What's At Stake?

Just Say "No" to Outmoded Energy Bill

THE GOOD NEWS:
On November 21, the U.S. Senate failed to pass the energy bill. In a close 57-40 vote, supporters of this disastrous bill failed to get the 60 votes needed to force a vote by the full Senate. "This is good news as this energy bill reads less like an energy independence policy and more like a copy of 'How to Ruin the Environment for Dummies,'" said Environmental Defense spokesperson Steve Cochran. (Find out how your senators voted here.)

THE BAD NEWS:
This comes just days after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the energy bill by a vote of 246-180. (See how your Representative voted). And the fight in the U.S. Senate is not yet over. Senate leaders have vowed to try again to get a vote on the energy bill in the new year. So more help is needed to ensure this bad energy bill runs out of gas and is defeated.

"OLD FASHIONED" ENERGY BILL – EMBRACING OIL AND POLLUTION, NOT INGENUITY:
The old-fashioned, outmoded energy bill Congress is expected to vote on in January would do little to reduce America's growing oil dependence and other dirty fossil fuels. Instead, the bill will increase oil demand, increase air pollution, aggravate global warming, and more.

Instead of harnessing the creativity and "can-do" spirit of America's economic and political tradition, this energy bill looks backwards. While provisions opening the precious Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to new oil drilling were dropped to due overwhelming public opposition, this energy bill still embraces the status quo of oil consumption, pollution and tax payer giveaways to inefficient energy industries, while rejecting energy efficiency and technological innovation.

The Washington Post (11/16/03) says this of the energy bill:
"For those who want to deal aggressively with the dangers of climate change and air polluted by auto exhausts, power plants and factories, the bill is a disappointment."

MORE ON ENERGY BILL:
The energy bill being voted on in Congress this week contains many damaging provisions, while ignoring critical energy needs. This energy bill:

* Increases Oil Dependence: Oil dependence will increase by failing to improve fuel efficiency standards for cars and SUVs, and may even lead to fuel efficiency reductions as auto companies take advantage of loopholes.

* Short Changes Renewables and Efficiency: While some new funding is included for programs to develop alternative energy resources, the bill dropped a widely supported provision that required electrical utilities to increase their use of clean, renewable energy resources like wind, solar and others over time.

* Ignores Global Warming and Air Pollution: Continued reliance on fossil fuels in the U.S. ignores their immediate and long-term environmental and economic impacts. One obscure provision would also prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from downgrading the clean air compliance status of cities and counties, letting communities with unhealthy air off the hook from tackling serious air pollution problems.

* Promotes a Takeover of Our Oceans by the Interior Department: The Secretary of Interior would become the "energy czar" of our oceans, effectively removing states' ability to protect their coasts and potentially exposing America's coastlines to new offshore oil and gas drilling facilities, wind and wave energy installations, ocean strip-mining, and subsea petroleum pipelines.

* Gives Taxpayer Dollars to Inefficient Industries: A host of taxpayer giveaways to outmoded and inefficient energy industries, from the coal and oil industry to the nuclear and ethanol industries, are included. This taxpayer money could be put to better use in spurring the development of renewable energy resources, energy conservation and efficiency programs.

TAKE ACTION! JUST SAY "NO" TO THIS OUTMODED ENERGY BILL:
A recent Zogby Poll indicates that, knowing what the bill contains, a majority of Americans do not want this energy bill to pass. It will take a lot of pressure from people like us to convince Congress to scrap this energy bill and start again next year. Please take a few moments to urge your senators to do just that.

For more information about the Energy Bill Conference, visit Environmental Defense online.

To read Congress' draft Energy Bill being considered by the Conference Committee, visit the Senate's website.

For more information about energy and the environment, visit Environmental Defense online.

Read why the Washington Post urges Congress to reject this energy bill.

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