Lucas,
Your activism allows us to enter the New Year with renewed resolve to tackle issues that compromise our health, safety, environment and financial security.
Here is a look back at our work together in 2012 and a preview of our top priorities for 2013.
KEYSTONE PIPELINE
In the beginning of 2012, Republicans forced President Obama to make a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline. In January, thanks to a huge mobilization by activists, Obama rejected the existing pipeline proposal. But the threat of the pipeline has not gone away; luckily neither has the conviction of those fighting to stop it.
Resolution: Mobilize around the largest climate change demonstration in history coming up in February to call on President Obama to lead on climate change and reject the Keystone pipeline.
CLEAN AIR ACT
This year, final standards were adopted to increase fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gases from vehicles — an important step toward breaking our oil addiction.
Resolution: Continue to defend the Clean Air Act from attacks by the fossil fuel industry and its congressional allies and push for strong regulations over new and existing power plants.
GAS PRICES
In 2012, demand for gasoline in the U.S. continued to plummet, while domestic production reached an eight-year high, but the volatile cost of gasoline still plagued working families. In response, Public Citizen called on the Department of Justice to investigate illegal manipulation of the oil market.
Resolution: Continue to fight excessive oil speculation and Wall Street’s profiteering at the expense of working families.
OIL AND GAS SUBSIDIES
This year we fought to repeal the industry’s favored tax incentives through two separate bills and the
fiscal cliff negotiations. While the giveaways were left intact in the final deal, the unnecessary incentives are slated to come under scrutiny in a comprehensive tax reform initiative early this year.
Resolution: Continue to lead the charge against handouts to the oil and gas industry.
NUCLEAR WASTE
After 30 years of failed attempts to adequately address our country’s nuclear waste problem, the Obama administration directed a review of the policies governing the storage and disposal of radioactive material to serve as a blueprint for new legislation. With your help we were able to secure some positive recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Commission tasked with moving nuclear waste policy forward.
Resolution: Ensure the new nuclear waste policy bill reflects the highest standards of safety and justice.
FRACKING
2012 marked the first national protest against fracking. Public Citizen and its allies welcomed thousands of activists from around the country to Washington, D.C., for 4 days of action, trainings, networking and lobbying, all culminating with a rally and march at the Capitol on Saturday, July 28.
Resolution: Continue our grassroots and legislative advocacy to regulate fracking.
BP
In the more than two years since the offshore well in the Gulf of Mexico was capped, Public Citizen has vigilantly dogged our government to hold BP accountable. Criminal penalties against BP were announced in November. In response, the EPA temporarily suspended the corporation from federal government contracts — an action we called for within a month of the Deepwater Horizon explosion. The civil suit against BP is still pending.
Resolution: Push the government to seek the maximum penalties under the full spectrum of laws BP has violated and demand that BP’s temporary suspension be extended to a five-year ban from federal contracts.
WALL STREET
Public Citizen led a coalition of state and national consumer groups in exposing the role Wall Street banks play in manipulating electricity markets.
Resolution: Establish an Office of Consumer Advocate in the federal government to better protect working families from getting price-gouged on their utility bills.
Together we made a difference in 2012. Join us in our resolve to face the upcoming challenges in 2013.
Thanks for all you do.
Sincerely,
Tyson Slocum and Allison Fisher
The Climate and Energy Program Team