Arizonans featured in project highlighting “Voices for 100% Renewable Energy”
Environment Arizona
For more information: Anna Hofmann – (202) 461-2453
Today, Environment Arizona announced four Arizona residents profiled as leading voices for clean energy. The Arizonans are profiled in a national project, Voices for 100% Renewable Energy, featuring photos, testimonials, and videos from a wide array of individuals from across America – from academics, to mayors and other public officials, to community leaders, to business and non-profit leaders – embracing a massive transition to clean energy.
Arizonans featured in the in the project include Arizona Congressman Raúl Grijalva; Lauren Kuby, a council member representing the city of Tempe; Paul Hirt, a professor of History and Sustainability at Arizona State University; and Kierán Suckling, the executive director the the Center for Biological Diversity.
“We’re inspired by people like Congressman Grijalva, Councilwoman Kuby, Kierán Suckling, and Professor Hirt who know we can, and must shift to 100 percent renewable energy,” said Rob Sargent, Energy Program Director with Environment America. “We’re thrilled to share some of their stories through this project. Our hope is that it will motivate the many folks who know we need a swift, steady, and complete transition from dirty to clean energy to lean into the effort.”
The people featured in the project cited a range of environmental, economic, equity, social, and health benefits from the transition to 100 percent renewable energy. Most focused on the urgent need to eliminate climate-altering carbon pollution. Others simply believe that it’s common sense and good economics to save energy and to harness unlimited, pollution-free energy sources.
“If we’re going to have a planet that’s livable for all – people and wildlife – we have to end our destructive addiction to fossil fuels and embrace renewable energy. It’s no pipe-dream: we have the ability right now to begin a massive shift toward these safer, saner fuel sources,” says Kierán Suckling.
Professor Paul Hirt says, “It’s coming like a flood tide. 100% renewable energy is possible, it’s affordable, it’s a pathway to a strong economy and a growing workforce, it can lead to energy independence, and it’s the only way to mitigate global warming—to electrify the economy and transition to 100% renewable energy.”
Lauren Kuby represents the city of Tempe, which is working to become 100 percent renewable by 2035. “I will work to ensure Tempe leads Arizona in adopting a 100 percent municipal renewable energy goal,” Councilwoman Kuby says. “We must make this transformational investment for our communities, our cities, our state, and the world.”
Congressman Raúl Grijalva is a co-sponsor of the national bill to move America to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. He says, “I am committed to a 100 percent renewable energy future. There’s no other responsible option – if we care about the generations coming after us, then pursuing renewable energy is the only choice we have. To continue to depend on fossil fuels is to continue to endanger all life on this planet. This is not about politics – it’s about survival.”
“For years, we’ve been told that pollution from dirty fuels was the price we had to pay for progress,” said Anna Hofmann, a clean energy associate working with Environment Arizona. “Those days are over. My confidence that we can make the shift to clean renewable energy has been boosted by the conversations I’ve had with so many people we’ve profiled in the Voices for 100% Renewable project.”
To view Voices for 100% Renewable Energy, go to www.100percentrenewable.org.
