For Immediate Release

September 16, 2008

Contact: Lisa Swann

202 518-0044, Ext. 14

swann@earthday.net

 

House Bill Would Loosen Drilling Restrictions

"A Trojan Horse of the Worst Kind"

Statement of Kathleen Rogers, President, Earth Day Network on House bill to Lift Ban on Drilling on Nation's Coastline

"This legislation is a trojan horse of the worst kind. The rallying cry of 'drill, baby, drill' rings very hollow when you consider the sizable risks of drilling in light of its meager rewards. It will do nothing to lower gas prices and will only put our treasured coasts in the crosshairs. It's just like the Washington insiders to attach a provision that only digs us deeper into our addiction to oil - and completely ironic that they are doing it as renewable energy becomes more affordable and starts to take off. Necessity is the mother of invention; the longer we allow provisions for offshore drilling, the more we prolong our carbon dependency at a time when we desperately need to construct new alternative sources of energy. If a future powered by sustainable energy is our goal, Congress should not voice the need for wind and solar development, while allowing expanded offshore drilling in the same breath."

About Earth Day Network

Earth Day Network, www.earthday.net, seeks to grow and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable planet. It pursues these goals through education, politics, and consumer activism. Earth Day Network has a global reach with a network of more than 17,000 partners and organizations in 174 countries. More than 1 billion people participate in Earth Day activities, making it the largest secular civic event in the world.