Environmental Organizations Cross Racial Divides To Present Climate Justice Platform

Posted by Brad Johnson Tue, 23 Jul 2019 19:11:00 GMT

In an encouraging sign for those seeking to make the vision of the Green New Deal a reality, a coalition of mostly white environmental organizations and predominantly black environmental justice organizations have released the “Equitable & Just National Climate Platform.”

The platform is a vision statement for American climate justice policy, with signatories “committed to advancing a bold and equitable national climate agenda and believe that all people and all communities have the right to breathe clean air, live free of dangerous levels of toxic pollution, access healthy food, and share the benefits of a prosperous and vibrant clean economy.”

The Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Union of Concerned Scientists are also members of the BlueGreen Alliance which released a similar labor-focused platform in June.

Platform co-authors and inaugural signatories: Center for American Progress, Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy, Center for the Urban Environment, John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy, Thomas Edison State University, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Earthjustice, Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform, Harambee House–Citizens for Environmental Justice, League of Conservation Voters, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Los Jardines Institute, Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, Midwest Environmental Justice Network, Natural Resources Defense Council, New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, ReGenesis Project, Sierra Club, Tishman Environment and Design Center at the New School, Union of Concerned Scientists, WE ACT for Environmental Justice.

Environmental justice organization inaugural signatories: 2BRIDGE CDX / BTB Coalition, Agricultura Cooperative Network, Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Black Environmental Collective-Pittsburgh, Black Millennials 4 Flint, Black Youth Leadership Development Institute, Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment, Citizens for Melia, Clean Power Lake County, Coalition of Community Organizations, Community Housing and Empowerment Connections, Community Members for Environmental Justice, Concerned Citizens Coalition of Long Branch, Concerned Citizens of Wagon Mound and Mora County, Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice, Dakota Wicohan, Delaware Concerned Residents for Environmental Justice, Dr. Cesar G. Abarca, Dr. Fatemeh Shafiei, Dr. Marisol Ruiz, Dr. Robert Bullard, East Michigan Environmental Action Council, Eduardo Aguiar, El Chante: Casa de Cultura, Farmworker Association of Florida, Flint Rising, Georgia Statewide Network for Environmental Justice and Equity, Greater Newark Conservancy, Green Door Initiative, Greenfaith, Ironbound Community Corporation, Jesus People Against Pollution, Las Pistoleras Instituto Cultural de Arte, Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware, Louisiana Democracy Project, Minority Workforce Development Coalition, Mossville Community in Action, Native Justice Coalition, Organizacion en California de Lideres Campesinas, Inc., Partnership for Southern Equity, People Concerned About Chemical Safety, People for Community Recovery, PODER, Reverend Canon Lloyd S. Casson, Rubbertown Emergency ACTion, Tallahassee Food Network, Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, Texas Drought Project, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services, The Wise Choice, Inc., Tradish “Traditional Real Foods,” Tusconians for a Clean Environment, UrbanKind Institute, We the People of Detroit, West County Toxics Coalition, Wisconsin Green Muslims.

Download Equitable & Just National Climate Platform or read the text below:

AN EQUITABLE AND JUST NATIONAL CLIMATE AGENDA

To effectively build an inclusive, just, and clean-energy economy, the national climate agenda must achieve the following:

No community left behind

All communities have a right to live free from exposure to dangerous toxic pollution in their soil as well as in the air they breathe, the food they eat, and the water they drink. Yet persistent racial and economic inequalities—and the forces that cause them—embedded throughout our society have concentrated toxic polluters near and within communities of color, tribal communities, and low-income communities. These underlying social forces, including persistent and systematic racial discrimination and economic inequality, have created disproportionately high environmental and public health risks in these areas relative to wealthier white neighborhoods. The national climate policy agenda must address this environmental injustice head-on by prioritizing climate solutions and other policies that also reduce pollution in these legacy communities at the scale needed to significantly improve their public health and quality of life. The agenda must also build the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to fulfill its mission to protect the nation’s health and the environment by developing and enforcing effective regulations for all communities.

A healthy climate and air quality

The devastating and costly consequences of climate change threaten the health, safety, and livelihoods of people across the country. Generations of economic and social injustice have put communities on the frontlines of climate change effects. The national climate policy agenda must have as its foundation policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and locally harmful air pollution at the ambitious scale and speed needed to avoid the worst and most costly health impacts, especially for the most vulnerable communities and communities coping with the legacy pollution from the present economy. This includes reducing emissions in low-income areas and communities of color—EJ communities—through a suite of policies, including climate mitigation policy. The agenda must mobilize vast new resources to reduce carbon pollution, curb locally harmful pollution, and build resilience to improve the health, safety, and livability of all communities in a climate-changed world.

Reduction in cumulative impacts

History shows that environmental regulation does not necessarily mean healthy environments for all communities. Many communities suffer from the cumulative effects of multiple pollution sources. A national climate policy agenda that addresses climate pollution must not abandon or diminish the important goal of reducing toxic pollution in all its forms. Climate solutions must be part of a comprehensive approach to reducing legacy environmental and economic impacts on communities and be designed intentionally to ensure that they do not impose further risks. Strategies to address climate change must not disproportionately benefit some communities while imposing costs on others. In fact, the national climate policy agenda should be used to reduce the disproportionate amount of pollution that is often found in EJ communities and that is associated with cumulative impacts, public health risks, and other persistent challenges.

An inclusive, just, and pollution-free energy economy

The shift to a sustainable, just, and equitable energy future requires innovative forms of investment and governance that distribute the benefits of this transition equitably and justly. This includes investing in the development of innovative decentralized models of energy provision; community governance and ownership; incorporation of social and health benefits into energy systems planning; incentivizing the inclusion of equity into future energy investment through public programs; and supporting public and private research and development to include equity considerations in new technology development.

The national climate policy agenda must drive a rapid shift toward a pollution-free, inclusive, and just economy as well as create high-quality jobs with family-sustaining wages and safe and healthy working conditions. Breaking down the barriers that produce unemployment and underemployment must be a priority. Workers must be treated fairly and supported through investments in workforce and job training programs, especially in communities with disproportionately high underemployed and unemployed populations and in communities that have been historically reliant on fossil fuel extraction and energy production.

Access to affordable energy

The national climate policy agenda must significantly reduce domestic energy vulnerability and poverty by addressing the problem of high energy cost burdens. To live and prosper in today’s society, access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy is a basic need in daily life and fundamental to achieving rights related to health, environmental quality, education, and food and income security. Given the disparities in the housing stock and infrastructure across communities, it is imperative that future energy systems provide affordable energy access that ensures a healthy standard of living that provides for the basic needs of children and families. The nation needs bold new leadership that will ensure access to sustainable energy, including by supporting investments in cooperative and nonprofit energy organizations; community and stakeholder engagement and participation in energy planning; public-private partnerships; and renewable and energy efficiency demonstration projects in our most vulnerable communities.

A healthy transportation and goods movement system

As a major contributor to climate and air pollution, we must build the next century’s transportation system to ensure healthy air quality for all communities. This will require massive investment in affordable, reliable, and environmentally sustainable transportation. As with other sectors, the transportation system has a direct effect on economic and social opportunities. Public resources and planning decisions affect patterns of urban development and the structure of local economies, including where jobs and employment are located. The transportation sector is also responsible for providing accessibility to basic human needs. Therefore, transportation planning must ensure affordable transportation that provides for community members’ mobility and access to daily activities and services, including jobs, education, health care, affordable housing, and social networks.

Clean and affordable energy and transportation through an increased and appropriate level of new federal investment in zero-emissions transportation options for all community members in both rural and urban areas must be a priority. This includes programs to scale up investment in public transit; zero-emissions transit buses, diesel trucks, and school buses; and accessible and affordable adoption of electric cars. We also need smart planning that will make our communities safe for pedestrian and bicycle travel.

The goods movement system that distributes raw materials and consumer products currently relies on diesel engines that produce emissions that have significant health and environmental effects on workers and members of surrounding communities. A national climate policy agenda must reduce pollution by advancing a zero-emissions goods movement transportation system to protect the health of workers as well as fenceline and frontline communities and ensure that they benefit from new clean transportation technology development.

Safe, healthy communities and infrastructure

Climate change exacerbates existing vulnerabilities and creates new risks in our communities. As a result, climate change presents historic challenges to human health and our quality of life. Communities across the country need a national climate policy agenda that will mobilize the massive investments necessary to prepare for climate change impacts. Climate solutions provide opportunities for localized benefits that enhance the quality of life for all communities, including by improving local air quality, access to healthy food, local economic development, public health, and community vitality.

We need to build housing and infrastructure that can withstand more powerful storms, floods, heat waves, cold snaps, and wildfires; reduce carbon and air pollution in areas with high cumulative pollution; build a more sustainable food and agricultural system; and expand access to family-sustaining jobs and other economic opportunities. As climate change deteriorates air quality, increases vector-borne disease and allergens, and contributes to a host of other public health threats, we must ensure full access to health care for all. The national climate policy agenda must prioritize investments in communities that are the most vulnerable to climate change, including in health monitoring and research to provide rigorous and reliable research on our progress.

Economic diversity and community wealth building

A national climate policy agenda must acknowledge the continuing increase in wealth and income inequality that plagues our communities. This growing wealth gap makes inclusive local economic development a priority for communities and governments. Economic diversification is critical to effectively address climate change and reduce economic and social vulnerability. We must create and support strategies that shift away from high pollution products and production processes toward those that are low-emission and sustainable. This also includes investments in innovative and worker-supported economic organizations such as cooperatives and other community wealth-building strategies.

Anti-displacement, relocation, and the right to return

A national climate policy agenda must ensure that sustainable investments for both mitigation and adaptation do not impose costs—both social and otherwise—on overburdened and vulnerable communities. Therefore, it is essential that we as a nation invest resources to eliminate barriers to and provide affordable and safe housing for all community members. It is imperative that new investments in resilient infrastructure in communities that have been historically disinvested be a national priority.

Climate-related events are already having severe and often devastating effects on communities, including requiring people to evacuate and relocate out of harm’s way. These types of events are expected to become even more intense and damaging in the future. Leaders at all levels of government must recognize their duty and responsibility to support displaced families to return to their communities or to relocate to places of their choosing. This includes prioritizing public and private investments to rebuild affordable and accessible housing and transportation for residents who have been displaced due to climate and other disaster events—including those with the least resources and ability to respond—and to ensure that displaced people can participate in the planning and management of their return or relocation.

To effectively address the steady rise in climate-related and other disasters, the national climate policy agenda must support equitable and responsive relocation planning and investment in the wake of such events as well as proactively help to protect communities from climate change effects and displacement. In places exposed to extreme climate risks, planned relocation must provide for the improvement of community members’ living standards. Social cohesion is a foundation for community well-being, and, therefore, relocation must strive to maintain and support family unity as well as community and kinship ties. The economic and social disruption to communities that require relocation have significant health, economic, and emotional impacts. It is imperative that relocated community members have access to a full range of health and economic services and the right to choose their residence.

Water access and affordability

Climate change affects the water cycle, which in turn affects the nation’s water quality and supply. The nation’s drinking water infrastructure is already in dire need of massive investment. The national climate policy agenda requires solutions that take into account the effects of climate change on this stressed water infrastructure. As we develop climate solutions, we must focus on avoiding those which impair or burden aquifers, lakes, rivers, and oceans.

A comprehensive infrastructure plan that will focus on water and other basic necessities—specifically for communities that have already experienced significant health and economic impacts—is of the highest priority. Investments must prioritize communities that are already affected by inadequate, harmful, and health-impairing water infrastructure. Bold new leadership is needed to ensure that all community members have access to safe, clean, and affordable drinking water as well as to maintain and protect water as a common resource. Access to clean water is a basic human right that we must protect for all children and families. As we develop climate solutions, we must avoid those that harm or burden oceans, lakes, rivers, and waterways.

Self-determination, land access, and redevelopment

A national climate policy agenda must be predicated on the principle that land is fundamental to the exercise of community self-determination. Land is integrally tied to community and cultural identity, and its use is directly related to community members’ ability to meet their social, economic, and cultural needs. Urban and rural development and redevelopment must not lead to greater socioeconomic gaps or escalating costs that displace community members. These projects must result in lower pollution emissions for the surrounding community. It is imperative that programs and initiatives to protect and redevelop the environment promote community wealth building and economic diversity that directly benefit local community residents.

Funding and research

A national climate policy agenda must include funding for climate research on equity and climate issues. This research must effectively address equity and justice in climate planning and policy and be at a scale and level of rigor that has been historically invested in previous carbon-mitigation policies and programs. Public and private supporters of these past efforts have a moral obligation to also invest in the needs of communities that have been made vulnerable by past environmental, energy, and economic policies. If we do not sufficiently fund and perform EJ and equity research as it relates to climate change, then climate change policy and research has a significant potential to perpetuate and even exacerbate inequalities rooted in race and income.

U.S. responsibility for climate action and international cooperation

We must aim to limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius over preindustrial levels by 2050. The national climate policy agenda must ensure that the United States acts effectively, responsibly, equitably, and justly to achieve this goal. This requires advancing global climate justice, including by committing to even more ambitious emission reduction goals in the future to contribute our fair share in the global effort to stabilize the climate system, and committing financial resources for least-developed nations to cope with the impacts of climate change. We must do this by radically scaling up both U.S. domestic actions and international cooperation in ways that end poverty and inequality; build sustainable communities and cities; improve public health and well-being; and reach universal achievement of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

The Labor Network for Sustainability Outlines How to Make the Green New Deal Work

Posted by Brad Johnson Tue, 26 Feb 2019 16:43:00 GMT

The Labor Network for Sustainability has released “18 Strategies for a Green New Deal: How to Make a Climate Mobilization Work,” a paper intended to “stimulate discussion of the Green New Deal among labor, environmental, progressive, policy, and justice constituencies.” The paper, authored by LNS Research and Policy Director Jeremy Brecher, details 18 strategies for implementing the Green New Deal resolution’s broad goals, organized in three parts:

Part 1: Mobilize government
  • Establish Green New Deal mobilization agencies
  • Use regulatory powers to freeze, phase-out, and replace all fossil fuel infrastructure
  • Use government to plan the transition
  • Establish Green New Deal agencies for reorganizing economic sectors
  • Use government to reshape the market
  • Use the tools of macroeconomic policy
  • Use the powers of government to rectify past and present injustices
  • Protect low-income energy consumers
  • Empower community-led initiatives
  • Democratize democracy
Part 2: Mobilize labor
  • Leave no worker behind
  • Guarantee jobs for all
  • Ensure workers rights and good union jobs
Part 3: Mobilize money and material resources
  • Capture the benefits of the transition to fossil free energy
  • Make the polluters pay
  • Cut wasteful and unnecessary spending
  • Mobilize investment
  • Support and fund a Global Green New Deal

The mission of the Labor Network for Sustainability is to engage workers and communities in building a transition to a society that is ecologically sustainable and economically just.

Green New Deal Resolution Now Has 95 Co-Sponsors

Posted by Brad Johnson Thu, 14 Feb 2019 20:17:00 GMT

The Green New Deal resolution, H.Res. 109/S.Res. 59, picked up 18 more co-sponsors as of this Wednesday (with committee assignments):

  • Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA-14), Armed Services
  • Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA-15)
  • Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19), House Administration Chair
  • Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20), Agriculture, Ways & Means
  • Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA-32)
  • Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA-37)
  • Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA-38), Ways & Means
  • Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA-44), Energy & Commerce
  • Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL-07), Ways & Means
  • Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA-05), Appropriations
  • Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD-03), Energy & Commerce
  • Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD-07), Oversight & Reform Chair
  • Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO-04)
  • Rep. David Price (D-NC-04), Appropriations
  • Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY-03), Ways & Means
  • Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY-17), Appropriations Chair
  • Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), Education & Labor Chair
  • Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA-09), Armed Services Chair

The updated list of co-sponsors is below.

Representatives

  • House Sponsor Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14)
  • Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-03)
  • Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA-02)
  • Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA-05)
  • Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA-06)
  • Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-11)
  • Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-13)
  • Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA-14)
  • Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA-15)
  • Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA-17)
  • Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA-18)
  • Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19)
  • Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20)
  • Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24)
  • Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA-27)
  • Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA-28)
  • Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA-32)
  • Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA-33)
  • Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34)
  • Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA-37)
  • Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA-38)
  • Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA-41)
  • Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA-43)
  • Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-CA-44)
  • Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA-47)
  • Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA-49)
  • Rep. Juan Vargas (D-CA-51)
  • Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO-02)
  • Rep. John Larson (D-CT-01)
  • Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT-02)
  • Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03)
  • Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC-AL)
  • Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL-20)
  • Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL-26)
  • Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL-04)
  • Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL-05)
  • Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL-07)
  • Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09)
  • Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA-02)
  • Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)
  • Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-MA-04)
  • Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA-05)
  • Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA-06)
  • Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07)
  • Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA-08)
  • Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA-09)
  • Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD-03)
  • Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD-07)
  • Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08)
  • Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01)
  • Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI-09)
  • Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13)
  • Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-04)
  • Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO-04)
  • Rep. Gregorio Sablan (D-MP-AL)
  • Rep. David Price (D-NC-04)
  • Rep. B. Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12)
  • Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM-01)
  • Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY-03)
  • Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY-05)
  • Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY-06)
  • Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY-07)
  • Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09)
  • Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10)
  • Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY-12)
  • Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13)
  • Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY-15)
  • Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY-16)
  • Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY-17)
  • Rep. Sean P Maloney (D-NY-18)
  • Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY-26)
  • Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01)
  • Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-03)
  • Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR-04)
  • Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA-02)
  • Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI-01)
  • Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09)
  • Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16)
  • Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20)
  • Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA-03)
  • Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA-11)
  • Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT-AL)
  • Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07)
  • Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA-09)
  • Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI-02)

Senators

Senate Sponsor Ed Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts
  • Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA)
  • Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT)
  • Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
  • Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
  • Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
  • Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
  • Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)
  • Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
  • Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
  • Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)
  • Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

Green New Deal Resolution Picks Up Six More Co-Sponsors

Posted by Brad Johnson Sat, 09 Feb 2019 21:25:00 GMT

The Green New Deal resolution, now H.Res. 109/S.Res. 59, picked up six more co-sponsors on Saturday:
  • Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34)
  • Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO-02), member of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis
  • Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-MA-04)
  • Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY-07)
  • Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09)
  • Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI-01)

The updated list of co-sponsors is below.

Representatives

  • House Sponsor Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14)
  • Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-03)
  • Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA-02)
  • Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA-05)
  • Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA-06)
  • Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-11)
  • Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-13)
  • Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA-17)
  • Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA-18)
  • Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24)
  • Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA-27)
  • Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA-28)
  • Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA-33)
  • Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34)
  • Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA-41)
  • Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA-43)
  • Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA-47)
  • Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA-49)
  • Rep. Juan Vargas (D-CA-51)
  • Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO-02)
  • Rep. John Larson (D-CT-01)
  • Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT-02)
  • Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03)
  • Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC-AL)
  • Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL-20)
  • Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL-26)
  • Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL-04)
  • Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL-05)
  • Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09)
  • Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA-02)
  • Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)
  • Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-MA-04)
  • Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA-06)
  • Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07)
  • Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA-08)
  • Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA-09)
  • Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08)
  • Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01)
  • Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI-09)
  • Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13)
  • Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-04)
  • Rep. Gregorio Sablan (D-MP-AL)
  • Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12)
  • Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM-01)
  • Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY-05)
  • Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY-06)
  • Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY-07)
  • Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09)
  • Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10)
  • Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY-12)
  • Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13)
  • Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY-15)
  • Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY-16)
  • Rep. Sean P Maloney (D-NY-18)
  • Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY-26)
  • Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01)
  • Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-03)
  • Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR-04)
  • Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA-02)
  • Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI-01)
  • Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09)
  • Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16)
  • Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20)
  • Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA-11)
  • Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT-AL)
  • Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07)
  • Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI-02)

Senators

Senate Sponsor Ed Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts
  • Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA)
  • Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT)
  • Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
  • Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
  • Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
  • Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
  • Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)
  • Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
  • Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
  • Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)
  • Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

Green New Deal Resolution Launches With 61 Representatives, 13 Senators as Co-Sponsors

Posted by Brad Johnson Sat, 09 Feb 2019 06:45:00 GMT

Following Thursday’s announcement of the Green New Deal Ocasio-Markey resolution, supporters have announced several dozen co-sponsors, including 61 members of the House of Representatives (two non-voting) and 9 U.S. senators.

The list, from Justice Democrats, is below:

Representatives

  • House Sponsor Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14)
  • Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-03)
  • Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA-02)
  • Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA-05)
  • Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA-06)
  • Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-11)
  • Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-13)
  • Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA-17)
  • Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA-18)
  • Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24)
  • Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA-27)
  • Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA-28)
  • Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA-33)
  • Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA-41)
  • Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA-43)
  • Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA-47)
  • Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA-49)
  • Rep. Juan Vargas (D-CA-51)
  • Rep. John Larson (D-CT-01)
  • Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT-02)
  • Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03)
  • Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC-AL)
  • Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL-20)
  • Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL-26)
  • Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL-04)
  • Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL-05)
  • Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09)
  • Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA-02)
  • Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)
  • Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA-06)
  • Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07)
  • Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA-08)
  • Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA-09)
  • Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08)
  • Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01)
  • Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI-09)
  • Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13)
  • Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-04)
  • Rep. Gregorio Sablan (D-MP-AL)
  • Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12)
  • Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM-01)
  • Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY-05)
  • Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY-06)
  • Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10)
  • Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY-12)
  • Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13)
  • Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY-15)
  • Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY-16)
  • Rep. Sean P Maloney (D-NY-18)
  • Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY-26)
  • Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01)
  • Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-03)
  • Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR-04)
  • Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA-02)
  • Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09)
  • Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16)
  • Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20)
  • Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA-11)
  • Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT-AL)
  • Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07)
  • Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI-02)

Senators

Senate Sponsor Ed Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts
  • Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA)
  • Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT)
  • Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
  • Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
  • Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
  • Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
  • Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)
  • Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
  • Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
  • Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)
  • Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

FULL TEXT: Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Markey Release Green New Deal Resolution

Posted by Brad Johnson Thu, 07 Feb 2019 20:11:00 GMT

In front of the U.S. Capitol building, Rep. Alexandrio Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today announced the introduction of resolution “recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal” that builds a just, full-employment economy to stop global warming.

The resolution now has 64 original co-sponsors in the House and 9 in the Senate.

The full text of the resolution (PDF) is below:

116TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. RES. _
Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on _

RESOLUTION

Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.

Whereas the October 2018 report entitled ‘‘Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C’’ by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the November 2018 Fourth National Climate Assessment report found that—
  1. human activity is the dominant cause of observed climate change over the past century;
  2. a changing climate is causing sea levels to rise and an increase in wildfires, severe storms, droughts, and other extreme weather events that threaten human life, healthy communities, and critical infrastructure;
  3. global warming at or above 2 degrees Celsius beyond preindustrialized levels will cause—
    1. mass migration from the regions most affected by climate change;
    2. more than $500,000,000,000 in lost annual economic output in the United States by the year 2100;
    3. wildfires that, by 2050, will annually burn at least twice as much forest area in the western United States than was typically burned by wildfires in the years preceding 2019;
    4. a loss of more than 99 percent of all coral reefs on Earth;
    5. more than 350,000,000 more people to be exposed globally to deadly heat stress by 2050; and
    6. a risk of damage to $1,000,000,000,000 of public infrastructure and coastal real estate in the United States; and
  4. global temperatures must be kept below 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrialized levels to avoid the most severe impacts of a changing climate, which will require—
    1. global reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from human sources of 40 to 60 percent from 2010 levels by 2030; and
    2. net-zero emissions by 2050;
Whereas, because the United States has historically been responsible for a disproportionate amount of greenhouse gas emissions, having emitted 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions through 2014, and has a high technological capacity, the United States must take a leading role in reducing emissions through economic transformation; Whereas the United States is currently experiencing several related crises, with—
  1. life expectancy declining while basic needs, such as clean air, clean water, healthy food, and adequate health care, housing, transportation, and education, are inaccessible to a significant portion of the United States population;
  2. a 4-decade trend of economic stagnation, deindustrialization, and antilabor policies that has led to—
    1. hourly wages overall stagnating since the 1970s despite increased worker productivity;
    2. the third-worst level of socioeconomic mobility in the developed world before the Great Recession;
    3. the erosion of the earning and bargaining power of workers in the United States; and
    4. inadequate resources for public sector workers to confront the challenges of climate change at local, State, and Federal levels; and
  3. the greatest income inequality since the 1920s, with—
    1. the top 1 percent of earners accruing 91 percent of gains in the first few years of economic recovery after the Great Recession;
    2. a large racial wealth divide amounting to a difference of 20 times more wealth between the average White family and the average Black family; and
    3. a gender earnings gap that results in women earning approximately 80 percent as much as men, at the median;
Whereas climate change, pollution, and environmental destruction have exacerbated systemic racial, regional, social, environmental, and economic injustices (referred to in this preamble as ‘‘systemic injustices’’) by disproportionately affecting indigenous communities, communities of color, migrant communities, deindustrialized communities, depopulated rural communities, the poor, low-income workers, women, the elderly, the unhoused, people with disabilities, and youth (referred to in this preamble as ‘‘frontline and vulnerable communities’’); Whereas, climate change constitutes a direct threat to the national security of the United States—
  1. by impacting the economic, environmental, and social stability of countries and communities around the world; and
  2. by acting as a threat multiplier;
Whereas the Federal Government-led mobilizations during World War II and the New Deal created the greatest middle class that the United States has ever seen, but many members of frontline and vulnerable communities were excluded from many of the economic and societal benefits of those mobilizations; and Whereas the House of Representatives recognizes that a new national, social, industrial, and economic mobilization on a scale not seen since World War II and the New Deal is a historic opportunity—
  1. to create millions of good, high-wage jobs in the United States;
  2. to provide unprecedented levels of prosperity and economic security for all people of the United States; and
  3. to counteract systemic injustices:

Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that—
  1. it is the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal—
    1. to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions through a fair and just transition for all communities and workers;
    2. to create millions of good, high-wage jobs and ensure prosperity and economic security for all people of the United States;
    3. to invest in the infrastructure and industry of the United States to sustainably meet the challenges of the 21st century;
    4. to secure for all people of the United States for generations to come—
      1. clean air and water;
      2. climate and community resiliency;
      3. healthy food;
      4. access to nature; and
      5. a sustainable environment; and
    5. to promote justice and equity by stopping current, preventing future, and repairing historic oppression of indigenous communities, communities of color, migrant communities, deindustrialized communities, depopulated rural communities, the poor, low-income workers, women, the elderly, the unhoused, people with disabilities, and youth (referred to in this resolution as ‘‘frontline and vulnerable communities’’);
  2. the goals described in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of paragraph (1) (referred to in this resolution as the ‘‘Green New Deal goals’’) should be accomplished through a 10-year national mobilization (referred to in this resolution as the ‘‘Green New Deal mobilization’’) that will require the following goals and projects—
    1. building resiliency against climate change-related disasters, such as extreme weather, including by leveraging funding and providing investments for community-defined projects and strategies;
    2. repairing and upgrading the infrastructure in the United States, including—
      1. by eliminating pollution and greenhouse gas emissions as much as technologically feasible;
      2. by guaranteeing universal access to clean water;
      3. by reducing the risks posed by flooding and other climate impacts; and
      4. by ensuring that any infrastructure bill considered by Congress addresses climate change;
    3. meeting 100 percent of the power demand in the United States through clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources, including—
      1. by dramatically expanding and upgrading existing renewable power sources; and
      2. by deploying new capacity;
    4. building or upgrading to energy-efficient, distributed, and ‘‘smart’’ power grids, and working to ensure affordable access to electricity;
    5. upgrading all existing buildings in the United States and building new buildings to achieve maximal energy efficiency, water efficiency, safety, affordability, comfort, and durability, including through electrification;
    6. spurring massive growth in clean manufacturing in the United States and removing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing and industry as much as is technologically feasible, including by expanding renewable energy manufacturing and investing in existing manufacturing and industry;
    7. working collaboratively with farmers and ranchers in the United States to eliminate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector as much as is technologically feasible, including—
      1. by supporting family farming;
      2. by investing in sustainable farming and land use practices that increase soil health; and
      3. by building a more sustainable food system that ensures universal access to healthy food;
    8. overhauling transportation systems in the United States to eliminate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector as much as is technologically feasible, including through investment in—
      1. zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and manufacturing;
      2. clean, affordable, and accessible public transportation; and
      3. high-speed rail;
    9. mitigating and managing the long-term adverse health, economic, and other effects of pollution and climate change, including by providing funding for community-defined projects and strategies;
    10. removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and reducing pollution, including by restoring natural ecosystems through proven low-tech solutions that increase soil carbon storage, such as preservation and afforestation;
    11. restoring and protecting threatened, endangered, and fragile ecosystems through locally appropriate and science-based projects that enhance biodiversity and support climate resiliency;
    12. cleaning up existing hazardous waste and abandoned sites to promote economic development and sustainability;
    13. identifying other emission and pollution sources and creating solutions to eliminate them; and
    14. promoting the international exchange of technology, expertise, products, funding, and services, with the aim of making the United States the international leader on climate action, and to help other countries achieve a Green New Deal;
  3. a Green New Deal must be developed through transparent and inclusive consultation, collaboration, and partnership with frontline and vulnerable communities, labor unions, worker cooperatives, civil society groups, academia, and businesses; and
  4. to achieve the Green New Deal goals and mobilization, a Green New Deal will require the following goals and projects—
    1. providing and leveraging, in a way that ensures that the public receives appropriate ownership stakes and returns on investment, adequate capital (including through community grants, public banks, and other public financing), technical expertise, supporting policies, and other forms of assistance to communities, organizations, Federal, State, and local government agencies, and businesses working on the Green New Deal mobilization;
    2. ensuring that the Federal Government takes into account the complete environmental and social costs and impacts of emissions through—
      1. existing laws;
      2. new policies and programs; and
      3. ensuring that frontline and vulnerable communities shall not be adversely affected;
    3. providing resources, training, and high-quality education, including higher education, to all people of the United States, with a focus on frontline and vulnerable communities, so those communities may be full and equal participants in the Green New Deal mobilization;
    4. making public investments in the research and development of new clean and renewable energy technologies and industries;
    5. directing investments to spur economic development, deepen and diversify industry in local and regional economies, and build wealth and community ownership, while prioritizing high-quality job creation and economic, social, and environmental benefits in frontline and vulnerable communities that may otherwise struggle with the transition away from greenhouse gas intensive industries;
    6. ensuring the use of democratic and participatory processes that are inclusive of and led by frontline and vulnerable communities and workers to plan, implement, and administer the Green New Deal mobilization at the local level;
    7. ensuring that the Green New Deal mobilization creates high-quality union jobs that pay prevailing wages, hires local workers, offers training and advancement opportunities, and guarantees wage and benefit parity for workers affected by the transition;
    8. guaranteeing a job with a family-sustaining wage, adequate family and medical leave, paid vacations, and retirement security to all people of the United States;
    9. strengthening and protecting the right of all workers to organize, unionize, and collectively bargain free of coercion, intimidation, and harassment;
    10. strengthening and enforcing labor, workplace health and safety, antidiscrimination, and wage and hour standards across all employers, industries, and sectors;
    11. enacting and enforcing trade rules, procurement standards, and border adjustments with strong labor and environmental protections—
      1. to stop the transfer of jobs and pollution overseas; and
      2. to grow domestic manufacturing in the United States;
    12. ensuring that public lands, waters, and oceans are protected and that eminent domain is not abused;
    13. obtaining the free, prior, and informed consent of indigenous people for all decisions that affect indigenous people and their traditional territories, honoring all treaties and agreements with indigenous people, and protecting and enforcing the sovereignty and land rights of indigenous people;
    14. ensuring a commercial environment where every businessperson is free from unfair competition and domination by domestic or international monopolies; and
    15. providing all people of the United States with—
      1. high-quality health care;
      2. affordable, safe, and adequate housing;
      3. economic security; and
      4. access to clean water, clean air, healthy and affordable food, and nature.

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