FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 17, 2016
Greens and Colorado Groups Urge Secretary Clinton to Appoint Climate Champion as DOI Secretary
CO Governor and fracking advocate rumored to be top pick
Washington, DC- Environmental organizations asked Secretary Clinton today to appoint a proven climate champion to be Secretary of the Interior, independent of industry allegiance or control, should she win the White House. The letter specifically points out that Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, a known advocate of oil and gas drilling in his state and rumored pick for the position, does not meet that criteria.
“At the Department of Interior and all levels of administration, we need leaders who will champion the protection of human health and the environment. Governor Hickenlooper is not that person,” the letter reads.
Included in the list of letter signees are Greenpeace USA, Climate Hawks Vote, 350.org, Rainforest Action Network, Oil Change International, Environmental Action, WildEarth Guardians, and Friends of the Earth Action. Colorado Rising, 350 Colorado, and Frack Free Colorado also signed the letter to Secretary Clinton.
The Interior Secretary is uniquely positioned to combat climate change and coordinate federal support for renewable energy. In addition to managing coal leasing, oil and gas drilling, national park conservation, and renewable energy initiatives, the Interior Secretary is also tasked with working with tribal and native communities.
“Because we must protect communities and the climate by keeping at least 80% of the world’s proven fossil fuels in the ground, the appointment of Secretary of Interior is critical. The Secretary of the Interior will have a crucial role in moving the federal leasing program in-line with our broader national climate goals, recognizing that state and regional Bureau of Land Management offices cannot remain unchecked,” the letter continues
Secretary Clinton rallied with former Vice President Al Gore last week in Florida, highlighting climate change as a top priority for a Clinton White House. The issue, which President Obama calls the greatest threat future generations face, has received little attention in the presidential debates. Donald Trump calls global warming a hoax invented by the Chinese and has promised to “cancel” the Paris agreement.
He has also appointed several fossil fuel lobbyists and executives as well as known climate deniers to his energy advising team including Continental Resources CEO Harold Hamm and Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Myron Ebell.
Governor Hickenlooper is a known advocate for fracking, touting the practice in his memoir. The governor has also publicly opposed the ability of communities to vote on initiatives regulating oil and gas activity, even suing communities attempting to establish local fracking bans.
Secretary Clinton’s climate plan includes a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions “up to 30 percent” from 2005 levels by 2025, a detailed plan to enforce environmental justice, infrastructure development for renewable energy projects and systems, regulation of methane emissions, defense of the Clean Power Plan, establishment of a Renewable Fuel Standard, and federal investments in clean energy.
Quotes From Signees:
“Secretary Clinton speaks with great ambition on the campaign trail about her plan to combat climate change and initiate a just transition to an America powered by renewable energy while Donald Trump continues to deny science and insult most of America, “ said Greenpeace USA Executive Director Annie Leonard. “Clinton must appoint a climate champion in her administration to make those campaign promises a reality. America needs an Interior Secretary who will advocate for the future of its communities, not the interests of an industry that is largely responsible for the climate crisis we face,” said Greenpeace USA Executive Director Annie Leonard.
“Unfortunately Governor Hickenlooper has proven that cares more about his relationships with the fossil fuel industry and their profits than he does about the health and safety of his constituents. When local cities and towns passed local initiatives to place bans or moratoria on fracking, Gov. Hickenlooper’s administration sued them. We need leaders at the state and national level who put the best interests of people first, not corporations or their own careers,” Micah Parkin of 350 Colorado.
“If Secretary Clinton is serious about giving us a fighting chance of stabilizing the climate, it is crucial that she select a Secretary of Interior who champions the environment, not someone who is known for cronyism with oil and gas corporations like Governor Hickenlooper,” said Rainforest Action Network Senior Climate and Energy Campaigner Ruth Breech.
“Governor Hickenlooper’s history of colluding with the oil and gas industry, sidelining concerns over the health impacts of fossil fuel development, and dismissing meaningful effort to combat climate change in Colorado makes him completely unfit to serve as Interior Secretary,” said Jeremy Nichols, the Denver-based Climate and Energy Program Director with WildEarth Guardians. “The Governor consistently puts the public interest behind the profits of big business, meaning he can’t be trusted to uphold the legacy of our National Parks, protect our nation’s fish and wildlife, safeguard American public lands, and ensure our rivers have a right to their water,” said WildEarth Guardians Climate and Energy Campaign Director Tim Ream.
Contact:
Cassady Sharp, [email protected], 828-817-3328
