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McCain Brings Oudated Energy Message to Site of Environmental Disaster 1969 Santa Barbara Oil Spill Highlights Danger of Bush-McCain Drilling Plan
Washington, D.C.--Senator John McCain gave a briefing on global warming today in Santa Barbara, California --the site of one of the nation’s worst environmental disasters, a 1969 oil spill that coated the beaches with oil and galvanized national opposition to offshore oil drilling. Yesterday, Dr. James Hansen, one of the nation’s preeminent climate scientists, said of plans to drill off our coasts: "it’s just a crazy thing to do." It’s also ironic that McCain is touting increased oil drilling at the same time he is telling us he's working on global warming. Calling for more more oil drilling while saying you’re trying to fight global warming is indeed "just a crazy thing to do." Statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director "It's outrageous that John McCain would try and proclaim a message of environmental leadership at the site of one the worst environmental catastrophes in our nation's history--just one week after he proposed allowing Big Oil to begin the 'exploitation' of our coasts. "Republicans and Democrats alike in California aren't fooled by the cynical efforts of John McCain and President Bush to promote Big Oil's drill, drill, drill agenda and neither should the American public. "The Bush administration and even John McCain's own campaign advisors admit that drilling off our beaches and pristine coasts will do absolutely nothing to lower the price of gas today, tomorrow, or even ten years from now. We will never end our addiction to oil if we continue to simply seek another fix off our coasts and in our last remaining special places like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. "Instead of calling for the 'exploitation' of our coasts like John McCain, Barack Obama is calling for an end to the exploitation of American consumers by the oil industry, Wall Street speculators, and other special interests. He wants to end taxpayer-funded giveaways to the oil industry, wants Big Oil to pay its fair share on its record profits, and will crack down on the speculators gaming the system at the expense of hardworking Americans." # # # |
