive who is willing to take on our toughest > shared challenges.* > > *In addition to its own editorials, USA TODAY publishes diverse opinions > from outside writers, including our Board of Contributors > <http://www.usatoday.com/reporters/boc.html>. To read more columns like > this, go to the Opinion front page <http://www.usatoday.com/opinion/>.* > > > > > > > -- > > Josh Schwerin > > Spokesperson > > Hillary for America > > @JoshSchwerin > > > > > > -- > > Josh Schwerin > > Spokesperson > > Hillary for America > > @JoshSchwerin >