FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jul 28, 2010
Earth Ministry/WAIPL Executive Director LeeAnne Beres joined Congressman Jay Inslee and members of the business and veteran communities in a press conference speaking to the continued need for comprehensive national climate legislation this year. LeeAnne’s full statement follows the press release below.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid released a narrow oil spill response bill yesterday that incorporates some modest energy provisions. But the Senate will fail to tackle comprehensive climate and energy legislation before the August recess, missing an historic opportunity to launch America’s transition to a new and brighter energy future.
Rep. Inslee has long been a champion of our economy and environment and was a key architect in the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) that passed the House of Representatives last June. He is in good company with business leaders, faith leaders, and national security experts. The science is still the same, so are the dead-end fossil fuel economics and the imperative for a comprehensive climate and energy bill is as strong as ever.
“Having just met yesterday with a China’s Vice -Chairman of Committee on Environment Protection and Resources Conservation, I can tell you that, without a doubt, our failure to enact a limit on carbon will cost us market share in the clean energy sphere and the millions of jobs that go with it,” said Rep. Inslee. “China has a comprehensive plan including a limit on carbon to corner this market. But I remain optimistic and here’s why. The EPA is required by law to regulate carbon pollution. The tools they have are blunt, unlike the precise and flexible market based approach that we passed in the House. Once those goes into effect, we’ll see initiative to move forward with comprehensive climate and clean energy legislation.”
Rick Hegdahl, a retired U.S. Navy veteran who was at the White House yesterday calling for a comprehensive climate and energy bill relayed the following, “As a retired member of the U.S. Navy and a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, I’ve served in the line of duty in a conflict that was — in large part — about oil. While I feel honored to have served my country, it is my sincere hope that we do all we can to keep from sending more of our young men and women into harm’s way. America can do this by making the shift away from fossil fuels and to clean, renewable energy and significantly reducing the pollution that causes climate change and that means putting a cap on fossil fuel pollution. The Senate effort falls far short of that.”
LeeAnne Beres, Executive Director of Earth Ministry and Washington Interfaith Power & Light adds, “People of faith of every denomination and religious tradition believe that it is our responsibility to care for creation. We know that our task is to preserve the gifts that God has given us by protecting Earth’s air, water, and climate. Faith communities across the country are stepping up to address climate change by saving energy and reducing our carbon footprints. It’s beyond time for our elected leaders to do their part.”
Looking for regulatory certainty, Peter Brehm, VP of Business Development and Government Relations, Infinia, of Kennewick and part of the 800+ Northwest network, Business Leaders for Climate Solutions, says “Infinia is using American ingenuity to capture international solar markets. But beyond building a profitable growing company, Infinia is innovating to actively fight climate change by powering our economy on clean, renewable energy. Climate change and our addiction to fossil fuels threaten both our planet and our national energy security, but strong federal policies promoting clean energy and climate can both cut carbon pollution and help launch investment and innovation in companies like Infinia. The rest of the world is trending green, and the US is in danger of falling behind: it is imperative that the world thinks of red, white and blue when it looks for energy innovation. We need Congress to pass a comprehensive climate and energy bill as a matter of national economic opportunity and security.”
KC Golden, Policy Director for Climate Solutions, says “Our future is on the line. The American economy is being hammered by fossil fuel dependence. America’s national security is crippled by fossil fuel dependence. The climate is being dangerously destabilized by fossil fuel dependence. Americans across the political spectrum favor strong action to tackle the problem head on. And the U.S. Senate can’t find 60 votes to do something real? Wrong answer.”
Leaders in Washington have no intention of ending the fight to put in place a cap on climate change pollution. While the Senate’s failure to act now is a missed opportunity, our resolve to get this done has only deepened.
Phone numbers of speakers for further interviews:
Peter Brehm, VP of Business Development and Government Relations,
Infinia, of Kennewick (509) 727-7200
LeeAnne Beres, Executive Director,
Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light (206) 632-2426
Rick Hegdahl, veteran, Operation Free and VoteVets (425) 256-2427
KC Golden, Policy Director, Climate Solutions (206) 963-1953
Statement of LeeAnne Beres, Executive Director of Earth Ministry and Washington Interfaith Power & Light, on the Senate’s failure to consider comprehensive energy and climate legislation
July 28, 2010
Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light engages the faith community in environmental stewardship and leads the religious response to climate change in Washington. Earth Ministry/WAIPL works with hundreds of congregations and thousands of individuals across the state, including bishops, clergy and other religious leaders.
We can all agree that we’re facing a time of unprecedented crisis in our world today. This crisis is three-fold. First, there’s a social and economic crisis, with the breakdown of communities, lack of good paying jobs, and fewer opportunities for our youth. There’s an environmental and ecological crisis, as evidenced by the ongoing BP Gulf oil disaster and our continuing reliance on fossil fuels; and last, there’s a spiritual crisis, with people losing hope for the future.
Climate change cuts across and worsens all of these crises. There is a very strong consensus in the religious community that climate change is the most important moral issue facing us today. Every Christian denomination and major world religion has a statement calling for action on climate change.
Earth Ministry/WAIPL is out in congregations every week, hearing what is most important to people of faith. Whether we’re in a Lutheran church in Seattle, a Catholic church in Spokane, or a Methodist church in Yakima, the issue that comes up most often from the people in the pews is climate change – and most importantly, what we as a country are going to do about it. There is a growing frustration that not all of our elected leaders have the courage to stand up and do what is right, whether or not it’s politically expedient.
The recent failure of the Senate to take up comprehensive climate and energy legislation is a failure of leadership. It is shameful for the Senate to adjourn and go on summer break without addressing the biggest environmental crisis in history. Now is the time for prophetic leadership, not more fiddling while the Gulf literally burns.
A nation that avoids legislating for clean, renewable energy is a country that does not value the gifts of God. It is disrespectful to the Creator and a sin to give dirty and dangerous polluters large subsidies while failing to invest in a clean energy economy that would give our neighbors a better future. We can do better, and we must.
The disappointment of the religious community is not confined to Washington. Our Washington Interfaith Power & Light project is one of 38 state affiliates in a national Interfaith Power & Light network that is over 10,000 congregations strong. Hundreds of thousands of people of faith – from Alaska to Michigan to Maine to Arizona to Arkansas and beyond – are all watching what is happening in Washington, DC. And to be honest, we’re not happy about it.
We believe a better world is possible. Therefore, we call upon Congress and President Obama to stand up to the coal, oil, and other fossil fuel interests and do what is right. Climate change is more than an environmental issue. It’s a human issue, and a moral and spiritual one. The longer we wait to address this crisis, the more we risk our children’s future. And from a religious perspective, that is unacceptable.
We expect the Senate to use every opportunity available to bring about clean energy and climate reform immediately by working to limit carbon pollution and invest in new clean energy sources. Our prayers and our expectations will be with them every step of the way.
Given the lack of leadership in the “other Washington”, it is now more important than ever for Washington State to step up to the plate in terms of real solutions to climate change. We have the opportunity to do just that by transitioning our state off dirty coal by 2015.
The TransAlta coal plant in Centralia is Washington’s only coal-fired power plant but our largest global warming polluter. Every year it puts out as much carbon pollution as every car, truck, and van on the road in King, Yakima, Lincoln, Columbia, Garfield counties combined. In addition, its toxic mercury harms causes neurological damage and developmental delays in infants, and haze from the plant covers our national parks and increases asthma in nearby communities. The TransAlta coal plant stands in the way of a clean energy future and green jobs, yet enjoys $5 million in state subsidies and tax breaks each year to spew its poisons.
The religious community is looking to Gov. Gregoire and the state legislature for the same prophetic leadership that has been lacking at the national level. We need to transition the TransAlta coal plant to cleaner fuels and redirect the tax breaks to retraining and green jobs programs for affected workers. We need to be serious about meeting our state’s climate goals, and there is no better way to start than to move beyond coal by 2015.