Let’s call it what it is – an emergency
As the hottest summer ever recorded in Salt Lake City continues, we remind you that the climate crisis is just getting started. As the legislature refuses to take action, it is guaranteed to get worse, making all the drought, floods, agricultural losses, and dangerous temperature extremes plaguing the entire globe seem like a picnic.
Here’s something very simple that you can do right now to spur a stronger response in the United States. Take a minute and call the White House and tell President Biden it’s long overdue that he declare the climate crisis an emergency. While the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act was the first federally passed climate legislation in a long time, it is nowhere near enough to address the problem.
The administration has been contradicting its promises to take bold action on climate change, such as approving the Uinta Basin oil railway. We know that they understand the severity of the situation, especially after the release of a new tool that shows how climate change will impact your area. Declaring the climate crisis an emergency opens the door to meaningful actions that could reduce the impacts that people are already feeling.
There are five things President Biden could do if he declares the climate crisis an emergency:
1. Further boost renewable energy production.
The federal government could disburse grants and loans to expedite the expansion of renewable energy production and shift the economy to a renewable workforce.
2. Stop harmful fossil fuel projects.
Stopping fossil fuel projects is key to combating climate change. Any time and resources in the energy sector should be diverted to ramping up renewables – not looking to further dirty energy sources.
3. Expand cleaner transportation.
Declaring the climate crisis an emergency would allow greater investment in improving clean public transportation, something the U.S is desperately lagging in.
4. Limit environmentally hazardous industries, such as the importation of timber from vulnerable forests.
We feel the effects of climate change on a global scale. It’s important to ensure we aren’t participating in climate change exacerbating activities domestically or internationally. We can do that by importing responsibly.
5. Rally climate action on the local, state, national and international levels.
Call the White House and tell President Biden to declare the climate crisis an emergency. 1-202-456-1111.
Find the climate impact tool here.
