Running Clean: Good Policy, Good Politics

Running Clean: Good Policy, Good Politics

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Melissa Harrison, NRDC Action Fund, 202-513-6278, [email protected]

Running Clean: Good Policy, Good Politics

NRDC Action Fund Report & Videos Show Success of Clean Energy Candidates in 2012

WASHINGTON (April 9, 2012) – Americans overwhelmingly supported clean energy candidates in the 2012 elections, despite the massive investments by polluters pushing their dirty agenda. Election night polling showed that, regardless of partisanship lines or demographics, nearly 2 in 3 voters, 64 percent, say they have a favorable impression of renewable energy, compared to only 13 percent who say they have an unfavorable impression. When given the chance to choose a future of investing in renewable energy sources and a clean energy economy, voters time and time again chose the candidates who were Running Clean, according to a new report and video series released today by the NRDC Action Fund.

Today, the NRDC Action Fund released Running Clean: Good Policy, Good Politics an in-depth report and video series produced biennially. In the report, the NRDC Action Fund highlights multiple successful candidates who chose to run their campaigns on clean energy, protecting the environment and public health and conserving our natural resources. These hard-fought campaigns demonstrated that America’s leaders can be proud to support a clean agenda that fosters good jobs, healthy families, conservation and a more sustainable future.  This cycle the report contains case studies on: President Barack Obama and Senator Angus King (I-Maine) with additional video interviews with Senators Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), Jon Tester (D-Montana), Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).  

At a press conference in Washington, DC the NRDC Action Fund showed Senator Tim Kaine’s video for the first time. In his video interview Senator Kaine says, “Virginians really believe this is an important issue to tackle, and so I could comfortably do events with environmental organizations or with the environmental community because I knew that was right. I mean it’s what I believe, but I also knew it was right where my voters were.”

“The last election cycle showcased candidates who were able to prove that running clean is not just good policy, it is a winning political strategy,” said Peter Lehner, NRDC Action Fund Executive Director. “The NRDC Action Fund produced Running Clean as a roadmap for future candidates who want solid evidence that supporting clean energy and protecting the environment will help provide them a path to electoral victory.”

“It’s simple, Running Clean works,” said Heather Taylor-Miesle, NRDC Action Fund Director. “Supporting candidates who run on platforms which endorse clean energy investments, protecting the environment and conserving our natural resources will help us grow the environmental majority across America. Candidates from both sides of the aisle should be looking for opportunities to embrace these issues. Ultimately, these are the values represented by their voters and what’s best for our future.”

The Running Clean report and videos can be found online at www.nrdcactionfund.org/runningclean. To read the report: Running Clean: Good Policy, Good Politics. To view the video interviews:

            Senator Tim Kaine

            Senator Jon Tester

            Senator Martin Heinrich

            Senator Mazie Hirono

To request hard copies of the report please contact Melissa Harrison at [email protected].

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The goal of the NRDC Action Fund is to grow the environmental majority across America. The Action Fund is growing power in the places that always matter around the country, so that together we can protect public health and the environment. www.nrdcactionfund.org

Note to reporters/editors: The NRDC Action Fund is an affiliated but separate organization from the Natural Resources Defense Council. As a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, the NRDC Action Fund engages in various advocacy and political activities for which the Natural Resources Defense Council, a 501(c)(3) organization, faces certain legal limitations or restrictions. News and information released by the NRDC Action Fund needs to be identified as from the “NRDC Action Fund.” The “Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund” is incorrect. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the NRDC Action Fund cannot be used interchangeably.  Also please note that the word “National” does not appear in Natural Resources Defense Council.