Tell the DNC: Tackling the Climate Crisis Means Tackling Toxic Fossil Fuels
Democratic National Committee
In 2020, everyone from Democratic presidential candidates to the DNC’s own Council on Environment and Climate Crisis developed bold, ambitious climate plans that would urgently wind down fossil fuel production in the United States and move to a 100% renewably powered world. Joe Biden’s climate plans ban new fossil fuel leases on public lands, end subsidies for the industry, and apply a ‘climate test’ for fossil fuel infrastructure. Yet, the DNC’s platform fails to include a commitment to stop dirty energy expansion and phase out existing fossil fuel production.
On top of the ongoing climate crisis, our country is facing a massive public health and economic crisis that is disproportionately harming Black, Brown, and Indigenous people. In this historic moment, we need solutions to the climate crisis that advance justice for communities confronted daily with systemic racism and toxic pollution.
Tell the Democratic National Committee it must lay out a plan to phase out fossil fuel production while protecting workers and communities at every step of the way.
Will the DNC seize the opportunity to do what’s needed to truly lead on climate?
The Democrats need to hear from you: The Democratic platform must include a strong and unambiguous plan to phase out fossil fuels while protecting workers and communities.
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Democratic National Committee
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Avoiding the worst impacts of climate change and achieving environmental justice depends in large part on your leadership this year.
I’m urging you to embrace real and lasting solutions to the climate crisis. In the 2020 platform, I implore you to include strong and unambiguous policies to phase out fossil fuel production.
Oil, gas and coal are responsible for nearly 90% of carbon dioxide emissions. Even with aggressive clean energy targets, there’s simply no way to keep warming to 1.5ºC in line with the Paris Climate Agreement without stopping new fossil fuel expansion and quickly winding down existing fossil fuel production in the United States.
From fracking wells to the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, fossil fuel projects routinely violate Indigenous rights and disproportionately spew toxic emissions into Black communities and other communities of color. As the Democratic Party advances a vision for environmental and climate justice, you must also address the impacts of the worst actors: coal, oil and gas executives.
The Democrats have the chance to adopt a bold set of recommendations from the DNC’s own Council on Environment and Climate Crisis. The Democrats’ 2020 platform should build on this blueprint for ending the era of fossil fuels and putting workers and impacted communities front and center in the transition to a renewable energy economy.
The time for half-measures is over. If we’re going to have a planet that’s safe and habitable for all, we must ensure a just transition off of fossil fuel production that protects workers and communities. The DNC’s platform needs to tackle environmental racism and the climate crisis with a plan to protect people – not a handful of fossil fuel executives.
I’m counting on you to be on the right side of history and lead us out of this crisis before it’s too late.