Urge Congress To Declare A Climate Emergency

Last week, Congress members Earl Blumenauer, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders introduced a bill (H.Con.Res.52) that would declare a climate emergency in the United States, and call for a national mobilization to address the climate crisis.

The resolution lays out some of the most important evidence that climate change has become a crisis, and must be solved “at a massive scale to halt, reverse, mitigate, and prepare for the consequences of the climate emergency and to restore the climate for future generations.”

One of the most effective ways to lobby your members of Congress is by calling. You can say something like this:

“Hello, I’m a voter from [YOUR TOWN]. I’m calling to urge [ELECTED OFFICIAL’S NAME] to support the resolution declaring a climate emergency.”

You can also send a message using the tool below from The Climate Mobilization.

(NOTE: if you don't want to be put on another e-mail list, unclick "share my information with other organizations partnering on this campaign.")

Climate Emergency Declaration Introduced Read our fact sheet here

The new green Congress is here – take action now

Ocasio-Cortez calls for a Green New Deal

Yesterday was the new Congress's first day in office — and the first day of our renewed fight for climate progress.

We can't afford to wait any longer for action on climate change and clean energy.

Raise your voice now: Tell Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick and Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally: Stand up to President Trump — make climate action your top priority!

Scientific evidence of climate change's impacts is mounting, but with the new vanguard of environmental champions that were sworn in to Congress yesterday, and new pro-environment leadership in the House of Representatives, there's new momentum in our fight.

Make no mistake: Congress must first end the partial government shutdown that is impacting hundreds of thousands of workers and threatening crucial protections for our air and water, public health and safety, and public lands.

But short-term politics can't slow the momentum of our long-term fight for a safe environment. And we refuse to wait until the shutdown is over to mobilize this new Congress on climate action.

We must seize this moment to remind senators and representatives that Americans demanded climate action on Election Day — and we're counting on them to break through the climate change denial and fossil fuel industry influence that plagued the last Congress.

So what would this bold climate agenda look like? Well, it could start with:

• Moving America away from dirty fossil fuels and toward a 100% clean energy future
• Investing in a clean energy economy, more green jobs, and 21st century infrastructure that will withstand the worsening impacts of climate change and bolster clean energy
• Taking urgently needed steps to reduce dangerous carbon pollution and meet our Paris agreement commitments
• Compelling the Trump administration to enforce the Clean Power Plan, Clean Car Standards, the Methane Rule, and other important policies to reduce emissions and lower energy costs for consumers
• Fully funding the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, Department of Energy, and other key federal agencies tasked with defending our environment and health
• Protecting our national monuments and public lands and waters from being opened to reckless oil and gas drilling that produces dirty energy we don't need and slows our progress to a clean energy future
• Working with state and local governments to continue making key progress in slashing carbon pollution and promoting clean energy locally

Call on Congress to do all this and more — and avert climate catastrophe.

The tide in Washington is turning. President Trump and his allies in Congress will no longer get away with the scorched earth tactics and big polluter giveaways that have marked the first two years of this administration.

Americans have already been mobilizing in unprecedented numbers to turn back the Trump administration's pro-polluter attacks — and now there is exciting momentum behind a new grassroots call to arms, embodied in part by initiatives like the emerging Green New Deal to address climate change, clean energy, jobs, and economic inequality.

Help us capitalize on this growing movement by urging your members of Congress to lead on climate and clean energy.

Even if your lawmakers are already with us, we need to show them that we have their backs.

And if your legislators supported Trump's attempts to stall or even reverse clean energy progress, now's the time to put them on notice — that if they keep pushing their pro-polluter policies and climate denial, they'll be out of step with our economy, science, and the American people ... left behind on the wrong side of history.

Together on Election Day, we showed Trump and the world that Americans will not tolerate assaults on our environment from the federal government or anyone else.

Now we must hold Congress's feet to the fire to stand strong against Trump's attacks, resist the big polluter stronghold, and do right by their constituents — for our planet and our children's future. Please make your voice heard right away.

- Rhea Suh, President, NRDC Action Fund

More Information: 

Just Days Into a New Congress, Liberal Freshmen Are Shaking the Capitol - The New York Times

New Congress Members See Climate Solutions and Jobs in a Green New Deal - Inside Climate News

The Green New Deal, explained - VOX

Immediate Action: Stand with the young people urging Congress to adapt a Green New Deal

It’s been 10 days and my home state of California is still being devastated by the most destructive and deadly wildfires in its history. These fires are an urgent reminder that we need bold action to address the climate crisis and we need it now.

That's why we're joining with our allies and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to call for a Green New Deal that would put millions of people to work building a just and equitable 100% renewable energy economy.

Call your member of Congress today and tell them to reject fossil fuel influence and embrace a Green New Deal today.

The idea of a "Green New Deal" is spreading rapidly thanks to the bold action of over 200 youth with the Sunrise Movement. Last week, they did a sit-in at Nancy Pelosi's office in DC that sparked a national conversation. Now more than 10 members of Congress have signed onto the idea and it's being debated on the pages of the Washington Post and the New York Times. 

Specifically, this growing movement is calling on Speaker Pelosi to set up a special select committee that will lay out how a Green New Deal can get us off fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy over the next decade in a way that prioritizes the needs of low-income and communities of color who have been on the frontlines of climate impacts. It's a bold, progressive solution at the scale of the crisis we face.

Tell your Representative to endorse the plan that tackles climate change to the scale of the crisis: A Green New Deal.

Our movement has also made it clear that whoever joins the Green New Deal committee -- whoever wants to be considered a climate leader -- must pledge to say no to all fossil fuel money. We know we won’t see real climate leadership from elected leaders who’re in the pocket of the fossil fuel billionaires. That’s why we need to make sure every new leader in the Democratic party shows they’re serious about climate action by refusing big polluters’ dirty dollars. 

Click here to call your Representatives and ask them to support the Green New Deal and refuse to take a single dollar from the fossil fuel industry.

- Julian Brave Noisecat, 350 Action 

P.S. - If you’re on Twitter, there’s one more way you can push for real climate leadership right now. Today, our friends with the Sunrise Movement are visiting hundreds of Members of Congress to demand more elected leaders support a Green New Deal — and you can support them by tweeting at key Congressional leaders today. Click here to take action on Twitter.