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Your weekly resource to learn what the environmental movement is saying about the news of the day and the political fight of our generation. Be sure to follow LCV on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
“The former president has said that climate change is a hoax, and what we know is that it is very real.”
— Vice President Kamala Harris during the first presidential debate between the Vice President and Donald Trump.
“She is running against the most anti-climate, pro-polluter former president ever. It would be a terror if he were put anywhere near the Oval Office again.”
— Tiernan Sittenfeld, LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, on the discrepancies between Vice President Harris and Donald Trump’s environmental platforms.
“The urgency of this legislation cannot be overstated… It’s time to hold Big Oil accountable for the damages they have caused.”
— Stop Big Oil’s Maura Cowley on the introduction of the Polluters Pay Climate Fund Act of 2024.
BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION ADVANCES CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS IN NEVADA: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is finalizing two renewable energy projects and advancing an additional two in order deliver clean, reliable, affordable energy to the Western electrical grid and create good paying jobs for union workers in Nevada. The projects will lower energy costs for families and help advance the Biden-Harris administration’s clean energy goals.
WHITE HOUSE TAKE: White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi said, “Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, we are making critical investments to both strengthen our grid and feed more clean energy to homes and businesses – which will create good-paying union jobs, bolster resiliency, strengthen energy security, and lower Americans’ utility bills. In Nevada and across the country, our leaps forward to efficiently permit wind, solar, transmission, and other clean energy projects are part of a broader strategy to lead the world in the global clean energy race and the fight against pollution – all while protecting our communities and investing in local economies.”
HARRIS, TRUMP FACE OFF ON DEBATE STAGE: On Tuesday night, Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump met for the first time on the debate stage in Pennsylvania. The debate made abundantly clear that Harris will fight to strengthen our democracy and address the climate crisis, while Trump would undermine progress at every turn.
LCVVF TAKE: LCV Victory Fund Senior Vice President of Campaigns Pete Maysmith said, “It’s simple, Kamala Harris is the future, Trump is the past. Tonight’s debate has showcased the stakes of this election. Vice President Harris shared her vision of the future that builds upon her work with the Biden-Harris administration to tackle the climate crisis head on. Meanwhile, Trump had nothing to say about how he would fight the climate crisis and instead continued to spread lies and misinformation, while advocating for more fossil fuel production, the removal of tax credits for hardworking families, and fewer environmental protections. Trump’s answers were muddled and rambling, but what is clear is Trump consistently puts himself and billionaires first, while Harris focuses on putting working Americans before the wealthy. Trump has spent months cozying up to Big Oil billionaires who are only looking to increase their profit instead of listening to what the people of this country want, which is a clean energy economy that lowers costs, creates high paying, family sustaining jobs, and protects the health and safety of our families and communities.”
Ahead of the debate, LCV Victory Fund released a memo detailing the stark differences between where the two candidates stand in climate.
TAKE 2: LCV Victory Fund Senior Vice President of Campaigns Pete Maysmith said, “The choice this election cycle could not be clearer, one candidate is a climate champion with a LCV lifetime scorecard score of 90% who wants to address the climate crisis head on with solutions that simultaneously lowers costs for families, creates high-paying, family sustaining jobs, and increases access to clean air and clean water. The other candidate is a convicted felon that wants to continue to line the pockets of Big Oil and roll back efforts to build a clean energy economy despite families across the country–especially those in red districts– already benefiting from the programs.”
POLLUTERS PAY CLIMATE FUND ACT OF 2024 INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS: Senator Chris Van Hollen and Representatives Jerry Nadler and Judy Chu introduced the Polluters Pay Climate Fund Act of 2024 in Congress on Thursday. If passed, the bill would hold Big Oil accountable for knowingly contributing to the climate crisis.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Government Affairs Sara Chieffo said, “Big Polluters know fossil fuels significantly worsen the climate crisis, and yet they have continued to pollute our communities, the air we breathe, and the water we drink across the country for decades. We applaud Senator Van Hollen and Congressman Nadler for leading on the Polluters Pay Climate Fund Act to hold Big Polluters accountable and protect communities who are experiencing the devastating impacts of fossil-fueled extreme weather and environmental injustice, especially communities of color and communities with low-wealth that have been most harmed by fossil fuel development.”
PADILLA, BUTLER, SCHIFF URGE ADMINISTRATION TO DESIGNATE SÁTTÍTLA NATIONAL MONUMENT: Senator Alex Padilla, Senator Laphonza Butler, and Representative Adam Schiff introduced legislation this week calling for the designation of the Sáttítla National Monument to protect the Medicine Lake Highlands of Northern California.
OUR TAKE: LCV Conservation Program Director America Fitzpatrick said, “LCV commends Senator Padilla, Senator Butler, and Congressman Schiff for following the leadership of the Pit River Tribe and local communities by calling on the President to designate the Sáttítla National Monument. Designating the Sáttítla National Monument would protect the Pit River Tribe’s sacred and traditional cultural lands, which provide critical water resources for millions of people and sustain agriculture, fish populations, and diverse plant and animal species, from industrial development that the Tribe has fought against for decades. To protect this land and the diversity of wildlife it sustains, we urge the Biden-Harris administration to continue their legacy of protecting more lands than any administration and designate Sáttítla as a national monument as quickly as possible.”
CEV TAKE: California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters) Senior Political & Organizing Director Mike Young said, “Sáttítla is essential for providing pure water downstream, supporting agriculture, and meeting the needs of millions of people. With the capacity to store as much water as California’s 200 largest surface reservoirs, this area is a vital safeguard against drought and the climate crisis, ensuring a reliable water supply for metropolitan areas.
The proposed national monument is rich in biodiversity, playing a crucial role in the health of people, threatened wildlife, and native plants. Protecting this area ensures the survival of numerous species and maintains the ecological balance vital for our well-being. Not only will we be protecting biodiversity, but also greenspaces where people live, play, and get access to nature.
The Pit River Tribe has fought tirelessly to defend its land and water from industrial geothermal development leases. Designating this area as a national monument will provide long-term protection and honor the Tribe’s connection to the land. We stand with the Pit River Tribe and are grateful for Senator Padilla, Senator Butler, and Congressman Schiff’s commitment to amplifying community voices.”
MAGA HOUSE REPUBLICANS PASS BILL THAT WOULD JEOPARDIZE EV SECTOR: MAGA Republicans in the House passed H.R. 7980, the so-called “End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles in America Act,” which would jeopardize the electric vehicle (EV) sector in the U.S. and stymie the Biden-Harris administration’s Clean Vehicle Tax Credits.
OUR TAKE: LCV Government Affairs Advocate on Climate Change and Clean Energy Darien Davis said, “With this bill, MAGA Republicans in the House are once again attempting to push their extreme Project 2025 agenda and hinder our transition to a clean energy future by limiting automakers’ ability to reduce EV costs for consumers, while at the same time risking thousands of jobs, hampering our ability to domesticate EV supply chains, and endangering our national security. Electric vehicles adoption is critical to achieving our climate and clean energy goals, and the policies that this bill attacks are instrumental to catalyzing widespread adoption. The Senate must reject this bad bill to protect autoworkers, consumers, and the planet.”
Prior to the vote, LCV and 18 other environmental organizations sent a coalition letter to representatives in the House urging them to oppose the bill.
COALITION TAKE: From the letter, “This bill attempts to prevent the 30D federal EV tax credit from benefiting companies with ties to China to protect domestic manufacturing, but it will do the opposite – pushing jobs and economic activity overseas.”
CLIMATE COALITION RELEASES NEW ADS TO ENGAGE YOUNG VOTERS: LCV Victory Fund and Climate Power Action, in partnership with Future Forward (FF PAC), have released a pair of new ads designed to engage young voters on climate change. Watch the ads here and here.
LCVVF TAKE: LCV Victory Fund Senior Vice President for Campaigns Pete Maysmith said, “Young voters matter in this election, and young voters care about fighting the climate crisis. Kamala Harris has a great story to tell about her record of holding polluters accountable, building a more affordable clean energy economy and her vision for the future to lead the world in reducing climate pollution. We’re eager to make sure young voters hear that story and are motivated to vote this November.”
CLIMATE POWER TAKE: President of Climate Power Action President Lori Lodes said, “Climate is consistently a motivating issue for younger voters and clearly a deeply personal one for their generation. Moving into the final two months of the general election, the youth vote — and in particular, how younger voters view the candidates on the issues they care about, like climate — will be a critical factor in deciding the next president. It is a conversation we are excited for, because to borrow Kamala Harris’ own words the future is always worth fighting for.”
LCVAF ENDORSED CANDIDATES TAKE PRIMARY ELECTIONS: On Tuesday night, several LCV Action Fund endorsed candidates won their respective primary elections across the country.
In Delaware, Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester advanced to the general election for U.S. Senate, and state Senator Sarah McBride won her primary election for the U.S. House of Representatives.
LCVAF TAKE: LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld said, “We’re thrilled to congratulate climate champions Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester and State Senator Sarah McBride on their victories in Delaware. We need pro-environment, pro-climate champions up and down the ballot like these candidates who will hold Big Polluters accountable, fight against the climate crisis and environmental injustice, protect the health of our communities, ensure we have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink, and advance a clean energy future.”
In New Hampshire, Representative Chris Pappas won his primary election.
TAKE 2: LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld said, “Representative Chris Pappas has a proven record fighting for Granite Staters and for climate solutions that help our communities be more resilient to extreme weather while addressing the fossil-fueled climate crisis. After the hottest summer ever and heat waves across the country, the time has never been more urgent and the stakes have never been higher to ensure we’re electing climate champions like Representative Pappas to protect our communities and future generations.”
And in Rhode Island, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse won his primary election for the U.S. Senate, and Representatives Gabe Amo and Seth Magaziner advanced to the general election.
TAKE 3: LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld said, “Climate champions Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Representatives Gabe Amo and Seth Magaziner are strong leaders on advancing a clean energy future for the Ocean State while lowering costs for consumers, and we’re all in to continue supporting them. We need pro-climate, pro-environment champions in Congress like Senator Whitehouse and Representatives Amo and Magaziner who will continue holding Big Polluters accountable and continue advancing the historic progress of the Biden-Harris administration to address the climate crisis at the scale and pace science requires.”
LCVAF ENDORSES LAMONICA MCIVER IN NEW JERSEY SPECIAL ELECTION: LCV Action Fund has endorsed Newark City Council President LaMonica McIver for the special election to the U.S. House of Representatives representing New Jersey’s 10th district.
LCVAF TAKE: LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld said, “New Jersey is a leader in building a more resilient future powered by clean energy, and as president of the Newark City Council, LaMonica McIver has fought for more climate-resilient and sustainable infrastructure, clean water, and healthy communities. This summer was our planet’s hottest summer ever. The time has never been more urgent and the stakes have never been higher to fight the climate crisis and environmental injustice at the scale and pace science requires, and we’re all-in to support LaMonica McIver.”
NEW JERSEY LCV TAKE: New Jersey LCV Executive Director Ed Potosnak said, “We need leaders who will take strong action against the climate crisis and pollution, and will fight to safeguard our water and air, build more resilient infrastructure against extreme weather, and advance environmental justice. As New Jersey leads the nation in building our clean energy economy, we need climate champions like LaMonica McIver who will continue to advance a clean energy future while protecting our communities.”
MCIVER TAKE: LaMonica McIver said, “I am deeply honored to receive the endorsement of the LCV, an organization leading the fight against climate change and dedicated to protecting the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the communities we call home. We’re already seeing the devastating impacts of climate change play out in CD-10 with catastrophic flooding and far too many communities in the district have been disproportionately affected by pollution. In Congress, I will fight every day to advance policies that address environmental justice, promote clean air and water, invest in renewable energy, and build resilient communities that can withstand and recover from environmental challenges. Investing in our environment now is about protecting the future for all of us.”
LCVAF, NYLCV ENDORSE CANDIDATES FOR U.S. HOUSE: LCV Action Fund and New York LCV (NYLCV) announced new endorsements of four candidates for election to the U.S. House of Representatives. The endorsements include John Avlon, George Latimer, Mondaire Jones, and Josh Riley.
LCVAF TAKE: LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld said, “LCV Action Fund is thrilled to endorse our latest climate candidates in New York, the center of the fight for a pro-climate and democracy majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. With New Yorkers experiencing devastating impacts from fossil-fueled extreme weather and pollution year after year, the Empire State is helping lead our nation in addressing the climate crisis. We are proud to endorse these candidates who are committed to advance the climate solutions we need to ensure our communities are more resilient and to a just clean energy future.”
NYLCV TAKE: New York LCV President Julie Tighe said, “After enduring another summer of record-breaking heat, the environment and climate change are top-of-mind for New York voters and are going to be pivotal issues in the general election. NYLCV Gives Green is thrilled to endorse these candidates and we are confident they will be strong advocates for clean energy, green jobs, and a healthier future, and we urge voters to support them in November”
CALIFORNIA ENDS LEGISLATIVE SESSION WITH CLIMATE WINS: California ended its 2024 legislative session with major wins that reduce the use of polluting fossil fuels. The state legislature passed the Polluters Pay Package, which includes bills to impose fines on low-producing oil and gas wells to incentivize closure, clean up old oil and gas wells, and protect the right of local governments to limit or ban fossil fuel drilling in their communities. They also enacted laws that will require safety labels on all gas stoves sold in the state and authorized pilot neighborhood-scale decarbonization projects, allowing utilities to electrify all buildings in a community or install thermal energy networks instead of replacing methane gas lines.
CEV TAKE: California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters) Chief Executive Officer Mary Creasman said, “These successes aren’t just wins on paper — they represent real, tangible steps towards improving people’s lives. We’re grateful to the tenacious and resilient authors of these bills, and to the Speaker, Pro Tem and their leadership teams for their commitment and hard work to get these bills across the finish line. It’s been a rollercoaster few weeks, with millions spent by the oil and gas industry to defeat these bills. We are proud that California’s commitment to the health and well-being of our communities wins out once again.
At the same time, these common-sense policies shouldn’t require such a heavy lift in a state where 64% of voters want their leaders to prioritize clean energy and resilience. The fact that a majority of legislators still take direct money from Big Oil is holding our state back. The overwhelming sentiment from voters up and down the state is clear — Californians want leaders who will stand up to corporate polluters and take bold action to protect our future.
This November, voters have a critical opportunity to send more leaders to Sacramento and D.C who will prioritize people over corporate polluters. The decisions we make in the upcoming election will determine our future.”
NEVADA TACKLES THE COLORADO RIVER DROUGHT CRISIS: Chispa Nevada joined Representative Steven Horsford, Assemblywoman Cecelia González, Make the Road NV, and PLAN to address the urgent drought crisis impacting the Colorado River, a lifeline for Nevada and neighboring states. The climate crisis has resulted in the loss of 10 trillion gallons of water from the river. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the leadership of Representative Horsford, critical investments have been made in tackling the drought, helping reduce water usage to its lowest in 40 years.
CHISPA NV LAUNCHES BILINGUAL WEBSITE: On Tuesday, Chispa Nevada announced the launch of their new bilingual website where community members and partners can learn about the organization’s campaigns, find resources on climate programs that reduce household costs and create jobs, and take action to become environmental leaders. Check out the site at www.chispanv.org.
CHISPA NV TAKE: Chispa Nevada Program Director Audrey Peral said, “Latine communities in Nevada are often neglected in decision-making related to our environment, despite our families facing the worst impacts of climate change, from dangerous heat to polluted neighborhoods. Chispa Nevada is changing that by developing environmental leaders and growing our collective power. We are proud to launch our new website to share our members’ stories, help them find resources, and recruit more Nevadans as we fight to improve our air quality, lower utility bills, and advance climate justice in our state.”
ON THE BLOG: Good Climate News is back on the blog and better than ever! Check out this month’s round-up of the best climate stories from the past several weeks.
ON OUR SOCIALS: Childless cat ladies, exciting bill introductions, and a just-long-enough pause dominated our socials this week.
SEPTEMBER 14: Start of Latinx Conservation Week.
SEPTEMBER 15: Latinx Heritage Month begins.
SEPTEMBER 17-19: Congressional Hispanic Caucus Conference.
SEPTEMBER 17: Voter Registration Day.
SEPTEMBER 22: First day of autumn.
SEPTEMBER 30: Current government funding expires.
©2024 League of Conservation Voters