New Energy Future News

Environment Virginia Calls for Supporters to Postpone Earth Day Celebrations . . . . . . Until After Calling on Congress to Repower America with Clean Energy

Richmond, Virginia – This Earth Day, America has a real opportunity to harness the power of clean energy to transform our economy and protect the earth, according to Environment Virginia.  The group is calling on clean energy supporters around the country to postpone their Earth Day celebrations for five minutes today and first ask their member of Congress to rebuild the economy with clean energy and stop global warming.

“Today is Earth Day but this year more than ever it is a time for action before celebration,” said Environment Virginia Advocate J.R. Tolbert.  “We’ve made tremendous progress cleaning up our air and water since the first Earth Day, but we now face our biggest challenge yet in global warming.”

On Tuesday, Congress began four days of legislative hearings with dozens of experts providing testimony on the American Clean Energy and Security Act, a massive energy bill that is moving quickly in the House.  The bill answers President Obama’s call for comprehensive clean energy and global warming legislation “that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy in America.”

The bill, drafted by House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey (D-MA), sets strong standards for rapidly deploying renewable energy and energy efficiency, including requirements that utilities generate 25 percent of their electricity from renewable sources, like wind and solar power, by 2025 and use 15 percent less energy by 2020.  The renewable electricity standard alone would create an estimated 297,000 new domestic jobs and save consumers $64.3 billion in electricity and natural gas bills by 2025. 

The draft bill also includes science-based standards to reduce U.S. global warming emissions by 30 percent by 2020 by cutting pollution domestically and through agreements to prevent tropical deforestation.

Environment Virginia estimates that Big Oil, Dirty Coal, and other polluters have hired more than 2,000 lobbyists to stop the president’s plan – nearly four lobbyists for every member of Congress.  “The polluters want the president’s plan decided in the halls and backrooms of Capitol Hill.  Environment Virginia is bringing the debate to front porches, kitchens, living rooms and town halls across the commonwealth,” said Tolbert.

Environment Virginia is urging would-be Earth Day celebrants to call 877-666-3394, which they set up to provide an easy way for citizens to be connected to their member of Congress.

Chairmen Waxman and Markey released the American Clean Energy and Security Act on March 31st and announced plans to vote on the bill in subcommittee next week and in full committee prior to Memorial Day.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has said that the full House will vote on the bill this summer.

“On this 39th Earth Day, there is certainly reason to celebrate, but more than ever there is a need to act. By calling congress before celebrating today, we can demonstrate that our nation is ready for another great leap forward:  to repower America and stop global warming,” said Tolbert.

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Environment Virginia is a statewide citizen-based advocacy organization working for clean air, clean water, and preservation of open space.