September 18, 2020
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The Latest
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Team, we have an opportunity this November to build a more equitable, more hopeful, and more sustainable future. It starts by supporting a progressive wave of leadership this election. And it builds from there — dismantling systemic racism, building environmental justice, reimagining an equitable green economy, and recovering from the global pandemic. We are less than seven weeks from choosing our nation’s leaders, so we cannot stop pushing. Read on for the latest from Team Tom, plus resources for you to take action.
* 🌳 Earlier this week, Vice President Biden addressed the nation on climate change, acknowledging the importance of science and immediate action. Scroll down to see one of our favorite moments from his speech, and *watch the entire address here. ( [link removed] )*
* 👀 Many grassroots organizations came together to push for reform of California’s unjust policing laws. Though the legislature made some progress, it punted on critical reforms. We need lawmakers — in California and across the nation — with strong political will to bring about long-overdue change and fight for common-sense police reform. Tom penned an op-ed with George Galvis, Executive Director of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), asking CA legislators not to bend to police special interest groups and to take a second look at police reform bills. *Read more here. ( [link removed] )*
* 📰 The orange skies over San Francisco may have lessened, but the fires are still burning. The smoke has even reached the East Coast. Climate change is a problem right now and a threat to all. So Tom has not let up on his calls for climate action. *Check out Tom in the News here. ( [link removed] )*
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Community Circle
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We have long known the climate crisis is already here — and we also know a majority of Americans are ready for serious climate action. We asked you to share what the climate crisis looks like for you on social media with the hashtag *#MyClimateReality* , and folks posted unbelievable pictures and stories.
( [link removed] )
Keep sharing and keep using the *#MyClimateReality* hashtag! You just might be featured in the next Community Circle.
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Action Toolkit
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This election will determine how America handles the climate crisis. So it’s critical debate moderators for the upcoming presidential and vice-presidential debates make climate a key part of the conversation — *add your name if you want climate change discussed in the debates. ( [link removed] )*
If you’re healthy and low-risk for COVID-19, please sign up to be a poll worker with Power the Polls. They are working to make sure that polls are safely staffed to support voters who need to vote in person. *To make sure everyone can vote safely, we need poll workers — volunteer today. ( [link removed] )*
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Worth a Review: The climate emergency is here
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There are hurricanes in the Gulf Coast and historic wildfires in the West. This week, Vice President Biden talked about addressing the climate crisis that fueled the fires, while Trump said “science doesn’t know” what is causing them ( [link removed] ). We cannot isolate natural disasters from climate change, we cannot isolate environmental, racial, and economic justice from one another, and we can’t forget that all of this is on the table this election.
The connection between climate change and the ever-intensifying natural disasters we’re living through is inescapable. 2020 has brought us a record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season, a derecho in Iowa that many haven’t recovered from, unprecedented heat waves, and massive fires all along the West Coast. Scientists have seen this coming since at least the 1980s ( [link removed] ) — yet we still have leaders at all levels of government who refuse to see what’s happening before their eyes. They have either blocked every step toward a sustainable future or proposed an approach that is too slow for a crisis that’s devastating communities across the country right now.
Experts predicted climate change’s impact beyond intense storms. Scientists anticipated skyrocketing cases of infectious diseases like coronavirus. Economists foretold financial havoc. Meteorologists saw the inexorable link ( [link removed] ) between racism and climate change. Not to mention doctors warning about the negative effects air pollution and climate change have on our physical ( [link removed] ) and mental health ( [link removed] ).
There is a confluence of four crises upon us — COVID-19, an economic recession, a national reckoning on racial injustice, and the climate crisis. These crises before us were foreseen. They are not random. And they will not go away by denying their existence or ignoring how they are connected. We need unprecedented action, bold leadership, and the utmost urgency. We must elect climate champions up and down the ballot, and we must elect Joe Biden.
Did you know that bold climate action is exactly what Joe Biden is proposing? *Learn more about his climate plan by taking this quiz today* ( [link removed] ) and get ready to vote for the change we need this November.
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Get Inspired
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Tom Steyer PAC · PO Box 626 · San Francisco, CA 94104 · USA
Paid for by Tom Steyer PAC, tomsteyer.com, not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
