The same day Kevin McCarthy was finally elected Speaker of the House, heavy winds and historic floods battered his home state of California.
As of Wednesday, more than 300,000 people were without electricity and seventeen people lost their lives due to the “endless stream” of atmospheric rivers (otherwise known as rivers in the sky) hitting the state. Entire towns and counties have been put under an evacuation order.
Climate change has increased the intensity of these atmospheric rivers for a straightforward reason: A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture.
Despite the clear connection between these storms, fossil fuels, and warming temperatures, McCarthy has championed policies to boost oil and gas while denying the science of climate change.1
We know that no matter who holds the levers of power, our leaders must continue to fight for the climate solutions we desperately need. The Senate will be a major player in halting McCarthy’s fossil fuel agenda, which is why we need to support the Senate in holding the line and defending our climate progress.
In addition to calling on our senators to act, here’s a list of things we’re focused on to ensure we continue to get things done for our climate future.
Executive Action: There are many executive orders that President Biden can enact to severely limit the power of fossil fuels. Our movement is laser focused on getting those done – from banning offshore drilling to declaring a climate emergency.
Stopping fossil fuel finance: We’re calling on the Federal Reserve to hold banks and their subsidiaries accountable for the harms their funding of fossil fuels does to the environment and our communities.
Supporting *real* solutions: We will prioritize people-centered renewable energy solutions, and we’ll push for just and complete implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act.
Investing in organizing: We’ve always known that people power is the key to change. That’s why we will continue to grow and train our movement to take action in their cities and states no matter who holds the majority in Congress.
We will continue to call out the fossil fuel allies in Congress like Speaker McCarthy who are working on behalf of fossil fuel billionaires – not our communities or our future generations.
Together we will hold them accountable and continue to make progress for our movement.
Thanks for reading.
Jeff Ordower
North America Director
350.org
P.S. If there’s anything you would add to this list of areas we should focus on, please let us know here – we’ll be reading all the responses we receive.
1 – Washington Post
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