On the Heels of California’s Historic Global Warming Law Environment California Launches Campaign Calling on Candidates to Support a New Energy Future
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Environment California Research & Policy Center
With the ink barely dry on AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act, Environment California launched a new campaign calling on congressional candidates to support policies to move America beyond oil and toward a cleaner energy future.
“California has set the standard for the rest of the country to follow when it comes to energy,” said Moira Chapin, Field Organizer for Environment California. “There is no question that America has the know-how to reduce our dependence on oil and move toward a cleaner, more secure energy future. In California we are living proof that it works. Now it’s time for our leaders in Washington, DC to move America in a new direction that puts our national security, our environment, our global climate, and our children’s futures above Big Oil and other powerful interests,” continued Chapin.
“Investing in cleaner fuel sources is an investment in the long-term health of our economy. The sooner we start to make real progress in reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, the greater the compound value to our environment and our future.” said Buddy Burke, President of the California Chapter of REP America. “Mainstream Republicans have always supported the conservative use of resources, especially our limited natural resources. We call on all our political leaders to put American ingenuity to work and make solving our energy issues one of their highest priorities.”
Environment California is asking all congressional candidates to do what we have done in California – to deliver on the promise of a New Energy Future by committing to support policies that help the U.S. achieve four key goals:
Reduce U.S. dependence on oil by saving one-third of the oil we use today by 2025;
Harness clean, renewable, homegrown energy sources for at least one quarter of all energy needs by 2025;
Save energy with high performance homes, buildings and appliances so that by 2025 we use 10 percent less energy than we do today; and
Invest in a New Energy Future by tripling research and development funding for the energy-saving and renewable technologies we need to achieve these goals.
Environment California also released a report today showing the benefits of these policies to America’s environment, economy, and national security. Environment California found that achieving these goals, by 2025 would enable the United States to:
Save 10.8 million barrels of oil per day, equal to four-fifths of the amount of oil we currently import from all other nations in the world.
Save 9.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas per year, nearly twice as much as currently used in all of America’s homes.
Save 900 million tons of coal per year, or about 80 percent of all the coal consumed in the United States in 2005.
Save 1.7 billion megawatt-hours of electricity per year, 30 percent more than was used in all the households in America in 2005.
“The potential payback from these efforts is tremendous,” said Chapin. “The result will be a cleaner, more sustainable foundation on which to build America’s economy for the 21st century,” continued Chapin.
Environment California today specifically called on Congressional Representative Richard Pombo and Candidate Jerry McNerney in California’s 11th district to support the goals of a New Energy Future.
“Californians want to put American innovation and ingenuity to work to solve our energy problems,” stated Chapin. “By supporting these goals, Rep. Pombo and Candidate McNerney can help make the promise of a New Energy Future a reality,” concluded Chapin.
Over the next six weeks, Environment California will work with State PIRGs and State Environment groups across the country to build support for the goals of the New Energy Future in more than 50 of the highest profile congressional races.
