Harold Mendoza via Unsplash
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The United States Congress is set to vote on the strongest climate legislation in the country’s history in the coming days. It may be the last chance to pass meaningful policy on the issue for years to come, but it’s unclear if enough votes will be rallied in time.
That’s why Global Citizen is joining the call to declare a “code red for humanity” to urge Congress to address the climate crisis by sending the Build Back Better Act to President Joe Biden’s desk.
The bill aims to achieve 80% pollution-free electricity by 2030, while providing major tax incentives for solar, wind, energy efficiency, a smart grid, and electric vehicles, along with essential funds for communities hit hardest by environmental and economic injustice. If it passes, President Biden can go to the global climate negotiations Nov. 1 at COP26 in Glasgow with far more leverage to push other countries to act.
The time to delay climate action has passed. More than 99% of scientists are convinced that carbon pollution from industrial activities is causing the atmosphere and ocean to warm up and destabilize the climate. Without immediate investments to limit global pollution, they argue, the planet will experience catastrophic impacts in the years ahead.
This past year has shown what these threats look like — wildfires and heat waves pummeling the west coast, hurricanes flooding major cities, and critical sources of water running dry.
All of these events disproportionately harm marginalized communities and, left unchecked, will worsen global inequality. Low-income countries, in particular, stand to experience the harshest climate consequences and have the least resources to adapt to them. As part of the Paris climate agreement, industrialized nations have pledged to provide $100 billion in annual funding for climate action measures and the US must pay its fair share.
The Build Back Better Act is a rare opportunity to chart a new path toward climate recovery and planetary regeneration. Not only that, investing in renewable energy, stronger and more resilient infrastructure, and a just transition would create millions of jobs for Americans and save families money on their monthly utility bills.
Artists such as Billie Eilish and FINNEAS, Mark Ruffalo, LL Cool J, Chuck D (Public Enemy), Damian Marley, Jon Batiste, Maroon 5, Dave Matthews Band, Jane Fonda, Grouplove, and many others have raised their voices in support of the bill.
And they’re not the only ones. The American public broadly supports climate legislation. For too long, the fossil fuel industry and other heavy polluters have been able to spew cancer-causing fumes into the air, leak toxic substances into sources of drinking water, and destroy the public commons of the global environment — all while profiting extravagantly.
The code red for humanity has been flashing for years — now is the time to do something about it.