Climate science, policy, politics, and action
On November 4th, one of the mostly hotly contested, highly anticipated elections in modern history will have just concluded. We’re thrilled to announce that Gov. Jay Inslee will join Climate Cabinet’s post-election webinar to help explain what it all means.
Join Climate Cabinet and the former Governor for a day-after briefing to find out what just happened, and how to make sense of the new political reality.
The United States will hold its next general elections on November 3, 2026. The elections are an opportunity for Democrats to break the Republican control of all branches of the government and halt the spree of environmental rollbacks. If Republicans maintain power, it will cement support for the Trump administration’s agenda for two more years.
In addition, 36 states will also choose their next governor, with major implications for state-level energy, climate regulation, and utility governance. Closely watched races include: California, Florida, Georgia, Arizona and Michigan
This press briefing will explore:
SPEAKERS:
For press.
Transcript of Casten’s remarks:
CASTEN: I think it's important to withhold any judgment about what is in that bill until we see the manager's amendment. There were some pretty significant structural problems with the first version that came out. The 1401 and 1402 provisions gave way too much power and discretion to the White House and would've essentially made this a gift to gas, not obviously beneficial to renewables. The transmission provisions are good but need to be fixed. There's a lot of concern coming from a lot of tribal communities about the ways that some of those are structured. There are quite a few of us on the House side who are in close, fairly detailed communications with our Senate partners to see if we can get to something that would fix that. If we can get to something that fixes that in the lame duck, that we feel like that is something that works, that we feel good about, that clears the deck, then I think, okay, great, that's less to do when we go forward.I don’t know that we’re there yet, and I think it’s important to be very careful about anybody who is suggesting that this bill has a net positive or net negative impact because modeling changes in the law that depend on a White House that is willfully violating the law every day to implement, it simply isn’t possible.
So I think if it passes, I think we adjust our agenda for the next term accordingly based on what’s in there. And if there are problems in there, we have to deal with that. But I think it’s premature until we see the manager’s amendment to know whether that bill is something that can get through the Senate, much less the House and whether it’s a good bill.
Join us to Protect the Point with a Halloween twist!
Hains Point Hoopla 4.0
Tree stumps and buzzsaws, expensive golf, no space for running, biking, picnics, or fishing. Spooky, right? That’s not the future we envision for our beloved East Potomac Park. Hains Point is threatened by Trump and by Congress, which is planning to pass BAAJA to kill the public’s ability to stop Trump’s plans.
Join us for yet another Hains Point Hoopla with a special Halloween-twist to scream for protections for East Potomac Park. Costumes encouraged!
Come to hear the latest news from the lawsuit to protect East Potomac Park and to celebrate the Hains Point community at Hains Point Hoopla 4.0 on Saturday, October 31st at 10 am. (Meet for a bike/run parade with DC Activist Street Band at 9:30 at Smithsonian Metro near Independence Ave!)
Part 1: 9:30am – Slow Roll to Hains Point with the DC Activist Street Band [optional]. Meet at Smithsonian Metro near Independence Ave. From there, the group will bike or run with the DC Activist Street Band about 2.8-miles to Hains Point.
Part 2: 10:00am – Rally at Hains Point in East Potomac Park. The gathering will take place on the mixed-use field adjacent to Ohio Drive just past the entrance to the parking lot for the picnic area.
We’re holding the line: Hains Point should be for people! We need a future for the park (with trees!) that continues to support all visitors who enjoy the public space.
This event is led by WABA with support from Save East Po, 50501DC, and the DC Preservation League.
Sign the petition to Save Hains Point for People!
Check out WABA’s new Hands Off Hains Point tshirts and hoodies! A portion of the proceeds will go to the DC Preservation League to support their lawsuit to keep Hains Point open for everyone.
Protect East Potomac Park: Tell Congress to stop BAAJA.
Join the webinar on Friday, October 30 at 1pm ET/12pm CT/10am PT to hear from Tribal leaders and Federal Indian Policy experts about how the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act would undermine important government-to-government Tribal consultation practices, leave Tribal lands and waterways unprotected, and take away Tribal Nations’ right to protect sacred and cultural sites.
Presenters:
Join the Climate Action Campaign and partners outside the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a Halloween-themed public comment delivery. We will urge the EPA to abandon its proposal to strip its authority to regulate climate pollution from new and existing power plants plants.
From harmful air pollution to worsening extreme weather and rising costs for families, power plant pollution comes with a frightening price tag. We’re coming together to remind EPA that power plant pollution costs us our health, our safety, and our future.
Costumes are encouraged! RSVP today and join us in standing up for clean air and healthy communities!
EPA Headquarters
1201 Constitution Ave. NW
Congress is considering major changes to federal permitting laws that could reshape how fossil fuel infrastructure, data centers, and other large projects are approved, and how much say communities have in those decisions.
Join Climate Justice Alliance, Center for Biological Diversity, and AI Now Institute for an interactive session where we’ll break down the proposed Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) and provide easy ways to take immediate action.
The session will be led by:
We’ll start with a short explanation of the proposed legislation and then move into an interactive, action-oriented session. The goal is to help people understand what’s in the bill, what it could mean for their communities, and what they can do to make their voices heard.
Whether you have five minutes or an hour, we’ll share practical tools for contacting members of Congress, writing letters to the editor, creating social media messages, and organizing with others in your community.
Read and Share the Permitting Bill Resource Document
Come with your questions, your experiences, and a willingness to participate! We’ll provide resources, sample language, and opportunities to connect with others.
Press conference against BAAJA.
Speakers:
The People’s Environmental Justice Caucus, founded by U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Summer L. Lee (PA-12), and Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), released the following statement in opposition to the U.S. Senate’s permitting reform bill:
“The People’s Environmental Justice Caucus stands with the nearly 200 community, labor, and environmental justice groups across the country urging Congress to reject the so-called ‘permitting reform’ deal that speeds up data center and fracked gas pipeline construction, limits communities’ ability to defend themselves from corporate polluters in court, threatens Tribal Nations’ sacred sites and cultural resources, and fails to deliver meaningful affordability or health protections our constituents desperately need.
“The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 is a gift to Big Oil and Big Tech. This deal makes it easier to build the fossil energy infrastructure necessary to fuel the data center boom that is overwhelmingly opposed in neighborhoods from coast to coast. In the face of rising bipartisan disgust with data centers and pipelines, this deal eviscerates the limited tools communities already have to challenge developments that threaten their health and environment and effectively locks in dirty energy and destructive tech projects for generations. We should be strengthening judicial review, the Clean Water Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act, not undermining them to provide a rubber stamp to polluting projects.
“To make matters worse, this power grab doesn’t even meaningfully protect ratepayers from the soaring energy costs and toxic pollution that data center developments bring to their neighborhoods. Our residents are struggling to cope with overlapping climate, pollution, and affordability crises and need real action from Congress. This bad deal trades lifetimes of pollution and harm for pennies in relief. We urge Congress to reject this power grab and choose our communities over Big Oil and Big Tech.”
10/28/2026 at 11:00AM
Vice President Harris is joining the DNC Council on the Environment and Climate Crisis and Lead Locally PAC to show her support for Democratic candidates for public utility commissions in Georgia and Arizona, and to raise funds to ensure they win.
We’ll hear from Arizona Corporation Commission candidates Clara Pratte and Dr. Jonathon Hill, and Georgia Public Service candidates Shelia Edwards and Peter Hubbard!
Public utility commissions are a frontline battleground for our clean energy future, affordable energy, and data center regulation. They make decisions about the kind of power that gets built, who pays for it, and whether communities have a real voice in the process.
These races matter. On Tuesday, we’ll dig into how public service commissions have the power to fight for American families who are facing skyrocketing utility bills, and to ensure Arizona and Georgia transition to 100% clean energy.
Co-hosts:
Virtual event is
Tuesday Oct 27 at 7:45 ET
Zoom link provided upon RSVP
Youth United for Climate Crisis Action (YUCCA) invites Tribal organizations, environmental and community advocates, and allied organizations to join students and community members on Tuesday, October 27, for the “Pull the Plug on AI” Walkout & March, starting at the University of New Mexico and marching to Senator Martin Heinrich’s Albuquerque office (flyer attached).
The rally will raise concerns about the rapid expansion of large-scale data centers and the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (BAAJA), S. 5653, co-sponsored by Senator Heinrich. BAAJA could accelerate the approval of large-scale data centers at the expense of our lands, waters, communities, sacred places, and collective ability to participate in decisions that affect our futures. This demonstration is an opportunity to stand together across our communities and call attention to the implications of data centers and the proposed legislation.
Walkout and March Details
Ellen Chapman of Cultural Heritage Partners joins the Council of Virginia Archaeologists and Archeological Society of Virginia this Friday for a lunchtime discussion. We will discuss our upcoming November 9 rally to speak up for Section 106 at the U.S. Capitol and how area archaeologists can encourage Senators Kaine and Warner to vote against BAAJA or its historic preservation section.
