Showing posts with label No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge. Show all posts

Monday, November 26, 2018

Pelosi and Democratic Party Leadership: Democrats have the House. Now we demand a real climate plan.

Target: Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Leadership

We have 12 years to transform our economy and society to stop climate change. Democrats must put forward a plan to protect our planet, our communities, and our economy. Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leaders in Congress have the power to create one.

But recent developments show the Democratic Party leadership has no intention of fighting for a real climate plan in the new Congress. With the UN’s recent climate report, the Democratic Party leadership’s position is tantamount to climate denial. The science is undisputed, we have the technology, and the public is overwhelmingly on the side of bold action on climate and jobs -- the only thing standing in the way of a livable future is the failure of political leadership.

Add your voice with Climate Hawks. Tell Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Leadership:

1. Champion a Green New Deal that would create millions of good jobs to transform society over the next decade to stop climate change. This means creating a committee tasked specifically to write policy on creating jobs and moving our country off fossil fuels over the designated 12 years that the IPCC has given us. Let’s protect the lives of all working people -- black, brown, and white -- from the ravages of disaster and pollution.

2. Mandate that any Democrat in leadership must take the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge and reject campaign contributions from fossil fuel executives and lobbyists and prioritize the health of people and planet over industry profits. Oil and gas executives profit off a business model that's incompatible with the future of human civilization. It's time for the Democratic Party to reject their influence wholesale.

A rising generation of young people of all backgrounds just helped flip the House with a record turnout. We will no longer tolerate empty promises and words without action. We’re not expecting miracles -- we understand that the GOP is corrupted by dirty oil money and will stall us at every turn. We know that sweeping change isn’t possible until Trump is gone -- but we need to start laying the groundwork and put forward our vision for America now.

We’re asking Democrats to step up to the fight alongside us.

1. "We have 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe, warns UN."

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/08/global-warming-must-not-exceed-15c-warns-landmark-un-report

2. "Dems damp down hopes for climate change agenda."

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/411766-dems-damp-down-hopes-for-climate-change-agenda

3. "House Democrats’ Agenda: Ethics, Infrastructure and Medical Legislation"

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/07/us/politics/house-democrats-nancy-pelosi.html

4. Nofossilfuelmoney.org

Click here to send the following message.

(Please, personalize it a bit so it won't be disregarded as a form letter.)

To: Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Leadership
From: [Your Name]


Dear Congresswoman Pelosi and Democratic Party leaders,

We’re calling on you to commit to using your leadership over the next two years to create a select committee to develop legislation for a total economic mobilization to transition our country toward a 100% renewable energy economy — as the IPCC has tasked every nation to do.

We have 12 years to transform our economy and society to stop climate change. Democrats must put forward a plan to protect our planet, our communities, and our economy. Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leaders in Congress have the power to create one. But recent developments show the Democratic Party leadership has no intention of fighting for a real climate plan in the new Congress. With the IPCC’s recent report, the Democratic Party leadership’s position on climate is tantamount to climate denial.

The science is undisputed, we have the technology, and the public is overwhelmingly on the side of bold action on climate action — the only thing standing in the way of a livable future is the failure of political leadership.

A rising generation of young people of all backgrounds We will no longer tolerate empty promises and words without action. We’re not expecting miracles; we understand that the GOP is corrupted by dirty oil money and will stall us at every turn. We know that sweeping change isn’t possible until Trump is gone -- but we need to start laying the groundwork and put forward our vision for America now. 


We’re asking our leaders to step up to the fight alongside us and create a climate plan.

Sincerely,


- Climate Hawks

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Tell the DNC: Stop taking fossil fuel contributions (again)

The petition to the Democratic National Committee reads:
"Reinstate the ban on accepting fossil fuel contributions."
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►

Tell the DNC: Stop taking fossil fuel contributions (again)
In June, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) voted unanimously to stop taking fossil fuel contributions. In a secretive move less than two months later, DNC Chairman Tom Perez led a successful resolution to start taking them again.1
Perez and the DNC are siding with the oil and coal companies driving us toward climate catastrophe. As wildfires rage and heat waves break records across the globe,2 Democrats can and must do better.
A DNC spokesperson claimed that the June fossil fuel money ban hurt rank-and-file workers in the fossil fuel industry. But fossil fuel workers and unions would have been free to donate to Democrats even under the original ban. The real problem is donations from corporate PACs – which are funded by company executives.3 Under the Perez resolution, the DNC can go back to taking these PAC donations.
The idea that we must choose between workers and the environment is outdated, dangerous and simply incorrect. Instead of claiming to support fossil fuel workers by caving to corporate contributors, Democrats should be laying out a vision for a clean energy economy that retrains workers and creates good jobs that will outlast these polluting industries.
Perez's resolution even refers to "America’s all-of-the-above energy economy."4 The DNC struck this language from its platform back in 2016 after progressive activists forced Democrats to recognize that fighting the climate crisis doesn't allow us to support an energy strategy that legitimizes the continued burning of fossil fuels.5 Bringing this idea back now is a dangerous backtrack on the progress we have made in the transition away from dirty energy.
Perez and the Democratic Party leadership who voted for his proposal are out of step with their base and candidates across the country. Over 900 local, state and national candidates and office-holders have signed the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge, a promise to not accept contributions of over $200 from fossil fuel interests. Signers include Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Barbara Lee and House of Representatives candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.6
The Democratic Party claims to have a commitment to fighting climate change. But until we get fossil fuel money out of politics, we won't get the climate solutions we need. Tom Perez and the rest of the DNC need to stop playing games with our future and start listening to those of us fighting to save it.
Tell the DNC: Stop taking fossil fuel money. Click the link below to sign the petition:
- Brandy Doyle, CREDO Action
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►
References:
  1. Lisa Hagen and Timothy Cama, "DNC reverses ban on fossil fuel donations," The Hill, Aug. 10, 2018.
  2. Eric Levenson and Brandon Miller, "2018 is on pace to be the 4th-hottest year on record," CNN, July 28, 2018.
  3. Kate Aronoff, "DNC pretends respect for workers requires it to take corporate money from Big Oil," The Intercept, Aug. 13, 2018.
  4. Ibid.
  5. Ibid.
  6. "Tell Our Leaders: Take the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge," accessed Aug. 20, 2018.