Obama Discusses Need for Clean Energy
At a speech delivered at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh
yesterday, President Obama emphasized the importance of
transitioning our economy toward clean energy. Obama discussed why
pricing carbon pollution is critical to building a clean energy
economy:
But the only way the transition to clean energy will ultimately
succeed is if the private sector is fully invested in this future --
if capital comes off the sidelines and the ingenuity of our
entrepreneurs is unleashed. And the only way to do that is by
finally putting a price on carbon pollution.
No, many businesses have already embraced this idea because it
provides a level of certainty about the future. And for those
that face transition costs, we can help them adjust. But if we
refuse to take into account the full costs of our fossil fuel
addiction -- if we don’t factor in the environmental costs and
the national security costs and the true economic costs -- we
will have missed our best chance to seize a clean energy future.
He then affirmed his commitment to working to pass a comprehensive
energy and climate plan in this session of Congress:
The House of Representatives has already passed a comprehensive
energy and climate bill, and there is currently a plan in the
Senate -- a plan that was developed with ideas from Democrats
and Republicans -- that would achieve the same goal. And,
Pittsburgh, I want you to know, the votes may not be there right
now, but I intend to find them in the coming months.
I will continue to make the case for a clean energy future
wherever and whenever I can.
I will work with anyone to get this done -- and we will get it
done.
The next generation will not be held hostage to energy sources
from the last century. We are not going to move backwards. We
are going to move forward.
Watch the full speech
here.
League of Conservation Voters
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Washington, DC 20036
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