Joint Statement in Advance of Senate Caucus Meeting on Clean Energy and Climate Legislation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact:
Tony Kreindler, 202-445-8108, tkreindler@edf.org

Thursday’s caucus meeting will be a milestone in the effort to transition America to clean energy and finally address the dangers of carbon pollution. We expect our environmental allies – and all Senators who want to cut America’s addiction to imported oil, create jobs, and reduce pollution – to speak out strongly for a truly comprehensive clean energy and climate bill.

With millions of gallons spilled in the Gulf of Mexico and a billion dollars a day going overseas for imported oil, we can no longer afford to delay our transition to clean energy. As President Obama told the nation last Tuesday night, “For decades we have failed to act with the sense of urgency that this challenge requires” and we must not “settle for the paltry limits of conventional wisdom.” The time has come to act.

We are confident Senator Reid and his colleagues will opt to take the best ideas from all the major proposals and craft legislation that puts a strong limit on carbon pollution and drives the innovation necessary to create millions of clean energy jobs for America. This long sought goal is within our reach, if we have the will to make it happen.

1000 Friends of Minnesota, Sally Wakefield, Executive Director
Alliance for Climate Protection, Maggie Fox, President and CEO
American Rivers, Rebecca R. Wodder, President
Arkansans for Clean Energy Jobs, Nao Ueda, Coordinator
Arkansas Business Leaders for a Clean Energy Economy,
Ken Smith, Executive Director
Arkansas Solar Initiative, Alese Johnston Stroud, CEO
Arkansas Wildlife Federation, Wayne Shewmake, President
Audubon Arkansas, Ellen Fennell, Interim Director
Blue Green Alliance, David Foster, Executive Director
Chewonki Foundation, Don Hudson, President
Clean Air-Cool Planet, Adam Markham, President and CEO
Colorado Conservation Voters, Pete Maysmith,
Executive Director
Conservation Alabama, Adam R. Snyder, Executive Director
Conservation Council of North Carolina, Carrie Clark,
Executive Director
Conservation Law Foundation, John Kassel, President
Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, Josh McNeil,
Executive Director
Earth Cause Organization, Rob Fisher, Executive Director
Earthjustice, Trip Van Noppen, President
Environment America, Margie Alt, Executive Director
Environment Illinois, Max Muller, Program Director
Environmental Defense Fund, Fred Krupp, President
Environmental Law and Policy Center, Howard Learner,
Executive Director
Friends of Dyke Marsh, Glenda Booth, President
Friends of the Mississippi River, Whitney Clark,
Executive Director
Indiana Wildlife Federation, John R. Goss, Executive Director
League of Conservation Voters, Gene Karpinski, President
Maine Interfaith Power and Light, Harry Brown, Executive Director
Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters, Lora Wondolowski, Executive Director
Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Scott Strand, Executive Director
National Wildlife Federation, Larry Schweiger, President
Natural Resources Council of Maine, Everett B. Carson,
Executive Director
Natural Resources Defense Council, Peter Lehner,
Executive Director
Opportunity Maine, Cliff Ginn and Rob Brown, Co-Directors
Protestants for the Common Good, Rev. Alexander Sharp,
Executive Director
Rails to Trails Conservancy, Keith Laughlin, President
SC Coastal Conservation League, Dana Beach, Executive Director
Sierra Club, Michael Brune, Executive Director
South Carolina Sierra Club, Susan Corbett, CEO
South Carolina Wildlife Federation, Ben Gregg, Executive Director
The Nature Conservancy, Mark Tercek, President and CEO
The Ozark Society, Robert Cross, President
Union of Concerned Scientists, Kevin Knobloch, President
Upstate Forever, Brad Wyche, Executive Director
US Climate Action Network, Peter Bahouth, Executive Director
Virginia Climate Initiative, Rob Jones, Director
Virginia Conservation Network, Nathan Lott, Executive Director
Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, Joe Stanley, Director
Virginia League of Conservation Voters, Lisa Guthrie,
Executive Director
Will Steger Foundation, Nicole Rom, Executive Director
Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters, Kerry Shuman,
Executive Director
World Wildlife Fund, Carter Roberts, President and CEO
Wyoming Conservation Voters, Kate Wright, Executive Director

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Environmental Defense Action Fund is the political arm of Environmental Defense Fun, a leading national nonprofit organization which represents more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. Twitter twitter.com/EnvDefenseFund. Blog http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/. Visit www.edf.org.