©2024 League of Conservation Voters
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.
“With fear for our democracy, I dissent.”
— Justice Sonia Sotomayor in her written dissent on the Supreme Court case Trump v. United States, in which MAGA Justices ruled that former President Donald Trump has immunity from criminal charges for official actions during his presidency.
“Everyone who willfully denies the impacts of climate change is condemning the American people to a dangerous future and either is really, really dumb or has some other motive. How can you deny there’s climate change, for God’s sake?”
— President Biden on Republican climate deniers while speaking at the D.C. Emergency Operations Center about the dangerous impacts of climate-fueled extreme weather.
“The way things are going, the heat waves in 2044 are going to be so much worse than they are now. This isn’t an anomalous heat wave. This is the taste of what’s to come.”
— David Jones, a professor and historian of science at Harvard University, on recent extreme heat waves which disproportionately affect low-income, high-minority neighborhoods.
BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES $1.5 BILLION FOR CLEANER TRANSPORTATION AND $1.2 BILLION FOR EV BATTERY FACILITY: The Biden-Harris Administration announced approximately $1.5 billion in funding for 117 projects that will make public transportation cleaner across 47 states. The investment will help replace old and inefficient buses with modern, zero-emission models. The Department of Energy also announced $1.2 billion in loan commitments to support an electric vehicle lithium-ion battery facility in Terre Haute, Indiana.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Federal Policy and former EPA Scientist Matthew Davis said, “The Biden-Harris administration is continuing to deliver transformational benefits to folks across the country, with cleaner and healthier ways of getting around on quieter, low- emission buses, and building a clean energy future with clean energy manufacturing and good paying jobs. Communities of color and communities of low wealth, who predominantly live near busy roadways and are most impacted by pollution, can breathe easier with thousands of dirty buses off the road, and these investments to onshore and expand the supply chain for cleaner buses and electric vehicle batteries will help build a more sustainable and affordable sourcing of batteries for the future.”
BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES PROTECTIONS FOR WORKERS AND COMMUNITIES FROM EXTREME HEAT: The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed a new rule to protect workers from heat-related illnesses and death, as large areas across the country experience extreme heat.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Government Affairs Sara Chieffo said, “President Biden’s extreme heat measures announced today are a critical step to help workers and communities and are an essential part of responding to the threats posed by the climate crisis. Over the past month people across the country have been experiencing record high temperatures that are a detriment to the health and safety of our families and communities. Heat is the leading cause of death among weather-related events in the United States and we must take action as temperatures continue to surge. The current extreme heat waves are not natural – they are a result of Big Polluters’ blatant disregard for the very real impacts excessive carbon and toxic pollution has on our climate and health. MAGA Republicans have time and time again sided with Big Polluters and actively attempted to reverse the climate progress made by the Biden Administration, despite knowing the real threats excessive pollution has on our communities, families, and climate. We applaud the Biden Administration and the Department of Labor for taking this crucial step forward in protecting the health of our communities by calling for protections for workers in both outdoor and indoor workplaces, requiring employers to create a heat injury and illness prevention plan and calling for employers to take additional safety measures when the heat index reaches a trigger point.”
CHISPA TAKE: Chispa Senior Director Estefany Carrasco-González said, “Many of our Latine and communities of color across the nation are experiencing deadly heat waves that get worse and last longer every year, and lead to deaths. For example, our communities in Arizona are dealing with 120-degree heat, and in Nevada families are experiencing heat domes and lack of green space, plus unaffordable utility costs to be able to stay safe. None of this weather, or these conditions, are natural. Today’s extreme heat protections are critical to life itself for all workers, including Latine workers who help build our nation yet are often exposed to extreme outdoor conditions with little protections. While we will continue to work toward immediate and long term relief from extreme heat for all communities in their homes and in their neighborhoods – such as transitioning to clean energy and greening our streets – our workplaces should also be safe and not expose anyone to death, and today moves us a step closer toward that goal.”
EPA AWARDS $5 MILLION TO ESTABLISH FOUR STORMWATER CENTERS: EPA announced $5 million in grants from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to establish four Centers of Excellence for Stormwater Control Infrastructure Technologies and a national clearinghouse for new stormwater control technologies. These centers will research ways to improve stormwater infrastructure and provide technical assistance to state, Tribal, and local governments.
DOI ANNOUNCES $120 MILLION IN NEW FUNDING FOR THE TRIBAL CLIMATE RESILIENCE PROGRAM: Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced that the administration will be making an additional $120 million available for Tribes to proactively protect their community from a range of climate threats.
FEMA FINALIZES FEDERAL FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT RULE: The Department of Homeland Security finalized a new Flood Risk Management Standard, which will proactively help protect communities from flooding. As climate-fueled extreme weather events, like hurricane Beryl, put our communities and infrastructure at risk with greater and greater frequency, this rule will help increase resiliency, especially in places that routinely experience flooding.
DOE ANNOUNCES $1.7 BILLION TO SUPPORT AUTO WORKERS, CONVERT FACILITIES FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The Department of Energy announced investments of $1.7 billion to convert auto manufacturing and assembly facilities across eight states to manufacture electric vehicles and their supply chain as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. These investments will additionally create thousands of good-paying union jobs, reflecting Biden’s commitment to uplifting the auto worker community and ensuring America’s automotive industry stays competitive internationally.
LCV ANNOUNCES 6-FIGURE AD CAMPAIGN URGING CONGRESS TO PROTECT BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION PROGRESS ON CLEAN CARS AND TRUCKS: Following this week’s announcements from the Biden-Harris administration to continue making progress on cleaner cars and trucks and the clean vehicle domestic manufacturing renaissance, LCV announced a $100,000 digital ad campaign to thank members of Congress in both the U.S. Senate and House for standing up for cleaner cars and trucks and urge them to continue to protect the health of communities and support the Biden-Harris administration’s actions for cleaner electric vehicles.
OUR TAKE: LCV Government Affairs Advocate on Climate Change and Clean Energy Darien Davis said, “This week, while the Biden-Harris administration continues to deliver transformative investments for cleaner cars and trucks, extreme MAGA Republicans continue to show their commitment to put Big Polluters over people with relentless attempts to undo the tremendous progress the Biden-Harris administration has made towards a clean energy future and protecting communities most impacted by pollution. The toxic pollution from fossil fueled cars and trucks harms the health of people disproportionately in communities of color and communities with low wealth. We urge members of the House and the Senate to stand strong to protect the Biden-Harris administration’s standards and incentives for cleaner vehicles, maintain the rights of states to set cleaner cars and trucks standards, and keep fighting for communities and a clean energy future with cleaner vehicles and good paying jobs. ”
HOUSE MARKS UP REPUBLICAN ANTI-ENVIRONMENT INTERIOR, ENERGY AND WATER, AND CJS SPENDING BILLS: The House Appropriations Committee marked up the Fiscal Year 2025 Interior-Environment, Energy and Water and Commerce, Justice, Science bills, which contain a huge number of anti-environmental policies that cut funding for environmental protection, preservation, and justice. Republican appropriators passed the bills out of committee.
OUR TAKE: Senior Government Affairs Advocate David Shadburn said, “The anti-environmental spending bills advanced out of committee yesterday by extreme MAGA Republicans are a polluter’s dream come true. These bills dramatically cut funding for environmental protection at crucial agencies, slash funding for national parks and public lands, and defund environmental justice initiatives. These harmful spending cuts put people’s lives at risk and do not meet the needs of our environment or our communities. The Biden-Harris administration has made historic progress in building a clean energy future, protecting public lands, and supporting environmental justice initiatives that put our planet, communities and families first. These poison pill policy riders, such as those that mandate fossil fuel leasing, accelerate the expansion of liquefied methane gas and imperil endangered species are an attempt to roll back that progress, have no place in spending bills and must be rejected.”
LCV and Trust for Public Land led 69 environmental organizations in sending a letter to the House Appropriations Committee urging members to oppose Fiscal Year 2025 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
COALITION TAKE: From the letter, “This bill does not just fail to address the climate and biodiversity crises; it would exacerbate them. As America faces record-breaking heat waves, the bill would defund climate resilience and emissions reduction programs while mandating new fossil fuel lease sales. It would slash the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget by 20% while eliminating environmental justice programs entirely, opening the door to more hazardous pollution and cutting impacted communities out of the decision making process. Poison-pill policy riders would doom imperiled species to extinction and strip protections for iconic lands and waters.”
HOUSE MARKS UP MORE REPUBLICAN SPENDING BILLS WITH ANTI-ENVIRONMENT AND POISON PILL RIDERS: House Appropriations Committee Republicans approved the Fiscal Year 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Agriculture, Rural Development bills. Much like Project 2025, Republicans’ extreme bills include riders that consistently prioritize Big Oil over the health and economic wellbeing of people in this country.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Government Affairs Advocate David Shadburn said, “This is the MAGA House Republicans’ latest attempt at dismantling the climate progress achieved by the Biden-Harris administration. Yet again, extremist Republicans are using poison pill riders to push their MAGA agenda that puts Big Oil’s wish list ahead of our families, communities and planet. These bills significantly decrease funding to public transportation, block the Department of Transportation’s greenhouse gas reduction rule, prevent executive orders on climate, environmental justice, clean transportation, and implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act and impede new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards–which would help to reduce vehicle pollution while protecting consumers wallets from Big Oil’s price gouging. It is clear that the extremist House Republicans are not prioritizing what is best for our communities. We urge Congress to reject these poison pill riders that are blocking funding for crucial programming and putting our environment at risk.”
MAGA REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE VOTE TO SUBVERT VOTING RIGHTS: House MAGA Republicans passed the so-called Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would create unnecessary barriers to voter registration that are based on racist and unfounded claims of voter fraud.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Director of Civic Engagement Hilda Nucete said, “This anti-voter legislation would make the right to vote harder to exercise for millions of eligible voters while providing no additional security to our election systems. Every voter in every community, no matter their race, identity, ability, age, or zip code deserves to vote without intimidation or unnecessary barriers. This bill creates yet another intimidating, confusing, and unnecessary hurdle for eligible voters to exercise their fundamental right. The Senate must reject this baseless, racially motivated, fear-mongering bill and pass crucial and proven voting rights legislation like the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Freedom to Vote Act, and statehood for the people of Washington, D.C. to protect voting rights instead of dismantling them.”
CHISPA TAKE: Chispa Senior Director Estefany Carrasco-González said, “Our democracy works best when all citizens can participate. Instead, the SAVE Act scapegoats immigrant communities, including in large part Latine communities, and seeks to take away the power of eligible voters. Requiring Americans to provide a certified birth certificate or a passport to register to vote places an unnecessary burden on eligible voters and disproportionately affects low-income citizens, women, the elderly, those with disabilities, and communities of color. Our elections are already secure and we will continue the work to protect all our rights for a healthy democracy, including our ability to have fair representation and to tackle the climate crisis that is affecting our communities directly.
Additionally, 145 national organizations, including LCV and Chispa LCV, joined the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights in a letter to the House of Representatives opposing the so-called Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
COALITION TAKE: From the letter, “Introduction and advancement of this bill is the most recent example of what has been a string of recent efforts to make voter registration and voting more difficult, particularly for voters of color. False claims of non-citizen voting have been disingenuously used to enact more onerous voter identification requirements, limitations on voter assistance in languages other than English, and attempts to spread misinformation about voting. This legislation seeks to intimidate members of immigrant communities and communities of color from exercising their lawful right to vote. It also would make it harder for voters of color and naturalized citizens to register to vote and would prevent their full participation in democracy. These are already communities who are unfairly targeted by anti-immigrant policies at the federal, state, and local level. Congress should be doing everything possible to encourage and promote the political participation of these citizens, rather than seeking to diminish it through threats and fear tactics.”
LCV LETTER OPPOSING ANTI-APPLIANCE EFFICIENCY BILLS: LCV sent a letter to the House urging members to oppose the so-called Refrigerator Freedom Act and the so-called Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards Act. The bills would block the Department of Energy from setting new or enforcing existing appliance efficiency standards for refrigerators and dishwashers that lower consumer costs and reduce wasted energy and water, meaning families may have to rely on outdated technology, incurring higher energy costs and increasing pollution.
OUR TAKE: From the letter, “The benefits of energy and water efficient appliances extend well beyond the individual household. As nationwide energy demand grows, energy efficient appliances relieve stress on the grid and tight water supplies, and improve overall systems’ reliability. Also, the energy efficiency industry employees more than 2.2 million Americans, creating jobs in 99% of US counties. Finally, efficiency standards lead to reduced health and climate-harming pollution from buildings and power plants, improving air quality and public health, including in low-income communities disproportionately impacted by air pollution. These benefits and more are under threat by these bills.”
SCOTUS RULES TRUMP HAS IMMUNITY FOR OFFICIAL ACTS IN TRUMP V. UNITED STATES: The Supreme Court ruled that former President Trump has immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts during his presidency. The 6-3 party line decision by the MAGA justices threw out a lower court’s ruling that denied Trump immunity from federal criminal charges in a case regarding his illegal attempts to overturn the 2020 election after he lost.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Director of Judiciary & Democracy Doug Lindner said, “Our democracy is on the line. Over the last week, the Supreme Court’s MAGA justices have repeatedly made decisions undermining the ability of the President and Congress to protect the people from Big Polluters and other powerful corporate interests. Today, the same MAGA justices decided on a partisan basis to give shocking, lawless immunity to former President Trump.
“For democracy to endure, no one – especially not the Commander in Chief – can be above the law. At a time when the foundation of free and fair democracy is under threat by various forms of election subversion, today’s decision further raises the risk of political violence, of voter and election worker intimidation, of democratic backsliding, and of existential threats to the rights and liberties of the people. We cannot continue this way. Congress must expand and rebalance this captured Supreme Court with four new justices who will protect our democracy instead of enabling its destruction.”
LCVAF TAKE: After President Biden’s speech on the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump vs United States, LCV Action Fund Vice President of Political Affairs Craig Auster said, “No one — not even a president — is above the law. President Biden’s speech tonight showed the contrast could not be more clear for voters this November. Our right to a free and fair democracy is under threat by Trump and his MAGA allies’ attacks on the right for voters to choose our own leaders and on the bedrock safeguards of our constitutional system, including election subversion by any means, voter and election worker intimidation, and impunity for the insurrectionists who attacked our democracy on January 6th. President Biden is committed to prioritizing strong voting rights legislation, confirming judges who will enforce it, respecting the rule of law, and fighting to protect our freedom to fair elections and a stronger democracy for all.”
SCOTUS OPENS LONGSTANDING PROTECTIONS TO NEW CHALLENGES: MAGA justices made a 6-3 decision in Corner Post v. Federal Reserve to effectively eliminate the deadline to challenge public agency rules, undermining the ability of civil servants and scientific experts to protect the people from powerful corporate interests.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Director of Judiciary & Democracy Doug Lindner said, “This decision is yet another relentless power grab by the MAGA Supreme Court Justices. Along with last week’s decisions, today’s decision has far-reaching implications for the ability of public agencies to protect the people from Big Polluters and powerful corporate interests. In defiance of the will of Congress and decades of precedent, the MAGA justices have invited, as Justice Jackson said, ‘a tsunami of lawsuits,’ to longstanding public protections for our rights to our clean air, clean water, health, and safety – especially challenges backed by the Big Polluters and other corporate interests that helped capture our Supreme Court.
“It couldn’t be more clear: this latest power grab by the MAGA Justices will imperil decades-old public protections across every area of public policy including the environment, our democracy, healthcare, reproductive rights, workers’ rights, immigrants’ rights, education, and so much more. The stakes couldn’t be higher as extreme Supreme Court justices continue to twist the law to the benefit of Big Polluters and special interests. We need Congress to expand and rebalance the Supreme Court with four new justices who will follow the law and enforce our protections instead of attacking them. And as MAGA justices continue to vacation with Big Oil mega donors, speak at their political fundraisers, and accept millions of dollars in gifts, it is long past time to pass real, binding ethics legislation for the Supreme Court.”
LCV VICTORY FUND RESPONDS TO RNC EFFORTS TO ROLLBACK CLEAN ENERGY: The Republican National Committee Platform Committee adopted Trump’s 2024 Republican Party Platform, which includes promises to roll back historic clean energy progress and scrap incentives for electric vehicles.
LCVVF TAKE: LCV Victory Fund Vice President of Paid Communications and Elections Megan Jacobs said, “With a platform light on details but nonetheless looking straight out of Project 2025’s playbook, MAGA Republicans and Donald Trump are determined to do the bidding of the Big Oil CEOs funding their campaigns by rolling back the historic climate progress made by the Biden-Harris administration. While working families across the country are benefiting from clean energy initiatives, Trump’s platform could lead to thousands of workers being laid off, higher energy bills, and more pollution in our air and water. Absent from the platform is any mention of the existential threat of climate change or the impacts people are feeling right now. Instead, all we see are plans to strip away environmental protections, prioritize Big Oil’s wish list, and even sell off public lands. As usual, Trump’s claims about electric vehicles are based on lies and misinformation that have been repeatedly refuted. Among many other alarming extremist views, this platform reflects Trump’s desire to look out for himself and his special interest allies instead of putting hardworking families, communities and our planet first. In stark contrast, the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have prioritized lowering energy costs, creating jobs and reducing pollution to protect public health.”
LCV VICTORY FUND AND SOMOS PAC AIR NEW STATEWIDE AD SUPPORTING RUBEN GALLEGO: LCV Victory Fund and Somos PAC aired a second installment of a $1.7 million statewide broadcast TV ad supporting Ruben Gallego. This ad forms part of LCV VF and Somos PAC’s ad buy, and is the largest and earliest Spanish-language ad campaign in this year’s Arizona Senate race.
LCVVF TAKE: LCV Victory Fund Campaigns Director Eva Estrada said, “Ruben Gallego has made it clear he will fight to lower costs for Arizonans and protect our climate, communities and families. Arizonans are experiencing record-breaking levels of heat that are a threat to the safety of our communities. Gallego knows we need to act now to reduce extreme weather conditions and has shown a commitment to building a clean energy economy, which will help lower costs for families and create high-paying, family sustaining jobs.”
SOMOS PAC TAKE: Somos PAC President and Founder Melissa Morales said, “Ruben Gallego understands the story of hardworking Arizonans because it is his story too. Our families work hard to ensure the next generation has the opportunities and tools they need to get ahead and that is precisely what Ruben Gallego continues to fight for – lower prices, more good paying, quality jobs and making life more affordable. That is also why we are continuing to do our part to ensure Spanish-speaking voters statewide learn more about his story and what more is possible with Ruben Gallego as the first Latino to represent Arizona in the U.S. Senate come November.”
LCV ACTION FUND ANNOUNCES ENDORSEMENTS FOR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: LCV Action Fund announced new endorsements of ten candidates for election to the House of Representatives, including U.S. Representative Josh Harder (CA-09), and House candidates former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez (AZ-02), Delaware State Senator Sarah McBride (DE-AL), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), New Jersey Assembly member Dr. Herb Conaway (NJ-03), Oregon State Representative Dr. Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Oregon State Representative Janelle Bynum (OR-05), Janelle Stelson (PA-10), Virginia State Senator Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), and Dr. Kristin Lyerly (WI-08).
LCVAF TAKE: LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld said, “After recent heat waves and disastrous U.S. Supreme Court decisions, it is clear the stakes couldn’t be higher for our environment and our democracy, which is why LCV Action Fund is proud to announce our latest endorsements for the U.S. House of Representatives. We need elected officials who will put people over Big Polluters and corporate interests, protect our democracy, and fight for our communities and future generations. LCV Action Fund is all-in to flip the U.S. House by supporting these candidates like this amazing group who will prioritize protecting public health, tackling the climate crisis, and fighting for a clean energy future for all.”
LCV VICTORY FUND, STATE AFFILIATES AND PARTNERS LAUNCH $14.5 MILLION FIELD PROGRAM: LCV Victory Fund along with several state affiliates and partners including labor announced a combined $14.5 million investment in field organizing programs encompassing Presidential, Senate and House races to knock at least a collective 1.4 million doors in Arizona, North Carolina, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Michigan, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. The field programs will launch in waves, with the first set of programs beginning this week in Arizona, Montana, Ohio and North Carolina, backing Ruben Gallego (AZ-Sen), Jon Tester (MT-Sen), Sherrod Brown (OH-Sen), Josh Stein (NC-Gov), and the Biden-Harris Administration.
LCVVF TAKE: LCV Victory Fund National Field Director Erin Phillips said, “Amid extreme weather conditions including record-breaking temperatures, deadly storms, and wildfires, Trump and the RNC have made their intentions clear, they will rollback all the environmental progress that the Biden-Harris administration and champs in Congress have accomplished in the past four years, if given the chance. In order to keep building a clean energy economy that will help expand jobs, lower costs and protect the environment we are fighting to reelect the Biden-Harris administration, hold the Senate, and take back the House. We, along with our partners, are launching these field programs to continue to have face-to-face conversations with voters about what is at stake in this election. ”
NJ GOVERNOR MURPHY SIGNS PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL STATE BUDGET INTO LAW: New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations Act into law. The bill has significant provisions for the environment, including more funding for the Department of Environmental Protection and NJ Transit.
NJLCV TAKE: New Jersey LCV Executive Director Ed Potosnak said, “The state budget the Legislature is sending to Governor Murphy is a banner moment for the environment. From increases in funding to the Department of Environmental Protection to an NJ Transit funding fix to key investments in open space, Trenton has delivered a budget that will tackle climate change, expand access to the outdoors and protect our air and drinking water. This budget highlights the commitment of legislators and Governor Murphy to building a sustainable future for communities across our state.”
USDOT GRANTS NYC $5.6 MILLION TO LAUNCH URBAN FREIGHT LAB: The United States Department of of Transportation has granted $5.6 million from their Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program to New York City to to create an Urban Freight Mobility Collaborative, a lab that will innovate ways to decarbonize urban freight.
NYLCV TAKE: New York LCV Deputy Director for NYC Policy Alia Soomro said, “Freight transportation is a nightmare for emissions and a 365-day-a-year public health hazard for environmental justice communities that are most impacted by last mile facilities. We congratulate the NYC DOT on their $5.6 million federal grant and we look forward to seeing the innovation and ideas it helps unleash, which will not only improve New York’s approach to freight transportation, it’ll provide sustainable models for cities across the country to adopt.
NY GOVERNOR HOCHUL ADMITS STATE WILL NOT HIT RENEWABLE TARGET: New York Governor Kathy Hohcul’s administration has conceded that the state’s renewable target of 70% by 2030 is out of reach. A review of progress estimated that New York will instead reach just 44% by 2030. New York’s Public Service Commission is now considering weakening the statutory target.
NYLCV TAKE: New York LCV President and CEO Julie Tighe said, “It’s too soon to wave the flag. We need to keep pressing to achieve these goals by 2030, even if we end up a little bit off.”
A NEW TOOLKIT OUT OF COLORADO TO TURN ECO-ANXIETY INTO ECO-ACTION: July is Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Month, and Protégete Colorado launched “Building a Sustainable Movement,” a toolkit created to help volunteers, staff and community members navigate the difficult emotions that come with climate change, knowing how BIPOC and low-income communities experience higher mental health issues due to climate change-driven disparities. Anyone can access the free resource. “We want to give our comunidad tools to deal with our changing climate,” said Patricia Ferrero, Protégete’s Leadership Development Manager and co-author of the toolkit.
MASSACHUSETTS CONSIDERS TWO ‘GAME CHANGING’ CLIMATE BILLS: The Massachusetts Legislature is considering two bills, the economic development bond bill and the climate omnibus bill that could see billions more invested into cleantech and climate mitigation. Lawmakers have from July 31st until the end of the 2024 session to continue the state’s streak of continued clean energy leadership.
ELM TAKE: Environmental League of Massachusetts Vice President of Policy Amy Boyd Rabin said, “We cannot let the session end without passing robust climate legislation. Let your legislators know that their jobs aren’t done until they see the climate omnibus bill through the finish line.”
ON THE BLOG: ICYMI, as Pride Month drew to a close, LCV Action Fund partnered with LPAC to shine a light on LGBTQ+ leaders who are fighting for LGBTQ+ communities who are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis, and discriminated against in relief programs. And don’t forget to check out this week’s Good Climate News on the Power Source Blog for some exciting new developments!
ON OUR SOCIALS: We’re celebrating President Biden’s first-ever rule to protect workers from extreme heat and, in contrast, shining a light on the dangers that Trump and the Project 2025 Plans pose to our communities, planet and democracy. And, speaking of democracy, 53 years ago, young people fought to lower the voting age from 21 to 18, which means the roughly 8 million Gen Zers who turn 18 this year will be eligible to vote in the election.
JULY 15-18: Republican National Convention
August 1: National Poll Worker Recruitment Day
©2024 League of Conservation Voters