Oil Industry Hijacking Energy Debate

[kristopher]

Oil Industry Hijacking Energy Debate

MENLO PARK, Calif., Sept. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Alliance for Climate Protection released a new television advertisement that shines a bright light on the hijacking of our national energy policy by fossil fuel interests. The Alliance ad promotes the switch to clean, renewable energy that would solve the climate crisis and strengthen the economy.

Entitled "Repower America," the television spot reasserts former Vice President Al Gore's recent challenge to repower America with 100 percent clean electricity in 10 years and questions why America still runs on dirty energy when enacting clean energy policy would address the worst effects of climate change, create millions of jobs and bring savings to America's families and businesses.
"The path to a stronger economy and clean energy should be simple," said Cathy Zoi, CEO of the Alliance for Climate Protection. "But oil and coal lobbies are blocking the switch clean power. It's time for Americans to stand up and demand an end to this stranglehold on a clean energy future."

Asks the ad's narrator: "Why are we still stuck with dirty and expensive energy?"
"Because big oil spends hundreds of millions of dollars to block clean energy -- lobbyists, ads, even scandals -- all to increase their profits, while America suffers," comes the response. "Breaking big oil's lock on our government -- now that's change."
The ad launches with a substantial national cable television buy starting this Friday.

"An energy future fueled by limitless clean sources like the sun and wind, efficient technologies and a smart grid will finally address our climate, energy and national security crises," said Zoi.

As Congress continues the energy debate this month, many of the "We" Campaign's more than 1.5 million members will contact their elected representatives and urge them to support key clean energy policies including renewing tax incentives for wind and solar energy investments that will protect more than 100,000 jobs in 2009.

"It is high time for the American people to demand real change from their leaders by taking back the power from oil and coal. Our energy policies are threatening our future as the climate crisis worsens and our economy continues to struggle. This is the moral issue of our time and our generation must step up," said Zoi.

"We" members will continue to pressure their leaders to enact the full range of energy policies that would Repower America -- investments in efficiency to get the most out of the energy we produce; new sources of clean, renewable power such as wind and solar; and a unified national electrical grid, which would allow efficient transfer of power from where it is generated to where it is needed.

For more information on the "We" Campaign's Repower America challenge and to see the latest ad, please visit www.wecansolveit.org.

About the Alliance for Climate Protection

The Alliance for Climate Protection is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 2006 by former Vice President and Nobel laureate Al Gore, who currently serves as the chairman of the board of directors. The Alliance engages individuals, communities, corporations and governments across the world to demand their political, business and community leaders address the issue of climate change. In 2008, the Alliance launched the We Campaign to build a movement that creates the political will to solve the climate crisis -- in part through repowering America with 100 percent of its electricity from clean carbon-free sources within 10 years.
SOURCE The Alliance for Climate Protection

http://www.wecansolveit.org