FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 29, 2009
CONTACT: Josh Dorner, 202.675.2384� David Willett,
202.675.6698
Bush Calls for More of the Same
When It Comes to Gas Prices
Disastrous Policies Help Big Oil While Consumers,
Economy Buckle Under Weight of Crippling Energy Prices
Washington, D.C.—The Sierra Club issued the following statement in
response to President Bush’s remarks about gas prices.
Statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director
"Two years ago President Bush said America was addicted to oil but today
he complained that we just need a bigger fix.
"When American families are struggling with record prices at the pump, how
can we justify continuing to subsidize Big Oil as it rack up tens of
billions in record profits?
"The disastrous policies of his administration have allowed the addiction
to grow and energy prices to skyrocket. As hardworking Americans suffer
and spiraling energy costs wreck the economy, the President merely trotted
out more of the same policies that do nothing to help consumers, do
nothing to end our dangerous dependence on oil, do nothing to bring rising
energy costs back under control, and do nothing to fight global
warming—something even the President recently admitted must be dealt with.
"It's no coincidence that as gas prices have surged to record highs with
no end in sight that today two of the largest oil companies in the world
today reported nearly $17 billion in profits. Yet, the president refuses
to end the billions in taxpayer-funded subsidies that are helping to fuel
Big Oil’s record profits.
"Instead of the failed policies of the past, it's time to break our
addiction to fossil fuels by shifting our priorities—and our
policies—toward creating the clean energy economy. It's time to take back
the giveaways to Big Oil and invest that money in clean, renewable energy
and efficiency. A serious national commitment to renewable energy will
put our economy back on the path to prosperity by bringing energy costs
under control, creating over 820,000 new jobs, and making us more energy
independent. Unfortunately, President Bush has threatened to veto
legislation that would do just—legislation that overwhelmingly passed the
House over two months ago.
"Ideas like drilling in the Arctic Refuge will do nothing to lower current
energy prices. In fact, the Bush administration itself has even admitted
that drilling in the Arctic would only lower gas prices ONE CENT in some
twenty years time. Permanently destroying one of our last remaining
special places is hardly worth it for a penny in twenty years. Drilling
these places won’t do anything to ease pain at the pump or create energy
independence. America simply doesn’t have enough oil to impact prices on
the world market since we sit on less than three percent of the world's
reserves.
"The honest answer to our addition to fossil fuels is to use less of them,
and that means better fuel economy, a serious commitment to renewable
energy, and dramatic improvements in energy efficiency."
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Neila Seaman Director Sierra Club, Iowa Chapter 3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 280 Des Moines, IA 50310 [log in to unmask] 515-277-8868