THECLEAN.ORG: SENATE CLIMATE BILL NOT ACCEPTABLE

DOES NOT SUFFICIENTLY REMEDY HOUSE LEGISLATION FAILINGS

NEWTON, MA. - October 1, 2009 - The 140-Member TheClean.org (http://theCLEAN.org) issued the following statement today:

"Upon initial review of The Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act released this week by Senators Barbara Boxer and John Kerry, our position remains, unfortunately, unchanged.

Like the House bill, the Senate version represents the further transfer of wealth from taxpayers to the coal, nuclear, and fossil-fuel industries - a result of their immense power and influence.

Once again, Senators have, in very significant ways, sided with the interests of industry over the public. It is a costly way to not fix our problems. So-called "clean coal" and nuclear power do not represent the energy of the future. Each has significant economic, political, social, health and environmental hurdles that cannot be solved by throwing money at these technologies in search of a purpose.

There are alternatives that are a smarter use of public funds, a least-cost approach beginning with heavy investments in energy efficiency which will create jobs, stimulate manufacturing and reduce energy demands in the short run. Energy efficiency can create a transition to true renewable energy. This straightforward clean energy path will solve global warming and help lead us out of rising debt.

The Senators and Members of Congress who are charged with leading the nation's energy policy should remember that politics is first the art of the possible and secondly the art of compromise. That means that starting from an already compromised position leads only to deeper compromises.

The CLEAN campaign has outlined steps that reflect what science-based policy requires. These can be found on http://theCLEAN.org

theCLEAN.org is a collaborative movement of state and local organizations and individuals who will force and support policy makers at all levels of government to implement new energy policies. The policies we desire are based on decentralized control of energy, whereby energy is generated by regionally appropriate, reliable, and renewable resources, such as wind, solar, and geothermal. To learn more about TheCLEAN.org and Citizens' Clean Energy Economy Act, go to http://theCLEAN.org

MEDIA CONTACT: Trish Butler, (703) 917-0611 or tbutler@sagecommunications.net