REP President Rob Sisson's Statement Calling on Congressman Ehlers to Vote for American Clean Energy and Security Act

June 25, 2009

Welcome! My name is Rob Sisson. I’m president of Republicans for Environmental Protection, a fifteen-year-old national organization now headquartered in Michigan. I’m a former Mayor of the City of Sturgis and was Michigan’s Small Business Advocate of the Year 2000.

At Republicans for Environmental Protection, we believe that our economy, and the land, air and water that make Michigan such a special place are intrinsically linked. And don’t be misled by our name—protecting our natural resources is not a partisan or political issue. It’s just plain common sense and it’s the reason we exist.

I’m here today to ask Congressman Vern Ehlers to vote “YES” tomorrow as the US House of Representatives takes up the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

The legislation boils down to three key points:

One: It will create thousands of good-paying jobs for our workers here in Michigan and help recharge our economy.

Two: It will help break our dependence on foreign oil and allow us to take control of our own energy security.

And Three: It will help protect our land, air, water and special way of life in the Great Lakes State.

Passage of this bill is imperative to spur new investment and innovations in American industry, and to create thousands of new jobs in Michigan.

Climate change is an issue that affects each and every one of us living, working, and raising families in the state of Michigan, regardless of political affiliation. It affects residents even more so here in West Michigan, where Lake Michigan is a driving force in the local economy, almost single-handedly supporting our state’s third largest industry—tourism. Lake Michigan has long served as a natural climate moderator, making for a strong fruitgrowing industry along the coast. Unfortunately, a warming Lake Michigan has been unable to perform that function during much of the past decade, leading to major crop failures. Its health is intertwined with our daily lives.

For too long, our leaders have debated what to do. The lack of a plan has caused confusion and put the brakes on investment and jobs.

Businesses don’t like uncertainty. When the rules of the road aren’t clear, they can’t plan, can’t figure out how best to deploy their capital, can’t determine what products to roll out, and can’t specify the numbers and types of workers to hire.

Give them certainty, however, and businesses will find ways to make money, build plants, develop new products, and most importantly for communities in Michigan and elsewhere, create jobs.

Business will play a crucial role in developing the advanced technologies that will tamp down harmful gas emissions, but they need a clear set of rules to work with. Passing the American Clean Energy and Security Act would give business leaders the certainty they need to plan their companies’ futures in a world with limits on emissions.

With a new environment will come new opportunities. There’s been a lot of talk about the incredible job-creating potential of a clean energy future. I want you to know, it’s not just talk. We have so many examples in the Grand Rapids-area, from LEED-certified buildings and builders, to United Solar Ovonics to Cascade Engineering. There will be new jobs, new technology, new manufacturing, and new wealth building here in west Michigan. It’s the real deal, and so far Michigan has gained 109,000 jobs in the green energy sector. Over a three-year period, the green energy industry grew 30 percent.

And, boy, do we need those jobs as our manufacturing sector continues to shrink at an alarming pace. Our unemployment rate hit 14.1 percent last month and is expected to climb even higher. With a focus on green energy industries, we can create new opportunities immediately for our businesses and our workers.

As Chad Holliday, CEO of DuPont, told a House committee earlier this year: “Federal legislation will help create the marketplace that will drive innovation, economic growth, and environmental progress.”

DuPont ought to know. In the 1980s, DuPont, a leading manufacturer of CFC refrigeration chemicals, faced the reality that credible research had linked its products to depletion of a protective ozone layer in the upper atmosphere that shields us from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Rather than deny the evidence or fight action to deal with the problem, DuPont participated constructively in negotiations to craft a global treaty to begin phasing CFCs out. As Holliday told Congress recently, the treaty created a “predictable pathway to change.”

With the rules clear, DuPont developed practical replacement products, which resulted in new investments and new jobs. Today, DuPont is a thriving company that adapted to change, grew, and remains one of America’s leading employers.

DuPont didn’t achieve its successful transition away from CFCs alone, however. The company had help from President Ronald Reagan, who accepted the science of ozone depletion, dismissed the scoffers in his party, and ordered his diplomats to negotiate a strong treaty. The treaty wasn’t perfect, but it was a good start.

Reagan took prudent action to protect Americans from a serious risk and gave DuPont and other American businesses the certainty they needed to succeed in a changing world. We have the opportunity to do the same thing.

Congress should follow Reagan’s example and pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act. Businesses will take it from there.

The bill will help spur investment in the production of solar panels and wind turbines for the production of our own clean energy and put us in charge of our own energy security. We send billions of dollars out of state each year to buy coal and oil. Our dependence on foreign oil has us sending our hard earned dollars into the pockets of our enemies overseas, where dictators have control over our energy supply. Instead, we should be funneling those dollars into Michigan businesses like Greenville’s United Solar Ovonics or Grand Rapids’ Cascade Engineering and into the pockets of our own workers—our family members, neighbors, and friends.

The bill also will clear the way for Michigan to become a global leader in the production of advanced battery technology, for the next generation of fuel efficient vehicles that we will produce right here.

It will help home owners and builders by focusing on energy efficiency and boosting investment in existing buildings and new construction.

This bus station that we’re standing in front of right now is a prime example of green development. From the green roof above to the recycled materials in the floor, this building is a prime example of how we can and will do better with a strong national plan. The City of Grand Rapids is a national leader in sustainable development. It is only fitting for the congressman who represents a city that is a national model of sustainability to support federal legislation that will clear the path for other cities to follow suit.

And the bill’s focus on clean energy will help protect our Great Lakes, inland lakes and rivers—the waterways that define our state. Michigan’s tourism industry supports 200,000 jobs and countless small businesses…the kinds of businesses that are passed on from generation to generation. This clean energy legislation will help reduce the harmful emissions that imperil our natural resources and those jobs.

This bill is good for Michigan’s economy because it will create new business opportunities, encourage our industries to be more sustainable, and set the stage for America to compete and prosper in the 21st Century economy.

Our good friend, Congressman Ehlers, has a record of putting science and the economy over ideology, and we urge him to continue that record now. Republicans for Environmental Protection, its Michigan Chapter, and our scores of Grand Rapids area members call on Congressman Vern Ehlers and Michigan’s other congressman to vote YES when this plan comes up for a vote tomorrow.

We simply cannot wait. Let’s make sure we pass on to our children and our grandchildren a Michigan…and a nation…filled with opportunity and promise.

I urge each of you to contact your congressman and ask him to do the right thing tomorrow—to vote YES on this plan to build a stronger Michigan.

Thank you.