Hi CLCV Member,

For some, this past week’s record high temperatures and rolling blackouts were an inconvenience. For others, it is a matter of life and death being exacerbated by reactive actions to roll back restrictions on the very fossil fuels that got us to this place. Corporate polluters have gone so far as to blame the recent blackouts on the shift to renewable energy. 

The truth is simple, we are in the midst of the climate crisis and fossil fuels are a major reason why. We need our elected officials to double down on their commitment to clean energy and fighting this climate crisis, now is not the time for rollbacks. A recent article from the LA Times made the message even more clear, “The blackouts are a reason not for California to back away from its commitment to building a sustainable power grid, but to do a better job of making the transition.” 

The climate crisis isn’t on hold just because we are in a pandemic, and what’s clear is how unprepared we are for this crisis that repeats every year. Californians are facing wildfires (and fire tornadoes), toxic air, record heat, rolling blackouts, an oil refinery explosion, thunderstorms, and thousands of gallons of sewage being dumped into our water. We need to do everything we can in this moment to protect families and our most vulnerable populations, and that means protecting communities most impacted by waiving our clean air rules to allow for diesel generators to exacerbate the problem. We cannot allow polluting industries to shift the blame from fossil fuels to renewable energy. 

It’s time for our state government to create a path forward that rebuilds our economy in a way that is green and just and that makes us more resilient and stops the most catastrophic scenario. We don’t have time to wait, the lives of Californians are on the line.

Tell your Legislator to double down on their commitment to protecting our lives and our future! 

In Solidarity,