STATEMENT OF EARTH DAY NETWORK ON SOLAR INSTALLATION AND POLICY OF THE WHITE HOUSE

For Immediate Release                                                            Contact:  Lisa Swann October 5, 2010                                                                      202 518-0044 ext. 14

Statement of Earth Day Network on Solar Installation and Policy of the White House

“Thirty years after President Carter’s solar equipment was ripped from the White House roof, today’s announcement signifies that America is coming back on the field.  Let’s put solar not just on the White House but on every house.” –  Denis Hayes is chairman of the board of trustees of the American Solar Energy Society. He was director of the federal Solar Energy Research Institute during the Carter administration and was national coordinator of the first Earth Day in 1970, and he now is chair emeritus of the International Earth Day Network. In his last article for Yale Environment 360, he outlined a bold new energy strategy for the US. “With the upcoming installation of solar panels on the White House, the Obama Administration is making good on a commitment to develop clean renewable energy.  This announcement comes directly after Obama’s weekly address, on the creation of a clean energy economy.  This initiative will create thousands of jobs in energy efficiency, clean transportation, and wind and solar power.  It will double the amount of renewable energy in the US.” – Kathleen Rogers, Earth Day Network President. About Earth Day Network  Earth Day Network was founded on the premise that all people, regardless of race, gender, income, or geography, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment. Our mission is to broaden and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable environment. We pursue our mission through a combination of education, public policy, and consumer activism campaigns. Our campaign and programs are predicated on the belief that an educated, energized population will take action to secure a healthy future for itself and its children. Earth Day Network has a global reach with a network of more than 22,000 partners and organizations in 192 countries. Earth Day Network is a 501(c)3 organization located in Washington, D.C.