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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Down To Earth

Protect the Clean Air Act

This has to be the best email subject line we've seen in some time, "Another horrible idea from Alaska."  We were thinking maybe Todd Palin had announced he was going to compete in the Winter X Games or something, but in fact it's much worse.

Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is launching a potentially devastating attack on the Clean Air Act with an amendment to a must-pass bill to lift the debt ceiling - essentially removing the EPA's enforcement funding and power meaning big polluters like the coal industry can ignore the Clean Air Act.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has granted her a vote for January 20 that would block the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from coal plants and other polluters in 2010.


According to a CREDO action network mailing, the vote is predicted to be close with many Democrats considering voting for the bill.  Which means it's imperative that you contact our own Democratic Senators, Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray and tell them to protect the Clean Air Act and stop Senator Murkowski

"Republican and Democratic senators alike need to hear from you. The coal industry has been working furiously to close deals with senators across the political spectrum, including those who say they want to protect the environment. We cannot underestimate the Senate's vulnerability to cynical attempts to handcuff the EPA."

The Senate vote on January 20th will be a defining moment in the fight for meaningful and immediate action to address climate change.



Down To Earth

The DTE blog is committed to reporting and sharing environmental news and sustainability information from across the Inland Northwest.