Newsletter, July 2007     

     Volume 1, Issue 2

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New York State Apollo Alliance Summit : Good Jobs and Clean Energy

Newsletter Spotlight

On May 23rd and 24th, the New York State Apollo Alliance held its first Summit on Good Jobs and Clean Energy at the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) building in Latham, NY. The Summit brought together representatives of the labor, business, environment, education, and environmental justice groups represented in the coalition, with representatives of NYS and NYC Government to discuss recent initiatives in energy policy reform.  Read More

Video: A North American Labor Assembly on
Climate Crisis

Newsletter Spotlight

The Cornell ILR School's Global Labor Institute is very excited to release their short 10 minute documentary on perhaps the largest ever meeting of trade union leaders and environmentalists. "The North American Labor Assembly on Climate Crisis", held in New York City on May 7th and 8th, 2007, was sponsored by 10 major unions and attended by more than 200 trade unionists from the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean region, as well as 50 trade unionists situated in other regions of the world. See Video.

Ashok Gupta, Energy Program Director at NRDC, speaks at the NYS Apollo Summit

     Community College is West’s First to Produce Wind Energy Technicians

Senator Bernie Sanders speaks at the Global Labor Institute's Conference

A two-year school in Dalles, Oregon has invented a degree that virtually guarantees its graduates a good paying job. Columbia Gorge Community College will be the first to mint wind energy technicians. 
Read More.

NYS Apollo / Sierra Club Cool Cities Campaign Organizing Opportunities

NYS Apollo Alliance has just announced its support for the Cool Cities Campaign. Cool Cities was initiated by Seattle Mayor Greg Nichols when he launched the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement to advance the goals of the Kyoto Protocol through leadership and action. Cities across America sign on to this agreement and turn their commitments into action. As of February 2007, 208 mayors from 38 states have pledged to reduce global warming pollution in their cities. For more information, contact Bob Muldoon.

The Green Jobs Act of 2007 Has Been Adopted by the U.S. Senate

Toxic Wastes and Race at Twenty Report: Sign the Letter

The Green Jobs Act of 2007 would help ensure that our nation trains workers in the new skills required to properly manufacture, install, maintain, and operate clean energy technologies. Go to the National Apollo Alliance web site to learn how you can help support passage of the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

According to the United Church of Christ Toxic Wastes and Race at Twenty 1987-2007 report, environmental injustice in communities of people of color is as much or more prevalent today than twenty years ago. On behalf of Environmental Justice Networks and EJ organizations from across the United States, the principal authors of the national report, "Toxic Wastes and Race at 20", are inviting groups to sign on a letter to be directed to key elected officials, including key Congressional leaders, the presidential candidates and the Bush Administration to let them know that the findings in the 2007 report need to be addressed immediately. Read Report and Letter

Unions See Greenbacks in “Green” Future—Organized Labor is Joining Forces with Environmentalists to Push for an Eco-friendly Economy

With alarm growing over global warming and economic vulnerability created by American dependence on foreign oil, it’s increasingly obvious to many that the only viable future is a green one. The pursuit of this future has made unlikely bedfellows of many groups historically at odds with each other. Evangelicals have joined forces with tree-huggers. Creationists have aligned themselves with scientists. And now, organized labor is working with environmentalists.  Read More.