From the Inbox: Free U.S. from Fossil Fuels

TAKE ACTION: It's Time For Independence From Fossil Fuels!
	On this Fourth of July, as the Gulf oil tragedy continues, let's tell President Obama to declare our independence from fossil fuels and start building a road to America's clean energy future!
Dear Friend, As we head into the Independence Day weekend, oil continues to gush into the Gulf of Mexico—dramatic proof that we are not a free people when it comes to energy. We are chained to fossil fuels by decades of industry-dictated energy policies that prevent any real shift to sustainable, clean energy alternatives. The dire consequences of that dependence can no longer be denied: One of the greatest environmental tragedies of our time is playing out in the Gulf of Mexico, where millions of gallons of oil, mixed with toxic dispersants, are afflicting people, entire ecosystems and many other living creatures. Hundreds of miles of waterways and dozens of mountains in Appalachia have been destroyed by mountaintop removal coal mining to satisfy our need for electricity. From coast to coast, our air and water are filled with poisons and toxic matter emitted in the processes of mining, burning and disposal of coal. As easily obtained fuel supplies dwindle, we are seeing ever-more extreme and polluting methods of extraction used, creating greater risk to our communities, public lands and most treasured wild places, such as the Arctic. President Obama obviously understands what's at stake. Not so many days ago, he stood in the oil-soaked sands of the Gulf coast and said this nation can't afford a future that looks like the present. He said America must have a clean energy future. But the president stopped short of describing what that future looks like and how we are going to reach it. Let's tell the president that we want more than dreams. Let's tell him to draw a line in the sand, declare our independence from oil and coal, and then put our nation on a clear, well-defined road to reach that clean future, starting now when the nation is so aware of the terrible price we pay for fossil fuels. Of course, President Obama needs Congress to legislatively build that path, but most of all, he needs us to get behind him and push to make it happen. Even now, there's a fresh move in the Senate to get the long-delayed climate and energy legislation moving. It's a great opportunity for the president's fresh start, and we should tell him. Let's get going, Mr. President. The future of clean energy begins today. Lead us there: http://action.earthjustice.org/campaign/freedom_0710/i37iwdur475b3iim? — Earthjustice Because the earth needs a good lawyer