Environmental Leaders Praise Kerry Plan on Climate Change, Energy Independence
For Immediate Release
Below please find statements from leading environmentalists on John Kerry’s Energy and Climate Change Plan introduced today in Boston:In fighting for energy security, Senator Kerry refuses to accept the false choice between promoting our economy and protecting our environment - - something Washington could use a little more of. We need leaders like John Kerry who are willing to put themselves on the line with bold new ideas to tackle global warming and invest in America’s ingenuity to truly help our nation kick the oil habit.
--Deb Callahan, environmental activist and former Executive Director for the League of Conservation VotersThere can be few greater challenges in the twenty-first century than addressing the threat of climate change. Left unmitigated, the impacts are expected to be devastating. Urgent action is needed. And Senator Kerry’s comprehensive proposal is the right response.
--John Devillars, Founder and Partner of BlueWave Strategies, former New England administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)Senator Kerry is proposing a response to global warming commensurate with the challenge. He is listening to the science, which tells us that we must start cutting heat-trapping pollution now and reduce it to a fraction of current levels by mid-century.
--David Hawkins, director of Natural Resources Defense Council's climate centerWe must take action now to chart a sustainable, secure, and affordable energy future. Our first step must be to invest in alternative sources of energy that curb oil consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In the near term, an investment in biofuels as Senator Kerry has proposed can provide a practical and potent way to promote a sustainable environment.
--Roger Ballentine, Founder and President of Green Strategies Inc., former Chairman of the White House Climate Change Task Force under the Clinton Administration.Global climate change is a threat of historic proportions. To address it, America urgently needs strong leadership in loosening our fossil fuel stranglehold. Senator Kerry's proposals for capping greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and setting ambitious nationwide renewable energy goals are important steps in the right direction.
--Phil Warburg, President of Conservation Law Foundation.http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2006_06_26.html