Here is a statement from Brett Walter, Founder & CEO, Climate Action Now:
Although it sometimes doesn’t feel that way, the last four years have seen unprecedented progress on climate. Millions of people worldwide worked tirelessly to achieve these gains, but the achievements of one person in particular stand out above all others: those of President Joe Biden.
Under Joe’s leadership, the U.S. government:
- Rejoined the historic Paris Climate Agreement and reclaimed a measure of U.S. leadership on climate that had been forfeited under Trump.
- Passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which allocated significant funding for climate-related projects, including electric vehicle charging infrastructure, public transit, and clean energy research and development.
- Passed the historic Inflation Reduction Act, which unlocked hundreds of billions of public and private dollars to accelerate the energy transition, creating hundreds of thousands of high-paying jobs.
- Paused expansion of a catastrophic build-out of LNG infrastructure.
- Passed historic regulations to reduce emissions in our transportation and energy sectors.
- Protected 3.5 million acres of natural areas for future generations.
- Tailored policies to address environmental justice and promote equity in climate.
And so much more.
It has been an extraordinary record of achievement on climate.
On Sunday, July 21, President Biden made the ultimate sacrifice for any politician — he put aside his political ambitions for the sake of the nation.
We grieve the loss of Joe’s leadership after his current term, and we are immensely grateful to him for his vision, his perseverance, and his unwavering commitment to protecting our planet for future generations. His legacy as a great climate president will be remembered. We dedicate ourselves to protecting and building upon that legacy.
Although we have entered a new period of uncertainty, we believe the next few months will see a rebirth of hope and democratic energy. Trump’s strongest line of attack — Joe’s apparent infirmity — has vanished with a single Tweet. Big donors sitting on the sidelines will come flooding out onto the field. Young minds that were closed to Joe because of Gaza will reopen. Those who had decided against him because of his debate performance are back in play. And those climate warriors who have soldiered on under a cloud of dread will have their hearts lifted with new hope. The 2024 Democratic Convention will be the most watched and exciting event of the year and a testimony to the vitality of our democracy. We can’t wait to watch it unfold!
The only question that remains is whether Joe’s sacrifice and the newfound hope and energy will be sufficient to defeat a Republican Party that, until Sunday, was jubilant and confident of victory. Today, they are not so jubilant. And perhaps a bit less confident.
In the coming months, we will spend countless hours writing postcards and sending texts to disengaged environmental voters. We will dig so deep into our pockets that our arms will hurt. We will use the CAN app to send hundreds of thousands of messages to media organizations, business leaders, politicians, and others urging them to make climate an issue because this is the issue on which Trump is most vulnerable.
The good news is that this fight is winnable. Trump is a weak candidate. Most Americans do not share his values or goals and don’t want him to be president again. Our job is to ensure that he isn’t.
Action is the antidote to despair. Our actions have more power than we often realize—especially when we’re not acting alone. And now, more than ever, we are united.
So, let’s get to work!
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