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Windmills in Ralston, PA (Image: RDA)
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WILLIAMSPORT, PA- October 18th, 2012
In conjunction with nearly 2,000,000 citizens nationwide, the Responsible Drilling Alliance (RDA), a citizens group dedicated to seeking the truth about the consequences of shale gas development, has joined over one hundred other grassroots organizations in issuing a "First -100-Days" clean energy agenda for the President of the United States to adopt immediately upon taking the oath of office on January 21st.
The America Clean Energy Agenda calls for a true energy revolution in electrical power generation via the replacement of the nation's overwhelming reliance on highly polluting, water-intensive, and ultimately expensive coal, natural gas and nuclear power with a sustainable grid. Cost-effective energy efficiency solutions combined with core renewable electrical power sources will lead to increased American jobs and national security, with better family health and safety through affordable and reliable domestic renewable energy production.
Working with research and reports provided by Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. of Cambridge MA, the American Clean Energy Agenda was spearheaded by the think tank Civil Society Institute of Newton, MA and the Washington D.C.-based research organization Environmental Working Group. The full text of the agenda and the list of the groups that have endorsed it are available online at http://www.AmericanCleanEnergyAgenda.org.
The first-100-days clean energy agenda calls on the next U.S. President to:
- Make energy efficiency and non-combustion-based renewable energy technologies the core of the electric power system by adopting policies and programs that lead to the eventual replacement of fossil fuel and nuclear power plants.
- Set a much-needed national water policy in order to avert or mitigate the current and future water scarcity problems that face the nation if today's electric generation mix remains unchanged or expands. Power generation currently accounts for 50 percent of all water withdrawals.
- Establish sustainability criteria to guide the choice and deployment of new electricity generating technologies. Americans require and support a power system that is affordable and reliable, consumes modest volumes of water, substantially reduces public health impacts, improves environmental quality and effectively addresses climate change.
- Make it a priority to ensure that the United States becomes the acknowledged global leader in clean energy technologies
RDA President Ralph Kisberg states: "Tens of thousands of tax paying Pennsylvania citizens are dealing with the negative consequences of unconventional gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale. At only 5% of the projected build out, family water supplies have been contaminated, property values ruined, and lives turned upside down due to a myopic focus on climate-changing fossil fuel extraction. It is time for our leaders in Washington to aggressively move us into the 21st century energy future the majority of Americans envision - before it is too late."
Eye-opening polling data from an April 25, 2012 ORC International survey is available online at http://www.civilsocietyinstitute.org/media/042512release.cfm
NOTE: The sponsors of the American Clean Energy Agenda initiative do not endorse or intend to endorse any candidate for office. The release of the "100 Days" report is intended to provide information to the public on what constitutes an effective problem-solving energy policy.
CONTACT: Ralph Kisberg of RDA (570) 494-7583 or info@responsibledrillingalliance.org;
AIlis Aaron Wolfe of the Civil Society Institute at (703) 276-3265 or aawolf@hastingsgroup.com; or Alex Formuzis of the Environmental Working Group, at 202-667-6982 or alex@ewg.org
