McCain Speech Shows Strong Climate Leadership

Senator John McCain's speech today shows he will be a strong, decisive leader in the fight against climate change, a clear break from the timid policies of the Bush administration, Republicans for Environmental Protection, a national grassroots organization, said today in response to the speech prepared for delivery at a wind energy technology facility in Portland, Ore.

"Senator McCain's resounding call for strong action on climate change underscores his longstanding commitment to solving this problem," said REP President Martha Marks. "His insightful remarks, along with his long record of climate leadership in the Senate, make it clear that he is the presidential candidate most dedicated and best prepared to fight global warming."

"His grasp of the problem and his firm resolve to deal with it shows that he means what he says about bringing back the Republican Party's 'Teddy Roosevelt tradition' of responsible stewardship," Marks added.

"It is great to have a Republican nominee who truly understands the environmental challenge before us," said REP Government Affairs Director David Jenkins. "Senator McCain is putting the conserve back into conservatism. Not since Theodore Roosevelt have we had a nominee who so fully embraced the stewardship ethic that is at the core of traditional conservatism."

"From a political standpoint, we now have an extraordinary opportunity to accelerate environmental progress. We urge our friends in the environmental community to give this remarkable speech the attention and respect that it deserves," Jenkins added.

"Senator McCain's skillful use of the bully pulpit today to press for action on climate change should come as no surprise," said REP Policy Director Jim DiPeso. "This is a high-priority issue for him, and he will not rest until strong and effective climate legislation is enacted."

"No elected leader anywhere in America has exerted more leadership, expended more effort, or sacrificed more political capital on climate change than John McCain," DiPeso added.

In his speech, Senator McCain said that as president, he will propose cap-and-trade legislation, with emissions standards, incentives and economic safeguards, that will move markets towards cleaner technologies that do not have the high costs of fossil fuels, including environmental damage and dependence on unstable, hostile regimes.

As Senator McCain said, those costs "are no longer tenable, sustainable or defensible. What better way to correct past errors than to turn the creative energies of the free market in the other direction. Under the cap-and-trade system, this can happen."

Under the McCain plan, federal funds will be used to help build the post-carbon economy, including research bringing forward the cleaner energy choices of tomorrow: carbon capture and storage, renewable energy, plug-in hybrid vehicles, hydrogen power, and advanced nuclear technologies.

Under McCain's leadership, in sharp contrast to the Bush administration, America will set a powerful example that will give our country credibility to negotiate fair and effective climate agreements with all nations.

"America, the world's richest and most powerful nation, must be the world's leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and minimizing the risks that climate change poses to the environment and security. Yet America and its allies cannot solve this problem alone. Under climate agreements that McCain will negotiate, no country will get a free pass but every country that wants America's help adopting cleaner technologies will get it," Marks said.

"As Senator McCain said, climate change is the most serious environmental danger that America faces. He has a profound understanding of the problem, a strong commitment to solving it, and a proven willingness to spend political capital to get the job done. The choice is clear. No candidate for President is better prepared to lead the fight against global warming than John McCain," Marks said.

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com