Broad Coalition Launches The Clean Energy Works Campaign

There are few topics that can bring together animal protection advocates with hunters, teachers with security hawks, steel workers with minority rights advocates, and faith groups with scientists. But clean energy is one of them.

Today saw the launch of the Clean Energy Works Campaign, bringing together groups as diverse as ACORN and Catholics United, American Hunters and Shooters and Defenders of Wildlife, League of Rural Voters and the NAACP, Vote Vets and the Service Employees Union. The 64 organization involve cover a spectrum of core concerns and represent 12 million people, but they share a common purpose; advocating for a comprehensive clean energy and climate plan.

“Millions of Americans want more clean energy jobs, less pollution, and greater national security,” said David Di Martino, Clean Energy Works Communications Director. “We send a billion dollars a day overseas to pay for our oil. It's time to invest that money here – in secure, renewable energy sources that are made in America, provide jobs for Americans and work for America.”

The campaign is national, but initially focusing on 28 states in the Midwest, south and west with field organizers, lobbying efforts and television, radio and internet ads. And in a sign of the times, the Facebook page and Twitter account have gone live before the actual website - www.cleanenergyworks.us.

The campaign hopes to tap into what they call overwhelming public support for clean energy legislation. They may also be looking to make passage of a clean energy bill a priority in a Congress that is also grappling with major health care legislation.

Within a few hours, they were pushing out today’s Wall Street Journal blog post about a new independent study of the Waxman-Markey bill that says the benefits far outweigh the costs.

While clean energy may make for some strange bedfellows, it can also be seen as a unifying force among disparate interests. And those many voices in favor of a comprehensive bill - whether for reasons of the environment, national security or the economy - will be heard loud and clear if Clean Energy Works has their way.