Statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director

 "Last month in Copenhagen President Obama restored American leadership on global warming; now he's making the federal government a leader here at home. The actions announced today can serve as a model for businesses, as well as state and local governments.

"The federal government is the largest energy consumer in America--if not the world--and if it can achieve reductions on this scale, there's no reason that the rest of the country cannot do the same. These plans will not only reduce pollution and cut overall energy use, they will save taxpayers billions of dollars and help shift us away from our dependence on oil and other dirty fuels toward more clean energy and energy efficiency. It's a perfect illustration of the fact that making investments in greater efficiency and reducing emissions will actually cut energy costs.

"Today's announcement is also reminder that while President Obama and his administration are working very hard and making real progress toward a clean energy future, they cannot do it alone. It's time for the Senate to get serious about passing bipartisan, comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation.  In addition to slashing our dangerous dependence on oil and creating millions of new jobs, clean energy legislation will restore American industry, rebuild the middle class, and rescue our economy by putting it back on a path to long-term, sustained prosperity."