Chicago, IL —Environment Illinois
is calling on clean energy supporters around Illinois to postpone their Earth Day
celebrations for five minutes today and first ask their member of
Congress to rebuild the economy with clean energy and stop global
warming.
"Today is Earth Day,
but this year more than ever, it is a time for action before
celebration," said Environment Illinois Program Director Max Muller.
"We’ve made tremendous progress cleaning up our air and water since the
first Earth Day, but with global warming, we’re facing our biggest
challenge yet."
On Tuesday, Congress
began four days of hearings with dozens of experts providing testimony
on the American Clean Energy and Security Act, a massive clean energy
bill that is moving quickly in the House. The bill answers President
Obama’s call for comprehensive clean energy and global warming
legislation that "that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution
and drives the production of more renewable energy in America."
The bill, drafted by
House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and
Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey (D-MA), sets strong standards for
rapidly deploying renewable energy and energy efficiency, including
requirements that utilities generate 25 percent of their electricity
from renewable sources, like wind and solar power, by 2025, and use 15
percent less energy by 2020. The renewable electricity standard alone
would create an estimated 297,000 new domestic jobs and save consumers
$64.3 billion in electricity and natural gas bills by 2025.
The draft bill also
includes science-based standards to reduce U.S.
global warming emissions by 30 percent by 2020 by cutting pollution
domestically and through agreements to prevent tropical deforestation.
Environment Illinois
estimates that Big Oil, Dirty Coal, and other polluters have hired more
than 2,000 lobbyists to stop the president’s plan—nearly four lobbyists
for every member of Congress.
"The polluters want the
president’s plan decided in the backrooms of Capitol Hill. Environment Illinois is bringing the debate to front
porches, kitchens, and living rooms across Illinois," said Muller.
Environment Illinois is
urging Earth Day celebrants to call 877-666-3394, a
phone line the group established to make it easy for citizens to
connect with their member of Congress.
Chairmen Waxman and
Markey released the American Clean Energy and Security Act Act on March
31, and announced plans to vote on the bill in subcommittee next week
and in full committee prior to Memorial Day. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
has said that the full House will vote on the bill this summer.
"On this thirty-ninth
Earth Day, there is certainly reason to celebrate, but
more than ever there is a need to act. By calling congress
today—before celebrating—we can demonstrate that our nation is ready
for another great leap forward: to repower America
and stop global warming," said Muller.
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Environment
Illinois is a statewide,
non-profit, advocacy organization representing 20,000 members in
Illinois
