In the midst of the worst oil disaster in United States’ history, the Senate had an opportunity this summer to take decisive action and pass comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation. Instead, our senators decided to cast aside the chance to begin a transition to a clean energy economy. As young voters directly affected by the energy crisis and economic downturn, we have reason to be outraged and disappointed.
The Senate had the chance to create new clean energy jobs, reduce our dangerous addiction to oil, and put a cap on global warming pollution. So far, very little has been accomplished in the way of encouraging clean energy and efficiency. We continue to rely on a fuels that we obtain by drilling ever-deeper underwater, exploding mountaintops with less and less regard for the communities it displaces and streams it destroys, and sending a billion dollars a day overseas to leaders of countries that don't much like us. A band-aid solution won't address these serious problems.
The polluter lobby spent $213 million to lobby this Congress alone (you can look it up on opensecrets.org), and that's how a minority of Senators stopped progress on an issue supported by the majority of the American people – those who want a clean energy future.
But as Young Democrats, we can't stand by while our senators let the big polluters off the hook. That's why Senators Warner and Webb need to know that we expect them to renew their commitment to climate protection, and we want to see our senators avail themselves of every opportunity to support comprehensive energy reform.
