LCV National Environmental Scorecard

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2010 

Contact:    Kate Geller, (202) 454-4573 or kate_geller@lcv.org
                   Dan Crawford, (919) 839-0020 or dan@conservationcouncilnc.org 

Conservation Council of NC Announces North Carolina’s Delegation Scores from LCV’s 2009 National Environmental Scorecard

***Full Scorecard available at www.lcv.org/scorecard ***

Raleigh, NC – Today, Conservation Council of NC joined the national League of Conservation Voters in releasing the 2009 National Environmental Scorecard, revealing scores for the North Carolina delegation in the first session of the 111^th Congress. For 30 years, the National Environmental Scorecard issued by LCV has been the nationally accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental, public health and energy issues. 

“We applaud those members of the North Carolina delegation who fought in 2009 to bring clean energy jobs to the state and reduce our national dependence on foreign oil, such as members Miller, Watt, Shuler, Price, and Etheridge,” said Dan Crawford, Conservation Council of NC’s director of governmental relations.  “The 2009 Scorecard clearly exposes members Jones, Foxx, Coble, McIntyre, Kissell, Myrick, and McHenry for what they really are: willing to put corporate polluters and other special interests ahead of a cleaner, more secure energy future for North Carolina.” 

The 2009 Scorecard includes 11 Senate and 13 House votes dominated by clean energy and climate but also encompassing other environmental issues such as public lands, water and wildlife conservation.  In North Carolina, three House members and one Senator earned a perfect 100 percent score in 2009, while four House members earned an abysmal 0 percent, and our other Senator only a 9 percent. The average House score in 2009 for North Carolina was 58 percent and the average Senate score was 55 percent. 

“The 2009 National Environmental Scorecard illustrates the extent to which the Obama administration and the 111th Congress began to move our nation towards a clean energy future that will create new jobs, make America more energy independent and curb global warming pollution,” said LCV President Gene Karpinski. “However, it also makes clear that there is still much work to be done, first and foremost to finish the work started in the House by swiftly passing a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill in the Senate.” 

Representatives GK Butterfield (D-NC 1), Bob Etheridge (D-NC 2), David Price (D-NC 4), Heath Shuler (D-NC 11), Mel Watt (D-NC 12), and Brad Miller (D-NC 13) voted for the landmark American Clean Energy and Security Act, which would help bring more than 51,000 clean energy jobs to North Carolina.[1] 

“We especially commend Representative GK Butterfield for his extraordinary leadership on this landmark legislation. He worked hard to protect low and middle income families from potential increases in energy costs in the House version of the bill,” said Alina Johnson, Conservation Council of NC’s Global Warming Policy Liaison. “We can count on Representative Butterfield’s continued commitment to reducing global warming pollution and transitioning to a clean energy economy, vital steps we must take now to ensure a brighter future for all North Carolinians.”

North Carolina’s Congressional Delegation 2009:

Sen. Richard Burr, 9%                                                Rep. Larry Kissell, 79%
Sen. Kay Hagan, 100%                                               Rep. Patrick McHenry, 0%
                                                                                Rep. Mike McIntyre, 79%
Rep. G.K. Butterfield, 93%                                          Rep. Brad Miller, 100%
Rep. Howard Coble, 0%                                              Rep. Sue Myrick, 0%
Rep. Bob Etheridge, 93%                                            Rep. David Price, 100%
Rep. Virginia Foxx, 0%                                                Rep. Heath Shuler, 86%
Rep. Walter Jones, 29%                                              Rep. Mel Watt, 100%

The full 2009 National Environmental Scorecard can be found at www.lcv.org/scorecard. 

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