April 21, 2005
“Good afternoon and thank you for that kind welcome. It is my pleasure to be here in Albany with you and the Albany Chamber of Commerce on Earth Day to formally launch the Green Albany Project.
“Before I begin, let me first acknowledge some of my fellow elected officials who are also in attendance today: Assemblymember Loni Hancock, Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, and Albany City Councilmembers Farid Javandel and Robert Lieber. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for all that they do here in the 9th Congressional District, and applaud their efforts in supporting important and innovative projects like this one.
“I would also like to thank James Carter, the Executive Director of the Albany Chamber of Commerce for organizing today’s event and for spearheading this project, which I know will have countless environmental and economic benefits for Albany and the 9th District.
“It is with great pride that I join you today on the 35th Anniversary of Earth Day as we work to embody and celebrate this year’s theme “protect our children and our future”, and as we announce the launch of the Green Albany Project—a project that is not only good for the environment, but good for business as well.
“As a former small business owner, I am very aware of the challenges small businesses face, particularly in today’s economy. And I’m proud to say that my district includes the active small business community here in Albany.
“By launching the Green Albany Project, the Albany Chamber of Commerce is truly leading by example. This Chamber, which itself was recently certified as a green business, is taking an active role in encouraging other businesses to operate in a way that is not only environmentally sustainable, but that will have tangible long-term benefits for businesses that participate.
“When businesses go green, they are able to save significant amounts of money.
For example, by recycling food scraps and paper waste instead of throwing them away, businesses will save money on their trash bill.
“Through the Smart Lights Program, businesses can also significantly reduce their energy bill—40-80% of which is typically made up by lighting.
“And when businesses take advantage of the conservation methods offered by EBMUD, they not only save water, but they also save on their water bill.
“It is exactly these kinds of progressive, innovative programs that we need to revitalize small business districts across the country, while protecting our environment, our children and our future.
“Unfortunately, the Bush administration and the Republicans in Congress do not share that far-sighted vision. Instead, they continue to prioritize short-term corporate profits over the long-term environmental and economic health of our planet and our children.
“Just yesterday in the House of Representatives—a day before one of the most symbolic and celebrated days in the history of the environmental movement, I had to vote against a cynical, environmentally irresponsible energy bill that was conceived by and for the energy industry in secret meetings with the Vice President.
“This pro-polluter bill includes more than $37 billion in giveaways to the oil, nuclear and coal industries. It reinforces our dependence on oil, it opens pristine public lands like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling and it fails to provide a forward looking strategy to address our energy needs through alternative fuels, renewable energy, reduced consumption, or better fuel economy.
“This bill also poses a serious threat to the health of our children and our communities. Just down the freeway in West Oakland, children are seven times more likely to get asthma than the average child in California due to the air pollution caused by diesel fuels.
“Instead of strengthening the Clean Air Act and punishing polluters, the Bush administration subsidizes them by eliminating polluter penalties, leaving children and families to pay the price for corporate violations and carelessness.
“This bill simultaneously attacks the Clean Water Act and endangers the health of our communities by postponing the ban on MTBE and preventing its manufacturers for being sued for polluting our groundwater.
“This bill is just another in a long series of attacks by this administration on our environment.
“Since President Bush took office, his administration has worked consistently to roll back environmental protections that have been in place for decades to protect our health and preserve our planet.
“Clearly we need to change the direction of environmental policy in Washington, and I hope we can capture the energy and activism of Earth Day to do that. But we also need to pursue environmentally conscious, sustainable ways of living here at home.
“Even the simplest actions that we take on a daily basis can make a huge difference in the kind of world that we leave behind to our children. So I want to applaud the Albany Chamber of Commerce for having the foresight to understand the long-term economic benefits of going green, for actively working to involve local businesses and for setting an example that communities nationwide can follow.
“Again, thank you to those who have worked to get this project off the ground, and congratulations to the Albany Chamber of Commerce.”
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Barbara Lee Praises Green Business, Slams Bush on Earth Day
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee praised green business and criticized the Bush administration and Republican Congress’ energy and environmental policies at an Earth Day press conference in Albany today to announce the launch of the Green Albany Project, an innovative effort to help small businesses save money by adopting environmentally friendly practices. The text of her remarks follows:“Good afternoon and thank you for that kind welcome. It is my pleasure to be here in Albany with you and the Albany Chamber of Commerce on Earth Day to formally launch the Green Albany Project.
“Before I begin, let me first acknowledge some of my fellow elected officials who are also in attendance today: Assemblymember Loni Hancock, Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, and Albany City Councilmembers Farid Javandel and Robert Lieber. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for all that they do here in the 9th Congressional District, and applaud their efforts in supporting important and innovative projects like this one.
“I would also like to thank James Carter, the Executive Director of the Albany Chamber of Commerce for organizing today’s event and for spearheading this project, which I know will have countless environmental and economic benefits for Albany and the 9th District.
“It is with great pride that I join you today on the 35th Anniversary of Earth Day as we work to embody and celebrate this year’s theme “protect our children and our future”, and as we announce the launch of the Green Albany Project—a project that is not only good for the environment, but good for business as well.
“As a former small business owner, I am very aware of the challenges small businesses face, particularly in today’s economy. And I’m proud to say that my district includes the active small business community here in Albany.
“By launching the Green Albany Project, the Albany Chamber of Commerce is truly leading by example. This Chamber, which itself was recently certified as a green business, is taking an active role in encouraging other businesses to operate in a way that is not only environmentally sustainable, but that will have tangible long-term benefits for businesses that participate.
“When businesses go green, they are able to save significant amounts of money.
For example, by recycling food scraps and paper waste instead of throwing them away, businesses will save money on their trash bill.
“Through the Smart Lights Program, businesses can also significantly reduce their energy bill—40-80% of which is typically made up by lighting.
“And when businesses take advantage of the conservation methods offered by EBMUD, they not only save water, but they also save on their water bill.
“It is exactly these kinds of progressive, innovative programs that we need to revitalize small business districts across the country, while protecting our environment, our children and our future.
“Unfortunately, the Bush administration and the Republicans in Congress do not share that far-sighted vision. Instead, they continue to prioritize short-term corporate profits over the long-term environmental and economic health of our planet and our children.
“Just yesterday in the House of Representatives—a day before one of the most symbolic and celebrated days in the history of the environmental movement, I had to vote against a cynical, environmentally irresponsible energy bill that was conceived by and for the energy industry in secret meetings with the Vice President.
“This pro-polluter bill includes more than $37 billion in giveaways to the oil, nuclear and coal industries. It reinforces our dependence on oil, it opens pristine public lands like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling and it fails to provide a forward looking strategy to address our energy needs through alternative fuels, renewable energy, reduced consumption, or better fuel economy.
“This bill also poses a serious threat to the health of our children and our communities. Just down the freeway in West Oakland, children are seven times more likely to get asthma than the average child in California due to the air pollution caused by diesel fuels.
“Instead of strengthening the Clean Air Act and punishing polluters, the Bush administration subsidizes them by eliminating polluter penalties, leaving children and families to pay the price for corporate violations and carelessness.
“This bill simultaneously attacks the Clean Water Act and endangers the health of our communities by postponing the ban on MTBE and preventing its manufacturers for being sued for polluting our groundwater.
“This bill is just another in a long series of attacks by this administration on our environment.
“Since President Bush took office, his administration has worked consistently to roll back environmental protections that have been in place for decades to protect our health and preserve our planet.
“Clearly we need to change the direction of environmental policy in Washington, and I hope we can capture the energy and activism of Earth Day to do that. But we also need to pursue environmentally conscious, sustainable ways of living here at home.
“Even the simplest actions that we take on a daily basis can make a huge difference in the kind of world that we leave behind to our children. So I want to applaud the Albany Chamber of Commerce for having the foresight to understand the long-term economic benefits of going green, for actively working to involve local businesses and for setting an example that communities nationwide can follow.
“Again, thank you to those who have worked to get this project off the ground, and congratulations to the Albany Chamber of Commerce.”
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