[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 86 (Friday, May 23, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RENEWABLE ENERGY AND JOB CREATION ACT OF 2008

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. NITA M. LOWEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wedesday, May 21, 2008

  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6049, 
the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act. This important legislation 
would provide critical tax relief to families coping with increased 
costs of gas and food, while continuing our national investment in 
renewable energy and conservation programs to reduce our dependence on 
foreign oil. I am particularly pleased that this legislation includes 
$3 billion in energy conservation bonds to help States reduce 
greenhouse gases.
  Protecting the environment for future generations is a collective 
responsibility. We must each do our part to leave a better, cleaner 
world than the one we inherited. That has been a guiding principle for 
my efforts in Congress, and it is our mutual obligation.
  Recently, both Rockland County and Westchester County in my district 
in New York have joined communities nationwide moving to reduce our 
dependence on foreign oil by passing plastic bag recycling laws.
  We know that the production of plastic bags and film plastic 
worldwide uses over 12 million barrels of oil per year, accounting for 
more than 4 percent of the world's total oil production. We also know 
the disturbing truth that in the United States we use more than 1 
bilIion plastic bags a year, and less than 1 percent of those bags are 
recycled. Even more troubling, the Environmental Protection Agency 
estimates the average plastic bag takes up to 1,000 years to 
decompose--in the process breaking down into smaller pieces that 
contaminate our soil and waterways and cause injury, illness or death 
to marine and animal life.
  I recently introduced H. Res. 1161 to honor retailers and those State 
and local governments throughout the nation that have taken similar 
proactive steps to tackle this critical energy and environmental 
challenge. In the coming weeks I will also be introducing legislation 
to establish a national program promoting plastic bag recycling at our 
retail outlets, and I look forward to working with the members of the 
Ways and Means Committee, the Energy and Commerce Committee, and the 
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming to tackle 
this issue.
  Thank you again to Chairman Rangel for your leadership on these 
critically important issues, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 
6049.

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