Our nation is wracked by pandemics, racial injustice, hurricanes, flooding, droughts and wildfires: disasters caused by human disregard for the planet and greed. Communities on the front line in California, and other states, are reckoning with these consequences — but they cannot do it alone.

Urgent national action combating climate change, and systemic change that addresses racial inequalities, has to happen.

That’s why Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA) urges President-elect Biden to prioritize a National Climate Plan that will be just for all, and employs hundreds of thousands transitioning America to a clean energy economy.

On December 15th, Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA) will have elected officials from NJ, CA, and NC, speak about what their respective states are doing and why we need a National Emergency Climate Plan. The EOPA letter already has over 130 elected official signatories from around the country urging President-elect Biden and Congress to enact such a plan.

“Our hard working, immigrant and Latino community defied the odds and said no to allowing obsolete fossil fuel power plants on it’s once abused coastline Because we said no to the natural gas-fired power plant on our ocean, now will have a hundred-megawatt clean energy storage facility. It will replace much of what the rejected Puente Power Plant at the Mandalay Generating Station power plant proposal offered,” said Carmen Ramirez Esq., current Oxnard Mayor Pro-Tem and Ventura County Supervisor-elect, EOPA-California Leadership Council Co-Chair. “President-elect Biden, we are asking you to use your leadership to move our country to 100 percent clean, renewable energy. We have the technology; we only need to provide incentives. This is where the great new jobs are. This is where our prosperity is, where our future is. Please step up, create hundreds of thousands of jobs, and bring our country together with a National Climate Plan.”

California cities and counties are proving they can take action to combat climate change and grow jobs with good benefits but they need help.

“The fossil fuel industry keeps giving us this false choice between a healthy economy or a healthy environment. Here in Culver City, we’re proving that just isn’t true,” said Meghan Sahli-Wells, former Culver City Mayor, Elected Officials to Protect America-California Leadership Council Co-Chair
“We’re phasing out fossil fuels, we’ve already transitioned to 100 percent clean renewable energy, and in the process we’re creating good, healthy, sustainable union jobs. Together, we’re creating, not the energy future, but the energy present that we need to power and protect our community.”

The Center for American Progress’ (CAP) recent report illuminates a path forward. It weaves together the testimony of labor unions, Native communities, mayors and constituents from across the country, and shows a way towards actively building a better world with ten million jobs and net zero carbon emissions by 2050. It complements many state plans, and that of President-elect Biden.

“President-elect Biden will need support to create climate solutions from elected officials across the country,” said Elected Officials to Protect America President, former Marine combat veteran, and State Legislator Alex Cornell du Houx. “Climate disasters are happening now and are making the pandemic even more deadly. Our communities and the world deserve urgent action. EOPA’s Climate Emergency Letter will support the President-elect to enact a National Climate Plan.”

More about EOPA: As current and former elected officials who care deeply about protecting our planet and people from the dangers of climate change, EOPA educates through value-based storytelling, training lawmakers, and connecting elected officials to inspire strong environmental policy. Our veterans who are lawmakers helped get the Land and Water Conservation Fund funded in perpetuity. In New York we successfully helped ban fracking. In 2018 over 410 elected officials have signed our National Climate Justice Letter demanding a just transition to a clean energy economy. Recently, over 315 Elected Officials to Protect California signed a letter to Governor Newsom urging him stop any new permits for fossil fuel production, and enact statewide safety setbacks from oil and gas wells while a just transition to 100% clean, renewable energy happens.

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