JUST WHAT IS THE "APOLLO ALLIANCE?"

Am I the only one who has never heard of this thing called the "Apollo Alliance?" Now I may be showing my ignorance here, but I think I'm also providing everyone with one more very good reason that it can be pretty darn educational to watch Glenn Beck. I had never heard of this organization before hearing about it on Beck's radio show the other day on my way home from work. Yes, I can say I still have a job, no thanks to Barry. So, what is the Apollo Alliance? Well..

"..the Apollo Alliance is designed to bring together the elements of organized labor with the community organizers with the green groups, the environmental groups, and to access all of the big foundation money that’s been supportive of those causes in the past."

So far what I've been able to find out is that, "The Apollo Alliance is a group of U.S. business, labor, environmental, and community leaders working to promote clean energy as a means of creating energy independence, reducing carbon emissions, and generating new jobs for and opportunities for American workers and businesses. The group was founded by the Center on Wisconsin Strategy and the Institute for America's Future in 2004. Chaired by former California State Treasurer and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides, the Board includes the president of the NRDC and the executive director of the Sierra Club, the heads of the Laborers' International Union of North America and the United Steelworkers Union, and actor and environmentalist Robert Redford." So, here we now have one more clandestine organization operating behind the scenes, so to speak, coming in the form of this "Apollo Alliance" that is working to have an effect on various government policies that are not in the best interest of the American people. An organization possessing some very questionable positions on a great many issues, to say the least. An organization that consists of a coalition of some like minded, and rather unsavory, individuals who represent various UNIONS, like the SEIU, Social Justice groups the likes of ACORN and is the caliber of organization that attracts guys like Van Jones. You all remember him, he was that devout Communist who, for a short time, was Barry’s “Green Czar” as well as being the founder of the "Green Initiative." And apparently this "Alliance", after having been formed by these individuals, seems to have now become very actively involved in the "assisting" of the Barry administration in creating of some of its more egregious government empowering policies, the only result of which is to further erode the already severely restricted number of individual liberties that every American citizen is still able to enjoy. Policies which have no basis in actual need, but have as their sole rationale only the rather insidious, and somewhat dubious, motives of some rather unscrupulous individuals and that nearly always result in only producing some very unpleasant consequences for a majority of the American people. These same groups, have now become able to exert an undue amount of influence over the more ethically challenged members of our government from the White House on down. And the natural outcome of such influence from these various groups as this "Alliance" has been nothing more than to further undermine the very underpinnings of our Republic while unfortunately, most Americans have remained comfortably oblivious until it has essentially become too late to stop any of it. Or, of simply having their dissent completely ignored by the powers that be as they continue to go about the enacting of whatever policies they see fit to enact regardless of how the American people may feel.


We have now arrived at a time when every American must be made to be cognizant of the fact that the current situation in which we now find ourselves, regarding those in charge of the running of our government, is a systemic one. And it is NOT one that can be or will be remedied by the outcome of just one successful election, or even with back to back election successes, should we in fact be able to extricate ourselves from Barry in 2012. The sad truth of the matter is that the Democrat Party won't be going away anytime soon and neither will groups like this "Apollo Alliance." And unfortunately I can only assume that both will be around for the foreseeable future. So, November 2, 2010 must now be identified as being our D-Day, that date which will signal the beginning of our long battle back to regain control of our country, working hard toward wrestling it away from those who are currently steering it straight into the rocks. But we must always remember and never let ourselves forget that it is going to be a very long struggle, a battle that will require much the same time, effort, stamina and determination as does our current conflict which has us fighting against the Islamic murderers. Because the consequences of losing either of these great battles will be essentially the same. That of course being, the virtual end of our constitutional Republic as we know it and of our sovereignty as a free and independent nation. And let this be a warning to all that at the very first instance which we allow ourselves to show any lack of resolve or commitment, or indicate even the briefest moment of hesitation, those who make up those groups that we oppose, such as the Democrat Party and their allies such as this "Apollo Alliance," will attempt to once more seize the momentum from us and alter course, swinging us very sharply back to the left. Believe me when I say that I have never been more terrified for my country than I am today. It is all well and good to say that we must return to conservative principles, but we must also be honest enough with ourselves in realizing that the battle that lies ahead, in our attempting to do that, will not be an easy task. And the odds against our being successful in that endeavor are formidable because our enemy is strong and cannot be counted on to surrender until we have successfully beaten them into submission. Being able to trust politicians, conservative or otherwise, has become a commodity that is now very much in short supply these days and when the decision has been made to place our trust in this or that politician, there is always that chance of being on the receiving end of some rather nasty side effects. And there is always the risk of creating some unintended, and potentially unpleasant, consequences from doing so. And what makes the issue of trust all the more crucial is that we are now living in what can honestly be described as being a very pivotal time in our nation's history. All that it’s going to take is one wrong move on our part and it will all come crashing down. There is no longer any room for error. We cannot continue to remain blissfully ignorant of all that which is being foisted upon us by the very ones whom we elect to "represent" us. Because at the end of the day, more often then not they only end up "representing" themselves!


Knowledge is power my friends, and something like this "Apollo Alliance" provides but one more example on a very long list of many, of how critical it is that everyone work at keeping themselves ever more vigilant and making themselves much better informed about what it is that is constantly going on all around us. When it comes to anything having to do with increasing the power of government, nothing remains stationary, things are in a constant state of flux. Even more so when it is the Democrat party, with the assistance of their many corrupt allies, who hold the reins of power. We must all come to realize that there are some very dark forces at work here and they are able to continue their work mostly unabated, operating from deep within the shadow of our very own Capitol Building. They operate completely undeterred by any opposing public opinion regarding their stated goals and they never really go away, constantly lurking just beneath the surface waiting for what they see as being the most opportune time to strike. The bottom line here is that we can no longer fully trust any of those who comprise our government. Least of all those, of either political party, who perceive themselves to be of the ruling elite. The present scenario is one that has now evolved into one that has essentially created an “us versus them” kind of environment. And if we allow ourselves to be content with just sitting back without ever making our displeasure known, refusing to take the requisite action needed to fight back against these enemies of our Constitution, then we will have no one to blame but ourselves when we wake up one morning to find that it has all, quite simply and unceremoniously, come to an end. Not with a bang, but with a whimper. The question that remains though, is just how many more groups like this "Apollo Alliance" are out there, organizations who behave more like some real world "Legion of Doom", and whose sole purpose is the working covertly toward the successful subverting of our Constitution and the enslavement of the American people? Maybe not a physical enslavement, but enslavement still and in the truest sense of the word. Everyone should do a little research on this group and the many others like it that are out there, because they've all managed to worm themselves way too far into the halls of our government. As I said, by spending just a little time on line what I was able to find out is that this is a group that "advances a plan to lessen the country’s dependence on foreign oil, build a stronger economy, and create a cleaner environment." They have a "ten-point plan calls for diversifying energy sources by expanding the use of existing renewable technologies such as solar, wind, and biomass; modernizing existing power plants; investing in long-term development of hydrogen fuel cell technology; increasing incentives for and prevalence of hybrid cars and energy-efficient building and appliances; and improving transportation options and public infrastructure for metropolitan areas." But no drilling for more oil here at home. The fact that we're just supposed to sit on top of our vast oil reserves but never tap into them is nothing short of ludicrous and shows very plainly just where the mentality of this specific group, as well as of its individual members, lies. HARD-A-PORT!


Regarding Barry "Almighty's" bogus economic "stimulus" bill, this "Alliance" claims that, "While the clean energy focus of the stimulus was inspired by the Apollo’s vision, the specific content of many of the bill’s provisions was influenced by policy proposals that the Apollo Alliance made last year in The New Apollo Program and the Apollo Economic Recovery Act. 'The recovery bill represents the focused work of labor, business, environmental and social justice organizations who developed a clear strategy about where the nation needed to go, and worked together to achieve it,' said Phil Angelides, former California treasurer and chairman of the Apollo Alliance." As “Dingy” Harry Reid, the present Senate Majority Leader, noted in a statement. “We’ve talked about moving forward on these ideas for decades. The "Apollo Alliance" has been an important factor in helping us develop and execute a strategy that makes great progress on these goals and in motivating the public to support them.” Now one thing is for sure, any organization that is close enough to the Democrats to be able to make policy suggestions is not any friend of the American people. And the American people should forcefully resist the supporting of any policy that will in the end rob them of any of their remaining individual liberty. And as we get closer to the election, one thing that every single American should now be asking their Congressman/woman is: JUST WHO THE HECK WROTE THE HEALTHCARE BILL? WHAT ARE THEIR NAMES? After all, it was The Apollo Alliance, again, made up of radicals like ACORN and the Unions the likes of SEIU, who were bragging that it was THEY who actually wrote the STIMULUS BILL. Can you honestly answer that you know exactly WHO it was that wrote the Healthcare Bill; all 1,000+ pages of it and within 6 months of Barry “Almighty” taking office? And then ask them WHO specifically are those "community organizations" that are mentioned on pages 469-472 of that Bill? Groups such as this "Apollo Alliance" have absolutely no business whatsoever being involved in the writing of legislation or in how it is that any policy decisions are to be arrived at. There should be no doubt whatsoever in anyone's mind here that the far left in this country has put together a very well devised plan, as well as a strategy that they feel will enable them to achieve many of their long stated and sought after goals. And trust me when I say, the goals of these individuals, or these "Alliances," are not the goals that will serve the best interests of your everyday American citizen. Building off the disaster that was, and is, TARP, which the present administration pushed through and having succeeded in their effort to nationalize our health care system, how can they not now feel a sense of encouragement that they may yet also succeed in their attempt to implement the largest tax increase in our history with the “Cap and Trade” energy tax bill being passed. And then what's next after that? Most likely the working toward the achieving of amnesty for 20+ million illegals may very well be what is next on their agenda. This move would have a specific political purpose which should be very obvious to just about anyone with a brain. It is designed to do nothing more than to dramatically expand and to then secure the lefts power base. Once that has been successfully accomplished, there will be no stopping them from forcing their socialist agenda on those of us who still believe in individual liberty and self-reliance over collectivism. You know, the principals spelled out in that pesky little document called the Constitution, on which our country was founded, and the document our elected officials seem so eager to ignore and have been pretty successful in their desire to shred it at every opportunity.



The Board of Directors of this highly partisan Democrats Only tax-exempt organization that has been able to substantially influence the Barry “Almighty’s” Administration's energy policy has quite the cast of "Usual Suspects". The following biographies come from the group's own website.


Phil Angelides (Chairman) has made his mark in California and the nation as an effective public leader, as a successful businessman, and as a trailblazing environmental innovator. Mr. Angelides is President of Riverview Capital Investments. He currently serves as Chairman of the Federal Crisis Inquiry Commission, a ten-member bipartisan panel appointed by Congress to investigate the causes of the financial and economic crisis which has gripped the nation. He was the California State Treasurer from 1999-2007 and the Democratic nominee for Governor of California in 2006. For over two decades, Mr. Angelides has been a leader in the movement for sustainable economic progress. In the 1980’s, he pioneered the planning and building of smart growth communities long before the concepts of sustainability were embraced by the marketplace. Among his ventures was the town of Laguna West which was featured in Time, Newsweek, the New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, and ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America,” and sparked a national dialogue around building more livable, environmentally responsible communities. During his eight years in elected office, Mr. Angelides transformed the State Treasurer’s Office into a force for progress, launching ground breaking policy initiatives. He directed $26 billion in state investments to promote smart growth and create jobs, housing, and opportunities in inner cities, catalyzing a wave of reinvestment in America’s urban centers. He put the weight of California’s $400 billion pension funds behind investment in clean energy and the fight against global warming – seeding the “green tech” investment revolution. And, he mobilized investors across the nation to usher in a new era of corporate social and environmental responsibility. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the National Inner City Leadership Award from the Initiative for Competitive Inner City; the California League of Conservation Voters’ Environmental Leadership Award; and the Congress for the New Urbanism’s Lifetime Achievement Award.


Robert L. Borosage is the President of the Institute for America’s Future. He writes widely on political, economic, and national security issues for publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Nation. He was the founder and Director of the Campaign for New Priorities, involving over 100 organizations in the call to reinvest in America in the post-Cold War era. He has served as an issues advisor to progressive political campaigns, including those of Senators Carol Moseley-Braun, Barbara Boxer, and Paul Wellstone. In 1988, he was Senior Issues Advisor to the presidential campaign of Reverend Jesse L. Jackson.


Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins is the Chief Executive Officer of Green For All. Since taking leadership in March 2009, Phaedra has led the organization to a stirring string of victories. Prior to joining Green For All, Phaedra was head of the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council and Working Partnerships USA. While there, she earned her reputation as one of the nation’s most inspirational and creative problem solvers for working families. The scope and scale of Phaedra’s many achievements have won her wide praise. San Jose Magazine named her one of the 100 most powerful people in Silicon Valley. The Silicon Valley Business Journal called her one of “40 to watch under 40.” As a woman of color, Phaedra has distinguished herself as an innovative leader in California and led the way for emerging leaders in the American progressive movement, directing campaigns to win policy victories on local, regional, and state levels. She has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News and Essence, and on ABC, CNN, MSNBC and NBC. An alumna of American Leadership Forum, she has served on the boards of the Progressive Technology Project, New World Foundation, the Women’s Fund of Silicon Valley, the City of San Jose General Plan Update Task Force and the Central Labor Council Advisory Committee. She serves on the board of the Leadership Council of California Forward and is Chair and Co-Founder of the Partnership for Working Families.


Leo W. Gerard is President of the United Steelworkers of America (USWA). The son of a union miner who started working at INCO’s nickel smelter in Sudbury, Ontario at age 18, and inspired by a lifelong commitment to economic and social justice, Leo W. Gerard rose through the ranks of the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) to be appointed the Union’s seventh international president on February 28, 2001. Under Gerard, the USWA has heightened its focus on reversing the alarming decline of U.S. manufacturing and the negative impact of it on America’s growing health care crisis. He has worked with equal fervor in developing strategies to inject the rights of workers into trade agreements, investment priorities and corporate governance. Gerard is the driving force behind the Heartland Labor Capital Funds; a network that is creating conceptual, financial and educational tools for capital strategies that will inject the welfare of workers into investment priorities.


Gerald Hudson has served as Executive Vice President of SEIU since leads the work June 2004. He of the union’s Long Term Care Division, which represents nearly 500,000 nursing home and home care workers nationwide. Hudson’s outstanding commitment to labor spans decades. Hudson came to SEIU in 1978 from the Hebrew Home for the Aged in Riverdale, N.Y., where he was a member of SEIU Local 144. Elected as executive vice president for the former-District 1199 in 1989, Hudson spent more than a dozen years supervising 1199 New York’s political action, education, publications, and cultural affairs departments. During his tenure with 1199NY, Hudson coordinated the merger of the 30,000-member Local 144 into SEIU/1199. He also founded the 1199 School for Social Change - a former alternative school in the Bronx - and served as a trustee of the Local 1199 Training and Upgrading Fund, Home Care Workers Benefit Fund, and Michelson Education Fund. As a long-time champion of environmental justice, Mr. Hudson has served on the board for Redefining Progress, the nation’s leading public policy think tank dedicated to developing innovative public policies that balance economic well-being, environmental preservation and social justice. He participated in the first-ever U.S. labor delegation to the United Nations’ climate change meeting in Bali in 2007.


Mindy Lubber is President of Ceres, the leading U.S. coalition of investors and environmental leaders working to improve corporate environmental, social and governance practices. She also directs the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), an alliance that coordinates U.S. investor responses to the financial risks and opportunities posed by climate change. Ms. Lubber has held leadership positions in government as the Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; in the financial services sector as Founder, President and CEO of Green Century Capital Management, an investment firm managing environmentally screened mutual funds; in the private sector as the President of an environmental law and policy consulting group; and in the not-for-profit sector for more than a decade leading environmental and public interest law organizations, including the National Environmental Law Center, which she founded. She was the Senior Advisor and Communications Director to former Governor Michael Dukakis, and for a decade, held leadership positions with the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG), including Chairwoman of the Board of Directors.


Nancy McFadden is Senior Vice President and Senior Advisor to the Chairman and CEO of PG&E Corporation. She is responsible for providing strategic advice to shape PG&E’s business strategy pertaining to competitive issues, key ballot initiatives, emerging issues, and other public policy matters, with particular emphasis on the Corporation’s efforts to continue to be a national environmental leader. Prior to her appointment to the role of advisor in November 2009, McFadden served as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for PG&E Corporation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company, responsible for managing the company’s federal, state and local government relations, and philanthropic and community initiatives. Before joining PG&E, McFadden spent nearly two decades as a key legal, political, and policy advisor at both the federal and state levels. In California, she served as senior advisor to Governor Gray Davis. A senior member of the Clinton Administration for eight years, she served as deputy chief of staff to Vice President Al Gore, General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Transportation and Deputy Associate Attorney General. The Washington Post named her one of the “go-to people” in the Clinton Administration for her significant record of accomplishment. She started her career practicing law with the firm of O’Melveny and Myers, during which time she was named “One of the 40 Best Lawyers Under 40” by Washingtonian magazine. In addition to serving as an executive with PG&E, McFadden has been appointed by the California State Senate and two governors to serve on the California Medical Assistance Commission, the agency that negotiates MediCal contracts with hospitals and health plans. McFadden is a Bay Area native, and has a J.D. from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for the California Museum for History, Women and the Arts and the San Francisco Fine Arts Museum. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Women’s Foundation of California, the California Climate Action Registry, the California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy, the Bay Area Council, the Apollo Alliance, the Council for Environmental and Economic Balance, as well as on the Board of Advisors for the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.


Terence M. O’Sullivan has been General President of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – since January 1, 2000. He is known as an innovator among the newest generation of labor leaders dedicated to aggressive and sometimes radical approaches designed to increase the power of working people in the 21st Century. O’Sullivan has guided the more than 500,000 collective bargaining members of LIUNA to the forefront of the labor movement, reshaping the Union into one of the fastest-growing, most aggressive and progressive unions in North America. Despite the decline in overall union membership in the U.S., LIUNA has shown steady and consistent growth. He is also a member of the Governing Board of Presidents of the Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO and a member of the Leadership Council of the Change to Win labor union federation. O’Sullivan is a current member of the Board of Directors of Ullico Inc., and past Chairman and CEO of the insurance and financial services provider. He also serves on the Board of Directors of America’s Agenda: Health Care for All, and is a member of the Management Committee of Americans for Transportation Mobility. Before becoming LIUNA General President, O’Sullivan served the union as a Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager, and Assistant to the General President. He has also served as Administrator of the West Virginia Laborers’ Training Center. A proud native of San Francisco, he joined LIUNA in 1974 and is a long-time member of Local Union 1353, Charleston, West Virginia.


Ellen Pao joined Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers in 2005. Prior to KPCB, Ellen held various operating roles at BEA, including head of business development for products, site manager for new mobile products, and lead for new engineering efforts in India. She also served in corporate development, leading strategic projects for the CEO and M&A transactions. Prior to BEA, Ellen focused on business development and closed technology licensing deals for Tellme Networks and Microsoft’s WebTV division. She also served as a consultant at MyCFO and at Danger Research, where she headed the Sidekick’s first marketing requirements efforts. Before entering the tech field, Ellen was a corporate attorney for Cravath, Swaine & Moore in both its New York City and Hong Kong offices, working on deals across the Philippines, Singapore and Greater China. She provided guidance on high-yield debt offerings, M&A transactions, aircraft financings, and pro bono projects for Habitat for Humanity and Covenant House. Ellen holds a BS in Electrical Engineering and a certificate from the Wilson School of Public and International Affairs from Princeton University, a JD from Harvard Law School and an MBA from Harvard Business School.


Michael A. Peck serves on the board of the Apollo Alliance and is a special adviser to the Blue Green Alliance. Michael works closely with several of Spain’s top green energy multinationals in the U.S., including Gamesa, the leading Spanish wind turbine manufacturer headquartered in Pennsylvania, as well as with worker cooperatives and progressive unions to create good and green jobs opportunities. Michael was instrumental in bringing Gamesa to Pennsylvania in 2004, where the company since has invested more than $200 million and created upwards of 850 green and good jobs in partnership with the United Steelworkers union. In 1994, Michael founded the MAPA Group, which is dedicated to ‘doing well by doing good’ in part through transformational green economy projects and missions with clients and allies.


John Podesta is the president and CEO of the Center for American Progress. Under his leadership, the Center has become a notable leader in the development and advocacy for progressive policy. Prior to founding the Center in 2003, Mr. Podesta served as White House Chief of Staff to President William J. Clinton. He served in the president’s cabinet and as a principal on the National Security Council. While in the White House, he also served as both an assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff, as well as staff secretary and a senior policy advisor on government information, privacy, telecommunications security, and regulatory policy. Most recently, Mr. Podesta served as co-chair of President Obama’s transition, where he coordinated the priorities of the incoming administration’s agenda, oversaw the development of its policies, and spearheaded its appointments of major cabinet secretaries and political appointees. Additionally, Mr. Podesta has held numerous positions on Capitol Hill, including counselor to Democratic Leader Senator Thomas A. Daschle (1995-1996); chief counsel for the Senate Agriculture Committee (1987-1988); and chief minority counsel for the Senate Judiciary Subcommittees on Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks; Security and Terrorism; and Regulatory Reform (1981-1987). A Chicago native, Mr. Podesta is a graduate of Knox College and the Georgetown University Law Center, where he is currently a visiting professor of law. He also authored The Power of Progress: How America’s Progressives Can (Once Again) Save Our Economy, Our Climate and Our Country.


Carl Pope was appointed Executive Director of the Sierra Club in 1992. A veteran leader in the environmental movement, Mr. Pope has been with the Sierra Club for nearly thirty years. During Mr. Pope’s tenure as Executive Director, Sierra Club added 150,000 new members, growing to 700,000 of your friends and neighbors. In addition to his work with the Sierra Club, Mr. Pope has had a distinguished record of environmental activism and leadership. He has served on the Boards of the California League of Conservation Voters, Public Voice, National Clean Air Coalition, California Common Cause, Public Interest Economics, Inc., and Zero Population Growth. Mr. Pope was also Executive Director of the California League of Conservation Voters and the Political Director of Zero Population Growth.


Dan W. Reicher has over 20 years of experience in business, government and non-governmental organizations focused on energy and environmental technology, policy, finance and law. He recently joined Google where he serves as Director of Climate Change and Energy Initiatives for the company’s venture called Google.org which has been capitalized with $2 billion of Google stock to make investments and advance policy in the areas of climate change and energy, global development, and global health. Prior to his recent position at Google, Mr. Reicher served as President and Co-Founder of New Energy Capital Corp., a New England-based company that develops, invests in, owns and operates renewable energy and distributed generation projects. From 1997-2001, Mr. Reicher was Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). As Assistant Secretary, he directed annually more than $1 billion in investments in energy research, development and deployment related to renewable energy, distributed generation and energy efficiency. Prior to that position, Mr. Reicher was DOE Chief of Staff (1996-97), Assistant Secretary of Energy for Policy (Acting) (1995-1996), and Deputy Chief of Staff and Counselor to the Secretary (1993-1995). Mr. Reicher is also a member of General Electric’s Ecomagination Advisory Board, co-chairman of the advisory board of the American Council on Renewable Energy, and a member of the board of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. Recently, Mr. Reicher was also a member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Alternatives to Indian Point for Meeting Energy Needs. He also served as an adjunct professor at the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and Vermont Law School.


Jerome Ringo served as president of the Apollo Alliance from 2005 until January 2010. He has first hand experience of the challenges we face after working for more than 20 years in Louisiana’s petrochemical industry. More than half of that time was spent as an active union member working with his fellow members to secure a safe work environment and quality jobs. Louisiana’s petrochemical industry focuses on the production of gasoline, rocket fuel, and plastics – many of which contain cancer-causing chemicals. As he began observing the negative impacts of the industry’s pollution on local communities – primarily poor, minority communities – Jerome began organizing community environmental justice groups. Jerome’s experience organizing environmental and labor communities and his drive to further diversify the environmental movement bridges many of Apollo’s partners to create a broad based coalition to provide real solutions for our energy crisis. In 1996, Ringo was elected to serve on the National Wildlife Federation board of directors and, in 2005, Jerome became the chair of the board. In so doing, he also became the first African American to head a major conservation organization. Jerome was the United States’ only black delegate at the 1998 Global Warming Treaty Negotiations in Kyoto, Japan, and represented the National Wildlife Federation at the United Nations conference on sustainable development in 1999. Jerome inspires audiences around the world to create a new clean energy economy. Some of his most notable keynote appearances include: the Montreal Climate Summit in 2006, the United Nations African Climate Conference in Nairobi, Kenya in 2006, the Kyoto Plus Conference in Berlin Germany in 2007, and the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver Colorado. In 2006, Jerome was a McCloskey Fellow and Associate Research Scholar at Yale University; in 2008, he was a Visiting Lecturer at the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Bren School of the Environment. Jerome is co-author of Diversity and the Future of the U.S. Environmental Movement (published in 2007) and The Green Festival Reader (published in 2008.) Jerome appeared in the Oscar-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth.


Joel Rogers co-founded the Apollo Alliance and served as its first chairman. He is professor of law, political science, and sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a longtime government and campaign adviser and democratic activist. In his academic work, Joel has written widely on democratic theory, American politics, and public policy, including such books as On Democracy, Right Turn, The Forgotten Majority, and What Workers Want. He is currently working on problems in energy efficiency, government performance, and egalitarianism capitalism. Joel is also director of COWS, an applied research center and field laboratory for high road (”triple bottom line” + democracy) competitiveness and government; Center for State Innovation, which promotes high-road policy innovation among elected state executives (governors and others), and the Mayors Innovation Project, which does the same with local elected executive. A contributing editor of The Nation and Boston Review, Joel has received many academic honors and a MacArthur Foundation “genius” fellowship. Newsweek identified him as among the 100 Americans most likely to shape U.S. politics and culture in the 21st century.