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race. I'm not sure what it would take to tip Gore into the race. It seems like the current field of candidates will make a priority of the environment which is the omission which I think would push Gore over the edge: Achieving Energy Independence & Stopping Global Warming Through A New Energy Economy
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"Our generation must be the one that says, 'we must halt global warming.' Our generation must be the one that says 'yes' to renewable fuels and ends forever our dependence on foreign oil. And our generation must be the one that builds the new energy economy. It won't be easy, but it is time to ask the American people to be patriotic about something other than war." – John Edwards
Our generation must be the one that ends our nation's dependence on oil and ushers in a new energy economy. We need energy independence from unstable and hostile areas of the world, from global warming pollution, and from the old ways of doing business. If we harness American ingenuity to reach for transformative change, we can emerge from the crisis of global warming with a new energy economy that stimulates innovation, brings the family farm back to life, and creates more than 1 million jobs in America's farms and industries. Today, John Edwards called for America to embrace three great goals for this generation:
* Halt global warming by capping and reducing greenhouse gas pollution and leading the world to a new global climate change treaty.
* Create a new energy economy and 1 million new jobs by investing in clean, renewable energy, sparking innovation, a new era in American industry, and life in family farms.
* Meet the demand for new electricity through efficiency for the next decade, instead of producing more power.
As a result of the Edwards plan, by 2025 America will import 7.5 million fewer barrels of oil a day, produce 65 billion gallons of ethanol and other biofuels a year, generate 25 percent of our electricity from renewable sources, and produce more than 2 billion fewer tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year. Within a generation, America's cars and tracks will be virtually petroleum-free. http://johnedwards.com/about/issues/energy/new-energy-economy/Environment
As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in the 109th Congress, Senator Obama worked to ensure our nation's environmental laws and policies balance America's needs for a healthy, sustainable environment with economic growth. He will continue to push for sound environmental policies with his colleagues in the 110th Congress.
Global Climate Change
The issue of climate change is one that we ignore at our own peril. Senator Obama believes the U.S. must act now to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. He is an original cosponsor of the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act , which was introduced by Senators Lieberman and McCain in the 110th Congress.
More info: Senator Obama's speech to the Associated Press in April 2006 on climate change.
Environmental Health
Since coming to Washington, Senator Obama has made the elimination of childhood lead poisoning one of his top priorities. Over 400,000 children in the U.S. suffer from lead poisoning. Lead is a highly toxic substance that can produce a range of health problems in young children including IQ deficiencies, reading and learning disabilities, reduced attention spans, hyperactivity, and damage to the kidneys, brain and bone marrow. The most common source of lead exposure is lead paint in older housing.
During his first year in office, Senator Obama successfully fought to get the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to publish long-overdue rules for how contractors involved in the renovation and remodeling of homes should deal with lead paint hazards. To force the EPA to issue the rules, Senator Obama threatened to block the confirmation of an EPA official and passed an amendment to stop the EPA from delaying the rulemaking process. When the rules are eventually finalized, they will prevent 28,000 lead-related illnesses each year, resulting in an annual net economic benefit of more than $4 billion.
Lead is also present in many children's products. In 2003 and 2004, nearly 150 million pieces of toy jewelry were recalled because of toxic levels of lead. To address this problem, Senator Obama introduced the Lead-Free Toys Act to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban any children's product containing lead. http://obama.senate.gov/issues/environment/index.htmlSince joining the Senate, I have proudly served on the Environment and Public Works Committee, where I have fought to clean up the air that New Yorkers breathe, protect the water they drink, and revitalize contaminated sites in their communities. I have also worked to protect the natural treasures that New Yorkers enjoy, from the waters of Long Island Sound to the Adirondack Mountains, to the Great Lakes. I strongly believe that it is our duty to be better stewards of our environment—for the sake of our own health and the natural legacy that we will pass along to future generations.
I have also worked to advance a balanced energy policy that will increase our energy independence, create jobs, and provide cleaner, more reliable energy. I support policies to diversify our energy supplies by investing in renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar, developing advanced energy technologies such as clean coal and hydrogen fuel cells, and promoting environmentally responsible recovery of oil and gas resources. We also need to take steps to use energy more efficiently, in our cars, homes, and offices. Taken together, these steps will help to reduce the high energy prices facing New Yorkers and the rest of the country and move us away from dependence on foreign energy sources.
Clean Air
While we have made major strides in reducing air pollution over the last three decades, much work remains to be done. Recent medical evidence strongly links air pollution to increased incidence of asthma attacks, heart attacks, cardiopulmonary disease, cancer, and premature death. MORE» http://clinton.senate.gov/issues/environment/ |
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