Edwards Applauds Increased Commitment To Renewables In 2003 Energy Bill

[SangamonTaylor]

Friday, August 1, 2003

DES MOINES, IA - North Carolina Senator John Edwards released the following statement today about the passage of the 2003 Energy Policy Act.

"I am pleased that the energy bill that I voted for more than doubles the use of ethanol in gasoline and encourages energy conservation. I have long supported increasing our commitment to renewable energy. It’s just common sense. Expanding renewable energy options decreases our dependence on foreign supplies, helps protect the environment, and boosts our economy with new jobs and investment - particularly in agricultural states like Iowa.

"While I believe this bill was significantly better than the original Republican bill, I remain convinced that we can and must do far more to help protect our environment. And, if Republicans want to get a bill enacted into law, it is critical that they not load this bill with anti-environment, anti-consumer provisions that are bad for Iowa and bad for America."

[mmonk]

1. It's the political season

but I'm glad he voted for some renewables. Ethanol isn't going to be the solution though, I bet.

[ShaneGR]

2. Fuel Cells and Hydrogen

Check out the "Apollo" energy program, I think it's an EPI initiative. You should be able to find it somewhere at www.ourfuture.org

[SangamonTaylor]

3. kick

kickidy

[Feanorcurufinwe]

5. Kick

[Feanorcurufinwe]

4. Sierra Club Blasts Energy Policy Act

Edwards: The Energy Policy Act of 2003: "the energy bill that I voted for"

The Energy Policy Act of 2003 introduced by Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) threatens the environment and takes us backward by increasing our dependence on polluting and dangerous sources of energy such as coal, oil, and nuclear power. Instead of putting America on the path to a clean and affordable energy future, the Senate energy bill opens up our wilderness areas to oil and gas drilling, increases our dependence on polluting and dangerous sources of energy by throwing billions of dollars in subsidies at them and fails to offer meaningful measures to cut global-warming pollution.

The Energy Policy Act of 2003:

* Threatens our coasts and other public lands by allowing new fossil fuel exploration all along the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and more public lands. This will destroy some of our nation's most unique wilderness areas and critical fish and wildlife habitats.

* Puts consumers at risk from electricity markets. Power companies will be allowed to set up multiple subsidiaries and blur their financial reports, leading to market manipulation similar to that seen during the California energy crisis.

* Funnels billions of dollars to polluting industries. This bill gives away 10.7 billion dollars in tax breaks to polluters and 30 billion dollars in subsidies to the nuclear industry.

* Ignores the property rights of farmers and ranchers and provides incentives for destructive coal-bed methane drilling that threatens thousands of acres of sensitive lands in the West and its scarce water resources.

* Opens Native American lands for mining and drilling by preventing the nation's hallmark environmental law, the Environmental Protection Act, from applying to Native American lands.

* Allows automakers to sell more gas guzzlers by failing to raise fuel economy standards.

* Fails to increase our use of clean, renewable energy by excluding a Renewable Energy Standard (RES) that would ensure that more of our electricity comes from clean, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.

Now more than ever, the country needs an energy policy that puts innovation to work by using existing technologies to cut our dependence on polluting sources of energy and increase our use of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
More: http://www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming/bush_bill.asp

[flpoljunkie]

6. John Edward's Anti-Environmental Record in the Senate

Link: http://www.pirg.org for further information on these votes. PIRG rates Congress on environmental, consumer and good government issues. Edward's lifetime rating is 74% . John Kerry's lifetime PIRG rating is 94%.

2000

~Voted against increased funding for renewable energy

2001

~Voted to continue dumping mountain top removal waste into rivers and streams

2002

~Voted against increased renewables for energy use
~Voted against increased CAFE standards
~Voted to weaken the Safe Water Drinking Act by expanding oil/gas drilling using hydraulic fracturing
~Voted to continue factory farm subsidies, i.e. hog farms

2003

~Voted against keeping polluters responsible for pollution
~Voted to send waste to Yucca Mountain

[Feanorcurufinwe]

7. Edwards isn't bad on the environment but Kerry is a lot better.

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/energy

http://www.johnkerry.com/pdf/long_enviro.pdf