Enviros call on Obama to defend climate rules in State of the Union

Ahead of President Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday, various interest groups are putting pressure on the president to save a few words for their policy priorities. And environmentalists got in on the action Thursday by calling on the president to underscore his intention to block any attempt to overturn Environmental Protection Agency regulations.

In a letter Thursday, more than 20 environmental groups called on Obama to use the State of the Union address to push back against attempts by Republicans and some Democrats to block or delay EPA’s efforts to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

“Your upcoming State of the Union address offers a perfect opportunity to renew that commitment by making clear that you will continue to stand with the public — not polluters — and do everything in your power to ensure that the EPA retains the authority and the resources to take the life-saving actions necessary to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink,” the letter says. American Lung Association President Charles Connor sent a similar letter Thursday.

Lawmakers are also eager to hear what Obama says in his State of the Union address on energy and the environment. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) said Thursday that he hopes the president will lay out a plan for lowering gas prices, which have reached a two-year high.

“We need to figure out where things are headed and what can we do to create some supply to put some downward pressure on the gas price,” Upton told reporters Thursday. “I think if he fails to talk about gas prices he’s ignoring a problem that looms pretty large.”

But Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), the ranking member on the committee, said what Obama does on energy is more important than what he says in his State of the Union address.

“It’s not what he says in his speech that makes a difference, but what he does as president and the positions he takes,” Waxman said.

Here’s the full environmentalist letter and the list of signatories:

January 20, 2011
 
 
The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
 
Dear Mr. President,
 
We are writing to you about the Clean Air Act, a remarkably successful public health law that has saved hundreds of thousands of lives over the last 40 years while our economy has tripled in size.  Our organizations cannot overstate the priority we put on preventing efforts to block, weaken or delay implementation of this vital law, which at every stage in its history has garnered overwhelming bipartisan support.  We urge you to use your upcoming State of the Union address to underscore the critical need for the Clean Air Act’s sensible safeguards and to oppose any attempt to block, weaken, or delay its continued implementation. 
 
As you know, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun to roll out long-overdue safeguards to reduce carbon, mercury, and other life-threatening pollution from big sources that have been allowed to dump unlimited amounts of pollution into our air for far too long. These clean air safeguards will save tens of thousands more lives, prevent millions of illnesses, and reduce health care costs, while spurring innovation and job growth.  Their health benefits will vastly outweigh their costs. 
 
Unfortunately, the nation’s biggest polluters and some members of Congress have launched an unprecedented attack on the Clean Air Act.  Your recent Wall Street Journal op-ed emphasized your administration’s achievements under the Clean Air Act.  In order to build on those achievements, the EPA must retain its authority to hold polluters accountable and continue moving forward to implement all of these much-needed safeguards. 
 
You have demonstrated a strong commitment to protecting public health and bringing about a clean energy economy throughout your presidency.  Your upcoming State of the Union address offers a perfect opportunity to renew that commitment by making clear that you will continue to stand with the public -- not polluters -- and do everything in your power to ensure that the EPA retains the authority and the resources to take the life-saving actions necessary to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink. 
 
Sincerely,
 
Liz Butler, Campaign Director
1Sky
 
Rebecca Wodder, President
American Rivers
 
John D. Podesta, President and CEO
Center for American Progress
 
John Kassel, President
Conservation Law Foundation
 
Bob Wendelgass, President and CEO
Clean Water Action
 
Rodger Schlickeisen, President and CEO
Defenders of Wildlife
 
Trip Van Noppen, President
Earthjustice
 
Margie Alt, Executive Director
Environment America
 
Fred Krupp, President
Environmental Defense Fund
 
Erich Pica, President
Friends of the Earth
 
Phil Radford, Executive Director
Greenpeace
 
Gene Karpinski, President
League of Conservation Voters
 
David Yarnold, President and CEO
National Audubon Society
 
Thomas C. Kiernan, President
National Parks Conservation Association
 
Larry Schweiger, President and CEO
National Wildlife Federation
 
Frances Beinecke, President
Natural Resources Defense Council
 
Andrew Sharpless, Chief Executive Officer
Oceana
 
Joshua Reichert, Managing Director
Pew Environment Group
 
Michael Brune, Executive Director
Sierra Club
 
William Meadows, President
The Wilderness Society
 
Kevin Knobloch, President
Union of Concerned Scientists
 
Peter Bahouth, Executive Director
U.S. Climate Action Network
 
Carter Roberts, President and CEO
World Wildlife Fund