FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2002

CONTACT:
Wendy Balazik, 202-675-2383

SIERRA CLUB RUNS ADS ASKING SENATORS TO SUPPORT A CLEAN, SAFE AND MORE
SECURE ENERGY FUTURE

Washington, DC:  The Sierra Club is running radio ads this week in eight
states asking Senators to support an energy bill that reduces our
dependence on oil and protects special places like the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge.  The Sierra Club expressed disappointment that the Senate
chose not to require Detroit to make more technologically advanced and fuel
efficient vehicles.  The ads are running in Arizona, Michigan, Indiana,
Oklahoma, Louisiana, Maine, and Iowa.

The ad notes that America needs "to loosen the grip oil-producing nations
have on us, to make responsible plans for the future that employ better
technology and American know-how to decrease our dependence on oil."  The
ad calls on Senators to fix the current energy bill, which does nothing to
reduce our dependence on oil, and could sacrifice special places like the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

"The energy bill is unacceptable in its current form," said Carl Pope,
executive director of the Sierra Club. "As it stands now, the Senate energy
bill does nearly nothing to reduce our consumption of foreign oil, to
increase our energy security, to protect families from electricity price
gouging, or to safeguard our environment."

The Senate energy bill began as a promising vehicle for meeting our
nation's energy needs.  However, many of the oil-saving measures were
removed.  Senators voted against raising corporate average fuel economy
(CAFE) standards, which is the single biggest step we can take to reduce
our dependence on oil and improve our energy security.  Senators also
rejected a measure that would have increased the amount of electricity
produced by clean, renewable sources like wind and solar power, replacing
it with an amendment that does little to promote renewable energy.

The Sierra Club is hopeful the Senate will work to safeguard the Arctic
Wildlife Refuge and our other natural treasures, reduce America's oil
consumption by one million barrels a day, guarantee that at least 10
percent of our electricity supplies come from renewable energy resources,
ensure that electricity consumers will not be ripped off by more Enrons,
and reduce rather than increase pollution of our air, water and land.

"The Senate missed a major chance to move our nation forward, to use
technology and American know-how to make real progress in reducing our oil
dependence, saving consumers money, and cutting global warming pollution,"
continued Pope.  "Critical amendments remain and there is still a chance
that the Senate will take the right road. Unless the bill is fixed, it's
unacceptable as energy policy."

# # #

Sample script to follow.  To receive a copy of the ad, please contact Wendy
Balazik at 202-675-2383.

Starting April 1, 2002, the ad can be seen at
http://www.sierraclub.org/pressroom/media/.

Sierra Club
Radio :60
"What the World Needs Now"-Michigan
March 26, 2002

On September 12th we hugged each other harder,
and looked with new eyes at our families, our fellow Americans, and the
future.

And we realized we needed to loosen the grip oil-producing nations
have on us, to make responsible plans for the future that employ better
technology and American know-how to decrease our dependence on insecure
sources of oil.

But instead of supporting a 21st century energy plan,
Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow bowed
to the auto-industry lobbyists and
chose not to require Detroit to make more technologically
advanced and fuel efficient vehicles.

Please call Senators Levin and Stabenow at 202-224-3121.
Tell them that an energy bill that does nothing to reduce our
dependence on oil, or that sacrifices special places like the Arctic
National
Wildlife Refuge, is just unacceptable.

Ask them to vote for a cleaner, cheaper, safer energy plan -- for our
families, for our future.

Paid for by the Michigan Chapter of Sierra Club.




Erin Jordahl
Director, Iowa Chapter Sierra Club
3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 280
Des Moines, IA 50310
515-277-8868
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