[Ecoed] FW: Hill Update for Environmental Education (from the Campaign for Environmental Literacy)

[Jennifer Riem]

There has been truly unprecedented attention by Congress over the past
eight to twelve months to environmental education.  While none of the
numerous bills have yet to become enacted into law, the chances are high
that 2008/09 will see passage of at least one of the bills below -
making it the first new environmental education bill passed in 18 years.
Help make this happen!  Following is a very brief review of recent key
congressional action. You can learn more about these bills, and how you
can help, by going to www.fundee.org
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=wkPgXtzxr5cAi3W3
sdu5zOZVwIMSx6og> .

Higher Education Sustainability Act (now part of the House version of
the new higher education act
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=%2FxHWIq2ZnF1xqv
tkzfGsN%2BZVwIMSx6og> ): The current higher education act has been
extended until July 31, 2008, to give the conference committee more time
to finish the new bill. Some feel the current act may be extended yet
again, perhaps even pushing off passage until 2009.

Lieberman-Warner-Boxer Bill (S 3036): Senators Murray and Snowe
introduced an amendment to this bill that allocated a portion of climate
change "cap and trade" auction proceeds to climate change education.
However, this bill was effectively killed through Republican filibuster.
A new Climate MATTERS Act (HR6316) includes a similar provision, and we
continue to work with both sets of sponsors to advance this important
idea.

No Child Left Inside Act (HR 3036): This was originally intended as an
amendment
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=CYnralbImOcw8HwM
Gy8oM%2BZVwIMSx6og>  of the No Child Left Behind Act, but with NCLB
stuck in Congress, it has been modified and passed by the House
Education and Labor Committee to re-authorize the long expired National
Environmental Education Act of 1990 for one year. It is important to
rally support
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=j2RgI8VwqBt5%2FM
TgxPMrfOZVwIMSx6og>  for this bill as it comes to a full House vote in
the next few weeks!

National Environmental Education Act: The House Education and Labor
Committee has indicated that they intend to take up a more thorough
updating of the NEEA in 2009.

The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public Schools Facilities Act (HR
3021): Passed on June 4, 2008 by a bipartisan vote of 250 to 164, it
directs the Secretary of Education to make grants and low-interest loans
up to $6.4 billion for FY2009 to local educational agencies for the
construction, modernization, or repair of public school facilities using
"green" design.  The Senate has yet to act on this bill.

FY 09 Appropriations: It now appears that Congress is likely to punt on
many FY09 appropriations by issuing a six month "Continuing Resolution".
This means that most, if not all, agencies and programs will receive the
same funding as they did in FY08, for at least the first half of FY09,
including environmental education programs at: NOAA, EPA, NASA, and the
Department of Energy.

Thank you for your involvement and support!
Jim Elder,  Campaign for Environmental Literacy

www.fundee.org
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=gvufKOYLaQ%2B5tg
MAS0lHBOZVwIMSx6og> 

 

 

Jennifer Riem

Education Coordinator

Ecological Society of America

Department of Education and Diversity Programs

jennifer at esa.org

 

tel 202-833-8773 x236

fax 202-833-8775

 

EcoEd Digital Library <http://www.ecoed.net/> 

Teaching Issues and Experiments in Ecology (TIEE)

 

 

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