Tell Senator Kerry: Protect the EPA in the climate bill   :)

President Obama has said that stopping climate change is a top priority. The greatest tool he has in his power is the Environmental Protection Agency. But lobbyists from the oil and gas industries are doing everything they can to make sure that current global warming legislation in Congress strips the President of his power to cut the billions of tons of global warming pollution that spews out of our coal plants every day. We can’t let that happen.

Our friends over at CREDO Action understand the urgency of this situation, and they’re doing something about it. Please read the message below and join the thousands who have already taken action.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/climate_pledge_greenpeace/

Ben Kroetz

Greenpeace Online Organizer

Keep the climate bill strong.

Tell Senator Kerry: Protect a strong EPA in the climate bill.

Senators Kerry and Boxer have introduced a climate bill that protects the EPA, a bold step that deserves to be commended. But Big Coal and Big Oil will stop at nothing to strangle the EPA, and maintain the status quo, where polluters escape regulation and our planet pays the price.

Almost immediately, the strongest provisions of the climate bill started to be talked about as "bargaining chips," to be given away for a few votes of hesitant senators. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham stepped right up to this offer, and authored an editorial with Sen. John Kerry.

Many cheered this turn of events. But if you look closely at what Kerry and Graham wrote, you can see the horse trading has begun. Among the major concessions to Big Energy already being talked about are huge investments in nuclear energy and an increase in offshore drilling. And what does Big Coal get? A commitment that America will become the "Saudi Arabia of clean coal."

With these concessions already out in the open, an all out assault on a strong EPA can't be far behind. Big Coal was able to strip the power of the EPA to regulate CO2 in the House bill; you can bet it will stop at nothing to take away EPA regulatory power in the Senate.

Senator Kerry needs to stand up and draw a line in the sand: he must pledge only to support a bill that preserves the EPA's ability to regulate C02 and doesn't give away tens of billions of dollars to the coal industry.

Signing this petition will send a message to Senator Kerry to sign the pledge and stand up for a strong, meaningful climate bill.

Click here to sign your name to a petition asking Senator Kerry only to support a climate bill that retains the ability of the EPA to regulate CO2 and does not include massive subsidies to the coal industry.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/climate_pledge_greenpeace/

Thank you for working to build a better world.

Michael Kieschnick, President
CREDO Action from Working Assets

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/

702 H Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20001
(800) 326-0959

Senator Kerry:

"I urge you to take the pledge to vote only for a climate bill that retains the EPA's ability to regulate CO2 and doesn't give massive subsidies to the coal industry. This is a rare opportunity to stand up for our planet, and we cannot afford a bill that is too weak. Please stand up for a strong climate bill and take the pledge."

 http://members.greenpeace.org/action/index.php