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Attorney Applauds Call for Clean Energy in Light of Oil Spill

06.17.2010

President Obama’s call for acceptance of clean energy and climate change legislation is a good sign for both the environment and business, says Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP attorney Greg Chafee. Chafee represents a number of clean energy companies and chairs the public policy committee of the Ga. Solar Energy Association.

“This is more evidence that the Gulf spill disaster has become a wakeup call for a nation that remains firmly addicted to oil,” Chafee says. “Not only should the federal government hold BP accountable for its errors and misjudgments leading up to the disaster, the federal government is now positioned more than ever to be the catalyst for funding research and development on alternative fuels.”

Chafee says the real opportunity arising from the Gulf spill disaster is to use this experience as the starting point for investment in technology and manufacturing to bring more renewable resources into the marketplace. “If we do not mobilize our resources now to concentrate on our energy future, we will be missing a key opportunity to positively re-shape the economic and environmental future of our nation,” he adds.

Finally, he notes that while many people are quick to demonize oil companies, the truth is that many petroleum concerns invest significant amounts into clean energy development. He also points out that America is unlikely to do without oil in the near future.

“Weaning ourselves from our addiction to oil does not begin at the White House; it begins at home,” Chafee says. “Each decision we make daily – from the cars we drive, to the containers in which we store our food, to how high we set the thermostat – has an impact on our demand for oil. It's that demand which led us to drill a mile beneath the ocean floor in the Gulf of Mexico.”

Chafee can be reached at 404-233-7000 and GChafee@mmmlaw.com.

About Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP

With our roots in the Southeast, Morris, Manning & Martin (www.mmmlaw.com) is a full-service law firm with national and international reach. We dedicate ourselves to the constant pursuit of our clients’ success. To provide our clients with optimal value, we combine market-leading legal services with a total understanding of their needs to maximize effectiveness, efficiency and opportunity. MMM enjoys national prominence for its green industry, healthcare, intellectual property, capital markets, environmental, insurance, mergers & acquisitions, technology, timberland and forest products, real estate, and litigation practices. MMM has offices in Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Savannah, Taipei, Beijing and Washington, D.C. and now an alliance with FGCN in São Paulo, Brazil.

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Media Contact: Terri Thornton, Thornton Communications (404) 932-4347 terri@territhornton.com