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Video: Carbon Cap Gets Lift From Unemployed Steel Workers and Rust Belt Mayor in New Ad Campaign

Posted on: Monday, 13 April 2009, 09:55 CDT

NEW YORK, April 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- You won't find shots of pristine wind farms, glistening solar panels, or environmental engineers in the advertising campaign launched today to support a cap on carbon pollution. Instead, viewers, readers and web surfers in eight states and the District of Columbia will hear from a group of unemployed steel workers and John Fetterman - the Harvard-educated, tattooed, 'take no prisoners' mayor of Braddock, PA, a small steel town and former 'Jewel of the Monongahela Valley' that is struggling for its very survival.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090413/NY97656 )

In the campaign, sponsored by Environmental Defense Action Fund (EDAF), Fetterman advocates for a carbon cap as a critical step toward generating jobs in blue-collar industries, like steel. For towns like Braddock, Flint, and Akron, these industries are the lifeblood of the community.

"Towns like Braddock need Congress to cap carbon so we can get to work," Mayor Fetterman said. "It takes 250 tons of steel to make a wind turbine, and we're ready to make as many as we can. We've lost 250,000 jobs in Monongahela Valley, and I want to bring them back for the next big business built on steel."

The campaign was shot on location in Braddock. In coordination with the local branch of United Steelworkers, steelworkers who were laid off from mills in the Monongahela Valley were cast in the television, print and on-line executions.

"This campaign conveys the power of a pollution cap to create real jobs," said Steve Cochran, Director of the National Climate Campaign at Environmental Defense Action Fund. "Real steelworkers and a passionate Mayor Fetterman make the connection between a drive for clean energy and good jobs crystal clear."

thecapsolution.org microsite was also developed to support the campaign. The site features an explanation of the economics of a carbon cap and features videos of Mayor Fetterman discussing the benefits of a cap for towns like Braddock.

The campaign, which includes four television spots, four print executions and three on-line banner ads, will run from April 12, - May 8, in Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Missouri, New Hampshire, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Developed by SS+K, the print ads were shot by photographer Michael O'Neill and TV spots were directed by Michael Epstein.

Environmental Defense Action Fund is the lobbying arm of Environmental Defense, a leading environmental organization dedicated to educating the public about sound environmental policy and promoting lasting solutions to protect the environmental rights of all people. For more information, visit www.edf.org.

SOURCE Environmental Defense Action Fund

Source: PR Newswire

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