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January 10, 2019

Re: Legislation to Address the Urgent Threat of Climate Change

Dear Representative:

On behalf of our millions of members and supporters, we are writing today to urge you to consider the following principles as the 116th Congress debates climate change legislation and momentum around the country builds for a Green New Deal. As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently warned, if we are to keep global warming below 1.5°C, we must act aggressively and quickly. At a minimum, reaching that target requires visionary and affirmative legislative action in the following areas:

Halt all fossil fuel leasing, phase out all fossil fuel extraction, and end fossil fuel and other dirty energy subsidies.

The science is clear that fossil fuels must be kept in the ground. Pursuing new fossil fuel projects at this moment in history is folly. Most immediately, the federal government must stop selling off or leasing publicly owned lands, water, and mineral rights for development to fossil fuel producers. The government must also stop approving fossil fuel power plants and infrastructure projects. We must reverse recent legislation that ended the 40-year ban on the export of crude oil, end the export of all other fossil fuels, and overhaul relevant statutes that govern fossil fuel extraction in order to pursue a managed decline of fossil fuel production. Further, the federal government must immediately end the massive, irrational subsidies and other financial support that fossil fuel, and other dirty energy companies (such as nuclear, waste incineration and biomass energy) continue to receive both domestically and overseas.

Transition power generation to 100% renewable energy.

As the United States shifts away from fossil fuels, we must simultaneously ramp up energy efficiency and transition to clean, renewable energy to power the nation’s economy where, in addition to excluding fossil fuels, any definition of renewable energy must also exclude all combustion-based power generation, nuclear, biomass energy, large scale hydro and waste-to-energy technologies. To achieve this, the United States must shift to 100 percent renewable power generation by 2035 or earlier. This shift will necessitate upgrading our electricity grid to be smart, efficient, and decentralized, with the ability to incorporate battery storage and distributed energy systems that are democratically governed. In addition, Congress must bring the outdated regulation of electricity into the twenty-first century, encouraging public and community ownership over power infrastructure and electricity choice, as well as permitting distributed energy sources, including rooftop and community solar programs to supply the grid.

Expand public transportation and phase out fossil fuel vehicles.

As the transition away from fossil fuels occurs, our transportation system must also undergo 100 percent decarbonization. To accomplish a fossil-fuel-free reality, Congress must require and fund greater investment in renewable-energy-powered public transportation that serves the people who need it most. The United States must also phase out the sale of automobiles and trucks with internal fossil fuel combustion engines as quickly as possible and phase out all existing fossil fuel mobile sources by 2040 or earlier. Federal credits for electric vehicles must be expanded.

Harness the full power of the Clean Air Act.

The Clean Air Act provides powerful tools that have proven successful in protecting the air we breathe and reducing greenhouse pollution. It can also serve as an important backstop to ensure climate targets are met. Congress should harness the full power of the statute by setting strict deadlines and providing adequate funding for EPA to carry out all its duties under all applicable sections of the Act, including implementing greenhouse pollution reduction requirements for cars, trucks, aircraft, ships, smokestacks and other sources, as well as a science-based national pollution cap. The Act has successfully reduced many air pollutants and can do the same for greenhouse pollution.

Ensure a Just Transition led by impacted communities and workers.

 

In effectuating this energy transformation, it is critical to prioritize support for communities who have historically been harmed first and most by the dirty energy economy and workers in the energy sector and related industries. We support a comprehensive economic plan to drive job growth and invest in a new green economy that is designed, built and governed by communities and workers. Building new energy, waste, transportation and housing infrastructure, designed to serve climate resilience and human needs; retrofitting millions of buildings to conserve energy and other resources; and, actively restoring natural ecosystems to protect communities from climate change, are but a few ways to build a sustainable, low carbon economy where no one is left behind during this change.

Uphold Indigenous Rights

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) must be upheld and implemented, along with treaties, instruments and decisions of international law that recognize that Indigenous Peoples have the right to give or withhold “free, prior and informed consent” to legislation and development of their lands, territories and/or natural resources, cultural properties and heritage, and other interests, and to receive remedies of losses and damages of property taken without consent.

Further, we will vigorously oppose any legislation that: (1) rolls back existing environmental, health, and other protections, (2) protects fossil fuel and other dirty energy polluters from liability, or (3) promotes corporate schemes that place profits over community burdens and benefits, including market-based mechanisms and technology options such as carbon and emissions trading and offsets, carbon capture and storage, nuclear power, waste-to-energy and biomass energy. Fossil fuel companies should pay their fair share for damages caused by climate change, rather than shifting those costs to taxpayers.

We look forward to working with you to address the gravest environmental crisis humanity has ever faced, to protect all present and future generations around the world, while centering the rights of those communities and workers most impacted.

Sincerely,

A Community Voice – Louisiana

ACHE Act

Acoustic Ecology Institute

ActionAid USA

Advocates for Springfield NY

Alabama Center for Rural Enterprise

Alabama Interfaith Power and Light/The People’s Justice Council

Allamakee County Protectors – Education Campaign

Alliance for a Green Economy

Alliance for Climate Education

Alliance for Energy Democracy

Alliance for the Wild Rockies

Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments

Already Devalued and Devastated Homeowners of Parsippany

Amazon Watch

Animals Are Sentient Beings, Inc. 17.Anthropocene Alliance

Arise for Social Justice

Arvadans for Progressive Action 20.Asamblea de Gonzales

Ashford Clean Energy Task Force

Athens County (OH) Fracking Action Network 23.Athens for Everyone

Aytzim: Ecological Judaism

Back Country Excursions

Backbone Campaign

Balance & Accuracy in Journalism

Bay Area-System Change not Climate Change (BA-SCnCC) 29.Be the Change

Beloved Earth Community, The Riverside Church 31.Benedictine Sisters Erie PA

Bergen SWAN (Save The Watershed Action Network) 33.Berks Gas Truth

Berkshire chapter NAACP

Berkshire Environmental Action Team

Better Path Coalition

Beyond Extreme Energy

Big Reuse

Biofuelwatch

Black Swamp Creek Land Trust Inc.

Blue Frontier Campaign

Bold Alliance

Bold Iowa

Boston Clean Energy Coalition

Boston Climate Action Network

Bridgerland Audubon Society

Bronx Climate Justice North

Brooklyn Bridge CSA

Buckeye Environmental Network

Bucks Environmental Action

CA for Progress

CA Prison Moratorium Project

Cache Valley Citizens Climate Lobby

California Young Democrats Environmental Caucus

Californians Against Fracking & Dangerous Drilling 56.Californians for Western Wilderness

Call to Action – Colorado

Campaign for America’s Future

Campaign for Renewable Energy 60.Cape Downwinders

Care About Climate

Cascadia Wildlands

CatholicNetwork.US

Catskill Mountainkeeper

Center for a Sustainable Coast

Center for Biological Diversity

Center for Emergent Diplomacy

Center for International Environmental Law 69.Center for Popular Democracy

Center for Story-based Strategy

Center for Sustainable Economy

Central California Asthma Collaborative (CCAC) 73.Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War 74.Central Jersey Environmental Defenders

Central Jersey Progressive Democrats

CEO Pipe Organs/Golden Ponds Farm

CERBAT

Chatham Research Group

Chesapeake Climate Action Network

Christians For The Mountains

Church Women United in New York State

Ciel Power LLC

Citizen’s Committee for Flood Relief

Citizens Acting for Rail Safety (CARS) — Winona, MN 85.Citizens Coalition for a Safe Community

Citizens For Responsible Oil & Gas – CFROG 87.Citizens for the Preservation of Middletown Valley 88.Citizens For Water

Citizens Regeneration Lobby

Citizens United for Renewable Energy (CURE) 91.Citizens’ Environmental Coalition

Clean Coast

Clean Energy Action

Climate Action Alliance of the Valley

Climate Action Group of the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence 96.Climate Action Mondays

Climate Action Now MA

Climate Action Team of Congregation Havurah Shalom

Climate Defense Project

Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy

Climate Hawks Vote

Climate Justice Alliance

Climate Justice Committee of CNY Solidarity Coalition

Climate Justice League

Climate March

ClimateMama

Coalition Against Nukes

Coalition Against the Pilgrim Pipeline NJ

Coalition Against the Rockaway Pipeline

CODEPINK

Collaborative Center for Justice

Columbus Community Bill of Rights

Comité Civico del Valle

Common Sense Design

Communities for a Better Environment

Community Advocates for Sustainable Energy

Community Alliance for Global Justice

Community Ecology Institute

Community Free Democrats

Compressor Free Franklin

Concerned Health Professionals of New York

Concerned Residents of Oxford

Conservation Congress

Cook Inletkeeper

Corporate Accountability

Corporate Ethics International

Corvallis Interfaith Climate Justice Committee

Courage Campaign

Crawford Stewardship Project

Creation Care Network, Episcopal Diocese of Mass.

CREDO

CT Coalition for Environmental Justice

CWA Local 1081

Damascus Citizens for Sustainability

DC Statehood Green Party

Delaware Riverkeeper Network

Dēmos

Dietrick Institute for Applied Insect Ecology

Divest LA

Dogwood Alliance

Don’t Gas the Meadowlands Coalition

Don’t Gas the Pinelands Coalition

Don’t Waste Arizona

Down to Earth Storytelling Project

Dryden Resource Awareness Coalition

Earth and Sky School

Earth Care

Earth Day Network

Earth Ethics, Inc.

Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light

Earthworks

Echotopia LLC

Eco-Eating

Eco-Poetry.org

EcoEquity

Efficiency For All CT

Elders Action Network

Elders Climate Action

Elmirans & Friends Against Fracking

Embrace Impatience Associates

Emerald Coastkeeper, Inc

Endangered Habitats League

Endangered Species Coalition

Enviro-Build

Environmental Advocates

Environmental Health Trust, http://ehtrust.org

Environmental Justice Committee of the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood, NJ

Environmental Justice Task Force of the WNY Peace Center

Environmental Protection Information Center

Environmentalists Against War

Eugene Interfaith Earthkeepers

Evergreen Islands

Extinction Rebellion

FACTS- Families Advocating for Chemical and Toxics Safety

Family Farm Defenders

Farmworker Association of Florida

Fearless Fund

First Churches, Northampton, MA

Flood Forum, USA

Flood Victims of Richwood

Food & Water Watch

Foodshed Alliance

For Love of Water (FLOW)

For The Generations

Fossil Free Tompkins

Four Freedoms Forum

Frac Sand Sentinel

Frack Free Boulder

Frack Free Four Corners

Frack Free Frostburg (Maryland)

Frack Free Ohio

Franciscan Action Network

Franciscan Response to Fossil Fuels

FreshWater Accountability Project Ohio

Fresnans against Fracking

Friends of Merrymeeting Bay

Friends of the Bitterroot

Friends of the Earth US

Friends of the Pogonip

Fund for Wild Nature

GAIA

Gas Free Seneca

Gasp

Genesis Farm

Georgia WAND Education Fund

Geos Institute

GlinesProperties.com

Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives

Gloucester County Food and Water Watch

Good Jobs Nation

Good work institute

Grassroots Institute

Gray Panthers of Berkeley-East Bay

Great Egg Harbor Watershed Association

Great Old Broads for Wilderness

Greater Hells Canyon Council

Greater New York Labor Religion Coalition

Green America

Green Education and Legal Fund

Green For All

Green Map System

Green Newton

Green Party of California

Green Party of Nassau County

Green Retirement, Inc.

Green Sanctuary Committee, Community Church of NY, UU

Green Team at Evergreen UU Fellowship

Green-Buildings.com

Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice

Greenbelt Climate Action Network

GreenFaith Bergen Circle

GreenLatinos

Greenpeace USA

GRID Alternatives

Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy

Hackensack Riverkeeper

Hands Across the Sand/Land

Harford County Climate Action

Harlem Climate Caucus

Harris Management Services, LLC

Hawaii Institute For Human Rights

HealthyPlanet

Heirs To Our Oceans

Hesperian Health Guides

Hip Hop Caucus

Hold Our Ground

Hollywood NOW

Honeydew Advisors

Hope Glen Farm

Howard County Climate Action

Howling For Wolves

Hudson Valley Energy

Hunger Action Los Angeles

Idaho Rivers United

Idaho Sporting Congress, Inc.

Idle No More SF Bay

iEat Green, LLC

Indigenous Environmental Network

Indivisible

Indivisible CA-43

Indivisible Cranbury

Indivisible Lambertville/New Hope

Indivisible Pittsfield

Information Network for Responsible Mining

Inland Ocean Coalition

inNative

Inspiration of Sedona

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development

Institute for Policy Studies

International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement

Iroquois Studies Association

Irvington Activists

Jackpine Savage Guide Service

Jesus People Against Pollution

Jewish Climate Action Network

John Muir Project of a Earth Island Institute

Jubilana

Keep Cornwall Safe

Kentucky Environmental Foundation

Kentucky Heartwood

Kentucky Interfaith Power & Light

Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition

Kitsap Environmental Coalition

Klamath Forest Alliance

La Union Hace La Fuerza

Labor Network for Sustainability

Labour, Health and Human Rights Development Centre

Lafayette Parish Flood Forum

League of Women Voters of the United States

Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network (LiKEN)

Long Beach 350

Long Island Progressive Coalition

Longmeadow(MA) Environmental Transition Group

Los Alamos Study Group

Manhattan Project for a Nuclear-Free World

Manifold Artworks LLC

Marcellus Outreach Butler

Maryland Environmental Health Network

Mattawoman Watershed Society

Mazaska Talks

Metro NY Catholic Climate Movement

Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation

Mid-Missouri Peaceworks

Milwaukee Riverkeeper

Mission Blue/Sylvia Earle Alliance

MLK Coalition of Greater Los Angeles

Mormon Environmental Stewardship Alliance (MESA)

Mothers Out Front

Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club

National Council of Gray Panthers Networks

National Family Farm Coalition

Nature Coast Conservation, Inc.

NC WARN

Neighbor to Neighbor MASS Ed Fund

New Energy Economy

New Hampshire Audubon

New jersey Tenants Organization

New Paltz Climate Action Coalition

New York Climate Action Group

New York Communities for Change (NYCC)

New York Heartwoods

New York Progressive Action Network

New York’s Second District Democrats

Newark Science and Sustainability Inc.

NJ Skylands Sunrise Hub

NJ State Industrial Union Council

No Canton Gas Pipeline: Toward an Equitable Sustainable Future

No Fracked Gas Cayuga

No Fracked Gas in Mass

No Sharon Gas Pipeline | Clean Energy Now

No Walpole Gas Pipeline

North American Climate, Conservation and Environment(NACCE)

North Quabbin Energy

Northern Jaguar Project

Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council (NMEAC)

Northern NJ Chapter, National Organization for Women

Northjersey Pipeline Walkers

Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance

Northwest Conservation District

Nuclear Energy Information Service (NEIS)

Nuclear Information and Resource Service

NW Bronx Indivisible

NY Buddhist Climate Action Network

NYC DSA Ecosocialist

NYC Friends of Clearwater

NYC Grassroots Alliance

NYC H2O

NYH2o

NYPIRG

Oakland Park Democratic Club

Ocean Conservation Research

Oil Change USA

Olympic Climate Action

On Behalf of Planet Earth

Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility

Organic Consumers Association

Our Revolution New Mexico

Our Revolution Southern Oregon

Our Santa Fe River, Inc.

OVEC-Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition

Pan to Save the Planet.org

Partnership for Global Justice

Partnership for Policy Integrity

Pasco Activists Inc

Patriots From The Oil & Gas Shales

PAUSE – People of Albany United for Safe Energy

Pax Christi Florida

Peace Action New York State

Pelican Media

People Demanding Action

People Over Pipelines

People’s Action

People’s Health Movement – USA

Peoples Climate Movement – NY

Physicians for Social Responsibility

Physicians for Social Responsibility

Physicians for Social Responsibility

Physicians for Social Responsibility

Physicians for Social Responsibility

Physicians for Social Responsibility

Physicians for Social Responsibility

Pinelands Preservation Alliance

Piscataway Progressive Democratic Organization

Planting Justice

Plymouth Friends for Clean Water

Popular Resistance

Portland Gray Panthers

Potomac Riverkeeper Network

Power Shift Network

Presention Sisters-Aberdeen SD Justice Commission

Preserve Monroe

Preserve Wild Santee

Prince George’s County Peace & Justice Coalition

Progressive Action of Lower Manhattan

Progressive Democrats of America

Progressive Democrats of America Milwaukee

Project Coyote

Promoting Health and Sustainable Energy (PHASE)

PSR Iowa Chapter

Public Bank LA

Public Citizen

Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science

Quaker Earthcare Witness

Arizona Chapter Colorado Working Group Iowa Chapter

Maine Chapter

New York

Philadelphia

Rachel Carson Council

Rachel’s Network

Raging Grannies Eugene

Rainforest Action Network

RE Sources for Sustainable Communities

Reach Out America

Real Provision

Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association

Renewable Energy Long Island (reLI)

Resist the Pipeline

RESTORE: The North Woods

ReThink Energy Florida

Revolution LA

Richmond Interfaith Climate Justice League

River Guardian Foundation

Riverkeeper

ROAR (Religious Organizations Along the River)

Rochester People’s Climate Coalition

Rockland United: A Community for Social Justice

Rogue Riverkeeper

RootsAction.org

Rootskeeper

Roseland Against Compressor Station (RACS)

Rutland Area Climate Coalition

Sacramento Climate Coalition

Safe Energy Rights Group, Inc.

Safe Food Matters Inc.

SafeEnergyAnalyst.org

San Diego 350

San Francisco Baykeeper

San Juan Citizens Alliance

Sane Energy Project

Santa Barbara Standing Rock Coalition

Santa Cruz Climate Action Network

Save James Island

Save Nevada’s Water: Ban Fracking In Nevada

Save Our Shores

Save Our Sky Blue Waters

Save The Hills Alliance, Inc.

Save the Manatee

Save Wolves Now Network

Schmid & Company, Inc.

Seeding Sovereignty

Seneca Lake Guardian, a Waterkeeper Alliance Affiliate

Sequoia ForestKeeper

Seven Circles Foundation

ShaleshockCNY

Sharon Springs Against Hydrofracking

Sharon, CT Energy and Environment Commission

Shawnee Forest Sentinels

Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Society

Show Up LI

Signal Fire

Sisters of Charity of New York

Sisters of Mercy of the Americas’ Institute Justice Team

Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt, New York

Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia

Slow Food North Shore

Slow Food USA

Small Ville Farms

SoCal 350 Climate Action

Social Justice Commission (Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts)

Solar Solution

Solar Wind Works

Solarize Albany County

SolidarityINFOService

Solutionary Rail

South Asian Fund For Education, Scholarship and Training (SAFEST)

South Atlantic Fishermen’s Association

South Coast Neighbors United

South Florida Wildlands Association

Southern Illinoisans Against Fracturing Our Environment

Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

Southwest Native Cultures

Spottswoode Winery, Inc.

Springfield (Massachusetts) Area Interfaith Climate Action Network

St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church

Stand.earth

STAR

Stephanie Low Artists Inc.

Stone Quarry House

Stop Fracking Long Beach

Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline

Sugar Shack Alliance

Sullivan Area Citizens for Responsible Energy Development (SACRED)

Summit Marches On

Sunflower Alliance

Sunnyside Village Cohousing

Sunrise Movement

Surfrider Foundation

Surfrider Foundation NYC

Sustainable Economies Law Center

Sustainable Energy & Economy Network

Sustainable Marin

Sustainable Sudbury

Sustainable Tompkins

Sustainable Upton

Sustaining Way

SustainUS

Symmetric Energy

Syracuse Cultural Workers

Syracuse Peace Council

Take Action Connecticut

TALK Environment Committee, Glastonbury

Texas Campaign for the Environment

Texas Drought Project

Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility

The Canary Coalition

The Climate Mobilization Hoboken Chapter

The Climate Mobilization Santa Barbara Chapter

The Ecology Party of Florida

The Global Cooling Project

The Greater Prince William Climate Action Network

The Lands Council

The Leap

The Mothers Project, Inc

The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY)

The Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore

The River Project

The Shalom Center

The Wei LLC

The Whale Guite Project

The Whaleman Foundation

Three Parks Independent Democrats

Tikkun & the Network of Spiritual Progressives

Time Laboratory

Tinker Tree Play/Care

Toronto Non-GMO Coalition

Toxics Action Center

Toxics Information Project (TIP)

Transition Express, Inc

Transition Sebastopol Energy Group

Transition US

Traprock Center for Peace and Justice

Trevor Day School Environmental Club

Tri-County Sustainability Alliance

Turner Endangered Species Fund

Turtle Island Restoration Network

Two Mooks and a Mic

Unitarian Universalist FaithAction New Jersey

Unitarian Universalist Mass Action

Unitarian Universalist Ministry For Earth

Unitarian Universalist Pennsylvania Legislative Advocacy Network (UUPLAN)

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee

United Church of Christ Environmental Justice Ministry

United for Action

Universal Income Project

Up Homes

Up Top Acres

Uplift

Upper West Side Recycling

Urban Climate Nexus

Urban Tilth

US Labor Against the War

Utah Moms for Clean Air

Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment

UU Congregation of Binghamton, Green Sanctuary

Valley Watch, Inc

Vashon Climate Action Group

Vote-Climate

Voters of Watchunghills

Wall of Women Colorado

Wasatch Clean Air Coalition

Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility

WATCH

Water Protectors of Milwaukee

Waterkeeper Alliance

WATERSPIRIT

WE ACT

We of Action New York (WofA-NY)

Weather Medic Inc

Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club

WESPAC Foundation, Inc

West 80s Neighborhood Association

West Atlanta Watershed Alliance

West Berkeley Alliance for Clean Air and Safe Jobs

West Roxbury Saves Energy

Western NY Drilling Defense

Western Watersheds Project

White Rabbit Grove RDNA

Wild Nature Institute

WildEarth Guardians

WildWest Institute

Williamsburg Climate Action Network

Winyah Rivers Foundation, Inc.

Wisconsin Network for Peace, Justice & Sustainability

Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN)

Women’s International League of Peace and Freedom US Section

Xun Biosphere Project

Zero Waste USA

198 methods

2017 New Jersey Coalition for Climate Justice

350 Bay Area

350 Brooklyn

350 Cape Cod

350 Chicago

350 Colorado

350 Connecticut

350 Eastside (Seattle)

350 Eugene

350 Everett

350 Fairfax

350 Greenbelt/Greenbelt Climate Action Network

350 Kishwaukee (IL)

350 Loudoun

350 Mass for a Better Future

350 Mass Metro North

350 Milwaukee

350 Montgomery County, MD

350 Petaluma

350 Plattsburgh

350 Sacramento

350 Seattle

350 Silicon Valley

350 Tacoma

350 Triangle

350 Ventura County Climate Hub

350 Wichita (Kansas)

350.org

350NYC

350PDX