Environment Texas Endorses Barack Obama for President

Media Contacts

New Video Showcases Grassroots Support For Obama As Best Candidate For The Environment And Our Energy Future

Environment Texas

AUSTIN, TX – Environment Texas today endorsed Barack Obama for President, citing his clear and bold solutions to our current energy woes and strong commitment to the protection of our environment.  “Senator Obama has publicly committed to fully addressing the pressing problem of global warming and moving the United States toward a new energy future.  He has made clean energy one of the top issues of his campaign and as a public servant at the state and federal levels has a long and consistent record of supporting the environment,” said Luke Metzger, Director of Environment Texas.

 

Environment Texas’ endorsement was coordinated with Environment America and the federation of 25 other state environmental organizations with more than 750,000 members and activists nationally.  Environment Texas has received significant support from members who sent in comments in response to our endorsement decision over the last few weeks, including: 

 

  • “Barack is the best hope for the environment.  Climate change, pollution and corporate corruption… With Barack we have a much better chance of affecting environmental policy.” from Tim Duda a member of Environment Texas from San Antonio
  • “Barack Obama is the only one (as president) who can bring about the changes we need to get out of the energy crisis.” from Luis Garza a member of Environment Texas from McAllen
  • “Obama is clearly the environment’s best choice… Our planet needs America to have strong environmental leadership, and I believe that Obama is the one who can do it–with our help!” from Tomi Phillips a member of Environment Texas from The Woodlands 

 

As a part of its endorsement, Environment Texas released a video of a sampling of members across the country making the case for Senator Obama as the next environmental president in their own words.  The video can be viewed at http://www.environmentamerica.org/issues/election-2008

 

Over his career as a U.S. Senator, Senator Obama has voted with Environment Texas 86% of the time, including achieving a 90% on the 2008 Environment America Congressional scorecard.  His one vote missed in our 2008 scorecard was an absence rather than a vote in opposition.   

 

By comparison, Senator McCain has an extremely disappointing lifetime voting score of 30 percent for votes scored by Environment Texas.  John McCain has voted against requiring polluters to pay for clean-up of toxic waste sites; he voted against the public’s right to know about pollution in their communities; and Senator McCain has voted to weaken safe drinking water protections.  “Despite his willingness to buck his party on the existence of global warming which we very much appreciate, John McCain just isn’t the president we need to reverse eight years of the anti-environmental Bush Administration” noted Metzger.

 

Environment Texas’ national federation has prepared a report on the environmental records of both candidates, including their lifetime environmental voting records, which is available at http://www.environmentamerica.org/issues/election-2008.  

 

Environment Texas is committed to working with our federation of state organizations to mount an aggressive effort to secure a victory for Barack Obama including grassroots outreach to our members and the public.

“Barack Obama has the vision and grit necessary to break past the polluter lobby in Washington and put America on a path towards a new energy future and a cleaner environment,” said Metzger.