(3:00PM EST – promoted by Nightprowlkitty)
This is big.
Great news for all of us who seek a Blue/Green Alliance! The Teamsters today left the ANWR coalition, a group in favor of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Jim Hoffa has just announced that the Teamsters are pulling out of the coalition supporting drilling in ANWR and are shifting their support to efforts to build coalitions with green groups to create a sustainable energy economy around sources like solar, wind and geothermal.
“We are not going to drill our way out of the energy problems we are facing-not here and not in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,” Hoffa told labor and environmental activists at an Oakland, Calif., summit on good jobs and clean air. “We must find a long-term approach that breaks our dependence on foreign oil by investing in the development of alternate energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal power.”
Hoffa Rejects ‘Drilling Our Way Out’ of Energy Crisis, Demands Long-Term Policy Solutions
More, after the fold.
(also on dkos and other places)
Jim Hoffa announced the union’s withdrawal from the ANWR coalition, citing the need to build a green economy that fosters the development of alternative energy sources and creates good union jobs-instead of lining the pockets of big oil tycoons.
“Our economy is in shambles. Gas is climbing to $5 a gallon. The dollar has collapsed. Inflation is on the rise. Americans are seeing their paychecks shrink. Their family health care is being slashed,” Hoffa said. “Finding a long-term solution has a tremendous upside. It will be environmentally friendly and will serve as a much-needed boost to our sagging economy.”
Hoffa also thanked labor’s partners in the environmental movement, who are currently working to reduce emissions from port trucks. He urged the strengthening of the alliance, known as the Coalition for Clean & Safe Ports, to achieve a common goal: Good jobs and clean air.
“If we are to prosper as a nation, our future lies in a green economy,” he said. “But it’s up to us to help define the rules of that new green economy. A green economy means we must reduce our dependence on foreign oil. And it means creating good union jobs in America’s growing industries.”
Hoffa Rejects ‘Drilling Our Way Out’ of Energy Crisis, Demands Long-Term Policy Solutions
This is the core of the Blue/Greeen alliance that will rebuild and remake a just America:
“A green economy means we must reduce our dependence on foreign oil. And it means creating good union jobs in America’s growing industries.”
Both.
The Sierra Club praised the Teamsters for this move.
“The Sierra Club and the environmental movement applaud your announcement and look forward to building a powerful movement together-a movement that helps workers, protects the environment, prevents global warming and rebuilds our economy with good, green jobs,” said Greg Haegele, The Sierra Club’s Director of Conservation. “We are proud to stand here today, as allies and friends of the Teamsters.”
Hoffa Rejects ‘Drilling Our Way Out’ of Energy Crisis, Demands Long-Term Policy Solutions
Hoffa and the Teamsters are joining with Al Gore and Barack Obama in working to build a Green economy and all realize that we cannot drill our way out of this mess. We need alternative energy.
Barack Obama last week:
“For decades, Al Gore has challenged the skeptics in Washington on climate change and awakened the conscience of a nation to the urgency of this threat. I strongly agree with Vice President Gore that we cannot drill our way to energy independence, but must fast-track investments in renewable sources of energy like solar power, wind power and advanced biofuels, and those are the investments I will make as President. It’s a strategy that will create millions of new jobs that pay well and cannot be outsourced, and one that will leave our children a world that is cleaner and safer.”
Gore: “end our reliance on carbon-based fuels”
Al Gore last week:
We’re borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet. Every bit of that’s got to change.
But if we grab hold of that common thread and pull it hard, all of these complex problems begin to unravel and we will find that we’re holding the answer to all of them right in our hand.
The answer is to end our reliance on carbon-based fuels.
In my search for genuinely effective answers to the climate crisis, I have held a series of “solutions summits” with engineers, scientists, and CEOs. In those discussions, one thing has become abundantly clear: when you connect the dots, it turns out that the real solutions to the climate crisis are the very same measures needed to renew our economy and escape the trap of ever-rising energy prices. Moreover, they are also the very same solutions we need to guarantee our national security without having to go to war in the Persian Gulf.
What if we could use fuels that are not expensive, don’t cause pollution and are abundantly available right here at home?
Gore: “end our reliance on carbon-based fuels”
Jim Hoffa today:
“We are not going to drill our way out of the energy problems we are facing-not here and not in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,” Hoffa told labor and environmental activists at an Oakland, Calif., summit on good jobs and clean air. “We must find a long-term approach that breaks our dependence on foreign oil by investing in the development of alternate energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal power.”
Working together with labor, environmentalists and Democratic candidates, we can change America and solve our energy crisis, rebuild a greeen economy with good union jobs, and address global warming.
Jim Hoffa at Yearly Kos in 2007.
We need to work with the Teamsters and other unions to rebuild a Green America. Thank you Mr. Hoffa and all Teamsters! Solidarity!
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and the Blue/Green Alliance
This is happy stuff. The Teamsters, no less! Excellent! This is the direction and focus we need in this country — the first priority!
I always felt that if we could but set our goals in this direction, jobs would be created and we could extricate ourselves from this economic abyss! And by reducing the Pentagon budget by half, we could attempt to correct all of the social ills in this country, as well.
Thank you, than you!
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Nightprowlkitty.
for continuing your work sans a candidate. In a way it interesting now that I feel not the need to pump money into the Dems political machines how many other fronts are available. Another example of how coalitions are forming, ones that for years have been at each other throats. The AFLCIO ? came to my door young un’s (by the way Edwards workers) asking for support for Working Americans and Union support. I gladly gave. Solidarity is where we win. We cannot stop this until we all understand the enemy is not us, no matter who we are.
by high gasoline prices.
If American demand for gas is reduced, I guess the reasoning goes, gas prices will fall.
Not sure of that, given the monopoly-nature of gas production and pricing.
The NN needs to really give the decision-makers many cheers and much encouragement for this. It’s past-due that they realize that this is a job creator and an economic shot-in-the-arm.
I’m certain that buggy whip-makers were quite distressed over the rise in the horseless carriage’s popularity, but . . .
Mu . . .