Defenders of Wildlife calls on Obama and Congress to focus less on dirty, fossil fuel production and more on safe, renewable energy development

Summary:

• President Obama outlined federal efforts to reduce dependence on foreign oil and diversify energy sources, including renewable energy and efficiency in a speech today
• The speech comes as a flurry of measures are being introduced in Congress this week to ramp up domestic drilling – including new areas in the Gulf of Mexico, Arctic Ocean, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and sensitive Atlantic and Pacific coastal waters
• Congressional proposals are also seeking arbitrary exemptions for offshore drilling that would force the Interior Department to act on all new applications for wells – including those like the Deepwater Horizon – within an unrealistic 30-day deadline, which would likely result in hasty, insufficient reviews
• Defenders of Wildlife calls on the Obama administration and Congress to focus less on dirty, fossil fuel production and more on safe, renewable energy development

President Obama’s speech today touting efforts to rein in foreign oil consumption comes amid a major push in Congress for more high-risk domestic drilling and weaker environmental safeguards.

Defenders of Wildlife, however, is calling on the Obama administration and Congress to focus less on dirty, fossil fuel production and more on safe, renewable energy development.

The following is a statement from Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife:

“Thankfully President Obama is confronting our addiction to oil. While we don’t agree with everything the President said today, particularly his short-term plan to ramp up new domestic drilling and suggestions that this could include frontier areas in Alaska, he has a long-term plan for diversifying energy sources, improving energy efficiency and transitioning to a cleaner, more sustainable future. This stands in stark contrast to the members of Congress who are solely focused on helping their Big Oil buddies continue to make obscene profits while most Americans struggle to pay rapidly rising gas prices.

“The Obama administration is taking some right and necessary steps to reduce our long-term dependence on foreign oil. But a key element that was missing from today’s speech was a reaffirmed commitment to accelerating the development of environmentally-responsible renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal today. In the long term, these are the only truly secure and reliable sources of energy we have.

“Responsible, sustainable and secure energy development can only be achieved if we’re smart from the start. With the right policies in place, we can improve transportation, reduce prices at the pump, and still power our homes and cities. We can do so without sacrificing clean air, drinking water, wildlife, and the health of our planet and its people. We need to not only reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but also transition away from dirty, polluting fuels altogether. It is the only responsible thing to do.”

Learn more about Defenders’ work to protect American coasts from offshore drilling disasters.

Defenders envisions a clean energy future that’s smart from the start. Learn more>>

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