FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18, 2008
CONTACT: Josh Dorner, 202.675.2384
Sierra Club Applauds Obama's Strong Commitment to Clean Energy, Action on Global Warming
Washington, D.C.--In a taped address that received a standing ovation at the Bi-Partisan Governor's Global Climate Summit taking place in Los Angeles, California, President-Elect Barack Obama reiterated his commitment to serious international and domestic action to combat global warming and serious investments in the clean energy technologies that will create millions of new jobs and put our economy back on track.
Statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director
"During his Presidential campaign, Barack Obama said his top priority will be investment in clean energy and energy efficiency to jumpstart our economy, create green jobs and make us more secure. We applaud President-Elect Obama for today renewing his strong commitment to investments in clean energy and an 80 percent reduction in global warming pollution by 2050, with an strong intermediate target to be met in 2020.
"Investing in clean energy technology and improving the efficiency of buildings, cars and transportation system would spend money where it is most needed -- in construction and manufacturing --and create the new jobs that will drive our economic recovery, make us stronger and move us into the future.
"The first step for the 111th Congress working with Obama Administration, should be to begin serious investments in high performance technologies, energy productivity improvements that will create huge numbers of immediate jobs -- public and private building energy upgrades, mass transportation improvements and grid modernization should be part of any economic recovery package.
"President-Elect Obama has provided exceptional leadership, set a high bar, and struck a bipartisan tone. We hope that the new Congress will follow suit and help the Obama administration meet these lofty, but essential goals."
In part, President-Elect Obama remarked:
"My presidency will mark a new chapter in America’s leadership on climate change that will strengthen our security and create millions of new jobs in the process.
"That will start with a federal cap and trade system. We will establish strong annual targets that set us on a course to reduce emissions to their 1990 levels by 2020 and reduce them an additional 80% by 2050.
"Further, we will invest $15 billion each year to catalyze private sector efforts to build a clean energy future. We will invest in solar power, wind power, and next generation biofuels. We will tap nuclear power, while making sure it’s safe. And we will develop clean coal technologies.
"This investment will not only help us reduce our dependence on foreign oil, making the United States more secure. And it will not only help us bring about a clean energy future, saving our planet. It will also help us transform our industries and steer our country out of this economic crisis by generating five million new green jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced."
President-Elect Obama's full remarks can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvG2XptIEJk
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