FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 26, 2009
CONTACT: Josh Dorner, 202.675.2384
David Willett, 202.675.6698
President Obama's Budget Signals
New Era on Energy, Climate
Washington, D.C.--Media reports indicate that President Obama's first budget will include revenues from the auction of carbon permits under a cap on global warming pollution in its long-term planning. This follows President Obama's unprecedented investment of nearly $100 billion in a green economic recovery, his call on this Congress to act on global warming legislation, and preliminary steps taken by the Environmental Protection Agency to begin the process of regulating global warming emissions from our vehicles and power plants.
Statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director
"The writing is on the wall. The signs are all there. The era of dirty energy is coming to an end.
"The shift in priorities over the past month has been unprecedented. President Obama has acted faster, smarter, and more decisively than any president in memory. He has put us squarely on the path toward a clean energy future.
"Wall Street and Washington alike understand that the question is no longer if or when, but only how we will tackle global warming and build the clean energy economy that will rescue us from economic collapse.
"President Obama's bold plans will revitalize our economy, rebuild the middle class, make us more secure, and put an end to our energy crisis once and for all. We will continue working with him and our allies in Congress to make these bold commitments a reality."
# # #