JOE SESTAK’S EFFORTS TO SUPPORT THE ENVIRONMENT
A CONSISTENT RECORD
100% from PennEnvironment, a citizen-based advocacy organization.
97% from League of Conservation Voters, one of the largest environmental organizations.
ENDORSED BY CLEAN WATER ACTION
One of only six House or Senate representatives in the state to have been endorsed by the national organization working for clean, safe and affordable water.
RENEWABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY
VOTED FOR AMERICAN CLEAN ENERGY AND SECURITY ACT (ACES)
Makes possible a greener, more sustainable economy, addresses the moral imperative to reduce the human
impact on climate change, and restores this nation to a position of global leadership in effort to reduce worldwide
emissions and effects of global warming.
Invests a new $90 billion in renewables and energy efficiency by 2025
URGED HIGHER STANDARDS IN ACES
Writes letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging improvements to the American Clean Energy and
Security Act (ACES) by requiring a stronger Renewable Electricity Standard of at least 20% by 2020
CO-SPONSORED THE AMERICAN RENEWABLE ENERGY ACT
Requires 25% of energy generated be from renewable sources.
SUPPORTED ADDITIONAL LEGISLATION TO:
Raise the CAFE standards for the first time in 32 years.
Extend and expand tax credits supporting alternative energy, including solar and wind.
End unnecessary subsidies to big oil companies and instead provide tax incentives to invest in clean,
renewable energy.
SUCCESSFULLY PASSED THORIUM AMENDMENTS
Thorium has the potential to provide more nuclear power with less than 1% of the waste with a significantly shorter half-life, and without the weapons proliferation concerns.
SECURED $500,000 FOR HYBRID ELECTRIC BUSES
Improves air quality in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
HOSTED THREE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY ROUNDTABLES
Brought together District and Washington clean energy small business for a dialogue about prices, reducing dependency on oil, and expanding use of alternative energy.
SUPPORTS:
Extend the tax credits for renewable energy sources
Provides a predictable tax climate to encourage private investment and innovation.
Increase the national renewable energy standard to 20% by 2020.
Funding for research and development of renewable energy sources
Investment in advance battery technology
Enact national interconnection standards
Adopt national net metering
Ensure an educated and trained green energy workforce
GLOBAL WARMING AND CLEAN AIR
CO-SPONSORED SAFE CLIMATE ACT
Decreases emissions each year from 2010-2050 by 2% and provides regulations requiring reductions to meet
such targets.
Accelerates the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States by establishing a market driven
system of greenhouse gas tradable allowances.
CLEAN WATER
CO-SPONSORED BILLS TO PROTECT OUR WATER
Prevents exclusion of certain bodies of water from environmental protections.
Expands definition of pollutants to anything that replaces portions of waters with dry land or changes the bottom elevation of a water body, and anything discharged into water primarily to dispose of waste.
SECURED $400,000 IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR CLEAN WATER IN DISTRICT
To separate combined sewer system so raw sewage is not released during heavy rain.
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
SECURED $250,000 FOR REGIONAL WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROJECT
To enhance watershed infrastructure, including work on culverts and sewers, as well as provide environmental restoration of Pennsylvania creeks.
First step of a comprehensive solution to extensive flooding and pollution, not only from companies that dump contaminants, but also from indirect runoff of pollutants.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT SUMMIT
Brought together federal, state, and local officials to address the serious threat of flooding in the region due to improper watershed management.
CONSERVING NATURAL RESOURCES BY
Establishing an annual park fund of $100 million, through co-sponsored National Parks Centennial Fund Act.
Protecting nearly two million acres of wilderness in eight states.
Protecting 58.5 million acres of this country’s last remaining wild national forests from new road-building and other commodity activities.
Imposing royalties on hardrock mining and mandating environmental protections.
Designating lands within Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as wilderness and components of National Wilderness Preservation System, through co-sponsored bill.
Making permanent the enhanced tax deduction for conservation easement donations.
SUMMARY OF FUTURE INITIATIVES
Joe has and will continue to fight for clean air, clean water and responsible land use to support a secure environment. Joe supports creating a strong national renewable energy standard, extending renewable tax credits, and integrating renewable energy into the energy market. He strongly supports passage of climate change legislation that will move our economy forward, make us more efficient and globally competitive, and mitigate the severe future negative effects of climate change. Joe is working to reauthorize and improve brownfield legislation to restore the 10,000 brownfield sites in Pennsylvania; increase tax credits for land preservation; and improve how we address watershed flooding and pollution. Specifically, Joe believes we need to:
REVITALIZE AMERICA’S INFRASTRUCTURE: CREATING A 21ST CENTURY PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT
Support an Intermodal Transportation System: We must create more livable communities by better integrating transportation and development planning.
Invest in Broadband Technology: Continue to invest in the installation of broadband infrastructure so that all communities, regardless of wealth or geographical location, will have access to state of the art broadband communications. We cannot afford to have whole sections of our country, whole communities, and economic groups without access to the channels of commerce and learning of the 21st Century.
SECURING AFFORDABLE AND DOMESTIC ENERGY THAT CREATES JOBS IN NEW CLEAN ENERGY INDUSTRIES
Renewable Power:
Establish a cap and trade program for carbon emissions: Cap carbon to create an incentive for companies to burn less oil and other fossil fuels and to encourage more carbon-free alternatives such as solar power.
Extend the tax credits for renewable energy sources: Long-term (8 year) extension of renewable energy tax credits.
Increase the national renewable energy standard to 20% by 2020 in conjunction with a strong Renewable Electricity Standard: A Renewable Electricity Standard requiring at least 20% from renewables by 2020 (with the flexibility to meet up to 3% with efficiency) together with a strong Efficiency Resource Standard.
Funding for research and development of renewable energy sources: $150 billion investment over 10 years on renewable energy and energy efficiency and support increased funding to train researchers— securing our competitiveness in the coming years.
Natural Resources:
Coal: Put in place a cap and trade system for carbon emissions; continue investment in clean coal; continue investment and require carbon capture and sequestration.
Nuclear Power: Continuation of the government/industry partnership to help validate the Nuclear Regualtory Commission’s new power plant licensing process, and to resolve technical and/or regulatory issues associated with new nuclear plant designs; Create a commission like BRAC to select long-term storage option(s) and up and down vote from Congress; Continued funding research into developing future reactor technology and design; Promote the use of Thorium following the findings from the Defense and Energy Departments.
Natural Gas:
Give local communities the added protection of the Safe Drinking Water Act, in addition to current State protections.
Encourage the development of natural gas infrastructure and use as a vehicle fuel source.
Increase investment in water infrastructure development.
No comments:
Post a Comment