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Environment America endorses Barack Obama for president

New video showcases grassroots support for Obama as best candidate for the environment and our energy future

(Washington, DC) Environment America endorsed Barack Obama for President, citing his clear and bold solutions to our current energy woes and strong commitment to the protection of our environment.  “Senator Obama has publicly committed to fully addressing the pressing problem of global warming and moving the United States toward a new energy future.  He has made clean energy one of the top issues of his campaign and as a public servant representing Illinois at the state and federal levels has a long and consistent record of supporting the environment,” said Margie Alt, Executive Director of Environment America.

Environment America’s endorsement is backed by the federation of 26 state environmental organizations with more than 750,000 members and activists.  More than 7,000 members sent in comments in response to our endorsement decision over the last few weeks, including;

“YES!!!  Please endorse Obama for President and work HARD for his election. The quality of air my three year old breathes for the rest of her life depends on it!” from Julie W. a member of Environment Oregon in Portland, Oregon, and

“Barack Obama plans to promote a healthier environment by reducing carbon emissions, decrease oil consumption, increase use of renewable fuels and preserve the Great Lakes,” a member of Environment Ohio from Joan W, in Wooster, OH.

As a part of its endorsement, Environment America released a video of a sampling of members making the case for Senator Obama as the next environmental president in their own words. Click here to view the video.

Over his career as a U.S. Senator Obama has voted with Environment America 86% of the time, including achieving a 90% on the 2008 Environment America Congressional scorecard.  His one vote missed in our 2008 scorecard was an absence rather than a vote in opposition.  

By comparison, Senator McCain has an extremely disappointing lifetime voting score of 30 percent for votes scored by Environment America.  John McCain has voted against requiring polluters to pay for clean-up of toxic waste sites; he voted against the public’s right to know about pollution in their communities; and Senator McCain has voted to weaken safe drinking water protections.  “Despite his willingness to buck his party on the existence of global warming which we very much appreciate, John McCain just isn’t the president we need to reverse eight years of the anti-environmental Bush Administration” noted Alt

Environment America has prepared a report on the environmental records of both candidates, including their lifetime environmental voting records which is available on our web site.

Environment America is committed to working with our federation of state organizations to mount an aggressive effort to secure a victory for Barack Obama including grassroots outreach to our members and the public.

“Life does not afford us many opportunities to significantly alter the course of future events for all of the natural world and the health of all Americans.  As our staff and members work day in and day out to protection the environment, we recognize that this election and Barack Obama are just such an opportunity. Thus we aggressively have committed ourselves to do our part to ensure that this opportunity for change becomes a reality,” said Alt.