Media release - February 12, 2009
In response to the conference report on the economic stimulus bill expected to be voted on in the House and Senate today, Steven Biel, Greenpeace USA Global Warming Campaign Director and Jim Riccio, Greenpeace USA Nuclear Policy Analyst, issued the following statements:
Steven Biel:
"The compromise economic stimulus bill is a victory for clean energy and the environment, representing a substantial down payment on America's new energy future. The bill includes more than $80 billion in investments for clean energy and public transit. A Greenpeace-commissioned report found that investments in clean energy on this scale can achieve greenhouse gas emissions reductions equivalent to taking 13 million cars off the road if properly implemented."
Jim Riccio:
"Congress and the Obama administration were wise to remove handouts to nuclear industry from the stimulus package. It is a sign that real change has come to Washington.
"Americans are losing their jobs and their homes, it is clearly no time to commit taxpayer dollars toward nuclear welfare projects that have a 50 percent chance of defaulting. This is a victory for America and the environment as stimulus dollars will now flow to 'shovel ready' projects that genuinely create green jobs, benefit the economy and protect the climate."
Download Greenpeace's carbon footprint analysis of the stimulus package at:
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/press-center/reports4/ghg-impact-of-the-economic-sti
Green investments mean more jobs than same expenditure in nuclear and other dirty fuels:
See Green Job Creation Table at: /usa/Global/usa/binaries/2008/10/green-job-creation-table.pdf
VVPR info: CONTACTS: Mike Crocker, Greenpeace USA Press Officer, 202-319-2471; Steven Biel, Greenpeace USA Global Warming Campaign Director, 202-319-2468; Jim Riccio, Greenpeace USA Nuclear Policy Analyst, 202-319-2487