Current Issue
CLIMATE ACTION = JOBS
Elected Officials to Protect America see Biden’s clean car plan can as a vehicle to help save lives in frontline communities
ELECTRIC GRID crisis
Texan power outages show the need for independence from gas – 3 CA elected officials show how they’ve done it in their cities
OPED
Creating a comprehensive town-wide public park and trail system, oped by former Brighton, NY, Supervisor Sandra L. Frankel
Today we have eight major parks and trails on more than 500 acres of open space. By preserving open space we have also controlled the future carbon footprint that residential or commercial development would have generated on what is now protected parkland. Addressing climate change is critical to our health and well-being, and we took seriously the imperative to do our part in the place we call home. We chose to: “Think globally and act locally.” More
OPED
Tomorrow won’t wait — A national clean car plan must be passed soon, oped Jenna Wadsworth, Wake County Vice-Chair of the Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors
Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA — which will be run by North Carolina’s own Secretary Michael Reagan — has the authority to set greenhouse gas emission standards for passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks . . . Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s Clean Car Plan, which has become a part of President Biden’s climate agenda, holds the promise of revolutionizing more than just our transportation infrastructure in this country. More
OPED
Climate change doesn’t know borders, it requires global solutions that can start here, at home, oped by Danielle I. A. Adams, Former North Carolina Soil & Water Conservation Supervisor
We were not prepared to face this pandemic and we are not ready to face all of the crises that climate change is going to cause. We are not prepared to deal with the devastating effects of global infectious disease, natural disasters, increased severity of storms, flooding and food insecurity that the climate crisis will cause. We need action on a federal level or the climate crisis will decimate our communities, especially communities of color, in ways few have ever imagined. More
Women’s History Month
Mothers and daughters of the planet: Celebrating women environmental leaders of the past and present
By Brianna Cunliffe – PEN Chief Investigative Reporter— This Women’s History Month marks a sobering benchmark: a full year since the start of a pandemic that many experts agree has been the hardest of all on women. Job losses among women far exceed those among men threatening to erase decades of progress. As many women continue to juggle household and childcare responsibilities alongside their professional lives — without the typical support systems of schools, nurseries, and family — this year of tough sacrifices is taking its toll. We celebrate the remarkable resilience of the women, today and throughout history, recognizing that particularly in the Global South, they are already bearing outsize burdens stemming from the climate crisis in their roles as primary caregivers and gatherers of food and fuel. The U.N. estimates 80 percent of those who have been displaced by climate change are women. . . . More
Environment
Elected Officials to Protect America says Rep. Debbie Haaland’s record of working across the aisle to protect our land while promoting justice and equality makes her an excellent choice for Interior Secretary
“A former Secretary of the Interior once proclaimed his goal was to ‘civilize or exterminate’ Native Americans. Not only is it poetic justice that Rep. Debbie Haaland has been nominated for his former position, true justice will be served once she is confirmed. Her unwavering commitment to our public lands, natural resources and justice is deep and unshakeable She is a skilled negotiator who has successfully brought leaders from both parties to the table in order to protect our lands and the rights of all Americans. Elected Officials to Protect America is honored to stand by her nomination,” said Alex Cornell du Houx, former Maine Representative, Marine combat veteran, and President of EOPA. . . . More
Explore our videos, podcasts, and documentaries with elected officials
From California to Maine elected officials share their stories with us about how they are working to combat the climate crises in their communities, state and nation.
Sacramento Councilmember Valenzuela talks about California’s flight for environmental justice
Miriam Wallstrom speaks with Sacramento City Councilmember Katie Valenzuela about the health impacts of living near oil wells in California and the legislative attempts to create setbacks between oil wells and communities. Katie has suffered from severe asthma from breathing toxins from oil and gas wells since she was a child. As an activist she testified in Sacramento on a bill that would have created 2,500 foot safety setbacks from oil and gas wells.
Listen to the podcast here.
New Jersey Essex Co. Commissioner Brendan talks about the regional Transportation and Climate Initiative
“What attracted me to TCI is the opportunity to advance environmentally friendly transportation projects, particularly in our more densely populated areas that have been subject to devastating environmental injustice. This is key in our response to the climate challenges we face as a state and nation.” The Transportation and Climate Initiative’s will drastically cut transportation pollution. The 12 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states along with the District of Columbia have been collaborating on TCI for months. To watch the video please click here.
New York Manlius Councilmember Katelyn Kriesel talks about the importance of the Transportation Climate Initiative
Katelyn is passionate about environmental sustainability; trails, sidewalks and walkability; and social justice and economic development, among many other issues. The health and economic well-being of the millions of people in the Tri-state area depend on the amount of pollution cause by gas emissions. This is Katelyn’s statement about why it is important for New York to join the Transportation Climate Initiative for her community, her state and the region. TCI’s main tenant is to curb pollution from cars and trucks, the greatest source of human-made greenhouse gasses. To watch the video please click here.
