WASHINGTON, June 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The leaders of the USW and
Sierra Club today sent a joint letter under their banner of the Blue Green
Alliance to the U.S. Senate, recognizing the Boxer Substitute (S.3036) to the
Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act (S.2191) offers improvements, but
doesn't go far enough at addressing the competitiveness provisions in the
proposed legislation.
Leo W. Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers (USW) and
Carl Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, released the full text of
their letter as follows:
BLUE GREEN ALLIANCE
Co-Chairs:
Leo Gerard, International President, United Steelworkers
Carl Pope, Executive Director, Sierra Club
Executive Director:
Dave Foster
June 5, 2008
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator:
Earlier this year, we wrote and laid-out our concerns regarding
competitiveness provisions in the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act (S.
2191). Since then, a substitute has been re-introduced by Senator Boxer (S.
3036) that modified important parts of this section of the bill. While we
recognize that the Boxer substitute does offer some improvements and does
address some of our concerns, they unfortunately do not go nearly far enough
in addressing the concerns highlighted in our earlier letter.
Moving forward, we urge that the competitiveness provisions of this
legislation, Title XIII, be strengthened to ensure that existing manufacturing
capacity in the United States is not encouraged to relocate offshore to avoid
the increased costs of energy resulting from the pricing of carbon. We are
also concerned that if no further efforts are made to strengthen the Title
XIII provisions, much of the new manufacturing associated with investments in
the clean renewable energy economy will likewise take place far from the
communities in our country that are so desperate for these employment
opportunities.
While each of our organizations has additional and separate concerns with S.
3036, we are committed to working together to strengthen this critical area of
the legislation.
The simple point is that America's manufacturing workers and their communities
have suffered enormously at the hands of the global economy over the last two
decades. More than three million manufacturing jobs have been lost in the
last seven years alone. As we craft the necessary and scientifically based
solutions to global warming, we must make sure that we do not worsen their
plight and that we share the benefits of our investments in the clean
renewable energy economy of the future with those who have been the most
disadvantaged.
Sincerely, (Individually signed as follows)
Leo W. Gerard, International President, United Steelworkers
Carl Pope, Executive Director, Sierra Club
Dave Foster, Executive Director, Blue-Green Alliance
SOURCE Blue Green Alliance
Dave Foster, +1-612-419-9101, or Gary Hubbard, +1-202-778-4384,
+1-202-256-8125, both of the Blue Green Alliance
