Contact: Chuck Porcari (cell: (240) 286-7566) or Mark Sokolove (cell: (703) 599-7656) or (202) 785-8683

WASHINGTON ~³ervation Voters (LCV), the political voice of the national environmental and conservation community, today named Representative Chris Van Hollen (D) as a 2004 Environmental Champion in his race for reelection to Maryland³ 8th district.  Van Hollen earned a perfect 100% score on the 2003 LCV Scorecard.

LCV Environmental Champions are candidates who have proven their pro-environment commitment through their substantive action.  LCV supports these outstanding leaders by rewarding them with direct contributions, fundraising, and occasionally running independent campaigns to help ensure they are reelected to Congress as we continue to build America³ pro-environment majority.

)s proud to name Rep. Van Hollen as an Environmental Champion in his race for reelection,� Vice President for Policy.  (is first term in Congress, Rep. Van Hollen has distinguished himself by his commitment to develop a long term sustainable energy policy and his work to address global warming. The people of Maryland should be proud of his work and confident that he will continue to fight to improve the quality of their air, water and land.�����/p>

As a Vice Chair of the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, Rep. Van Hollen has been a strong proponent of improved energy policy.  In objection to the Bush energy plan, Rep. Van Hollen said, �the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) �����tally destructive exercise expected to yield the equivalent of about 6 months of oil some 10 years from now � the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for cars, SUVs and light trucks to 40 MPG. According to the national Academy of Sciences, a 40 MPG CAFE standard is feasible with existing technology, and conservative estimates place the energy savings at a multiple of the amount of recoverable oil in the ANWR.�le="font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 80%">Rep. Van Hollen has taken a lead in fighting global warming by cosponsoring the bipartisan Climate Stewardship Act of 2004.  The bill would set a nationwide standard for heat-trapping pollution responsible for global warming, while creating a market-based system encouraging maximum technological innovation and profitable opportunities for companies to cut emissions. Upon introducing this legislation, Van Hollen said )s important that we act now to prevent the harmful effects of global warming. We can do well by our economy while doing right by our environment.  It cannot be either/or.  It must be both.�le="font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 80%">For information on all of LCV³ 2004 Environmental Champions, visit our website.

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The nonprofit League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is the political voice of the national environmental and conservation community.  LCV, which is not a partisan organization, is the only national organization working full-time to hold Congress and the president accountable for their environmental actions.  For more information, please visit us on the web at www.lcv.org.