Editor:

At labor-environment summit in Oakland on Wednesday, Teamsters President James P. Hoffa announced that the union would be pulling out of the coalition that supports oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Hoffa told union members that more drilling would do nothing to ease pain at the pump, and called instead for an investment in a clean energy economy that will create new jobs.

Sierra Club Conservation Director Greg Haegele said the Teamsters have recognized today that the U.S. can’t drill its way out of this mess. He said the Teamsters want to help lift American families and workers out of the hole they are in, and to do so the U.S. needs to stop subsidizing big oil and start investing in clean energy.

When we work together, we can create good, green jobs while protecting America’s special places like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Green jobs are in high-demand today and this demand will only grow as we invest in clean energy.

The truth is that drilling in America’s fragile places won’t significantly impact gas prices or help a single American family. It will only help the big oil companies, which made more than $123 billion in profits last year alone.

The Teamsters and the Sierra Club have both worked for more than a century to build a better nation. We have an opportunity now to shift the course of this nation towards a clean energy economy that will create jobs, stimulate the economy, and protect our clean air, water, and natural treasures.

We applaud the Teamsters for their bold vision of the future. We are proud to stand with them. We look forward to working to create green jobs and a clean energy economy together.

Kristina Johnson
The Sierra Club
Washington, D.C.