Outrageous – The Oil Stranglehold

It’s outrageous.

Oil is still spewing out at a rate of at least 210,000 gallons a day into the Gulf of Mexico. It’s never been clearer just how costly our dependence on dangerous and dirty fossil fuels is. Yet here in California on Monday, oil companies appear to have succeeded in introducing an initiative onto the November ballot that would keep us hooked.

Largely backed by Texas oil giants Valero and Tesoro, dirty energy supporters have already poured more than two million dollars into a campaign to roll back California’s groundbreaking climate and clean energy laws — with tens of millions of dollars waiting in the wings.*

It’s up to us to stop this “dirty energy proposition” from passing. Will you help expose the truth behind the big oil-backed proposition, using your local newspapers to help galvanize public opinion against it?

As our nation is scrambling to contain one of the worst environmental disasters in our history, there is no better time to demand that we end our dangerous addiction to dirty fossil fuels and transition to energy sources that are clean, renewable and ultimately, free.

Clean energy has been a bright spot in our rough economy, and California’s climate and clean energy law will help spur manufacturing and construction jobs for workers installing solar panels, retrofitting buildings and building the next generation of fuel-efficient cars.

The dirty energy proposition would kill various California clean energy and clean air efforts — including a goal of reaching 33% of our electricity from renewable sources within a decade. The proposition would hurt our environment and our health, while blocking many of the tens of thousands of jobs that come along with a clean energy industry.

This week’s media coverage around the ballot measure will be the first time that most Californians hear about the “dirty energy proposition.” Let’s make sure that they hear the truth — by filling our local papers with letters to the editor opposing this dangerous proposal. We’ll provide you with the facts and basic talking points for reference — you just need to share your voice and make sure it’s heard on this critical issue.

Submit a letter to your local newspapers and expose this dirty energy proposition today.

Many of the first laws protecting our air and water followed the Santa Barbara oil rig disaster of 1969. And now, following the Deepwater Oil Disaster, California’s response can’t be to let Texas oil companies block our clean energy future.

Thanks for all that you do,

Giselle Barry
Communications Director
The Climate Protection Action Fund’s Repower America Campaign