Tell President Biden to declare a climate emergency before September’s climate ambition summit

Welcome to the 2023 summer of climate chaos, the perfect time to declare a climate emergency.

As I write this, Texas is beginning it’s third week of record-breaking heat, with temperatures in the triple digits across the south, west, and Mexico. Oregon and Montana are both grappling with lawsuits that lay the blame for recent heat waves of wildfires squarely at the doorstep of the fossil fuel industry. And Canada and the US just signed a new agreement on Friday to help each other fight climate-fueled wildfires after millions of people across North America had to breathe smoke from the out-of-control wildfires.

Like I said, this summer would be a great time for President Biden to declare a climate emergency. But so far, he’s refused to do so. Will you sign our new petition with partners asking President Biden to declare a climate emergency NOW, before the September climate ambition summit in New York?

Look, you know what we’re up against. The Supreme Court hindered the EPA’s ability to regulate global warming pollution. Fossil fuel companies spend millions lobbying Congress and shuffling blame for climate change from producers to consumers with deceptive advertising. And instead of declaring a climate emergency, President Biden has been focussed on tax credits and financial incentives, with a decidedly mixed track record of lowering emissions. while continuing to approve fossil fuels infrastructure. President Biden broke his promise to end drilling on public lands, let the Line 3 tar sands pipeline be built in Minnesota, and approved the Willow Project in Alaska, and forced Congress and the courts to swallow the Mountain Valley Pipeline.

Biden is making the climate crisis worse, not better. But he’s got the power to stop the bad, just as he’s chosen to support the good. He just needs the political courage to use all the tools at his disposal to fight the climate crisis.

One of those tools is the Biden administration declaring climate an emergency under the National Emergencies Act. That would give him the ability to reinstate the crude oil export ban, end new fossil fuel projects and drilling, redirect disaster relief funds toward distributed renewable energy construction in frontline communities, and marshal companies to fast-track renewable transportation and clean power generation. All while creating millions of high-quality union jobs.

Biden also has the power to deny approvals for any new fossil fuel projects, and mandate a phase out of fossil fuel production on federal lands and waters — two actions which scientists have stated are essential to staying under the global warming limit necessary to avoid the very worst of the climate catastrophes.

Climate change is already an emergency – we need an emergency declaration and an immediate end to fossil fuel project approvals.. There’s still more Biden can do. It’s time for the Biden administration to step up and act before it’s too late.

Sign the petition to President Biden: Declare climate an emergency under the National Emergencies Act and stop the federal approval of all new fossil fuel projects.