President Biden: Declare a climate emergency and reject fossil fuel expansion now!
President Biden
On July 27, a reconciliation deal between Senators Schumer and Manchin was announced known as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA).[1] While the bill includes $369 billion in climate and energy provisions that would accelerate the buildout of renewable energy and provide tax credits for people purchasing electric vehicles (EVs)[2], unfortunately, the bill also requires fossil fuel lease sales on federal lands each year for a decade as a prerequisite to installing any new solar or wind energy.
This means that the burning of fossil fuels, a non-renewable source of energy, will continue for at least the next 10 years, despite scientists warning that we must lessen our greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit global warming.[3]
Promising emissions reductions while increasing fossil fuel leasing and streamlining permits for fossil fuel projects will not result in the necessary climate benefits for our communities, and will accelerate the devastating impacts of the climate crisis.
References:
- McPherson, Lindsey. “Manchin, Schumer reach deal on climate, health, tax measure.” Roll Call. July 27, 2022.
- “Digging into the Details of the Inflation Reduction Act.” Congressional Progressive Caucus Center. July 29, 2022.
- Sommer, Lauren. “It's not too late to stave off the climate crisis, U.N. report finds. Here's how.” NPR. April 4, 2022.
Sponsored by
Additional Sponsors
To:
President Biden
From:
[Your Name]
I’m writing to urge you to declare a climate emergency and immediately stop approving fossil fuel projects.
As devastating heatwaves, wildfires, floods and droughts sweep across our nation, imperiling communities and destroying some of our most iconic species and places, the urgency for federal climate action is more apparent than ever.
On July 27, Senators Schumer and Manchin announced the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. While the bill is aimed at reducing inflation, lowering drug prices, and addressing climate change, it fails to truly advance a transformative climate policy our planet and our communities so urgently need. Promising emissions reductions while increasing fossil fuel leasing and streamlining permits for fossil fuel projects will not result in climate benefits for our communities, and will accelerate the devastating impacts of the climate crisis.
With Congress’s continued failure to pass transformative legislation to address the climate crisis, and with the Supreme Court signaling that it will allow industry to continue to pollute, the responsibility falls to you to use all the executive powers at your disposal to respond to a worsening climate crisis that threatens the existence for people living the United States.
As your constituent, I urge you to immediately declare a climate emergency under the National Emergencies Act, and use it to take the following actions: stop foreign fossil fuel investments, and build renewable and resilient energy systems in communities hit hardest by climate change.
Additionally, I urge you to use your authority under current laws to stop selling our national public lands and waters for oil and gas drilling and deny federal permits for fossil fuel infrastructure.
Fossil fuel production and infrastructure projects not only fuel the climate crisis, they also disproportionately pollute low-income communities and communities of color, violate Indigenous rights, destroy natural landscapes, and create sacrifice zones that put polluter profits over people’s lives.
I hope you will take these requests seriously and respond as quickly as possible to the Latinx, migrant, Indigenous and environmental justice leaders who are urging you to take these steps.
Thank you.