As the new home of MASSPIRG's environmental work, Environment Massachusetts can be contacted regarding this news release.
12 Step Plan Needed to Slash Oil Use and Stop Global Warming
On
this Earth Day, MASSPIRG called on Congress and the Bush administration
to get serious about ending America’s dependence on oil. The
organization released a “12-step program” that will wean America from
its addiction to oil and stop global warming.
“In
his State of the Union address three months ago President Bush reminded
us that ‘America is addicted to oil.’ Since then, Washington has done
little to seek treatment for this dangerous habit,” said Maura Finigan,
associate with MASSPIRG.
Instead
of reducing our reliance on oil with common sense solutions like making
cars go farther on a gallon of gas, Congress is considering legislation
that would allow oil drilling in protected public lands.
Senator
Pete Domenici (NM) has offered a bill that would allow drilling off the
gulf coast of Florida. Rep. John Peterson has introduced legislation to
repeal the moratorium on off-shore drilling nationwide. And once again
oil industry allies in Congress are pushing for drilling in Alaska’s
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
“We cannot drill ourselves out this dependence just like a smoker can’t quit by buying more cigarettes,” said Finigan.
MASSPIRG
“12-step program” (below) describes concrete steps that government and
individuals can take to break the addiction. These steps include
increases in home and workplace energy efficiency, more use of wind,
solar and other renewable sources of energy, and promotion of fuel
efficient vehicles and public transportation.
# # #
12-Step Program to Break America’s Oil Habit and Stop Global Warming
“America is addicted to oil.”
--President George W. Bush, Statue of the Union, 1-31-06
“The long-term solution is to get off oil.”
--President George W. Bush, Bloomberg News, 4-10-06
President Bush and Congress can reduce our dependence on oil and help stop global warming by taking these actions:
•
Require cars and trucks to go farther on a gallon of gas. According to
the National Academy of Sciences, currently available technology can
make cars and trucks nearly double their gas mileage to an average of
40 mpg within a decade without reducing the size, power, or variety of
cars available to consumers.
• Adopt nation-wide limits on global warming pollution to ensure we prevent the worst impacts of global warming.
• Move away from oil by requiring a minimum amount of farm-based bio-fuels.
•
Stop efforts to include in the federal budget a provision to open the
pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. The Refuge
would provide less than a year’s worth of oil and would take ten years
to get to market.
•
Maintain strong protections against drilling off our beautiful coasts.
Given the benefits of renewable energy and increasing energy
efficiency, we should not drill off our beaches.
•
Save taxpayers money by repealing the $13.1 billion in tax breaks for
the oil, coal and gas industry included in the Energy Bill of 2005.
• Reduce the amount we drive by increasing the federal investment in public transportation.
• Help consumers buy more fuel efficient cars by expanding tax credits for the most fuel efficient vehicles.
•
Restore states’ rights to regulate automobile fuel economy standards.
Some of the most far-reaching energy solutions are being pioneered in
the states. The federal law blocking states from requiring cars to ger
better gas mileage should be eliminated.
• Americans can reduce our dependence on oil and help stop global warming by taking these actions ourselves:
• Reduce the number of miles driven weekly by combining trips, walking or biking when possible, or carpooling with friends.
• Buy a more fuel efficient vehicle.
•
Call your representative and senators and ask them to support real
action to reduce our oil dependence and stop global warming.
