The Interfaith Climate Change Network (ICCN) recently provided an assessment of the latest federal energy bill. The assessment can be found on their website <http://www.protectingcreation.org > and is also capsulated below for your information.
The ICCN website contains a template letter that you can send directly from their website to your senator to provide your recommendations on the energy bill. I added a couple sentences to my letter, which is also provided below for your information. Mike Neuman ================================= ICCN Analysis of 2004 Energy Bill (S. 2095): America needs an energy policy that increases security and protects the environment. The energy bill crafted last year threatened to take America's energy policy backward by opening public lands to oil and gas drilling, unjustly letting polluters off the hook for contaminating drinking water, and funneling billions of dollars of taxpayer money to polluting industries. Frustrated by failed attempts to resurrect a revised version of the energy bill, Senate Majority Leader Bill First (R-TN) has promised to bring the "new" energy bill to a vote on the Senate floor within the next three weeks. First and Senate Republicans plan to keep the debate as brief as possible, by filing a rule that will bypass the committee process and go straight to the Senate floor. Seeking to appease fiscal conservatives who voted against the bill, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Pete Dominici (R-N.M.) cut the cost of the bill by $17 billion. He also removed controversial language that provided product liability protection for manufacturers of a fuel additive, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), which has been found to contaminate drinking water. House GOP leaders oppose the bill, insisting that the MTBE liability provisions need to be included. Despite these changes, the "new" energy bill, like the bill offered in 2003, fails to provide bold leadership regarding our nation's energy needs for the future. First, the bill undermines existing environmental regulations. It also contributes to global warming by providing significant incentives for burning fossil fuels coal, oil and gas, and failing to regulate carbon emissions from power plants. The bill imposes these risks while ignoring practical and more sustainable solutions such as a renewable electricity standard, and higher fuel economy standards for motor vehicles. As the debate moves forward, it is critical that Senators are reminded of the core religious values of environmental justice, creation stewardship, and intergenerational responsibility. People of faith must lift God's vision of a restored Creation. In an "Interfaith Call for Energy Conservation and Climate Justice" over 1,200 religious leaders identified and affirmed the following energy policy initiatives: 1. Substantially increase vehicle fuel efficiency; encourage the auto industry to produce vehicles using hybrid-electric, fuel cell, and other clean technologies; and provide incentives for their purchase. 2. Prevent drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve. Invest more resources in renewable energy sources such as wind, geothermal, solar, and biomass technologies. 3. Include carbon dioxide as a regulated pollutant from power plants. Increase funds for low-income energy assistance and inner-city rail and mass transit. Alongside energy concerns that relate directly to fossil fuels, religious leaders have expressed concern over the impacts of energy policy, including global climate change, thus supporting policies that: 4. Raise substantially vehicle fuel economy across the board in the shortest feasible timeframe, and require SUVs, minivans, and passenger cars to meet the same standard. 5. Develop strategies to encourage the auto industry to further design and produce vehicles using hybrid-electric, fuel cell, and other promising clean technologies, and provide incentives for their purchase. 6. Support substantially increased funding for inter-city rail and metropolitan mass transit to provide attractive and functional alternatives to single occupancy autos. 7. Fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and increase it with the least possible environmental damage. ==================================== Template for Contacting Senators (You can also edit/add to the template when logged into the website): http://www.protectingcreation.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=2875 letter sent to: Senator Russell Feingold 506 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510-4904 Senator Herbert Kohl 330 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510-4903 Dear Senator, As a constituent and a person of faith, I feel called to express my voice and values concerning current and proposed national energy policy. People of faith have long recognized our shared human responsibility to be stewards of all of God's creation, and to promote justice both now and in future generations. It is important that the United States' energy policy reflect these universal principles. I strongly support energy policy that will meet current energy needs without compromising environmental protection, despoiling pristine lands, and putting at-risk future generations. To this end, I ask that you will press for inclusion of the following energy policy priorities in any legislation that moves forward. It is critical that any energy policy mandate substantial increases in vehicle fuel economy; encourage the auto industry to produce vehicles using hybrid-electric, fuel cell, and other clean technologies, and provide incentives for their purchase. Moreover, any policy you support should staunchly oppose drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, and support efforts to actively protect other sensitive ecosystems. In terms of energy production, any legislation moving forward should direct more resources toward investment in renewable energy sources such as wind, geothermal, solar, and biomass technologies. To help curb greenhouse gas emissions, I strongly support regulation of carbon dioxide as a pollutant from power plants. Finally, in the interest of promoting justice for the poor, and at the same time reducing greenhouse gas emissions, I support an increase in funds for low-income energy assistance, inner-city rail and mass transit, and for the establishment of federal and state rebate programs that offer financial incentives to individuals and families to reduce household emissions from driving, flying and using energy in the home. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ClimateArchive/message/229 Thank you for incorporating these shared principles into the national energy legislation that you support. Sincerely, Michael Neuman Copies were sent to: George W. Bush President of the United States The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C. 20500 ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
