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For Immediate Release
Daschle Energy Bill Points Right Direction
WASHINGTON -- Although short on some critical details, the comprehensive energy legislation offered today by Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) is based on sound conservation principles, including boosting efforts to reduce U.S. dependence on oil imports, moving our country toward conservation and renewable sources like wind and solar power, and protecting the unique Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other sensitive public lands, according to Defenders of Wildlife.
The bill makes important strides toward supporting new energy technologies that mean less reliance on fossil fuels, and does not include the environmentally damaging provisions contained in the public lands section of the House-passed bill. It would leave in place existing prohibitions on exploration and exploitation of any oil reserves in the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
"Senator Daschle’s bill could make dramatic, positive changes in this country’s energy future. While there are several big, difficult areas the senator still needs to fill in, his bill is a quantum improvement over the backward thinking in the House’s energy package," said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders.
Schlickeisen was particularly positive about the bill’s preservation of laws protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil drilling.
"Instead of throwing the doors to the arctic refuge wide open to Big Oil, Senator Daschle’s approach says it’s not worth it to pillage one of our last, best wild places for maybe six months worth of oil that we wouldn’t begin to see for a decade," said Schlickeisen. "And unlike the House bill, his proposal won’t gut the common-sense safeguards we have in place to make sure that drilling for oil and gas on our public lands doesn’t devastate other important things, like wildlife and good, clean water."
Although embracing the bill’s overall direction, Schlickeisen cautioned that the bill omits specifics on some vital issues, including vehicle fuel efficiency standards and tax incentives to encourage renewable energy.
"Increasing automobile fuel efficiency is the single biggest step this country can take to reduce our dependence on imported oil, cut the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, and shrink the impact of oil drilling on wildlife. The senator’s legislation recognizes this fact, but fails to include a specific standard that will let the American people judge just how beneficial this bill might be," said Schlickeisen.
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Defenders of Wildlife is a leading nonprofit conservation organization recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 480,000 members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on environmental issues. For timely information on environmental issues, visit www.defenders.org and subscribe to DENLines, a free e-mail alert newsletter.
