State of the Union Response from the Center for Biological Diversity

The Center for Biological Diversity
issued the following statement today from Executive Director Kieran Suckling in
response to President Obama's State of the Union Address, in which the President
expressed support for climate legislation and creating clean energy jobs, but
also paradoxically called for increased fossil fuel production.

"The President is correct
that we need energy innovation and clean energy jobs to solve the climate crisis
and invigorate our economy. But a
clean energy economy does not include continued reliance on dirty coal and
further risky drilling for oil in fragile offshore areas. We cannot solve the problem with
business as usual, but instead need the change that Candidate Obama
promised.

"The president failed tonight, as he failed over the
past twelve months, to use his bully pulpit to advocate a bright line goal for
greenhouse gas reductions. Scientists have determined that reducing carbon
pollution to 350 parts per million (ppm) is necessary to preserve a livable
planet. 350 ppm must be the bottom
line for all climate and energy policies.
The President already has the tools he needs under the Clean Air Act to
begin the required pollution reductions.
It is just common sense that new climate legislation must add new tools
to get the job done faster, building upon, and not rolling back, our foundation
of successful environmental laws like the Clean Air Act.

"Setting binding
science-based limits on U.S.
carbon pollution through the existing Clean Air Act is the best and quickest way
to address the climate crisis and ensure that America does not
fall behind in innovation and opportunity.