According to a news release from the Ohio Valley Environmental Council, three Appalachian-based organizations are joining a wider fight against energy lobbyists in Washington.
Christians For The Mountains, Coal River Mountain Watch and OVEC are joining a network of 33 other citizen organizations with more than 1.1 million members combined. The network is hoping "to advance a nine-point 'American Clean Energy Agenda' and to push for a serious renewable energy agenda, no matter who is the next President or which party controls Congress."
The group's unified goal is to phase out the use of nuclear power, natural gas, coal and industrial biomass and replace it with renewable energy sources.
The group was organized by the nonprofit Civil Society Institute and the Environmental Working Group.
Christians For The Mountains Coordinator, Allen Johnson
"America is at a moral crossroads on energy. Either fellow citizens with foresight, conscience, and courage rise up to lead us into a renewable, clean, bright energy future, or else the current ‘business as usual' energy policy will seriously degrade our country for
future generations. The science, technology, and economic analysis are clear that a clean energy future can be accomplished and at the same time invigorate our economy and provide jobs. Let's face the future and do it."
Also from the release:
The 36 organizations joining together to support the agenda are: Appalachian Citizens Law Center; Beyond Nuclear; Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy; Chesapeake Climate Action Network; Christians for the Mountains; Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana; Citizens' Greener Evanston; Civil Society Institute; Clean Air Council; Coal River Mountain Watch; Community Environmental Defense Council; Dakota Resource Council; Don't Waste Michigan; Environmental Advocates of New York; Environmental Working Group; GRACE Communications Foundation; Healthy Planet; Kentucky Coalition; Long Island Progressive Coalition; Northern Plains Resource Council; Nuclear Information and Resource Service; Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC); Oregon Rural Action; Otsego 2000; Partnership for Policy Integrity; Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Sustainable and Healthy Energy; Powder River Basin Resource Council; Renewable Energy Long Island; Responsible Drilling Alliance; Shut Down Indian Point Now; Statewide Organizing for Community Empowerment; VT
Citizens Action Network; West Michigan Jobs Group; Western Colorado Congress; Western Organization of Resource Councils; and Women's Energy Matters.
The 36 organizations work on the ground in the following 23 states (plus the District of Columbia): California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
http://www.wvnstv.com/story/18899259/appalachian-environmentalists-join
