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Earth Day Network President on EPA Coal Ruling

EPA Decision Clears Deck for Regulation of Largest Source of CO2 In the U.S.

Statement of Earth Day Network President Kathleen Rogers

"EPA's ruling is a nail in the coffin for the future of coal. We need to end our dependence on coal once and for all and look toward a renewable energy future.

"President-elect Obama needs to appoint an EPA administrator who will carry out this decision, and do what the Bush administration failed to do. The Obama administration has a chance to change the status quo - an over-reliance on coal.

"This ruling is a true test for President-elect Obama. He should agree to uphold this decision and work swiftly to help create a new energy economy based on renewables.

"Coal-fired plants are responsible for over a third of our nation's CO2 emissions and represent the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the country. Our future cannot be built on new coal plants.

"We can create millions of new green jobs in this country, many of them in the renewable energy industry. Wind, solar, geothermal and other renewable energy sources are beginning to take hold and we must create incentives for future growth in this area."

Earth Day Network, www.earthday.net, seeks to grow and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable planet. It pursues these goals through education, politics, and consumer activism. Earth Day Network has a global reach with a network of more than 17,000 partners and organizations in 174 countries. More than 1 billion people participate in Earth Day activities, making it the largest secular civic event in the world.