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WASHINGTON, June 10, 2010 –World Wildlife Fund today issued the following statements regarding the defeat of Senate Joint Resolution 26, sponsored by Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, which sought to strip the Environmental Protection Agency of its authority to regulate dangerous greenhouse gasses.  
 
From Russell Train, WWF’s Founder and Chairman Emeritus, and EPA administrator during the Nixon and Ford administrations:

"Today, the Senate rightly rejected a proposal to overturn science and replace it with politics. The resolution offered by Senator Murkowski would have undermined the authority of the EPA and its ability to protect the health and welfare of the American people. That the Senate would even consider taking such a step when the nation is facing the most destructive environmental disaster in its history, is nothing less than outrageous. The last thing the senators should be doing at this moment is attempting to weaken longstanding environmental laws. I commend those senators who voted to preserve the role of science in critically important environmental decisions, and I urge all senators to now refocus their time and energy on real solutions to our current challenges. In particular, the Senate should now work with vigor and urgency to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation that will break our oil addiction and place firm limits on fossil fuel pollution. In doing so, it should preserve the essential tools that are provided to the EPA under the Clean Air Act."

From Lou Leonard, WWF’s Director of US Climate Policy:

“The defeat of the Murkowski resolution is a victory for sound science, and sends a clear signal to Senate leadership that there is a path toward passage of a climate bill this year. Only in Washington could the Senate waste precious time debating the basic science of climate change on the same day that NASA announced the warmest spring in recorded history.  But this vote should finally allow us to move on from political attacks on science to creating solutions that break our addiction to oil and other dirty fuels and move America to a clean energy economy.  

“Even many of those who supported the Murkowski amendment agreed today that Congress must act to reduce carbon pollution.  The strong support for Senate action heard from both sides today is a definitive signal to Senators meeting next week to determine the final direction of a climate and clean energy bill that they can move forward secure in the knowledge that a solid majority of the Senate supports a comprehensive climate and energy package that limits fossil fuel pollution and leads America to a clean energy future.”

ABOUT WORLD WILDLIFE FUND
WWF is the world’s leading conservation organization, working in 100 countries for nearly half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more.

Learn more about WWF’s efforts to secure Senate passage of comprehensive clean energy and limate legislation at www.ActForOurFuture.org.