[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 11 (Friday, January 19, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   REPORT ON RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 6, CLEAN 
                           ENERGY ACT OF 2007

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                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 19, 2007

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007. We must be mindful in the 
creation of long-term energy alternatives for the future of our nation, 
as the acronym CLEAN denotes. I am honored to be among my many esteemed 
colleagues as an original cosponsor of this legislation.
  At this juncture, we must move beyond the obvious motivations for 
responsible energy policies. As my colleagues have acknowledged, 
scarcity of resources, national security, greenhouse gas emissions, and 
the impact of oil exploration top the list of concerns addressed by 
this legislation. However, we must also acknowledge the true impact of 
these challenges on our nation's most vulnerable populations. In this 
sense, progressive energy policy is inextricably linked with the 
pursuit of true environmental justice.
  Madam Speaker, my support for this legislation is founded in a 
profound desire to confront the diminishing life changes and 
debilitating health conditions attributed to polluting energy sources. 
Asthma has significantly increased over the past few decades, 
especially among African American populations. In 2004, 17 percent of 
African Americans under the age of 18 lived with asthma compared to 
only 11 percent of their white counterparts. On behalf of our children, 
we must understand the root cause of this disparity and take action to 
pursue alternative sources of energy for posterity.
  Furthermore, I support the thrust of this legislation because it 
discourages extraction from offshore oil and natural gas reserves. I 
stand with many of my constituents in acknowledging that the pursuit of 
these resources has the potential to cause life-threatening accidents 
and irreversible environmental damage to our Outer Continental Shelf. 
Rescinding incentives for this form of oil and natural gas production 
set forth in the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act will undoubtedly 
protect our fragile marine ecosystems and stimulate the quest for 
alternative energy sources.
  Madam Speaker, complemented by other pieces of legislation, the CLEAN 
Energy Act of 2007 will bring accountability to the industries 
responsible for many environmental injustices and shift our nation away 
from a defunct paradigm of reliance on irresponsible energy sources. A 
new age for energy use is upon us.

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