From MoveOn:

The New York Times just wrote an incredibly important editorial. Did you see it?

In it, they called on the Senate to save the Clean Air Act from an underhanded attack: a loophole in the energy bill that removes President Obama's authority to clean up existing coal plants.

"The older, dirtiest [coal] plants...simply cannot be let off the hook," the Times wrote.¹

If we don't do something, the coal industry is likely to win this battle.

Several key senators are already speaking out on this issue. But to get the rest to stand up to the coal industry, we need to let them know we're paying attention and demanding action. We're aiming to get 200,000 petition signatures in the next week and then hand-deliver them when senators are home for their August recess.

Can you click here to sign your name?

http://pol.moveon.org/cleanairact/o.pl?id=16672-3563042-y6y3O_x&t=3

The petition says: "Congress must not repeal the Clean Air Act provision that requires President Obama to crack down on dirty coal plants."

Without this important Clean Air Act provision, President Obama's Environmental Protection Agency will have to halt recent efforts toward cracking down on the global warming pollution from dirty coal plants.

And if Congress eliminates this part of the Clean Air Act, they'll let old, dirty coal plants off the hook for their pollution—and it could pave the way for the construction of over 100 new coal plants in communities across the country.

In short, as long as Big Coal dominates our politics and our energy grid, wind and solar power won't be able to compete on a level playing field. That's terrible news for the climate and the economy, because wind and solar create more than twice as many jobs as coal and oil.

That's why we need the Senate to save the Clean Air Act and open the door to the clean energy economy of the future. Can you tell the Senate to save the Clean Air Act? Clicking here will add your name:

http://pol.moveon.org/cleanairact/o.pl?id=16672-3563042-y6y3O_x&t=4

Sources:1. "Climate Loopholes," The New York Times, July 22, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/22/opinion/22wed11.html

2. "Climate endangerment finding clears White House review," The New York Times, April 14, 2009

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51624&id=16672-3563042-y6y3O_x&t=5

"Climate change legislation now faces senate heat," Albany Times Union, July 12, 2009

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51623&id=16672-3563042-y6y3O_x&t=6

3. Memo on Clean Air Act authority, Pawa Law, July 2, 2009 [PDF]

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51620&id=16672-3563042-y6y3O_x&t=7

4. "Green Recovery: A Program to Create Good Jobs and Start Building a Low-Carbon Economy," Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, September 2008

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51621&id=16672-3563042-y6y3O_x&t=8