Barely months after they forged letters from veterans in Virginia, the dishonorable front groups of the dirty energy lobby are at it again.  In a move that should offend every American, they’re using Veterans’ day to oppose carbon pollution legislation  – an agenda that threatens to put more brave men and women into harm’s way in the future.

It is clear that they simply don’t understand the nature of the threat to our national security that is posed by climate change. Carbon pollution and climate change are making the world a more dangerous place and that means endangering soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.

Today, they said:

With Veterans Day around the corner, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on all the military personnel who are involved in ensuring our country is protected.

Energy security is one issue that has become increasingly important to our veterans. In fact, national veterans groups Votevets and Operation Free are urging the government to become more energy independent and less reliant on foreign oil.

We can do this by using the abundant domestic fuels we already have. With more than 250 billion tons of recoverable coal reserves, the United States has more coal than the Middle East has oil.

This is insulting to all of the Veterans who are fighting to protect America’s national security by supporting clean, American power.

ACCCE and their allies have no sense of the danger faced by our brave men and women in uniform. They would rather protect their profits than protect our national security. Today, they made it clear that they put their greed above America’s safety – and they used veterans in the process.

The Veterans of Operation Free know that climate change – not just our dependence on foreign energy – is making the world a more dangerous place. In today’s environment, resources and weather play a significant role in security. Unstable states quickly become failed states in the face of drought, famine and the resultant civil unrest caused by climate change.  One need look no further than Afghanistan or Somalia to see the dramatic impact that climate issues like water shortages, famines, and crop failures have on security issues. Failed states have historically been, and will continue to be, safe havens for those who seek to harm America.

Wake up, ACCCE. This is the threat. And you stand in the way of defending us from it.

UPDATE: ACCCE has sent a message to their email list apologizing.

Yesterday, we sent an email to you which some folks felt implied that the group Operation Free supports clean coal technology, an issue which they have not taken a position on. That was not our intention. In reading the original e-mail, I agree that the wording of that original message could have been more precise, and I apologize for any misunderstanding.

This event did give me a chance to talk to the folks at Operation Free. I owed them the call because it should be common courtesy to check with an organization before you mention them in an e-mail – and we didn’t do that. I also committed to making an attempt to remove any confusion from the previous e-mail, and I hope this does that. But moreover, it gave us an opportunity to understand more clearly that we share the common goal of promoting greater energy independence.

It is with profound respect, on this Veterans Day, that we thank all of those veterans who have served our nation with bravery and distinction. They have given their dedication and lives to a cause greater than themselves, and for that we are all grateful.

Thank you for your continued support.

Joe Lucas
Senior Vice President – Communications

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