Advanced Search
February 16, 2021
The Biden-Harris Administration is making climate change a top priority in 2021. The return of the United States to the Paris Agreement, a sweeping executive order to mobilize federal agencies, and the re-establishment of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis all bode well for environmental, energy, and climate issues as well as a prominent role for equity and environmental justice.
Progress will take time, but at least our national leadership is all on the same page again and working together. Are you feeling optimistic? Drop me a line and let me know.
As always during the first part of a new administration and Congress, EESI’s main focus is delivering nonpartisan, science-based educational resources to policymakers. Despite the challenges of the pandemic—namely the inability to be physically present on Capitol Hill—EESI’s Congressional Climate Camp briefing series is already underway and attracting big online audiences.
We are releasing summaries of our Congressional Climate Camp briefings as episodes of our new podcast, The Climate Conversation. This way, everyone, including time-strapped Congressional and agency staff, has more options for learning about climate change policy and solutions, as well as the processes and procedures of legislating and funding programs. The Climate Conversation is a perfect way for you to stay informed while walking, jogging, or cooking.
We are also working in Washington, D.C., and with states, local governments, and utilities, to make financing for clean energy upgrades more affordable, accessible, and equitable. You are making it possible for us to help advocates from Alaska to Hawaii to Vermont develop some of the most innovative on-bill financing programs yet.
Have you heard about proposals to establish a national climate bank? We have, too, and by maximizing the impact and reach of existing financing efforts, we are helping to drastically lower energy consumption and dramatically reduce emissions from homes, apartments, and office buildings.
I am grateful for your support at this moment of great opportunity. In fact, none of EESI’s work would be possible without your continued commitment to climate change solutions. Please always feel free to be in touch with any feedback and ideas.
Thanks,
Daniel Bresette Executive Director
With all the depressing climate news out there, it’s sometimes hard to see progress. The Climate Conversation cuts through the noise and presents you with relevant climate change solutions happening on the Hill and in communities around the United States.
Twice a month, join Environmental and Energy Study Institute staff members as they interview environmental, energy, and policy experts on practical, on-the-ground work that communities, companies, and governments are doing to address climate change.
For this Black History Month, we are highlighting two Congressional trailblazers.
-------------
In this moment of colliding crises—COVID-19, racial injustice, and climate change—two representatives are making history as the first Black lawmakers to lead key House committees.
Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.)
Representative David Scott (D-Ga.) was born on a farm in South Carolina. After his parents moved north to find work, Scott remained on the family farm with his grandparents, where he gained firsthand knowledge of the vital contributions small farms make to their communities and the U.S. economy. Scott, a strong advocate for farmers and rural workforce development, has served on the House Agriculture Committee since he was first elected in 2003. Throughout his time in Congress, he has become an agricultural policy expert and deepened his understanding of the agricultural challenges farmers face today.
In December, Scott was named the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, the first African American in history to serve in the position. In this role, Scott will oversee the agriculture and forestry industries, nutrition, and rural development. Scott has highlighted the impacts climate change has on the agricultural community and plans to prioritize climate change action throughout his term.
“I will use this critical opportunity to represent the values of our entire caucus and advance our priorities for trade, disaster aid, climate change, sustainable agriculture, SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program], crop insurance, small family farms, specialty crops, and rural broadband,” Scott said in a statement. “The fault lines dividing our rural and urban communities are running deep, and climate change is now threatening our nation’s food supply. As Chairman, I will lead the fight to rise up and meet these challenges.”
In another historic first for the House, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) was selected to serve as the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Meeks is also the first African American to hold the position. Coming from humble beginnings, Meeks grew up in a public housing project in New York City, which he says informed his work as a social and environmental justice advocate in Congress.
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.)
In his more than 20 years as an elected official, Meeks has earned a lifetime score of 90 percent on the National Environmental Scorecard from the League of Conservation Voters, which tracks Congressional votes on conservation and environmental justice issues. In his new role, he will help shape U.S policy on national security, foreign aid, trade, and reforming the State Department, all while prioritizing climate change as a global crisis that must be addressed by the international community. Meeks voiced his support for international collaboration and stressed that the United States will need to “establish new coalitions to address the existential crisis of climate change and emerging threats.”
“This five year anniversary of the #ParisAgreement marks a moment of opportunity to re-honor that commitment and once again lead as a global climate champion,” Meeks said in a recent tweet.
Congressional climate action will reflect the unique perspectives of these two trailblazers, who are set to make climate change a national priority from the agricultural fields in the Midwest to diplomatic negotiations stretching across the globe. This reflects and reinforces the “whole-of-government” approach President Biden laid out in his January 27 executive order to combat the climate crisis.
“We can no longer be America first, but America forward,” Meeks said in a statement. “Our challenges before us are global in scale, and it will require global cooperation, spearheaded by American leadership.”
Author: Sydney O’Shaughnessy
See the article page here.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute is an independent, non-profit organization founded in 1984 by a bipartisan Congressional caucus dedicated to finding innovative environmental and energy solutions.
You are needed now more than ever—show your commitment with a tax-deductible gift today and feel good knowing that EESI has again achieved the highest rating from Charity Navigator and been named a Top-Rated Nonprofit by GreatNonprofits!
Please click here to make a secure, online donation. Thank you for your support!
Advancing science-based climate solutions
Top-Rated Climate Nonprofit – 4-Star Charity