http://www.sierraclub.org/pressroom/releases/pr2007-10-23.asp
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 23 October 2007
CONTACT: Josh Dorner, Sierra Club, 202.675.2384
Liz Hitchcock, U.S. PIRG, 202.546.9707
Tony Iallonardo, Audubon, 202.861.2242, x3042
Will Callaway, PSR, 202.667.4260, x224
Environmental Groups Offer Seven Guiding
Principles for a New Energy Policy
New Ad, Principles Provide Guidance for Congressional Action
on Energy, Global Warming Legislation
(Washington, D.C.)-The Sierra Club, U.S. PIRG, National Audubon Society,
and Physicians for Social Responsibility launched a new ad today outlining
their seven key principles for new global warming and energy policies.
These principles are meant to set a standard for Congress as it moves
forward with landmark energy and global warming legislation to ensure bills
they pass actually make real and verifiable progress on stabilizing the
climate, improve the economy, keep and create jobs, benefit the public and
reform the energy sector.
In coming weeks, Congress has the opportunity to flip the switch on
America’s new energy future and make real progress in the fight against
global warming by passing a final energy bill that includes the
Senate-passed 35 mile per gallon by 2020 fuel economy standard and the
House-passed 15 percent by 2020 Renewable Electricity Standard. The
environmental community continues to work with members of both the House
and the Senate to move a comprehensive energy bill toward final passage
before the end of this session.
In a sign of political progress, the Senate Environment and Public Works
Committee’s relevant subcommittee will hold a hearing tomorrow on the
America’s Climate Security Act, introduced last week by Senators Lieberman
and Warner. The groups applaud Senators Lieberman and Warner for putting
forward a bill that has helped to jumpstart meaningful Congressional debate
on the issue. They look forward to working with Senators on the
Environment and Public Works Committee to produce a final bill that is both
sufficiently strong to meet the challenge before us and is consistent with
the other principles outlined in detail below.
The principles and the text of the ad are reproduced below. The ad itself
can be found at:
http://www.sierraclub.org/pressroom/media/
The Seven Principles of a New Energy Policy
CONGRESS: As you craft legislation on energy policy and global warming, we
ask you to ensure that your legislation makes real and verifiable progress
on stabilizing the climate, improves the economy, benefits the public and
reforms the energy sector:
Reform energy policy: New national energy policies should encourage
efficiency, innovation, competition, and fairness. We need more aggressive
energy efficiency policies for electricity and buildings, increased CAFE
standards like those passed by the Senate, and the renewable electricity
standard included in the House energy bill.
Promote a clean energy future: Invest in energy efficiency and renewable
energy to create new industries and good jobs here at home.
Cap and cut carbon emissions to science-based levels: Science tells us in
order to prevent the worst impacts of global warming we must start cutting
global warming pollution by 2012, with reductions in total U.S. greenhouse
gas emissions of at least 15 to 20 percent below current levels by 2020 and
80 percent by mid-century.
Use all public assets for public benefit: The value of carbon permits
should benefit the public--through auctions or other mechanisms--not
generate windfalls for polluting industries. Free allocations, if any, must
be limited to a short transition period.
Ensure a just transition: Allowances should be used to help finance a just
transition that keeps and creates jobs, reduces impacts on low-and
moderate-income citizens, and mitigates harm to affected workers and
communities.
Provide aid to adapt to an altered climate: Allowances should be used to
help distressed and impoverished people around the world, as well as
wildlife and ecosystems in the face of global warming’s varied threats.
Manage costs without breaking the cap. "Safety valves" and other devices
that break the cap on emissions must not be allowed. Any offsets must be
real, surplus, verifiable, permanent, and enforceable.
CONGRESS: We must act quickly. But we don’t have ten years to get it wrong
and then start over. Energy investments made today will still be in use in
thirty and forty years. Carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for
generations; the longer we wait, the more aggressive our actions will have
to be. The undersigned groups stand ready to work with sponsors and leaders
in both Houses of Congress to achieve these critical objectives for a fair,
safe, and sustainable future.
Sierra Club • U.S. PIRG • Audubon
Physicians for Social Responsibility