Washington, D.C. -  In honor of Earth Day, which takes place tomorrow, Congressman David Price (D-NC) released the following statement regarding the need for strong, comprehensive action to address one of the defining challenges of our time: climate change.

“Tomorrow, as on Earth Days for the past 38 years, many in our country will reflect upon our solemn responsibility to protect the natural environment from the adverse consequences of human activity, and to preserve it for future generations.  On this Earth Day in 2008, there is no greater challenge to our responsible stewardship of the Earth and its resources than the threat of global climate change.

“Our government has ignored this threat for far too long.  As the world’s largest per capita emitter of greenhouse gases, our nation must be a leader in finding clean energy solutions that will reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, create a new generation of jobs, and provide energy security for us and the generations to come.

“This Congress took a good step forward by passing long overdue enhancements to fuel economy standards for vehicles, which by itself will make a reduction in greenhouse gases equivalent to taking 28 million cars and trucks off the road by 2020.  But this is still only a first step toward the comprehensive solution we need to dramatically curb greenhouse gas emissions.

“The President recently announced a climate change proposal that would allow U.S. emissions to continue increasing for 17 years, until 2025, with no clear path for making the emission reductions thereafter that will be necessary to avert disaster. The vast majority of experts in the climate change field have made it clear that the world must reduce its emissions by roughly 80 percent by mid-century to avoid a dangerous climate tipping point. 

“So on Earth Day 2008, I call on the President to work with Congress on real climate change solutions.  He can start by supporting the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act, which would repeal a number of tax subsidies that currently benefit the oil and gas industry and use the savings to invest in renewable energy and mass transit to curb fuel consumption.  And the President can also join me and hundreds of lawmakers from both parties who support legislation to establish a market driven cap-and-trade system that will lead to consistent and cumulative reductions in our annual greenhouse gas emissions over the next 40 years.

“It is unfortunate that the President has so far given us no reason to believe we can count on his help in this effort.  I am convinced that our nation can work with the international community to halt the most devastating effects of climate change, and I and many others in Congress are ready to begin that work now.”