CORE MESSAGE

Whether we are Black or White, Latino or Asian, newcomer or Indigenous, we all want our families to grow up healthy, happy, and safe for generations to come. But for too long, fossil fuel CEOs and corrupt politicians have divided and distracted us with lies while they allow our air to be polluted and deny some communities clean drinking water. Big polluters exploit their workers, while dumping toxins into communities of color and low-income neighborhoods.

By coming together, we can heal the damage done to all of our communities, and power our future with locally produced renewable energy that creates millions of good union jobs in the process.

WATCH IT IN ACTION

NEXT: POLLING + WORDS THAT WORK ↓

Responding to Climate Catastrophes

From coast to coast, communities are being ravaged by the climate crisis , from ice storms in Texas to wild fires on the West Coast. No matter what we look like or where we live, we want our homes and our families to be safe.

But for decades, massive corporations have blocked locally produced clean energy and fueled divisions in order to keep profiting while they poison our communities. They’ve pedaled lies while dumping toxins into Black, brown, indigenous and poor communities. But when we come together as we have in the past, we can turn the corner toward a future where every family has what we need to get and stay well, every worker has a safe, good job, and we can protect our air and land for generations to come.

*This message can be adapted for current climate change induced disasters like wildfires, droughts, hurricanes and extreme storms, historic heat waves or cold snaps etc. It is critical to help people understand the climate-related events that they are experiencing as part of the climate crisis.

POLLING + Fast Facts

AMERICANS SAY WE NEED TO DO MORE ON CLIMATE CHANGE…

60% of U.S. adults think it is “extremely important” or “very important” for the government to address climate change

… EVEN WHILE BIG CORPORATIONS FUND LIES

Since the 2015 Paris Agreement, the top 5 oil corporations have spent well over a combined $1 billion on attacking climate science, lobbying, and misleading climate-related branding.

CLIMATE CHANGE IS ALREADY HERE

A majority of Americans see at least some local effects of climate change like drought, wildfires or sea level rise. From 2017-2021, the total cost of U.S. climate-related disasters exceeded $742 billion.

ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM IS REAL

From PVC to lead to hazardous waste, exposure to dirty air, poisoned water and industrial contamination is sickening and killing Indigenous communities, communities of color, and poor communities. For example, tribal lands are 4% of U.S. lands but nearly 25% of Superfund sites.

PEOPLE SUPPORT THE GREEN NEW DEAL

60% of voters support the Green New Deal, and the coronavirus pandemic has made voters even more supportive.

Words that Work

Lead with shared values like healthy communities and equality

Everyone needs and deserves clean air and clean water.

We need to create sustainable, local, good-paying union jobs that give people the chance to put down roots and raise a family.

We can have locally-made, sustainable energy from the wind and sun that ensures our air is clean and our water is healthy. We can have locally grown, tastier food, a traffic-free commute, and a happy surprise when we open our energy bills. The choice is ours to make for a clean energy future.

Wealthy corporations and oil companies are spending billions to hide the damage they’ve done to our climate so they can keep lining their pockets while setting our forests on fire, flooding our coastal communities, and poisoning our children with toxic air and water.

Don’t use the opposition frames even to refute them and avoid the doom-and-gloom attitude that is demotivating. Instead talk about concrete, local impacts and collective solutions

We know we need to transition to clean, renewable energy. As we do that, we need to make sure we don’t leave anyone behind: Black, Brown, or White.

Communities of color and low-income communities have paid the highest price for pollution and climate change for too long. Lead in the water. Pesticides and toxic air. Unaffordable and dangerous extractive energy. We must invest in the communities who are on the frontlines and ensure that polluters pay to clean up their mess.

We must set our country on a sustainable path that will rebuild our economy for the future. We need a plan that creates high-quality, good-paying union jobs that can support our families and protect the health of our communities and planet.

NEXT: TOOLS + RESOURCES ↓

Tools + Resources

For more information, we have included the following additional resources below. These resources do not necessarily reflect the policy positions of the Progressive Caucus Action Fund.