Hi there,

As we wind down this horrific year, a new analysis from The Lancet, a medical research journal, is taking a look back at how recent climate events have impacted human health. And -- no surprise -- the results are not good.

The burning of fossil fuels, the authors write, leads to “poor air quality, poor food quality, and poor housing quality, which disproportionately harm the health of disadvantaged populations.” And what’s more, we’re getting nowhere in the fight against pollution. According to NPR, the widespread lockdowns and curtailed activity this year “did virtually nothing to decrease the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” researchers found.

Some of the changes we are now regularly seeing include: longer, more intense heat waves that are disproportionately killing older people, increased prevalence of asthma that compounds the risk of contracting severe cases of COVID-19, and urban heat islands that leave entire communities at risk.

Scientists are crying out for change -- these issues are only going to get worse and worse. And especially in a pandemic, we cannot afford to jeopardize people’s health.

So, will 2021 finally be the year that we take decisive action on this critical issue?

Well, the Biden-Harris administration hopes to -- they’ve appointed John Kerry as special envoy on climate change and promise to prioritize the issue across departments.

But while you might think we would all be on board with commonsense greenhouse gas restrictions, we’re actually falling backwards. Seventy-two percent of Americans support expanding natural gas as a source of energy, according to new Pew Research Center data, and 47 percent want to burn more oil as well. And less than half of voters said climate change would be a very important consideration for how they would vote this year.

 

Listen, we’re fighting to get more progressive climate hawks at the table in Washington to make sure saving our planet is at the top of the new administration’s list of priorities. But as you can see, the odds are stacked against us, and we STILL don’t have the public on our side even as this emergency turns into a catastrophe. Please, chip in now so we can transform U.S. policy for the better -- before time runs out. We cannot do this without you.

 

 

It’s true -- the signs are grim. But with committed supporters like you on our side, we know anything is possible. Let’s create a new, green era for this country.

Thank you,

Progressive Majority

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