On Earth Day in 1970, 20 million people took to the streets and changed the course of history. In a time of urgent need for environmental policy, their public pressure led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and more.
This history, and the history of other social justice movements, shows what is possible when everyday people come together and demand change.
This Friday marks another Earth Day -- but this year we’re refusing to just let it go by. We’re taking the streets to pressure our elected officials to take bold action and demand the kind of historic policy we won 52 years ago.
Another opportunity for transformative policy change is in front of us. Right now, Congress is negotiating a bill with huge investments in climate action, care, jobs, and justice, and we need an outpouring of public pressure to get it across the finish line.
Join us in the streets, in towns and cities across the country to Fight For Our Future. Volunteers are organizing Earth Day events nationwide on Saturday, April 23. Find an event near you and RSVP today!
What do we mean by a bold and historic bill for Climate, Care, Jobs, & Justice? Here's what's possible and what we're fighting for:
CLIMATE: Clean energy tax credits and clean transportation --Tax credits for clean energy would not only curb emissions but also cut energy costs for American families by $500 annually and boost American clean energy manufacturing, including doubling the production in wind and solar. Slashing emissions at the rate the climate crisis demands means fully electrifying cars, trucks, and buses while making it easier for people to get around without driving — through reliable public transit and infrastructure for safe walking and biking.
CARE: Cutting costs of healthcare, child care, elder care, and more -- A bold package would reduce the costs of health care, prescription drugs, child care, and elder care, easing the burden on working families across the country. It could also create free universal access to preschool education.
JOBS: Creating millions of good union jobs today and for the future-- Through investments in health care, clean energy, transit, and more, millions of family-sustaining union jobs would be created. Establishing a Civilian Climate Corps would also provide jobs to make communities more climate resilient and clean up abandoned mines and wells.
JUSTICE: Prioritizing racial, economic, and environmental justice-- Provisions in the bill would ensure that a significant portion of the benefits of such investments be directed to historically marginalized communities -- advancing racial and economic justice. Extensive investments are far overdue and essential to improving the health and economic vitality of communities that have long borne the brunt of fossil fuel pollution and systemic injustices.
This is the moment for bold government action to move our country forward. This is the moment to go all in. Let’s transform our world into one that works for all of us, not just some of us.
Together, let's fight for our climate, for our communities, and for our future.