Tag: 2020 election

  • Response to Biden Presidential Election Victory

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    November 7, 2020

    Contact:
    David Turnbull, david [at] priceofoil.org

    Oil Change U.S. Response to Biden Presidential Election Victory

    Multiple news outlets have now confirmed the results of enough states to give Joe Biden the necessary 270 electoral votes to win the presidential election. In response, Oil Change U.S. experts released the following statements:

    Elizabeth Bast, Executive Director:

    “The victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris over Donald Trump is an important victory for democracy against fascism. It’s a win for the climate and for trusting science, and it’s a win for all who fought to stand up to Trump and his blatant racism and misogyny. But the work is nowhere near over. These next four years may be the most critical years we’ve ever seen — for the climate, for restoring our democracy, and for pushing back against growing white supremacy and moving towards real racial justice.

    “Joe Biden said he will transition the U.S. away from oil, and we’re here for it. The American public is desperate for real climate action, and we look forward to working with the Biden and Harris administration to live up to all they’ve promised. This includes taking critical first steps in winding down an out of control fossil fuel industry in the United States: stopping the Keystone XL pipeline yet again, ending fossil fuel leases on public lands, ending fossil fuel subsidies and finance, implementing strong environmental justice standards and respecting Indigenous sovereignty, and recommitting to international climate leadership through re-engaging with the Paris Agreement and leading the G20 in a transition away from fossil fuels.

    “There is much work to do, but we welcome this opportunity to advance our collective efforts for climate justice and a managed decline of fossil fuels.”

     

    Rebecca Concepcion Apostol, National Program Director:

    “While the Biden climate plan is perhaps the most ambitious of any incoming President, we know it’s still not enough to protect our climate and communities from the mounting disasters we are facing all over the country. After a round of well-deserved celebrations, we’ll get back to work pushing with the urgency our climate crisis requires. A critical first step in the days ahead is ensuring Biden appoints true climate champions to all key positions and keeps fossil fuel representatives and lobbyists out of the incoming administration.

    “We need to see a new Biden administration move aggressively to phase out fossil fuel production in the United States with a people-centered just transition for workers and communities, including enacting ambitious executive orders to get the ball rolling immediately upon taking office, and working to instate climate action that matches the needs of the people.”

     

    Alex Doukas, Stop Funding Fossils Program Director:

    “Joe Biden has repeatedly committed to ending the billions in subsidies that go to the fossil fuel industry each year, and we look forward to holding him to this commitment. Biden has spoken frequently about moving the United States into a leadership position on climate, and one way he can back that rhetoric up is to end U.S. public support for fossil fuel production abroad. This would mean ending dirty finance overseas via the Export Import Bank, Development Finance Corporation, and U.S. participation in multilateral development banks, while delivering on Biden’s campaign promise to get a G20 commitment on ending export finance for high-carbon projects, including all fossil fuel infrastructure.”

     

    Collin Rees, Senior Campaigner:

    “This election has played out in a time of extreme turmoil — it’s happened amidst a deadly pandemic, an unprecedented uprising against racial injustice, and a climate crisis seizing headlines like never before. People-powered movements have changed the public conversation, and climate is now a top concern for voters.

    “Progressives across the country in swing districts and swing states proved that by leaning into bold, winning messages like standing up to Big Oil’s dirty dollars, providing health care for all, and defunding the racist police state, Democrats can win big. But the conversation in DC is stuck in the past, and we’ll need to push harder than ever to stop false solutions and win the transformative climate agenda we need. Joe Biden must lay out a bold agenda on climate from Day One, and we’ll be here to hold him to it.”

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  • Oil Change U.S. endorses Joe Biden and Kamala Harris

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    October 7, 2020

    Contact:
    Rebecca Concepcion Apostol, rebecca [at] priceofoil.org
    David Turnbull, david [at] priceofoil.org
    Collin Rees, collin [at] priceofoil.org

    Oil Change U.S. endorses Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for President and Vice President

    Today, Oil Change U.S. is announcing its endorsement of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for President and Vice President of the United States. Elizabeth Bast, Executive Director of Oil Change U.S., provided the following statement:

    “Last week’s debate was just the latest reflection of how desperately our country needs a change in leadership, and tonight’s vice-presidential debate should show more of the same. The path towards greater climate and racial justice is clear: it’s the one with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the White House. That’s why Oil Change U.S. is endorsing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for President and Vice President of the United States.

    “While Biden showed at the first debate that he’s ready to listen and lead on climate, Donald Trump once again showed how a second term of his administration would be disastrous for everyone. His deadly politics of racism, fear, white supremacy, and climate denial was on full display at the debate. Trump further demonstrated his blatant disregard for others with his handling of the COVID-19 outbreak within the White House. No one — not a single one of us — can afford a second term of Donald Trump.

    “Since the start of this campaign, Joe Biden has been on a journey of listening, adjusting, and improvement. He’s shown that he’s willing to hear critique and adjust course. His running mate Kamala Harris has centered justice in her understanding of the climate crisis and has proposed new ideas on phasing out fossil fuel production. Donald Trump is trying desperately to claim that Biden has ‘lost the left’ in order to depress voter turnout; in reality, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are broadening their coalition every day in response to Trump’s campaign of hate and fear.

    “Oil Change U.S. was not shy to critique Joe Biden throughout the primary campaign. We pointed out where his plans fell short, and when he took advice from the wrong advisors. But we also know he’s listening — both Biden and Harris are signatories of the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge, and even in the last week they’ve announced fossil fuel executives will have no place in their transition team. With Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the White House, we know there will be room to shape a more just and equitable future.”

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    Oil Change U.S. is dedicated to supporting real climate leadership, exposing the true costs of fossil fuels, and building a just, equitable, and renewable energy future in the United States. Read more at http://oilchangeus.org.

  • No Fossil Fuel Money Coalition Members Respond to Joe Biden Fundraiser Flap

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    September 4, 2019

    CONTACT:
    David Turnbull, Oil Change U.S., 202-316-3499
    RL Miller, Climate Hawks Vote, 818-518-3470

    No Fossil Fuel Money Coalition Members Respond to Joe Biden Fundraiser Flap

    Tonight at CNN’s Climate Town Hall, Joe Biden was asked a question regarding an upcoming fundraiser in support of the Biden campaign being hosted by Andrew Goldman, a long-term LNG investor and cofounder of Western LNG. 

    The No Fossil Fuel Money pledge — which Biden and all other major Democratic presidential candidates have signed — says that candidates should not take contributions over $200 from executives of the fossil fuel industry. ‘Executives’ are defined in the pledge as named executive officers in SEC filings, to provide a clear demarcation for campaigns to apply in screens and to ensure the pledge targets top executives and not the majority of fossil fuel workers. 

    In response, No Fossil Fuel Money coalition members released the following statements. 

    David Turnbull, Strategic Communications Director of Oil Change U.S., said: 

    “It’s true that Andrew Goldman is not an SEC-named executive officer for Western LNG, so any contributions would not technically violate Vice President Biden’s No Fossil Fuel Money pledge. While it may not technically violate the pledge, it clearly goes against its spirit. 

    “We defined the pledge’s rule to make it simple for candidates to commit to and follow, not to provide loopholes to continue raising funds from fossil fuel-adjacent sources. We hope all candidates who sign the pledge truly endorse its goal of ridding our politics of the influence of the fossil fuel industry. Unfortunately the fundraiser hosted by Andrew Goldman calls that commitment into question when it comes to Vice President Biden.”

    RL Miller, Political Director of Climate Hawks Vote, said: 

    “We’re disappointed to see Vice President Biden attempting to cite the technicalities of the pledge rather than simply comply with its spirit. It’s not a good look. We urge Biden to cancel this fundraiser and instead commit to transforming our economy to clean energy and phasing out liquified natural gas and other fossil fuel infrastructure as rapidly as the science demands.” 

    Notes to Editors: 

    – Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge can be found here: http://nofossilfuelmoney.org/FAQ

    – Presidential signers of the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge can be found here: http://nofossilfuelmoney.org/presidential-signers/

    – All signers of the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge can be found here: http://nofossilfuelmoney.org/pledge-signers/

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  • Democratic Presidential Candidates Sign “NoKXL Pledge” to Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline on Day One if Elected

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    September 4, 2019

    CONTACT:
    Mark Hefflinger, mark [at] boldnebraska.org
    Collin Rees, collin [at] priceofoil.org

    Democratic Presidential Candidates Sign “NoKXL Pledge” to Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline on Day One if Elected

    As candidates gear up for CNN and MSNBC Climate Forums, activists push for clarity on fossil fuel infrastructure

    HASTINGS, NEBRASKA — After delivering a letter asking all of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates to sign the “NoKXL Pledge” on Aug. 13, ten of the candidates have signed onto the pledge thus far, making it clear that on Day One in office they will revoke the unprecedented, unilateral permit that President Trump issued for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline:

    – Sen. Elizabeth Warren

    – Gov. Jay Inslee (no longer in the race)

    – Sen. Bernie Sanders

    – Tom Steyer

    – Sec. Julian Castro

    – Mayor Bill de Blasio

    – Sen. Cory Booker

    – Mayor Pete Buttigieg

    – Sen. Kamala Harris

    Over the past several years, Democratic candidates and elected officials, Indigenous Peoples, and activists have made it clear that there is a link between building new fossil fuel infrastructure and climate change. Before the Keystone XL fight, many in the Democratic Party supported building more pipelines, without regard to how this infrastructure locks us into additional decades of fossil fuel dependence and worsens climate change.

    The #NoKXL Pledge is backed by a coalition of farmers, ranchers, Tribal Nations and environmental groups that have been fighting the proposed Keystone XL tar sands export pipeline for 10 years.

    The #NoKXL Pledge specifically urges the Democratic presidential candidates to pledge to:

    1) Immediately revoke the unilateral permits issued by President Trump for the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines;

    2) Direct all federal agencies (State Department, FERC, Army Corps) to submit these two projects — as well as all new energy infrastructure projects — to a true climate test;

    3) Reject any project that will exacerbate our climate crisis; and

    4) Protect property rights from eminent domain abuse and honor U.S. treaties with sovereign Tribal Nations.

    View letter to Democratic candidates urging them to take the ‘NoKXL Pledge’:

    http://boldnebraska.org/letter-urges-democratic-candidates-to-take-nokxl-pledge-to-stop-the-keystone-xl-pipeline-on-day-one-if-elected-president/

    Online petition urging all 2020 Democratic candidates to sign the NoKXL Pledge:

    https://act.oilchangeus.org/sign/NoKXL-Pledge

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    “NoKXL Pledge” Co-Sponsors:

    Bold Nebraska & Bold Alliance

    Nebraska Easement Action Team

    Ponca Tribe of Nebraska

    Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska

    Indigenous Environmental Network

    Oil Change U.S.

    Anthropocene Alliance

    Bucks Environmental Network

    Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund

    Chesapeake Climate Action Network

    Climate Hawks Vote

    Coalition Against the Pilgrim Pipeline

    Coalition Against the Rockaway Pipeline

    CREDO Action

    Earth Action

    Friends of the Earth Action

    Greenbelt Climate Action Network

    Greenpeace USA

    MN350

    New York Climate Action Group

    NYC Grassroots Alliance

    Progressive Democrats of America

    Seeding Sovereignty

    Sunrise Movement

    350.org Action

  • Oil Change U.S. statement on Jay Inslee departure from presidential race

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    August 21, 2019

    Contact:
    David Turnbull, david [at] priceofoil [dot] org

    Oil Change U.S. statement on Jay Inslee departure from presidential race

    Tonight, Governor Jay Inslee announced he will be ending his campaign for President of the United States. Governor Inslee had made bold climate action the centerpiece of his campaign, which garnered more than 130,000 individual donors in support. In response, David Turnbull, Strategic Communications Director at Oil Change U.S., released the following statement:

    “We send our heartfelt thanks to Governor Inslee and his team for running a campaign centered on climate justice, which has undoubtedly contributed to the unprecedented surge in attention being paid to the climate crisis in the 2020 election.

    “Governor Inslee’s campaign set the gold standard for the eventual Democratic nominee’s approach to climate leadership. While his run for president may be ending, Governor Inslee’s impact on the race will continue through the 2020 election and far beyond as we ramp up our efforts to confront the climate crisis. In his campaign and the policies he has put forward even on the last day of his campaign, Governor Inslee has shown what it means to stand up to the fossil fuel industry and fight for communities impacted by fossil fuel extraction and the climate chaos it is causing. His extensive climate plans should serve as a critical blueprint for any future president. We look forward to standing side by side with the Governor to ensure that the next president lives up to the standard of robust action that Inslee has set in this race.”

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  • Oil Change U.S. Response to Sen. Bernie Sanders Green New Deal Plan

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    August 22, 2019

    Contact:
    David Turnbull, david [at] priceofoil [dot] org

    Oil Change U.S. response to Sen. Bernie Sanders Green New Deal Plan

    Today, Senator Bernie Sanders released a Green New Deal plan as part of his campaign for the Democratic nomination for president. In response, David Turnbull, Strategic Communications Director with Oil Change U.S., released the following statement: 

    “Senator Bernie Sanders has been a climate champion for decades during his time in the House and Senate, and we’re thrilled to see this comprehensive plan from him during his presidential run. Today, Senator Sanders has delivered a robust and impressive plan with ambitious goals and, critically, a clear stance of taking on the fossil fuel industry driving our climate crisis.

    “This plan is the latest in a series of strong climate plans from 2020 candidates, and continues the race to the top for candidates vying for consideration by an electorate that puts climate change at the top of its list of concerns. With his comprehensive approach that includes an end to new fossil fuel infrastructure, a ban on fossil fuel development on public lands, and the removal of billions in fossil fuel subsidies, Senator Sanders joins the impressive collection of climate plans from Democratic contenders that continues to raise the bar for what real leadership to confront the climate crisis looks like.

    “As Donald Trump drools over Greenland’s rapidly melting landscape, Democratic candidates are focused on the real work of building a robust response to the climate crisis that may actually give the Greenland ice sheet a fighting chance at avoiding total collapse. This is the crucial work our country should be focused on, and we’re glad to see Senator Sanders’ plan that meets the urgency of the crisis we face head-on and names fossil fuel industry executives as the clear villain.”

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    Notes for Editors:

    – Senator Sanders’ full ‘Green New Deal’ plan can be found here: https://berniesanders.com/the-green-new-deal/

     

    PAID FOR BY OIL CHANGE U.S., WWW.OILCHANGEUS.ORG, NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE, CANDIDATE’S AUTHORIZED POLITICAL COMMITTEE, OR CANDIDATE’S AGENTS.

  • Letter Urges Dem Candidates to Take “NoKXL Pledge” to Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline on Day One if Elected

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    August 13, 2019

    CONTACT:
    Mark Hefflinger, mark [at] boldnebraska.org
    Collin Rees, collin [at] priceofoil.org
    Ryan Schleeter, rschleeter [at] greenpeace.org

    Letter Urges Democratic Candidates to Take “NoKXL Pledge” to Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline on Day One if Elected President

    Landowner, Indigenous and environmental groups announce petition campaign and ‘bird-dogging’ on the campaign trail

    HASTINGS, NEBRASKA — Today, a coalition of landowners, Tribal Nations and environmental groups that have been fighting the proposed Keystone XL tar sands export pipeline for 10 years sent a letter to all Democratic presidential candidates, urging them to take the ‘NoKXL Pledge’ and make it clear that on Day One in office they will revoke the unprecedented, unilateral permit that President Trump issued for the controversial pipeline.

    The letter specifically urges the Democratic presidential candidates to pledge to immediately revoke the unilateral permits issued by President Trump for the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines. It also urges candidates to pledge to direct all federal agencies (State Department, FERC, Army Corps) to submit these two projects — as well as all new energy infrastructure projects — to a true ‘climate test,’ and reject any project that will exacerbate our climate crisis. Further, it calls on the Democratic candidates to protect property rights from eminent domain abuse and to honor U.S. treaties with sovereign Tribal Nations.

    View the letter to Democratic candidates urging them to take the ‘NoKXL Pledge’:
    http://boldnebraska.org/nokxlpledge

    QUOTES:

    “There is no middle ground when it comes to protecting the land, water and climate,” said Jane Kleeb, Bold Nebraska founder. “You either stand with family farmers, ranchers, Tribal Nations and environmentalists — or you stand with fossil fuel corporations who are abusing eminent domain, and trampling on the treaty rights of Tribal Nations.”

    “We need a presidential candidate that is serious about fighting climate change and supporting Indigenous Rights,” said Dallas Goldtooth, Keep It In The Ground Campaigner for the Indigenous Environmental Network. “Tribal nations and communities are battling for the survival of our ecosystems and ways of life, and we need a president who will stand with us against Big Oil and the fossil fuel regime. Signing the NoKXL pledge is a solid step in the right direction.”

    “Talking a big game on climate doesn’t mean much if you’re still building massive pipelines like Keystone XL and doing the fossil fuel industry’s bidding. Any candidate who wants to be taken seriously on climate needs to stand up to Big Oil and say, ‘No,’” said Collin Rees, Senior Campaigner at Oil Change U.S. “Climate leadership means standing with frontline and Indigenous communities, farmers and ranchers, and young people by stopping the deadly expansion of the fossil fuel industry and enacting a just transition for workers and communities.”

    “Any Democratic candidate claiming to be a real climate leader will take the NoKXL Pledge and commit to stopping the Keystone XL pipeline on Day One. The NoKXL pledge is a critical step in moving towards stopping all new fossil fuel projects and protecting communities already experiencing the devastation of fossil fuel disasters. To build systems that work for all of us, we must keep fossil fuels in the ground, prioritize Indigenous rights, workers and frontline communities, and hold fossil fuel billionaires accountable for their destruction. Together we’ve stopped the Keystone XL pipeline for over a decade. It’s time all Presidential candidates join us and commit to stopping KXL once and for all,” said Natalie Mebane, Associate Director of U.S. Policy at 350 Action.

    “Candidates must do more than pay lip service to climate change and the communities impacted by dangerous fossil fuel projects like Keystone XL. The American people demand to know who will make decisions based on science, not Big Oil profits. Our next president must serve the needs of communities and Tribal Nations, not corporate donors,” said Nicole Ghio with Friends of the Earth Action.

    “Our next president needs to listen to the science that says we can’t build new fossil fuel projects and fight climate change at the same time, not the polluters who say we don’t have a choice. Reversing Trump’s misguided Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipeline authorizations on day one sends a clear message to the fossil fuel executives that their days of power over the White House are over,” said Charlie Jiang, Greenpeace USA Climate Campaigner.

    “Our climate is in crisis and Donald Trump has done more than most presidents to make that crisis spiral into chaos,” said Josh Nelson, CREDO Action co-director. “Every Democratic candidate must commit to the NoKXL pledge to show they will be bold leaders to combat climate change and protect our environment and communities.”

    View online petition urging Democratic candidates to take the “NoKXL Pledge”:

    https://act.oilchangeus.org/sign/NoKXL-Pledge

    ###

    “NoKXL Pledge” Co-Sponsors:

    Bold Nebraska & Bold Alliance

    Nebraska Easement Action Team

    Ponca Tribe of Nebraska

    Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska

    Indigenous Environmental Network

    Oil Change U.S.

    Anthropocene Alliance

    Bucks Environmental Network

    Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund

    Chesapeake Climate Action Network

    Climate Hawks Vote

    Coalition Against the Pilgrim Pipeline

    Coalition Against the Rockaway Pipeline

    CREDO Action

    Earth Action

    Friends of the Earth Action

    Greenbelt Climate Action Network

    Greenpeace USA

    New York Climate Action Group

    NYC Grassroots Alliance

    Progressive Democrats of America

    Sunrise Movement

    350.org Action

  • Dispatch from the 2019 Netroots Nation Conference in Philly

    From July 11-13, over 3,000 progressive activists from across the United States gathered for the Netroots Nation (NN19) conference in Philadelphia, and Oil Change was there for all the action. While our collective movement for justice has many critical issues, the climate crisis stood out throughout the weekend as a crucial part of the progressive dialogue. Here’s a quick Twitter journey through some climate highlights from NN19:

    As you can imagine, people at this year’s conference were fired up about a Green New Deal. The conference kicked off with a panel on “Making the Green New Deal Real,” moderated by Brad Johnson, with award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Naomi Klein, Sunrise Movement Executive Director Varshini Prakash, New Consensus co-founder and Executive Director Demond Drummer, and well-regarded California politician Kevin de Leon.

    Then, in the afternoon, the Hip Hop Caucus’s podcast, “Think 100%: The Coolest Show on Climate Change,” recorded its latest show live for a gathered crowd at NN19. Hosts Rev. Yearwood and Antonique Smith were joined by special guest Vic J. Barrett. Barrett is one of 21 plaintiffs with Our Children’s Trust who are suing the U.S. federal government to defend the rights of youth and future generations. This whole interview was . 

    On Thursday night, with a rainstorm outside, many of us gathered for a Green New Deal Happy Hour, where notes were compared, plans were made, inspiring speeches were shared, and good food was consumed (there were even eggplant sloppy joes, because yes, that is a thing). 

    As in previous years, Netroots attendees were abuzz about the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge throughout the conference. The pledge has been signed by more than 1,600 politicians from across the country — including 21 of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. Along with coalition partners, Oil Change brought a pledge board with permanent markers, and got a whole bunch of signers, old and new, to sign their names.

    Friday kicked off with a critical panel, “Racial Justice & Climate Change: Building A Multiracial Environmental Justice Movement.“ Moderated by Data for Progress Director of Green New Deal Strategy Julian Brave NoiseCat, the panel featured Sunrise Movement Executive Director Varshini Prakash, 350.org U.S. Communications Associate Director Thanu Yakupitiyage, and artist, filmmaker, and digital communications strategist Jade Begay. They were joined by Alexa Ross and O. from Philly Thrive, a Philadelphia-based multiracial, cross-class organization working hard for a just transition away from fossil fuels and toward a thriving, inclusive clean energy future in the city.


    Soon after came the panel “Communicating Climate Action at the Intersections: Perspectives in Storytelling and Narrative,” moderated by Thanu Yakupitiyage with 350.org.

    Afterward, conference participants streamed into the hot summer afternoon heat for a truly amazing and inspiring “Lights for Liberty” rally that took over the streets of Philadelphia:

    At dusk, the Real Climate Leadership Happy Hour kicked off, sponsored by Oil Change U.S., 350 Action, and Climate Hawks Vote. On a breezy evening, dozens of conference attendees joined together to socialize, chat about climate organizing, and learn more about the amazing work Philly Thrive is doing in Philadelphia. Their presentation started with a moment for everybody to take a deep breath and reflect on the right to breathe. CLICK HERE to donate to Philly Thrive’s critical, ongoing work for energy and environmental justice in the city of Philadelphia.

    On Saturday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, joined the Netroots Climate Caucus for a few minutes to give a short speech and take a few questions. He talked about his climate plans, the need for real climate leadership, and his continued call for a DNC-sanctioned climate debate. In addition, he discussed his opposition to the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline in Michigan, to cheers from the group. His latest statement on the matter was a call to action for other 2020 contenders: “I hope that every fellow Democratic candidate for President joins me in opposing this dangerous pipeline.” Plenary sessions with candidates also included mention of the climate crisis and the need for bold action. 

    On Saturday afternoon, the “We Paved the Road: A Frontline Perspective on the Green New Deal Moment” panel moderated by Climate Justice Alliance’s Anthony Rogers-Wright, with Sierra Club Pennsylvania’s Coordinator of Philadelphia Climate Works Zakia Elliott, UPROSE (Brooklyn’s oldest Latino community-based organization) Executive Director Elizabeth Yeampierre, and Movement Strategy Innovation Center fellow Anthony Giancatarino. Learn more from Climate Justice Alliance (CJA) about how to center frontline communities in the Just Transition.

    Later Saturday, the Oil Change U.S. team joined dozens of fellow climate activists to disrupt a Democratic National Committee (DNC) panel at the conference and make our voices heard, yet again, to the DNC in our demand for a full DNC-sanctioned climate debate! We packed the room, started a chant, and then several people directly impacted by the climate crisis told their heartfelt stories. 

    The whole thing was live-streamed, and after we left the room, the chant continued in the halls. It looked like this: 

    Due to our collective ongoing efforts, the call for a climate debate has been gaining serious momentum. Under intense pressure from the grassroots, twenty-one 2020 presidential candidates, and even their own membership, the executive committee of the DNC recently voted to reevaluate the #ClimateDebate issue. 

    The proposal will now be reviewed by the DNC’s resolutions committee before going up for a full DNC vote in late August. That means we have just one month to put the pressure on DNC members to make the right decision. Help us keep the pressure on: Tell members of the DNC to fully support a Climate Debate!

    All in all, the Netroots Nation conference made clear that the climate crisis continues to be a top concern, and there is passion and energy around raising our voices, demanding real climate leadership from decision makers, and demanding solutions that meet the scale of this crisis. The historic success of the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge shows just how powerful our efforts have been, and how far we’ve come. But there’s a lot more work to do. 

    We know that standing up to the out-of-control fossil fuel industry is essential if we are going to get ourselves out of this crisis, and the fossil fuel industry is starting to really feel the heat. Want proof? The secretary general of OPEC, Mohammed Barkindo, said that climate activists are “perhaps the greatest threat to our industry going forward.” That was an undeniably true statement, which received a celebratory thank you from Greta Thurnberg and from activists across the world. We’re certainly doing something right…


    Next year, the annual Netroots Nation conference will be in the midst of a heated general election season for 2020, and we can expect more fireworks, more victories, and a whole lot more talk about real climate leadership. We’ll be ready for it.

    PAID FOR BY OIL CHANGE U.S., WWW.OILCHANGEUSA.ORG, NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE, CANDIDATE’S AUTHORIZED POLITICAL COMMITTEE, OR CANDIDATE’S AGENTS.

  • Groups Demanding a DNC Climate Debate: An Outside Summit Forum Is No Alternative

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    July 12, 2019

    CONTACT:
    Collin Rees, collin [at] priceofoil.org

    Groups Demanding a DNC Climate Debate: An Outside Summit Forum Is No Alternative

    In response to news that The New Republic, Gizmodo, and Columbia’s Earth Institute will be hosting a presidential candidate climate summit, the coalition of progressive and environmental groups who collected over 220,000 petition signatures demanding a climate debate released the following statement. The statement, signed by CREDO Action, Climate Hawks Vote, Amazon Watch, Bold Alliance, Oil Change U.S., NextGen America, 350 Action, Sunrise Movement, US Youth Climate Strike, Friends of the Earth Action, and Chesapeake Climate Action Network, reads:

    “Any serious attention being given to the climate crisis is welcome and needed, but a third-party summit is no alternative to an official DNC debate that would reach millions of voters. We need a meaningful debate that will push candidates beyond talking points and press each one for specific plans to take on the fossil fuel industry, confront environmental racism, scale up renewable energy and help communities meet the climate crisis. Brian Kahn and Emily Atkin, both excellent climate journalists and organizers of this summit, agree with us that they’d prefer a debate.

    “Outside groups shouldn’t have to pick up the DNC’s slack when it comes to addressing the existential threat of climate change. Tom Perez and the DNC need to create a platform for real solutions to the climate crisis and it must put young people and those on the front lines at the core of the debate.

    “Our message to Tom Perez is this: Start listening to the leading Democratic presidential candidates, DNC membership, and more than 200,000 Americans who have called for a climate debate. We will keep getting louder until you do. We can’t afford to wait any longer to start taking climate change seriously.”

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  • Why Jay Inslee’s new plan takes the 2020 climate discussion to the next level

    The 2020 Democratic primary is heating up, and with it has come a welcome change in the climate discussion – candidates are finally acknowledging the climate crisis and getting serious about their plans to confront it. Governor Jay Inslee’s new ‘Freedom from Fossil Fuels’ climate plan is a really, really important development, because it takes the climate conversation to a new level that hasn’t been explored much –how we actively dismantle the fossil fuel industry and its political power in order to win the change we need.

    The plan ends subsidies, stops new fossil fuel infrastructure, and bans fossil fuel exports. Here’s our Oil Change U.S. response, but I’m here to explain in more detail why this plan is so exciting and takes the discussion on dealing with the climate crisis to the next level.

    The science shows that right now, the carbon in already-operating oil and gas fields and coal mines would take us wayyyy beyond 1.5ºC. To clarify: that’s with already-existing fossil fuel infrastructure only.

    What that means is that every single new piece of fossil fuel infrastructure digs a deeper hole. Each new oil well, gas pipeline, and export terminal makes the problem worse, and will need to be retired long before the end of its “useful life” (side note: we need some new and better terminology).

    Instead of confronting this fact, the fossil fuel industry, its billionaire CEOs, and the overwhelming majority of both parties in the U.S. are rushing to build as much fossil fuel infrastructure as they can, without acknowledging the consequences of their actions or making any real plans for a transition to a different economy.

    Thanks to these billionaires and politicians on both sides of the aisle, the United States is set to unleash the world’s largest burst of new oil & gas production by 2030 — and the carbon that comes with it — if we don’t do something about it ASAP.

    Tribal nations and communities are desperately trying to stop and delay this massive buildout, while workers are constantly abused by billionaire oil, gas, and coal executives — and kept in fear of losing the hard-fought gains they’ve won over the last century of incredible organizing.

    Meanwhile, your tax dollars are fueling the crisis. The U.S. gives over $20 BILLION in subsidies to oil, gas, and coal production every single year, and that number has increased significantly following the Trump and GOP tax cuts.

    This means even the HUGE task of transitioning to 100% renewable energy in the next 10-20 years won’t be enough. Research shows that if we don’t phase down oil production and limit exports (i.e., reinstate the Crude Oil Export Ban lifted in 2015 with the help of Democrats), we’re still in deep trouble.

    Given all of this, a real plan to:

    • Limit the fossil fuel industry’s expansion;
    • End heavy subsidization from U.S. taxpayers; and
    • Phase out existing extraction with a just transition

    …isn’t just “nice to have” policy. It must be a critical piece of any serious climate plan.

    It’s also critical to protect workers. We’ve seen time and again that when industry goes belly-up, workers are the first to be abandoned by billionaire executives — it’s been happening with Big Coal for the last 20 years. Pensions are cut, health benefits are slashed, layoffs skyrocket.

    Careful planning and strong labor involvement in the plan to phase out oil, gas, and coal production are key to a truly just transition. Because if we don’t make a plan for this managed transition, we’re headed straight for either climate disaster or economic chaos (or both).

    This is why no climate plan is complete without dealing with all facets of the problem. This ‘Freedom from Fossil Fuels’ plan means nothing without a strong agenda for heavy, sustained investment in social protections, thriving wages, and good, family-sustaining jobs.

    A plan for 100% renewable energy is just a slogan if you’re not also actively implementing a plan to phase out fossil fuel infrastructure & diminish the fossil fuel industry’s political power (which will be a necessity to get ANY sort of climate policy passed, at any level).

    All of this is why much of the climate movement spends a lot of time yelling about stopping pipelines and ending subsidies and banning exports. It’s not that we don’t love clean and renewable energy (we absolutely do). It’s because we also have to go directly after the industry to have a chance at success.

    It’s not just because we hate billionaires (although we definitely do) or hate workers in the labor movement (we definitely don’t; we love them and need their help to have any shot at success). It’s because if we don’t have a plan to carefully dismantle the fossil fuel industry as we build a new world, things could turn ugly really, really quickly.

    With all of this in mind, kudos to Gov. Jay Inslee for a plan that addresses this problem in a serious way. The ‘Freedom from Fossil Fuels’ plan stops new fossil fuel infrastructure, bans fossil fuel exports, ends fossil fuel subsidies, and commits to doing the hard but important work of figuring out how to phase out existing infrastructure.

    It creates a Presidential Commission to study how to make this phase-out of fossil fuel production a reality. It puts key options such as “buying out & decommissioning fossil fuel assets,” which is a conversation that we sorely need to be having. And crucially, Inslee’s ‘Freedom from Fossil Fuels’ plan is connected at the hip with his ‘Evergreen Economy’ plan to commit heavy investment to protect Americans and create good, family-sustaining jobs.

    Another critical piece of Inslee’s plan is his commitment to direct federal agencies to “fully empower tribal nations, through free, prior and informed consent, and the enforcement of treaty rights, to reject major infrastructure proposals that would adversely impact their people, land, water, or cultural resources.” This process of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent — which is well-defined internationally — would mark a groundbreaking shift from the way Indigenous peoples have been treated throughout America’s history, and Inslee should be applauded for committing to it in his plan.

    Inslee’s plan does a lot more than what’s listed here, and honestly every climate policy wonk should read it cover-to-cover. There are already some excellent analyses out yesterday from Leah Stokes, Fergus Green, my colleague David Turnbull, David Roberts, Julian Noisecat and Brian Kahn, Justin Guay, and many others.

    The plan is far from perfect, because we as a community are still sorting out how we talk about these topics. The conversation on phasing out the fossil fuel industry entirely is long overdue. One of our biggest problems is that not enough people are thinking about how to enact this phase-out. It’s scary and means confronting real power in scary ways.

    But it’s also essential:

    • To meet climate goals;
    • To protect Indigenous rights & communities everywhere; and
    • To enact a truly just transition for workers

    To sum up, this plan is awesome, but I also hope that ten better plans pop up in the next few months from other candidates, from elected officials, from think tanks and advocates, from academics, from energy wonks, and more. We desperately need them.

    Here’s the thread above in its original Twitter form:

    PAID FOR BY OIL CHANGE U.S., WWW.OILCHANGEUSA.ORG, NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE, CANDIDATE’S AUTHORIZED POLITICAL COMMITTEE, OR CANDIDATE’S AGENTS.