Grassroots Clean Energy/Environmental Groups: Kerry-Lieberman Dirty Energy Bill Is No Solution to Climate Crisis

TAKOMA PARK, Md. - 200 environmental, peace,
consumer, religious organizations and small
businesses today joined together to blast the Kerry-Lieberman
"climate" proposal as a taxpayer bailout of the nuclear power
industry and other dirty energy interests that would be ineffective at
addressing the climate crisis.

The groups pledged to oppose the
Kerry- Lieberman bill unless
substantial changes are made, including removing all support for nuclear
power.

"This bill is just
business-as-usual: taxpayer giveaways to giant
nuclear and other energy corporations wrapped in the guise of doing
something
about our climate crisis. To call this a climate bill is greenwashing in
the
extreme. We need to direct our resources to the fastest, cheapest,
cleanest and
safest means of reducing carbon emissions-this bill does just the
opposite," said Michael Mariotte,
executive director of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, a
national
organization based in Takoma Park, MD, which coordinated this statement.

"The climate crisis won't be
solved by increasing reliance
on the dirty energy technologies of the past." said Michael Keegan of
the
Michigan-based Coalition for a Nuclear-Free Great Lakes, "What we need
is
an all-out effort to implement the clean technologies that already exist
and
are improving daily: solar and wind power, distributed energy systems,
smart
grids, increased energy efficiency-these are the energy technologies of
the 21^st century."

Among other provisions, the bill
is expected to:

*provide $54 billion in taxpayer
"loan guarantees" for
construction of new nuclear reactors. These "loan guarantees" would
actually be direct taxpayer loans from the government's Federal
Financing
Bank. It would also provide a 10% tax break to wealthy utilities for
nuclear
construction costs.

*create a "Clean Energy
Deployment Administration" (CEDA)
with the authority to provide unlimited taxpayer loans for new
reactor
construction without Congressional oversight.

*support dirty and dangerous
reprocessing technologies, authorize
billions of dollars in nuclear research and development, and
legislatively
attempt to speed the nuclear reactor licensing process despite a recent
report
from the Bipartisan Policy Center that found the industry is primarily
to blame
for the slow pace of licensing.

*continue to support offshore
oil drilling near much of the U.S. coastline
despite the calamitous BP oil spill.

*provide $10 billion for
wasteful and impossible "clean
coal" development.

*target a reduction in carbon
emissions of only 17% from 2005 levels by
2020-far lower than most scientists believe is necessary.

Groups in New England were particularly
upset at their
Senators' actions. "Senator John Kerry's blatant support of the
nuclear industry has left thousands of his Massachusetts
constituents questioning his judgment," said Sandra Gavutis, executive
director of C-10, a grassroots group in eastern Massachusetts.

"Senator
Joe Lieberman is the
nuclear power industries' best friend in the U.S. Senate. His support
for
a major federal loan guarantee for the nuclear power industry comes as
no
surprise. However, he does not represent the interests of the people of
Connecticut, who demand
investment instead in safe, clean, renewable energy," added Nancy Burton
of the Connecticut Coalition Against
Millstone.

In an affront to
environmentalists across the world, Senators Kerry and
Lieberman originally chose April 26-the 24^th anniversary of
the Chernobyl
nuclear catastrophe-to unveil their "climate bill" that would
provide vast new government support for construction of new nuclear
reactors
and make future Chernobyl-like disasters even more likely. Only the
sudden
withdrawal of support for the bill by South Carolina Senator Lindsay
Graham
changed the bill's release date.

"Everyone needs to face the
tragic truth about the very real
consequences of nuclear catastrophe," says Glenn Carroll, coordinator of
Nuclear Watch South. "The Chernobyl
accident is still
happening as
wildlife intrudes the ruined reactor and spreads radiation around the
countryside. The massive concrete sarcophagus is 24 years old and
threatens to
collapse, initiating another deadly plume of radiation to the
environment. Sun
and wind promise us complete freedom from the untenable threat of
irreversible
nuclear contamination and our leaders must be pressed upon to heed
Chernobyl's warning
against investing in more nuclear reactors." Nuclear Watch South is
based
in Georgia where the giant
Southern Company is slated to receive the first government nuclear
payouts for
two new reactors at the Vogtle site near Augusta.

"In the past month we've
commemorated Chernobyl--the
worst man-made disaster in history--and seen two new disasters: a
massive oil
spill on our Gulf
Coast and a coal mine
explosion," said Mariotte. "Nuclear power, oil and coal are not
solutions to climate change, they are enormous environmental problems.
These
Senators should know better. The widespread opposition to this bill
indicated
by these 200 organizations indicates the American people want real
solutions to
the climate crisis, not more expensive bailouts for dirty energy
interests."

Signers listed by State

Patricia
Birnie

GE
Stockholders Alliance

Tucson, AZ

 

Jack
& Felice Cohen-Joppa

The
Nuclear Resister

Tucson, AZ

 

Russell
Lowes, Research Director
www.SafeEnergyAnalyst.org
Tucson, AZ

 

Stephen
M. Brittle
Don't Waste Arizona
Phoenix, AZ

 

Dave
Ewoldt

Executive
Director

Natural
Systems Solutions

Tucson, AZ

 

Bill
Cunningham

Southwest
Solar

Tucson, AZ

 

Julia
Rouvier

Flagstaff Nuclear
Awareness Project

Flagstaff, AZ

 

Christopher
Worcester

Solar
Wind Works

Truckee, CA

 

Elaine Holder, President

Mothers for Peace Action Committee

San Luis Obispo, CA

 

Robin
Bayer, President

Magic

Palo Alto, CA

 

Linda
Seeley
Terra Foundation
San Luis Obispo,
CA

 

Mary
Beth Brangan

EON, The Ecological Options Network

Bolinas, CA  

 

Philip
Tymon, Administrative Director
Occidental Arts and Ecology
Center
Occidental, CA

 

Lillian
Light, President

The Environmental Priorities Network

Palos Verdes, CA

 

Leslie Sheridan, President

The Added Edge, Inc.

Vineburg, CA

 

Steven Gorelick

International Society for Ecology and
Culture

Berkeley, CA

 

Enid
Schreibman

Center
for Safe Energy
Berkeley, CA

 

Monroe Jeffrey

International Tribal Association

Perris, CA

 

Carol
Wiebe

Westhaven Center for the
Arts

Trinidad, CA

 

Joyce
McLean

Santa Cruz WILPF

Santa
Cruz, CA

 

Marylia Kelley

Tri-Valley CAREs

Communities Against a Radioactive Environment

Livermore, CA

 

Sheldon Plotkin

Southern California Federation of Scientists

Los Angeles, CA

 

Bernice Fischer

Peninsula
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

Palo Alto, CA

 

Guenn
Johnsen-Gentry

Director
of Education and Outreach

North Valley Food Co-op

Redding, CA

 

Albert G Cohen
Southern
California
Ecumenical
Council
Pasadena,
CA

 

Todd
Steiner, Executive Director

Turtle Island Restoration
Network

Forest
Knolls, CA

 

Patricia Krommer C.S.J.

Sisters of St. Joseph

Los Angeles, CA

 

Wendy
Oser

Nuclear
Guardianship Project

Berkeley, CA

 

Dorothy Holland, Co-Chair

Santa Barbara Branch

Women's International League for Peace
& Freedom

Santa Barbara, CA

 

Ananda
Lee Tan
North American Program Coordinator
Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives
Berkeley, CA

 

Free
Soil Party of the U.S.

Los Angeles, CA

 

Mark
Moulton

Fund For Peace Initiatives

Menlo Park, CA

 

Evan
Ravitz, Founder
Vote.org
Boulder, CO

 

Lezley Suleiman

President, Tallahassee Area Community

Canon City, CO

 

Judi Friedman,
Chair

PACE (Peoples
Action for Clean Energy, Inc.)

Canton, CT

 

Nancy Burton

Connecticut Coalition
Against Millstone

Redding Ridge, CT

 

Paula Panzarella

Fight the Hike

New Haven, CT

 

Alan Muller,
Executive Director

Green Delaware

Port
Penn, DE

 

Jim
Riccio

Greenpeace

Washington DC

 

Jay Marx, Campaign Coordinator

Proposition One Committee for Nuclear
Disarmament and Economic Conversion

Washington, DC

 

Donald Keesing
Coordinator
Voices Opposed To Environmental Racism
Washington, DC

 

Jim
Walker

No
Nukes Now

Tallassahee, FL

 

Marilyn
Blackwell

Help Save the
Apalachicola River Group

Wewahitchka, FL

 

Cara
Campbell, Chair

Ecology
Party of Florida,

Ft.
Lauderdale, FL

 

Nancy O'Byrne

Pax Christi Northeast
Florida

St. Augustine, FL

 

John Hedrick

Panhandle
Citizens
Coalition

Tallahassee, FL

 

Dick
Glick

Corporation for Future Resources

Tallahassee, FL

 

Rev. Dr.
Kathleen A.
Bishop
Rabbi Barry Silver
Social Justice League of Palm Beach County
Lake Worth, FL

 

Joyce
Tarnow, President

Floridians
for a Sustainable Population

Cross
City, FL

 

Sue Michalson, chair

The Village Greens Environmental
Club

The Villages, FL

 

Michael Canney

Alachua County Green
Party

Gainesville, FL

 

Glenn Carroll

Nuclear Watch
South

Atlanta, GA

 

Tom Ferguson

Foundation
for Global
Community

Atlanta, GA

 

Bob Darby

Food Not
Bombs

Atlanta, GA

 

Bobbie Paul, Executive Director

Georgia WAND

Atlanta, GA

 

Adele
Kushner, Executive
Director

Action for a Clean Environment

Alto, GA

 

Roy H. Taylor III

Choosing Green

Canton, GA

 

Andrea
Shipley, Executive Director

Snake
River Alliance

Boise, ID

 

Dave
Kraft

Nuclear
Energy Information Service

Chicago, IL

 

Carolyn
Treadway

No New
Nukes

Normal, IL

 

Carol Stark,
Director

Citizens
Against Ruining the Environment-C.A.R.E.

Lockport IL

 

Maureen Headington

Stand Up/Save Lives Campaign

Burr Ridge, IL

 

Cheryl Becker

Body Wisdom Incorporated

Lake Bluff, IL

 

John E. Surette, SJ

Spiritearth

La Grange Pk, IL

 

John Blair, president

Valley
Watch, Inc.

Evansville, IN

 

Ann Suellentrop

Physicians for Social Responsibility Kansas City Chapter

Kansas City, KS

 

Nancy Givens, CoChair

BGGreen Partnership for a Sustainable
Community

Bowling Green, KY

 

Corinne
Whitehead, President

Coalition
for Health Concern, Inc.

Benton, KY

 

W. H. Herke, Ph.D.

Citizens for a Clean Environment

Baton Rouge, LA

 

Deb Katz

Citizens Awareness Network

Shelburne Falls, MA

 

Sandra
Gavutis, Executive Director

C-10
Foundation

Newburyport, MA

 

Nancy Munger and Laura Roskos,

Co-Presidents

WILPF, U.S. Section

Boston, MA

 

Hugh Harwell, MRP

Ecological Planner, Designer &
Builder

Sirius Ecovillage

Shutesbury, MA

 

Margaret Sheehan, President

Biomass Accountability Project, Inc.

Cambridge, MA

 

Andrée Collier & Ken Ward

Jamaica Plain Green
House

Jamaica Plain, MA

 

Jonathan Mark,
Publisher, Flyby News
Wendell Depot, MA

 

D.O.,
Glen & Jean

The
Enviro Show

WXOJ-LP
& WMCB

Florence, MA

 

Virginia Pratt

Boston Branch,
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

Boston, MA

 

David
Starr, Director

GREEN Northampton

Northampton, MA

 

Brent
Baeslack, Co-chair

Haverhill Environmental League

Haverhill MA

 

William S. Linnell

Cheaper, Safer Power

Portland, ME 

 

Bradshaw
Cummings
Peace Action Maine
Portland, ME

 

Michael Mariotte, Executive Director

Nuclear
Information and Resource Service

Takoma Park, MD

 

Max Obuszewski

Baltimore Nonviolence
Center

Baltimore, MD

 

Ken Bossong,
Executive Director
SUN DAY Campaign
Takoma Park, MD

 

Kevin Kamps

Beyond Nuclear

Takoma Park, MD

 

Angela Flynn, Coordinator

Teach Environmental
Awareness for Community Health

Bethesda, MD  

 

Gwen Dubois

Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility

Baltimore, MD

 

Dagmar Fabian

Crabshell
Alliance
Baltimore, MD

 

Keith Gunter

Citizens'
Resistance at Fermi Two

Monroe, MI  

 

Alice Hirt

Don't Waste
Michigan

Holland, MI

 

Michael J.
Keegan

Coalition for
a Nuclear-Free Great Lakes

Monroe, MI

 

Joel Welty, Executive Director

Michigan Alliance of Cooperatives

Blanchard, MI

 

Eugenia
Bajorek

SJF
& PCUUC Peace and Justice

Oakland, MI

 

Derek Grigsby

The Detroit Peoples Water
Board

Detroit, MI

 

Vic
Macks

Michigan Stop the
Nuclear Bombs Campaign

Detroit, MI

 

Amber Garlan

Green Party of St. Paul

St. Paul, MN

 

Judi
Poulson, Chair

Fairmont
MN Peace Group
Fairmont, MN

 

Danene Provencher

West Metro Global Warming Action Group

Mound, MN

 

Susu Jeffrey, Founder

Friends of Coldwater

Twin Cities, MN

 

Jean Chovan, Joy Johnson

Co-chairs

Southeastern Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers

Rochester, MN

 

Mark
Haim

Missourians
for Safe Energy

Columbia, MO

 

Chris Daum

Oasis Montana Inc.

Renewable Energy Supply & Design

Stevensville, MT

 

Buffalo Bruce

Western Nebraska Resources Council

Chadron, NE

 

Steve
Larrick, President
South Salt Creek Community Organization
Lincoln, NE

 

Peggy Maze Johnson

Citizen
Alert

Las Vegas, NV

 

Doug
Bogen
Executive Director
Seacoast Anti-Pollution League

Portsmouth, NH

 

Paula Gotsch

GRAMMES

Normandy Beach, NJ

 

Lori Gold

Genesis Farm

Blairstown, NJ

 

Janet
Greenwald

Citizens
for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping

Albuquerque, NM

 

Joni Arends, Executive Director
Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety
Santa Fe, NM

 

Lesley Weinstock, Coordinator

Aguq es Vida Action Team (AVAT)

Albuquerque, NM

 

Marian Naranjo, Director

Honor Our Pueblo Existence (H.O.P.E.)

Espanola, NM

 

Penelope
McMullen, SL

Loretto
Community

Santa
Fe, NM

 

John Boomer

MASE (Multicultural Alliance For A Safe Environment)

Albuquerque, NM

 

Pam Gilchrist

Network
of Spiritual Progressives

Santa Fe, NM

 

Greg Mello
Los Alamos Study Group
Albuquerque, NM

 

Alice Slater

Nuclear Age
Peace Foundation, NY

New York, NY

 

Barbara Warren
Executive Director
Citizens' Environmental Coalition
Albany, NY

 

Arnold Gore

Consumers Health Freedom Coalition

New York, NY

 

Stanley Romaine, Chair

Great
Neck SANE/Peace Action

Great
Neck, NY

 

Gerald R.
Lotierzo, Co-Chair

Peace Action
of Central
New York

 

JK Canepa, Co-Founder

New York Climate Action Group

New York, NY

 

Aresh Javadi, Executive Director

The More Gardens!
Fund

New York, NY

 

Ann
Eagan

Green
Party NYC

New York, NY

 

James Rauch, Secretary

F.A.C.T.S. (For A Clean Tonawanda Site)

Alden, NY

 

Conrad Miller M.D.

Founder

Physicians
For Life

Watermill, NY

 

Elaine
Donovan, co-founder
Concerned Citizens for Peace
Honeoye, NY

 

Jim Warren,
Executive Director

NC WARN

Raleigh, NC

 

Lewis E. Patrie, MD, Chair

Western N. C. Physicians for Social
Responsibility

Asheville, NC

 

E.M.T. O'Nan, Director
Protect All Children's Environment
Marion, NC

 

Robert Eidus

Eagle Feather Organic Farm

Marshall, NC

 

Wells
Eddleman, Staff
Scientist
NC Citizens Research Group
Durham NC

 

Ed King

Triangle
Greens

Pittsboro, NC

 

Roberta Dees

Carolina
Green Sense

Charlotte, NC

 

Connie Kline

Ohio Citizens
Against a Radioactive Environment

CARE

Willoughby Hills, OH

 

Chris Borello, President

Concerned
Citizens of Lake Twp./Uniontown IEL Superfund Site, OH 

 

Terry J. Lodge, Convenor

Toledo Coalition for Safe Energy

Toledo, OH

 

Karen Hansen,
State Director
Ohio
Conference on Fair Trade

Columbus, OH

 

Marilyn
McCullough

The Carrie
Dickerson Foundation
Tulsa, OK

 

B.A. Geary
Citizens Action for Safe Energy

Tulsa, OK

 

Nina Bell,
J.D.,
Executive Director

Northwest
Environmental
Advocates

Portland, OR

 

Betsy
Toll

Living
Earth Gatherings

Portland, OR

 

Dona
Hippert J.D., President

Oregon Toxics
Alliance

Eugene, OR

 

Paige
Knight, President

Hanford Watch
Portland, OR

 

Chuck
Johnson

Center
for Energy Research

Portland, OR

 

Lloyd Marbet, Executive Director
Oregon Conservancy Foundation
Boring, OR

 

Peter
Bergel
Oregon PeaceWorks
Salem, OR

 

Lynn Sims
Don't Waste Oregon
Portland, OR

 

David
Hughes

Citizen
Power

Pittsburgh, PA

 

Dr. Lewis
Cuthbert

Alliance For A Clean Environment

Pottstown, PA

 

Ernest Fuller

Concerned
Citizens for SNEC Safety

Six
Mile Run, PA

 

Mike
Ewall

Energy
Justice Network

Philadelphia, PA

 

Zoey
Alderman-Tuttle

Student
Green Team of Mercyhurst
College

Erie, PA

 

Eric Epstein

Three Mile Island Alert

Harrisburg, PA

 

Katharine Dodge, President

Northeast PA Audubon Society

Honesdale, PA

 

Uke Jackson

Uke Jackson Productions, Inc.

Delaware Water Gap,
PA

 

Mary Elizabeth Clark

SSJ Earth
Center

Philadelphia, PA

 

Terri MacKenzie SHCJ

The EcoSpirituality Group, American Province Sisters of the Holy
Child

Rosemont, PA

 

Nancy Tate

LEPOCO Peace
Center

Bethlehem, PA

 

I.K.
Samways Chair

Green
Party of Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, PA

 

Sandy Hazley, Chair

Green Party of Allegheny County

Pittsburgh, PA

 

Bill Belitskus, Board President

Allegheny Defense Project (ADP)

Kane, PA  

 

Joe
Martin

McKean County Citizens Against Nuclear Waste

Bradford, PA

 

Patricia Hval, Chair

Westerly Peak Oil Task Force

Westerly, RI  

 

William Smith, III

USA Nica Windpower, Inc.

Jamestown, RI

 

Finian Taylor

Hilton
Head for Peace

Hilton
Head, SC

 

Louise
Gorenflo, moderator
Know Nuclear
Crossville TN

 

Kathleen
Ferris, Co-Founder

Citizens to
End Nuclear Dumping in TN

Murfreesboro, TN

 

Irucka
Embry

EcoC2S
(EcoCsquaredS)

Murfreesboro/Nashville,
TN

 

Eric
Lewis, Administrator

Cumberland Green Bioregional Council

Nashville, TN

 

Cynthia Weehler

Energia
Mia

San Antonio, TX

Jerry Stein, President

Peace Farm

Amarillo, TX

 

Mary
Schneider
The Holographic Repatterning Institute At Austin

Austin, TX

 

Marisol Cortez, Climate Justice Organizer

Southwest Workers' Union

San Antonio, TX

 

Peggy
and Melodye Pryor

No
Bonds for Billioniares

Andrews,
TX

 

Joseph L. Goldman, Ph.D, CCM

Technical Director

International Center for the
Solution of Environmental Problems

Alpine, TX

 

Gary Stuard

Founder/Executive Director

Interfaith Environmental
Alliance (IEA)

Dallas, TX

 

Elena Day

Peoples'
Alliance for
Clean Energy

Charlottesville, VA

 

Jason Von Kundra, President

GMU Environmental
Action Group

Fairfax, VA

 

Joe
Cook
Council Coordinator
Hampton Roads
MoveOn.org

Norfolk, VA

 

Brian
Tokar

Institute
for Social Ecology

Plainfield, VT

 

Beth
Champagne

North Country
Coalition for Justice and Peace

St. Johnsbury, VT

 

Crystal
Zevon

Farm
Fresh Market and Café

Barre, VT

 

Randy
Kehler, Co-Coordinator

Safe
& Green Campaign

Brattleboro, VT

 

Debra
Stoleroff

Vermont Yankee
Decommissioning Alliance

Montpelier, VT

 

Ariel
Zevon

Local
Agricultural Community Exchange

Barre, VT

 

Rachel
Smolker

Climate
SOS

VT

 

Gerry
Pollet, JD;
Executive Director,
Heart of America
Northwest

Seattle, WA

 

Chris
Herman

Winter
Sun Design

Edmonds, WA

 

Marianne
Edain

Whidbey
Environmental Action Network

Langley, WA

 

John
LaForge

Nukewatch

Luck,
WI

 

Judy Miner, Executive Director

Wisconsin Network for
Peace and Justice

Madison WI

 

Guy Wolf

Coulee
Region Progressives

Stoddard, WI

 

Gail
Vaugh

DownRiver
Alliance

Ferryville, WI

 

Irene Mehlos

Merrill Peace Study

Merrill, WI

 

Christopher
LaForge

Great Northern Solar

Port Wing, WI

 

Northern Futures Foundation

Port Wing, WI

 

Kickapoo Peace Circle

Viroqua, WI

 

Al Gedicks

Wisconsin Resources
Protection Council

La Crosse, WI