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John Kerry has been a leader in the environmental movement throughout his career. Kerry was called the Senate's most outspoken environmentalist and was named an Environmental Hero by the League of Conservation Voters. Kerry led the effort to make environmental preservation a global priority through comprehensive treaties and pushing for the inclusion of important environmental protections in free trade agreements. And he has made attaining 20% of our energy from renewable energy by 2020 a centerpiece of his campaign.
Here is some of what John Kerry has done and will do to protect America's environment:
Continue the Fight for Clean Air: John Kerry is a leader in addressing the problem of acid rain and air pollution. His work led to the passage of tougher smog standards in the Clean Air Act of 1990. And he fought hard to block the efforts that would weaken the Clean Air Act and joined a bipartisan proposal to limit mercury, sulfur, nitrogen and carbon dioxide from power plants.
Provide Clean and Safe Drinking Water: John Kerry worked to guarantee cleaner and safer drinking water by strengthening the Safe Drinking Water Act, and fought efforts to weaken it. Most recently Kerry voiced his strong opposition to President Bush's attempt to rollback drinking water standards for arsenic. According to the National Academy of Sciences, arsenic in drinking water may cause cancer, damage heart and blood vessels and contribute to birth defects. Fortunately, the Bush Administration reversed course and implemented the original proposal to reduce arsenic in drinking water.
Enforce Environmental Laws: John Kerry knows that the strongest environmental laws will be ineffective if the Administration slashes the support to enforce those laws and looks the other way while corporations continue to pollute. Kerry will strengthen the environmental cop-on-the-beat, and prosecute environmental criminals. He will also actively pursue environmental justice for communities that have been the victims of years of corporate environmental assaults.
Protect a Clean Environment in Trade Agreements: John Kerry believes that free trade agreements should include provisions to protect the labor and environmental standards so that international agreements do not undermine our clean air and water. He would negotiate agreements that grow the economy and create jobs but do not open a backdoor attack on our environmental standards.
Clean up Toxic Waste and Protect a Community's Right to Know: John Kerry is a strong supporter of cleaning up toxic waste dumps and of preserving and expanding the public's right to know about pollution in their neighborhoods. He cosponsored legislation in 2002 which would have brought millions of more dollars home to America's communities to clean up Superfund sites, the most toxic sites in our nation.
Curb Global Warming and Ozone Depletion: John Kerry is a leader in the national and international effort to reduce the threat of global warming. He wrote a successful amendment that increased renewable energy and climate change research funding. And he wrote a resolution that passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee calling on the Bush Administration to stop blocking progress and to engage in international efforts to mitigate the threat of climate change.
Stop Oil Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: John Kerry helped block proposals to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. President Bush is determined to sell the resources of the Refuge to oil and gas companies. The resulting development will industrialize the Refuge and forever degrade its pristine ecosystem.
Protect Open Space: John Kerry fights for increased funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund which helps states and communities protect parks and open space. These resources have helped protect thousands of farms, forest and parks in our cities, suburbs and countryside.
Expand Farmland Conservation: John Kerry supports conservation program like the Wetlands Reserve Program, Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program, Farmland Protection Program and the new Conservation Security Program and Grassland Reserve Program. These programs will more than pay for themselves by improving water quality, reducing soil erosion, and providing habitat for numerous wildlife species.
Encourage Renewable Energy: John Kerry called for the United States to work toward producing 20 percent of all electricity in the United States from renewable sources like wind, solar, geothermal, ethanol and biomass.
Conserve Energy and Cutting Pollution with Efficient Vehicles: John Kerry sponsored legislation with Senator John McCain that would have made America's cars and trucks more efficient and safer. His proposal would save millions of barrels of oil per day, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and smog and save consumers billions of dollars. He would also encourage the production of clean vehicles by boosting support of research and providing tax credits to consumers who purchase advanced technology vehicles.
Protect Marine Ecosystems: John Kerry is a strong protector of the marine ecosystem - a resource crucial to his home state of Massachusetts and the entire country. He wrote legislation banning the dumping of plastics and other waste off our coasts, fought efforts to drill in sensitive areas in Georges Bank, and off the Florida and California coast ad sponsored legislation protecting dolphins, porpoises, seals and other marine mammals.
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