Cross-posted from the 1Sky Blog

This post is from 1Sky intern Emma Fernandez, a former intern from last year. Emma returned to 1Sky for the summer, so we gave her and all our interns a grueling assignment: head to Capitol Hill on a hot DC morning, put on a stifling oil barrel costume, and speak out against Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s appalling “Dirty Air Act” resolution as it was being debated on the Senate floor. Emma — along with Florencia Foxley, Amy Plovnick, and Ines Ware — did a great job and we’re proud of their efforts on the Hill yesterday. –Garth

We’re feeling especially proud of the climate movement today as we’re all celebrating a good victory in the defeat of Sen Lisa Murkowski’s resolution to gut the Clean Air Act.

Yesterday morning, while my friends and colleagues were frantically tracking the latest vote counts, I was standing in front of the Senate office buildings dressed as an oil barrel. I joined excited volunteers from many different organizations who turned out to participate in Clean Energy Works’ day of action to increase pressure on the Senate. We covered every corner, handing out flyers to pedestrians and asking them to call their senators and tell them to say no to Murkowski’s Big Oil bailout, while other volunteers distributed informational materials directly to senators’ offices.

Besides encouraging citizens to tell their senators to stand up for a clean energy economy, the goal of yesterday’s action was also to create a visible presence on the Hill in opposition to Murkowski’s bill – and with all our volunteers dressed in oil barrel costumes, we definitely accomplished that goal! No one on the streets could miss us, including several senators who passed by!

The oil barrels were a fun touch, but our action definitely had a serious effect. When we explained Murkowski’s resolution, many people promised to call their senators, and a few were even on their way to meetings with them. It was heartening to hear so many people express their support for the cause, and we clearly sent the message that Americans are fed up with giveaways to Big Oil and Coal and ready for a clean energy future.

Where does your senator stand? Post an oil barrel on their Facebook wall and demand to know! http://bit.ly/BigOilBailout

The vote on Senator Murkowski’s Dirty Air Act resolution is tomorrow and we are ramping up pressure to stop this big oil bailout. The resolution would prevent the EPA from holding polluters accountable, and fill Big Oil’s pockets with an additional $140 billion. That’s $140 billion for Big Oil, and higher gas prices and less domestic investment in jobs and our economy for us.

To fight this dangerous proposal, young people have been out on Capitol Hill and in key states all week wearing oil barrels, and demanding Senators decide if they are with us or with Big Oil.

We have also been putting the pressure on online, posting “Stop the Big Oil Bailout” oil barrels on senator’s Facebook walls. Add yours!

Oil Barrelers demand an answer from Sen. Webb at Richmond BP station

Phil Kerpen (Americans for Prosperity) and a gang of tea partiers confront oil barrel protestors outside the Dirksen Senate Offices Building

As crude oil washes up on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico and continues to gush unabated from ocean floor, you would think that even pollution-friendly Senators would be wary of voting for an anti-science resolution that does nothing but pad the pockets of Big Oil. If that Senator is Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, however, you would be wrong.

Next Thursday, June 10th, Murkowski will finally introduce her long-threatened Dirty Air Act resolution which would strip the EPA of its authority to regulate greenhouse gasses. It’s shocking that at this moment — when we should be holding oil companies accountable for their reckless environmental destruction — Senator Murkowski is pushing to let them off the hook.

It’s time for clean energy solutions, not another Big Oil Bailout!

We want to create a visual that senators can’t possibly miss, so all next week young people will be out in force on Capitol Hill and in states around the country wearing large oil barrels to demand senators oppose the Dirty Air Act and support comprehensive climate legislation.

Buzz is already building for these Oil Barrel actions with mentions on Politico and Grist, and an MSNBC appearance by Consequence blogger Benton Strong on MSNBC!

If you want to get involved in the action, the barrels are easy to make, just be sure to send us some pictures!

Materials:
1 Fiskars Kangaroo Pop-Up Bag – we found this at Target
1 can black Krylon “Fusion for Plastic” Spray Paint – found at most hardware stores (brand doesn’t matter, but it should bond to plastic)
1 can white Krylon “Fusion for Plastic” Spray Paint
2 24” bungee cords
1 sheet of 11X17 paper (preferably a thicker stock)
1 pair Exacto knife (or scissors)

Steps:

1. In a well-ventilated location, paint the bag black. You might need to let dry once, and then go back and fill in spots you missed. Pay special attention to the fabric areas at the rims and wire enclosure – you’ll need to spray more on this material.
2. While barrel is drying, download the stencil font (http://www.dafont.com/army.font) and print out as big as possible to fit on the 11X17 page (or just use this one).
3. Using Exacto knife, cut out the letters from the page.
4. When black paint is dry, spray white letters through the stencil. It helps to push the plastic, with your hand inside the barrel, up closer to the stencil.
5. While white paint is drying, cut all of the large handles off the barrel.
6. Attach bungee cords to the small loops at the top edge of the barrel.
7. Have someone lower the barrel onto the wearer, so there is one bungee cord on each shoulder.
8. Go cause trouble!

Mary Tharin passes out flyers opposing the Dirty Air Act.

Today, as Senators step out to get lunch, local Washingtonians walk along Constitution Avenue, and visitors tour our nation’s capitol, we will ask them to get involved and help us stop Senator Lisa Murkowski’s (R-AK) “Dirty Air Act.”

We need a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill now, more than ever.  BP’s oil spill in the Gulf is a clear sign that the effects of our addiction to fossil fuels are imminent.  The consequences of both acquiring fossil fuels and burning fossil fuels are endangering U.S. citizens.

Murkowski’s resolution prevents the EPA from regulating carbon emissions, and therefore all of Murkowski’s Big Oil Allies, under the Clean Air Act.  The “Dirty Air Act” denies the EPA’s endangerment and cause or contribute findings of greenhouse gas emissions, thereby rejecting a strong scientific consensus that carbon pollution is harmful to the environment and existing and future generations.

Not only does Murkowski’s bill deny the effects of carbon pollution on the environment and humans, but it also perpetuates our addiction to foreign oil.  The U.S. spends over $1 billion a day on foreign oil and this Big Oil Bailout increases our dependence on oil by 450 million barrels.

Why does Murkowski promote the Big Oil Bailout?  So far in 2010, she has received $203,000 in campaign contributions from Big Oil, the third highest in the senate.

We need to end our dependence on oil—that tethers us to dangerous and unstable regimes, sends $100 million per day to Iran, supports terrorist organizations, kills American citizens and threatens the livelihoods of many, and jeopardizes the environment and future generations.  The U.S. needs a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill, not another Big Oil Bailout led by a Senator more concerned with the interests of the biggest polluters than the American people.

On June 10th, the Dirty Air Act will finally come up for a vote, and we will find out which side our senators are on. Until then, we will be on Capitol Hill passing out flyers to raise awareness and remind citizens to hold their representatives accountable.

Big Oil’s favorite congresscritter, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Exxon) is at it again. Very soon (likely this Thursday or early next week), Murkowski plans to bring her Dirty Air Act resolution up for a vote. This proposal would put public health at risk and jeopardize long-overdue action to hold the biggest polluters accountable for their carbon pollution.

Her previous two attempts to gut the Clean Air Act were stymied last fall and winter by widespread opposition from the environmental movement and youth climate activists, but now Murkowski is back for another last-ditch effort to derail clean energy momentum.

Just last week, Murkowski helped block efforts in the Senate to raise the liability of BP for the Gulf oil spill, now she’s trying to help her Big Oil allies by undoing the Clean Air Act. Now is not the time for another Big Oil Bailout.

This is another bailout that protects big oil, corporate polluters, and lobbyists. It’s time for Congress to stop protecting the special interests that fund their campaigns and start protecting our national interests.

Americans are demanding that we cut our dependence on oil, but the Dirty Air Act’s Big Oil Bailout would actually increase our dependence on oil by 450 million barrels—that’s more than $33.3 billion in lost savings for Americans (Note: based on current price of $74 per barrel).

Our senators shouldn’t be wasting tax-payer time and money by undermining the EPA’s finding that carbon pollution is dangerous to our health. Instead, we need to pass bipartisan clean energy and climate legislation that will put us in control of our energy future, while cutting our dependence on oil, reducing carbon pollution, and enhancing our national security.

Tell your Senators to oppose this dangerous resolution. The last thing we need is another Big Oil Bailout