For Immediate Release:
June 22, 2008
Contact: David Willett, 202-675-6698
"All of the Above" Proposal Fails the Test
Republican Leadership Holds Clean Energy Hostage for Big Oil, Coal, Nukes
Question 1: The Republican Energy Proposal will leave America with which of the following results:
a) oil spills off America’s fragile coasts
b) dangerous nuclear waste and fuel with twice the global warming pollution of regular gas
c) The same outdated answers that got us in this mess in the first place
d) all of the above
Statement of Sierra Club Executive Director, Carl Pope
"The Republican Congressional leadership’s 'All of the above' American Energy Act, expected to be announced Wednesday, is the wrong answer to America’s energy needs because it does not prioritize solutions that will actually help families instead of industry."
"The Republican Leadership says it is for 'all of the above' when it comes to energy policy, but if they were truly for promoting clean, renewable energy, then why have they blocked numerous clean energy bills on which everyone supposedly agrees? Because of their obstruction, critical energy solutions that would create jobs, help families with high energy costs and protect the environment are being held hostage to help the fossil fuel industry."
"The Republican Congressional leadership is once again cynically exploiting the pain Americans are suffering from high gas prices to provide more benefits for Big Oil. Trying to sprinkle in a handful of clean energy proposals into a plan for more oil, liquid coal and nukes is only going to make our energy problems worse. It’s like eating a salad for dinner and then a giant hot fudge sundae for dessert."
"America needs multiple choices on energy—but Republicans cannot claim to be for 'all of the above' when they have opposed a national renewable energy standard, opposed incentives for wind and solar power, and opposed increased fuel economy standards. Their continued insistence on more dirty drilling drilling, costly liquid coal and dangerous nuclear proposals would dwarf any progress we could be making with those non-controversial proposals."
"Alternatively, the Consumers First Energy Bill is a sensible plan that promises consumers real relief and will help put us on the path toward a clean energy future by ending the oil industry’s chokehold on our economy."
"Congress should support efforts like Consumer First because it will make sure Big Oil is paying its fair share on its record profits; end taxpayer-funded giveaways to the oil industry; crack down on speculators; stand up to OPEC; and invest billions in the clean energy technologies we need to bring skyrocketing energy costs under control, fight global warming, and create hundreds of thousands of new, good-paying green jobs—it’s a better choice for all of the above."
"The failed policies of yesterday don’t offer the solutions we need to address today’s energy and economic crises. It’s time to embrace the clean energy solutions promoted by this legislation. They will put America back to work, put our economy back on the path to prosperity, help end our dangerous dependence on fossil fuels, and fight global warming."
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