PennFuture Applauds Senator Erickson, Rep. Vitali for Environmental Leadership; More Than 1/3 of Senate and Nearly 1/3 of House Co-Sponsor Bills to Launch Pennsylvania's Global Warming Campaign

    HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Citizens for
 Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture) praised Pennsylvania Senator Edwin
 Erickson (R-Delaware) and Representative Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) at a
 press conference today where they announced that they were introducing
 legislation to combat the state's contribution to global warming.
     "American patriot and philosopher Tom Paine once said, 'Lead, follow or
 get out of the way,'" said John Hanger, President and CEO of PennFuture.
 "Today's the day Pennsylvania leads on global warming, thanks to the vision
 and actions of Senator Erickson and Representative Vitali and 80 other
 members of the legislature. The bills introduced today will move
 Pennsylvania from one of the largest contributors to global warming -
 making more of the pollution that causes climate change than 105 countries
 combined - to one of the leaders in solving the problem.
     "The Erickson/Vitali bills are good for both the environment and the
 economy," continued Hanger. "Reducing pollution that causes global warming
 gives our state an opportunity to create jobs and save our citizens energy
 and money. By creating a framework to assess the problem and an action plan
 for fixing the problem, Pennsylvania will be in the forefront of producing
 the technology, the information and the other fixes needed to overcome the
 problem. And with a fully transparent, inclusive and well thought-out
 process, the legislation also shows a good deal of another Tom Paine trait,
 'Common Sense.'"
     PennFuture runs the Cool Pennsylvania Campaign, a statewide coalition
 effort to combat global warming, with specific outreach to faith
 communities. Members of the campaign were active in working to make today's
 legislation a reality.
     PennFuture, the state's first public interest organization to be carbon
 neutral in all activities, balances any activity which contributes to
 global warming - driving, flying, heating, shipping, holding meetings - by
 purchasing clean energy offsets from Pennsylvania companies and projects.
 PennFuture has long used only renewable electricity to power its four
 offices, with the Harrisburg office also producing green energy with a
 solar power plant on the roof. The plant is connected to the PPL electric
 distribution grid, and the extra electricity is delivered back to the grid.
 PennFuture has also installed a state-of-the-art device, invented by
 PennFuture member Stan Budney, which increases the efficiency of its
 Harrisburg building's electric heat pump heating and cooling system.
 PennFuture uses up to 20 percent less electricity with this digital load
 controller.
     PennFuture is a statewide public interest membership organization that
 advances policies to protect and improve the state's environment and
 economy. With offices in Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and West
 Chester, PennFuture's activities include litigating cases before regulatory
 bodies and in local, state and federal courts, advocating and advancing
 legislative action on a state and federal level, public education and
 assisting citizens in public advocacy.
 
 

SOURCE Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture)