Issues: Energy
Clean Water Action Statement on The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 and Future Energy Policy Debates
After months of intense debate, Congress passed a significant piece of energy legislation in December 2007. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 takes an important step forward by mandating significant increases in vehicle fuel economy standards for the first time in a generation. Improved fuel economy will lower consumer costs, reduce our dependence on oil and significantly reduce global warming pollution.
Unfortunately, the bill also demonstrates that special interests, including the fossil fuel industry and electrical utilities, still have powerful champions in Congress.
While the bill promotes new conservation and efficiency measures, Congress stripped out a requirement to move to 15% clean electricity by 2020. Extending tax incentives for wind, solar and other clean energy sources did not survive the negotiations, nor did removing tax breaks for the oil and natural gas industries.
Read the complete statement.
Clean Water Action and Energy
Clean Water Action is working to curb global warming and promote clean energy. It is only by mobilizing people to push for change that we can transform our energy economy—and we can do it.
The International Panel on Climate Change, the largest scientific panel ever convened on any issue, has reached consensus that human activity is contributing to global warming and that to avoid the worst impacts we must reduce greenhouse gas pollution 80% by 2050.
We already see the affects of climate change on our water resources—drought and sea level rise for example—and in many other areas. Meeting these reduction targets will require aggressive mandatory reductions in emissions combined with major increases in renewable energy, efficiency and other measures.
We can move away from fossil fuels and global warming pollution. Moving from a fossil fuel economy will not only curb global warming, but can be a plus for consumers and business. Much of the technology and know-how exists today. Government at all levels will play a critical role in supporting this transformation.
Clean Water Action is dedicated to making sure that elected officials listen to all of their constituents, not just powerful special interests. We are also working to make sure that consumers and communities don't bear unfair costs and that we pay special attention to our drinking water sources and to water pollution impacts of climate change that are happening now.
