We are angry and disappointed. The battle must and will continue -- but it is time to shift our focus.
The U.S. Senate will not take up comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation prior to the August recess. Even more distressing, it's very unlikely the Senate will push for a comprehensive bill at all this year. While the Senate is expected to vote on a bill addressing the Gulf catastrophe next week, this is clearly no substitute for passing a comprehensive energy and climate bill.
For months, a broad and diverse coalition of Americans has called for immediate action on a clean energy and climate bill. More than three months into the worst industry-caused environmental catastrophe in our history, after the deadliest coal mining disaster in 40 years, and while sweating through the hottest first six months of any year on record, there's never been a more urgent time to move forward with a clean energy and climate policy.
On Tuesday, more than 350 national, regional and local organizations issued a joint statement making clear that inaction is not an option. To this group of environmental, business and security groups, the twin challenges of building a clean energy economy and addressing global warming are too important to fail. In this joint statement, groups called for the Senate and the Obama Administration to continue the fight, and to use every tool available to address clean energy and climate reform by working to limit carbon pollution and invest in new clean energy sources that are made in America. Most importantly, now we must focus on protecting and preserving the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to crack down on polluters.
At every opportunity, a minority of senators who are unduly influenced by Big Oil chose obstruction over working together to solve America's energy and national security challenges. As a result of their actions, corporate polluters will continue to reap record profits at the expense of Americans. They will hear from us.
The November elections are less than 100 days away. District by district and state by state, LCV and our partners and allies will make sure that voters know the choice they have: Support politicians who side with Big Oil or back champions who support a clean energy future that will create jobs, increase energy independence and protect the planet for future generations.
We will not give up and will keep the pressure on to act this year while senators are home in August. We must keep working at every level to transition our nation to a cleaner, more secure energy future.
The fight to create new clean energy jobs and solve the climate crisis will continue -- in this Congress, at the voting booth, in the states and at the EPA.
Brian Keane: On Energy Policy, it's Time to Channel the Tea Party
Tom Switzer: The World Rethinks Climate Legislation - WSJ.com
Obama still supports climate legislation - Washington Times
Senate Democrats Kill Ambitious Climate Legislation - Ecocentric ...
leader power, and declining rapidly.
Expecting anything useful from a politician, the government, a lobbyist, a big business person, or so called experts is like waiting for Godot. All they do is screw things up worse than they are now, and make a bunch of money for a few rich people.
All meaningful change begins at the personal level. The only meaningful action for me to take is to focus on doing what can be done effectively for myself and my friends/family/community, and what is best for the
world. I try not to be distracted by things that are beyond my control.
I always vote; I pick the least damaging politician or policy, but always vote. Even though government is
totally ineffective on these most important issues, maybe the potential for damage can be minimized.
I also vote with money. I cast my money votes in this order 1) Co-ops & Credit Unions, 2) Employee owned businesses, 3) locally owned small businesses, and 4) the “greenest†“large†businesses I can find. (have
to do my homework here)
As the hippies used to say, think globally, act locally.