Tuesday oil and coal lobbyists are bringing outsiders to Springfield for a few hours to protest the clean energy jobs legislation pending in Washington, and to attempt to argue for the status quo.
I know the location was picked by the American Petroleum Institute inside the beltway, but still - haven't they heard that Springfield is basically doing what the clean energy jobs bill proposes for the country?
Most of the "energy citizens" are getting a free ride, a free lunch, and a day's pay to show up and protest clean energy Tuesday. Here's what the DC organizers of the rally are against, and how Springfield is already doing just that:
-Targets for reducing global warming pollution
Springfield has committed to reducing global warming pollution 7% below 1990 levels by 2012, and gave residents cleaner air by shutting down an old dirty coal plant to help meet these levels
-Investing in the future with renewable energy
Springfield is leading the transition to a new energy future with its investments in wind energy, which protect local ratepayers by diversifying their power supply, and make our state capitol 100% wind-powered.
-Creating jobs cutting power bills
Springfield has begun major new energy efficiency programs to help residents and businesses use less energy, and create good jobs for skilled workers qualified to do energy efficiency upgrades.
So while Springfield moves to the future, national and state lobbyists gather here to argue for failed energy policies that leave most of us with high prices and pollution, and make the companies financing this “rally” richer and richer.
Springfield is showing that solving global warming works - they are doing it NOW, and know that it creates jobs, lowers energy prices, and cleans the air.
These are the same major changes before Congress this fall. Springfield knows these were good choices, and we are already seeing the results.
Maybe big oil and dirty coal can take some of those lessons back to Washington.
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