Hi John,

We hope you are all doing well. We took a slight break when our offices were closed for what should be a federal holiday: Juneteenth. But we’re back to catch you up on what you may have missed in climate and clean energy in the last couple of weeks. 
 
Democrats have started to push forward the Moving Forward Act, which is the first stimulus that includes major clean energy provisions. This couldn’t come at a better time. Not only will the legislation put Americans back to work, but it begins to shock-proof the United States for the next great disaster: climate change. Third Way President Jon Cowan and Executive Vice President for Policy Jim Kessler recently wrote about this in Democracy Journal.  
 
If a global health pandemic exacerbated by air pollution wasn’t enough, a new study found that exposure to high temperatures or air pollution is linked to stillbirths, premature births, and underweight babies. Black American women are disproportionately impacted due to living in hotter areas with dirtier air. This comes on top of research from Harvard that found that Black Americans are more likely to die from coronavirus because of higher exposure to air pollution. We hope Congress moves quickly not only to ensure that Black lives are protected from police brutality, but from environmental injustices as well.

We Need a Clean Energy Stimulus...NOW

In April, US industrial production fell to the lowest we’ve ever seen in recorded history. Getting the economy back on its feet and Americans back to work will require policies that create and sustain jobs, all while tackling climate change. We need a clean energy stimulus. Luckily, Democrats in the House are putting forward H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, which would significantly invest in American infrastructure and clean energy. 
 
Clean energy creates jobs fast, grows the economy, addresses environmental injustice, turns a profit, and polls well with Americans. More than 230 G20 economic experts and officials said in May that “progress on climate change will depend significantly on policy choices in the coming six months.” Marrying clean energy and recovery is good policy and good politics. 
 
Economist and Third Way Senior Resident Fellow Ellen Hughes-Cromwick and our colleagues Andrés Prieto and Jackie Toth penned a new blog post detailing five key reasons we need a clean energy stimulus.  And watch Josh Freed, Senior Vice President of Third Way’s Climate and Energy Program, discuss this topic with Cimpatico TV’s Doug Parsons here. 

Join Mayor Pete & Third Way: Climate and the 2020 Campaign

A series of shocks have gripped the electorate in 2020: COVID-19, racial injustice, and the slow-moving climate crisis. We invite you to join us for a special web event on Wednesday, July 1, at 11 a.m., sponsored by Third Way, Our Daily Planet, the University of Michigan, and NewDEAL Leaders featuring former Democratic presidential candidate and former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg, as well as Rep. Stephanie Murphy, Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, and more guests on how these three crises are impacting the election, particularly in the four swing states of Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

• 11:00 a.m. – Opening remarks by Josh Freed, Senior Vice President of Third Way’s Climate and Energy Program 
• 11:05 - 11:25 a.m. – Live podcast interview by Greentech Media’s Julia Pyper with Nathaniel Smith from Partnership for Southern Equity
• 11:25 - 12:00 p.m. – Panel discussion between Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Philadelphia Councilman Derek Green, and LCV Michigan Executive Director Lisa Wozniak, moderated by Our Daily Planet’s Monica Medina
• 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. Fireside chat between Josh Freed and former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg