Tag: climate leadership

  • Release: Groups Call on Lawmakers to Back Green New Deal through Week of Action

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    February 4, 2019

    CONTACT:
    David Turnbull, Oil Change USA, david [at] priceofoil.org
    Patrick Davis, Friends of the Earth U.S., pdavis [at] foe.org
    Seth Gladstone, Food & Water Watch, sgladstone [at] fwwatch.org
    RL Miller, Climate Hawks Vote, rlm [at] climatehawksvote.com
    Bill Snape, Center for Biological Diversity, bsnape [at] biologicaldiversity.org

    Groups Call on Lawmakers to Back Green New Deal

    Week of Action set to push lawmakers to support a progressive, multi-pronged set of environmental and economic policies

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – A coalition of progressive organizations this week will convene a week of action across the country which is set to include hundreds of events, tens of thousands of phone calls and the delivery of over 100,000 petitions urging members of Congress to transform our economy and energy systems through a Green New Deal.

    Thousands of activists from over 50 organizations, including 350.org, Center for Biological Diversity, Climate Hawks Vote, Food & Water Watch, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth U.S., and Oil Change USA will call on lawmakers to support Green New Deal legislation that will:

    • Halt all new fossil fuel extraction, infrastructure, and subsidies, and transitions power generation to 100 percent renewable energy by 2035 or sooner;
    • Rapidly decarbonize the agriculture and transportation sectors, and expand access to public transportation;
    • Ensure a fair and just transition, led by impacted workers and communities, including low-income and communities of color, without relying on corporate schemes or market-based mechanisms;
    • Uphold indigenous rights; and
    • Pass a national jobs guarantee, creating good jobs with collective bargaining and family-sustaining wages.

    Hundreds of events are planned, but organizers are planning to particularly target the leadership of the new Democratic House majority. They will visit the offices of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Energy and Commerce Committee leaders Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), and Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), and Select Committee on the Climate Crisis Chair Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), among others.

    For a full list of events, click here.

    “To take action on climate change at the scale of the crisis, we need a Green New Deal,” said May Boeve, Executive Director of 350.org. “Communities around the country are demanding innovative policies that put millions to work in the just transition from fossil fuels to a renewable energy economy. It’s time for all progressive lawmakers to take real climate action and support a massive federal investment to bring health, safety, and justice to people and the planet.”

    “With an unhinged climate denier in the White House, it’s on Congress to chart a path away from climate suicide,” said Bill Snape, Senior Counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity. “We need a World War II-style mobilization to keep fossil fuels in the ground and transition to cleaner, saner energy. A Green New Deal would wean the country off dirty fuels and expand living-wage jobs at the same time.”

    “As Western wildfires rage and the Midwest freezes, Americans are thirsty for climate action. That’s why they elected so many climate hawks last November. It’s now time for the leaders to stand up for a Green New Deal. I’m helping to lead eight separate actions in Los Angeles-Ventura Counties alone,” said RL Miller, President of Climate Hawks Vote.

    “The growing national movement for a Green New Deal has arrived at a critical moment, as we have no time to lose in the fight to avoid irrevocable climate chaos,” said Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch. “We need to ensure that the Green New Deal is sufficiently aggressive to meet the challenge. This means banning fracking and stopping all new fossil fuel development now, and rapidly transitioning to a truly clean, renewable energy economy.”

    “Under Donald Trump’s watch, carbon emissions have spiraled out of control, communities are suffering through devastating wildfires, hurricanes, and droughts, and Indigenous people are continuously denied their ancestral lands and rights,” said Liz Butler, Vice President of Organizing and Strategic Alliances at Friends of the Earth. “Americans need a just and powerful Green New Deal. A progressive Green New Deal must ensure a just transition to renewable energy that move our economy away from dirty fossil fuels and destructive agriculture practices.”

    “A Green New Deal must usher in a transformation that matches the pace and scale we need to avoid catastrophic climate change, and in a way that actually makes our country stronger,” said Janet Redman, Climate and Energy Director at Greenpeace USA. “Our legislators can cement a turning point for our nation by ensuring that policies addressing the climate crisis also advance racial, economic and gender equity while phasing out polluting fossil fuels starting with the communities already experiencing coal, oil, and gas pollution. We have to continue our radical encouragement of climate leaders in Congress to get us where we actually need to be if we’re serious about staving off the worst impacts of the climate crisis.”

    “Our country is on the cusp of one of the largest bursts in dangerous oil and gas drilling ever seen, at precisely the time that we need to be moving full steam ahead in the opposite direction,” said David Turnbull, Strategic Communications Director at Oil Change International. “More than ever before, we need a courageous Green New Deal that prioritizes a managed decline of fossil fuel production and bold measures to support communities in moving swiftly to a cleaner, more just and equitable economy.”

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  • Week of Action, Feb. 4th to 8th: Demand Real Climate Leadership from New Congress

    We’ve got big plans to keep up the pressure for a bold, just Green New Deal. With Presidential hopefuls announcing their candidacies and the new Congress taking office, we’re working with dozens of partners to build on our momentum and make a bold, unmistakable call for real climate leadership!

    Here’s the plan: From February 4th to 8th, activists will deliver hundreds of thousands of petition signatures to members of Congress at in-person events across the country. We’re demanding that our leaders embrace a Green New Deal to phase out fossil fuel production, take on big polluters, and ensure a just transition to a 100% renewable energy economy where all of us can thrive.

    Join Us: RSVP today for a Real Climate Leadership Week of Action event near you!

    A broad coalition is working together on this Week of Action to send a strong signal to Congress. We demand a Green New Deal, and we’re asking our Representatives to:

    • Halt all new fossil fuel extraction, infrastructure, and subsidies, and transition power generation to 100% renewable energy by 2035 or sooner;
    • Rapidly decarbonize agriculture and transportation sectors and expand access to public transportation;
    • Ensure a Fair & Just Transition led by impacted workers and communities, including low income and communities of color, without relying on corporate schemes or market-based mechanisms;
    • Uphold Indigenous Rights; and
    • Pass a national jobs guarantee, creating good jobs with collective bargaining and family-sustaining wages.

    We’ve already seen the power of activists mobilizing in the halls of Congress – and now we’re building on that success and keeping up the pressure back home. It’s up to all of us to make sure that our leaders listen to the people most impacted by climate change and embrace the bold, just climate action we need to keep fossil fuels in the ground and invest in our futures, not business as usual from Big Oil.

    Are you ready to keep up the pressure for real climate leadership and a bold, just Green New Deal? Click here to find an action near you – or plan a new one.

    We hope you can join us! If you aren’t able to make it to an action next week, we’ll be providing other ways to get in touch with your members of Congress, and to spread the word to your networks about the real climate leadership that’s needed to phase out the fossil fuel industry and invest in a brighter future.

  • Release: 626 Groups Urge Congress to Phase Out Fossil Fuels, Build Green Economy

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    January 10, 2019

    CONTACT:
    David Turnbull, Oil Change USA, david [at] priceofoil.org
    Olivia Burlingame, Climate Justice Alliance, olivia [at] climatejusticealliance.org
    Bill Snape, Center for Biological Diversity, bsnape [at] biologicaldiversity.org
    Tom BK Goldtooth, Indigenous Environmental Network, tomg [at] ienearth.org
    Patrick Davis, Friends of the Earth, pdavis [at] foe.org
    Seth Gladstone, Food & Water Watch, sgladstone [at] fwwatch.org

    Visionary Legislation Needed to Address Grave Threat of Climate Change

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – More than 600 environmental groups today called on the U.S. House of Representatives to pursue ambitious climate legislation that matches the scale and urgency of the climate crisis.

    The groups’ letter calls for a thoughtful phaseout of fossil fuel production, a transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2035, complete decarbonization of the transportation system, use of the Clean Air Act to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, a just transition to a new green economy and the adherence to treaties upholding Indigenous rights when pursuing these actions.

    “To effectively tackle climate change, policymakers need to commit to transforming the global economy to serve the interests of people and planet, and not the profits of the one percent,” said Angela Adrar, Executive Director of Climate Justice Alliance. “Such a new, green economy needs to be guided by the leadership and knowledge of those most burdened by pollution, poverty and other forms of institutional violence waged by the corporations causing this global ecological crisis.”

    “As the world teeters on the brink of climate catastrophe, we’re calling on Congress to take large-scale action,” said Bill Snape, Senior Counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Americans want a livable future for their children, and that requires keeping fossil fuels in the ground while greening the economy on a wartime footing.” 

    “The disproportionate impacts of climate change and dirty energy development in the traditional territories and lands of American Indian and Alaska Natives must be taken into account to ensure the inherent rights of Indigenous peoples are fully recognized in the just transition to a new green economy,” said Tom BK Goldtooth, Executive Director of the Indigenous Environmental Network. “Indigenous and other frontline communities are ready to take the lead with real solutions to move away from a fossil fuel economy.”

    Months before the 116th Congress opened, a series of scientific reports warned of the dire consequences of inaction on climate change.

    In October the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that policymakers must take “unprecedented action” to limit warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. In November the Fourth National Climate Assessment reported that the health and economic costs of climate change are already being felt in the U.S., and that those harms will intensify without “immediate and substantial” cuts to greenhouse gas pollution.

    “At precisely the time that we need our energy policy to swiftly move us into a managed decline of fossil fuel production, the Trump administration is working with the fossil fuel industry to tear down policies and dangerously expand our fossil fuel extraction,” said David Turnbull, Strategic Communications Director at Oil Change USA. “We need real climate leaders willing to stand up to this onslaught and work to phase out fossil fuel production, rather than digging the hole deeper.”

    “We cannot stop climate change and rising inequality with the half-solutions of the past,” said Nicole Ghio, Senior Fossil Fuels Program Manager at Friends of the Earth. “We need action on climate that ends our dependence on dirty energy, puts power in the hands of communities and provides good jobs. If candidates and elected officials say they are committed to climate solutions, this is the litmus test.”

    Today’s letter also notes that the groups will oppose legislation that rolls back existing climate policies, shields the fossil fuel industry from liability or promotes market-based approaches like pollution trading and offsets.

    “The excitement around the Green New Deal should energize Congress to take bold, transformative action on climate change,” said Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch. “This means a halt to all new fossil fuel development now, and it means a rejection of dangerous false solutions like market-based emissions trading programs.”

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  • Release: Coalition of progressive groups call on Democrats in new Congress to reject fossil fuel money, push bold and aggressive climate policies

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    November 27, 2018

    CONTACT:
    David Turnbull, Oil Change USA, david [at] priceofoil.org
    Erin Jensen, Friends of the Earth U.S., ejensen [at] foe.org
    Stephen O’Hanlon, Sunrise Movement, stephen [at] sunrisemovement.org
    Thanu Yakupitiyage, 350.org, thanu [at] 350.org

    Coalition of progressive groups call on Democrats in new Congress to reject fossil fuel money, push bold and aggressive climate policies

    WASHINGTON — As Democrats vie for leadership positions in the new Congress, 47 progressive groups released a letter today demanding that candidates for House leadership posts pledge to reject fossil fuel money. The letter calls for a Green New Deal that will move America to a 100 percent renewable energy society, center communities on the frontlines of climate impacts, and invest in renewable energy while embarking on a managed decline of fossil fuel production and ending subsidies to the fossil fuel industry. In order to effectively lead on a Green New Deal and make a just transition away from fossil fuels, the letter calls for prospective leaders of the new House to declare themselves fossil fuel money-free.

    “Climate change is the greatest threat we’re facing,” said Lukas Ross, Senior Policy Analyst with Friends of the Earth. “We cannot tackle this crisis if our politicians are still accepting money from the corporate polluters who are intent on destroying communities and our environment for a profit. It is time for all Democrats to sign the no fossil fuel money pledge, and fully commit themselves to a 100% renewable energy future that protects all people and the planet.”

    “With over 1000 politicians rejecting fossil fuel money, real climate leadership definitively means no fossil fuel ties,” said May Boeve, Executive Director of 350.org. “For any shot at averting further climate catastrophe, all elected officials must say no to fossil fuels and fight for a Green New Deal that puts people and planet first. It’s not enough to acknowledge the reality of climate change – we need  officials who walk the talk and support equitable solutions to this global crisis.”

    “To preserve human civilization as we know it, top UN scientists say we need to transform our economy and society in the next 12 years,” said Varshini Prakash, Sunrise Movement Co-Founder and Communications Director. “Yet, politicians of both parties are putting the bottom-lines of their campaign donors above my generation’s future. Young people need bold leaders who will reject fossil fuel money and back a Green New Deal – and we’re ready to challenge politicians of both parties who refuse to stand with us.”

    “Our climate crisis requires leaders who are willing to stand up to an industry that has spent decades and millions of dollars lying to the public, distorting our democracy, and delaying climate action,” said David Turnbull, Strategic Communications Director at Oil Change USA. “We have no more time for delay or half-measures, or for politicians who are in the pocket of an out-of-control industry. We need true leaders who will stand up for our communities, ramp down our fossil fuel production, and fight for real climate solutions.”

    Read the full letter here.

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    Friends of the Earth fights to create a more healthy and just world. Our current campaigns focus on promoting clean energy and solutions to climate change, ensuring the food we eat and products we use are safe and sustainable, and protecting marine ecosystems and the people who live and work near them.

    Oil Change USA 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. More at oilchangeusa.org.

    Sunrise is a movement to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. We are building an army of young people to make climate change an urgent political priority, end the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on our politics, and elect leaders who will stand up for the health and well-being of all people. Learn more at: sunrisemovement.org

    350.org uses online campaigns, grassroots organizing, and mass public actions to oppose new coal, oil and gas projects, take money out of the companies that are heating up the planet, and build 100% clean energy solutions that work for all. 350’s network extends to 188 countries.

  • Endorsements, Part 1: Show your support for these 4 climate leaders

    November 6th is just around the corner! This election, we have the opportunity to set the record straight on what “climate leadership” means by electing outspoken leaders who are unafraid to take on Big Oil and Gas.

    For too long, politicians have been given a pat on the back for simply saying that they believe in climate change or support clean energy. Especially with the latest report from the IPCC, it’s clear that approach is fully insufficient to tackle the crisis we’re facing.

    We know that real climate leadership means:

    ✔ Supporting an end to fossil fuel subsidies
    ✔ Opposing all new fossil fuel infrastructure
    ✔ Rejecting all financial contributions from the fossil fuel industry
    ✔ Supporting a just transition to a clean energy economy

    This year, there are real climate leaders on the ballot across the country who will stand up for people, not the fossil fuel industry. They’re stepping out bravely with bold positions in critical states, and need our support. Can you show your support for these 4 climate leaders by sharing their stories?

    Randy Bryce for U.S. House, WI-01: Randy, a union ironworker, is one of the strongest political voices calling for a swift end to all fossil fuel subsidies, and he’s a fierce advocate both for taking on the fossil fuel industry and for building out the clean energy economy. Randy has extensively discussed his vision of passing a Green New Deal to build a new clean energy economy.

    Click here to Tweet about Randy. Then, share on Facebook!

    Ilhan Omar for U.S. House, MN-05: Ilhan is an outspoken opponent of the Line 3 tar sands pipeline that Enbridge is currently trying to push through Minnesota. She supports a moratorium on new oil and gas infrastructure, and has pledged to oppose all giveaways to fossil fuel companies if elected.

    Click here to Tweet about Ilhan. Then, share on Facebook!

    Andrew Gillum for Governor of Florida: Andrew is the current Mayor of Tallahassee, where he has been outspoken in his opposition to the Sabal Trail fracked gas pipeline and helped pass an ordinance to ban fracking. He’s been steadfast in his vision of expanding this fracking ban to the entire state of Florida if elected Governor.

    Click here to Tweet about Andrew. Then, share on Facebook!

    Danielle Friel Otten for PA State House, 155th District: Danielle got involved in politics through her fight against the Mariner East 2 pipeline, which was being forced through her backyard by the same company that built the Dakota Access Pipeline. She opposes new fossil fuel infrastructure in Pennsylvania, and will work to scale up funding for a just transition to a green economy that works for all.

    Click here to Tweet about Danielle. Then, share on Facebook!

    We need a new vision for the type of politician we’re willing to award the label “climate leader” to. The candidates above match that vision and – if elected – can transform the future of our country and our planet (and that’s no exaggeration).

    You can learn more about all of our endorsements this cycle on our Endorsements page.

    PAID FOR BY OIL CHANGE USA, WWW.OILCHANGEUSA.ORG, 714 G STREET SE, WASHINGTON, DC 20003. NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE, CANDIDATE’S AUTHORIZED POLITICAL COMMITTEE, OR CANDIDATE’S AGENTS.

  • Endorsements, Part 2: 4 more real climate leaders to support

    Earlier, we posted the details on four climate leaders we’ve endorsed, and now we have four more to spotlight.

    The stakes of this election are enormous. For too long, politicians have been given a pat on the back for simply saying that they believe in climate change or support clean energy. With the latest report from the IPCC, it’s clear that approach is fully insufficient to tackle the crisis we’re facing.

    We know that real climate leadership means:

    ✔ Supporting an end to fossil fuel subsidies
    ✔ Opposing all new fossil fuel infrastructure
    ✔ Rejecting all financial contributions from the fossil fuel industry
    ✔ Supporting a just transition to a clean energy economy

    This year, there are true climate leaders on the ballot who will stand with people – not the fossil fuel industry. These candidates are stepping out bravely with bold positions in critical states, and need our support in the last week before the election.

    Can you show your support for these four climate leaders by sharing their stories on social media?

    Jess King, U.S. House, PA-11: Jess is a pipeline fighter and lifelong Pennsylvanian who isn’t afraid to challenge the fossil fuel industry. She’s led the fight against the Atlantic Sunrise fracked gas pipeline, and believes every American deserves access to clean water, clean air, and good-paying jobs that can sustain families. Jess is facing off against GOP incumbent Lloyd Smucker, who’s pocketed thousands from the Koch Brothers and other fossil fuel interests.

    Click here to Tweet about Jess. Then, share on Facebook!

    Deb Haaland, U.S. House, NM-01: Deb was an early signer of the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge, and supports a ban on fracking. She unapologetically calls out the fossil fuel industry, and has pledged to vote against all new fossil fuel infrastructure if elected to Congress. Deb’s work is grounded in her belief that Indigenous rights and climate justice cannot be separated, and she is committed to helping tribes battle the fossil fuel industry in their backyards.

    Click here to Tweet about Deb. Then, share on Facebook!

    Kevin de León, U.S. Senate, CA: Kevin is challenging incumbent Senator Dianne Feinstein as a progressive voice for Californians who want a Senator who will stand up to corporate power like Big Oil. He’s a past President of the CA State Senate, where he signed the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge and pushed for a moratorium on fracking in California.

    Click here to Tweet about Kevin. Then, share on Facebook!

    Nika Elugardo, MA State House, 15th Suffolk: Nika has pledged to reject all new fossil fuel infrastructure in Massachusetts when elected, and is committed to transitioning the state to 100% renewable energy. She took the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge months ago, then won a resounding victory in her primary election over an incumbent who proudly touted his acceptance of money from the fossil fuel industry.

    Click here to Tweet about Nika. Then, share on Facebook!

    We need a new definition of what it means to be a “climate leader” – and we need the leaders who are ready to enact bold climate action. If elected, these four candidates will transform the future of our country and our planet.

    You can learn more about all of our endorsements this cycle on our Endorsements page.

    PAID FOR BY OIL CHANGE USA, WWW.OILCHANGEUSA.ORG, 714 G STREET SE, WASHINGTON, DC 20003. NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE, CANDIDATE’S AUTHORIZED POLITICAL COMMITTEE, OR CANDIDATE’S AGENTS.

  • Sparking a new conversation around “climate leadership”

    A couple weeks have passed since the end of the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS), and the dust is settling. What’s emerging is a new conversation sparked not at the summit itself but on the streets and in outside events across the city. A new definition of climate leadership has emerged, and the public outcry is deafening, even if thus far world leaders represented at GCAS seemed to strain to avoid hearing it.

    This definition is a simple and clear one: If you want to call yourself a climate leader, you have to stand up to the fossil fuel industry, protect communities, and keep fossil fuels in the ground. Anything less is not enough to meet what climate science and justice demand.

    In mid-September, business leaders, sub-national officials, civil society representatives, and celebrities converged for the Global Climate Action Summit hosted by Governor Jerry Brown, with conversations focused primarily on efforts to reduce emissions and lower the demand for fossil fuels. Outside the official summit proceedings, however, Oil Change International teamed up with numerous partners to mobilize pressure on Governor Brown and other political leaders to address a major gap in action: putting policies in place to wind down fossil fuel extraction.

    California Governor Jerry Brown, the host of GCAS, presents a critical example of this dynamic at play. As host of the summit, Governor Brown sought to use the summit as a victory lap for his climate leadership — but outside the conference center, Californians impacted by ongoing oil and gas drilling demanded action. The call for Governor Brown to lead on a managed decline of oil and gas production in California has been spearheaded by the Brown’s Last Chance campaign, which has been endorsed by over 800 organizations worldwide. Its demands are to stop permitting new fossil fuel production in California, and to ramp down dangerous production near communities as quickly as possible. See our video outlining what these policies could accomplish:

    Ahead of the official GCAS gathering, 30,000 people marched through the streets as part of the global grassoots mobilization to Rise for Climate, Jobs and Justice. The march elevated two key demands: 1) No new fossil fuels; and 2) A just transition to 100% renewable energy. 

    The Brown’s Last Chance coalition brought signs and chants to demand that Governor Brown stop issuing p
    ermits for new oil and gas wells and other fossil fuel infrastructure in California, which disproportionately pollute low-income communities and communities of color. OCI’s recent report, The Sky’s Limit California, exposed that the Brown administration has issued more than 20,000 permits for new oil and gas wells in the last eight years.

    A resounding message rang through the streets: Climate leaders don’t help dig up more fossil fuels — they help keep fossil fuels in the ground. This “no new fossil fuels” message broke through like never before and became a key part of media reports and conversations coming out of the march.


    At the official GCAS summit, communities impacted by California’s long legacy of oil and gas drilling disrupted the entrance, protesting Governor Brown’s lack of leadership towards a just phase-out of extraction. We took to the streets with partners in the Brown’s Last Chance Coalition, the It Takes Roots Coalition, and local organizers from Idle No More SF Bay and Diablo Rising Tide, taking over the intersections outside the conference center. The action garnered widespread press attention and confronted summit participants with a critical challenge: Given the world already has an oversupply of fossil fuels, how will they lead in the wind down of oil, gas, and coal extraction?
    Summit-affiliated events throughout the city also ensured that supply-side policies — from pulling financing out of fossil fuels to putting policies in place to limit their production — were part of the discussion. During a panel organized by the Stockholm Environment Institute, the Mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, backed up the message of the protesters:

    “In Canada, in Norway, in California, we have leaders claiming climate leadership and approving expansion of fossil fuels,” he said. “You can’t claim leadership on climate change if you are expanding the fossil fuel industry. Let’s hold the line here.”

    Steve Kretzmann, OCI’s Executive Director, said in summation of the week that while Brown had not immediately stopped the expansion of the oil & gas industry in California, the #BrownsLastChance coalition had “hip-checked the Overton window of politically possible action on climate. Politicians in California and around the world need to see that there is a substantial and growing constituency for strong climate action that will support and reward bold climate leadership that actually says no to the fossil fuel industry.”

    As we look back on GCAS, one can focus on high-level commitments to finance renewable energy, reduce emissions from power plants, and other laudable but ultimately insufficient efforts. But with a broader view, it’s clear that the call to keep fossil fuels in the ground is picking up steam and leaders ought take notice.