We, the undersigned elected officials, believe it is imperative we take action on the climate crisis because it is a threat multiplier for global and water security, deadly disease, and environmental racism and injustice. It is time to enact a national Climate Emergency Plan that protects all our communities.

At least 40 states will face water shortages this decade. And yet, Saudi Arabia and China are extracting American water at an alarming rate. Globally, 37 acute conflicts, many unresolved, are due to water insecurity. Our intelligence and military community understand the climate emergency as a threat to national security.

These are serious examples of the dangers created by the climate crisis that is driving drought, disease, floods, fires, extreme temperatures, and storms.

These are clear and present dangers, but innovation, resilience, and the American spirit have created many proven existing solutions that can unify and protect us. Despite political inaction and misguided regulations that have held us back, there is hope.   

For example, in Maine, clean energy innovators have deployed a revolutionary floating offshore wind turbine.  This is just one of the many already working innovations that energize our economy. Clean, renewable energy is already less expensive than using fossil fuels and can generate millions of jobs.

We call on the President and Congress to develop a federal Climate Emergency Plan that can include, but is not limited to the following objectives:

• Declare a national climate emergency and invoke the Defense Production Act to ramp up clean energy production
• Create millions of jobs transitioning to a 100% clean energy economy
• Invest in communities on the frontlines of environmental injustice and the climate emergency, especially Indigenous, Black and Brown, and economically vulnerable communities
• Invest in clean, affordable transportation and smart renewable energy grids
• Phase out fossil fuels and shift financing to clean energy
• Transition to regenerative agriculture
• Ensure everyone has access to clean and safe water
• Phase out plastics and toxins threatening global ecosystems and oxygen supply
• Improve building, industrial, and appliance efficiency
• Prevent foreign states from unsustainably extracting American water

America must lead the world in protecting everyone from the climate emergency.