Data for Climate Progress 2.1.2021 - Every Day Is Climate Day.
Welcome back to the Data for Climate Progress Newsletter, your update on new research, blog posts and memes from the Data for Progress climate team: Julian Brave NoiseCat, Marcela Mulholland and Danielle Deiseroth.
What We’re Watching
Can Every Day Be White House Climate Day?
On Wednesday, President Biden announced a series of climate-focused executive actions. From creating a Civilian Climate Corps to revamping federal procurement policy and environmental justice initiatives, these actions mark a shift towards an intersectional approach to the climate crisis that tackles the issue at scale while creating jobs and promoting justice. These executive actions come on the heels of Biden’s first day agenda which included rejoining the Paris Agreement, revoking the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, and beginning a review of the Trump administration’s environmental rules and rollbacks. Though the oil and gas industry might be shaking in their boots, we’re excited to see Biden swiftly taking major executive actions to combat the climate crisis.
Every Agency Is A Climate Agency
In her hearings last week, newly-confirmed Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen indicated she plans for climate to take a central role in the Treasury’s policy decisions. Yellen’s attitude toward addressing the climate crisis is in stark contrast to her predecessor, who chose to spend his time picking on Greta Thunberg rather than actually doing anything about climate change. Voters also agree that Yellen should make climate a central focus of the Treasury Department: Our polling with the Stop the Money Pipeline coalition found that 52 percent of voters want Yellen to implement new financial regulations to limit the financing of companies and projects that contribute to climate change.
Secretary of Energy nominee Jennifer Granholm also had her Senate hearings this week, where she shared her plans to ramp up clean energy innovation at DOE and her love for her Chevy Bolt. DFP has been a champion of a progressive clean energy innovation agenda, and we’re excited for Granholm’s ambitious plans for the agency.
The executive actions Biden announced yesterday laid out ambitious goals for the next Secretary of Interior including directing the Secretary to pause new oil and natural gas leases on public lands and protect 30 percent of our lands and oceans by 2030. We fought hard alongside Indian Country, progressives and environmentalists to make Rep. Deb Haaland Biden’s nominee for Secretary of Interior, and we’re going to do everything we can to ensure she is confirmed so that she can bring these directives to life. Stay tuned for more on this front.
Polling
Biden’s executive actions are not only good news for the climate, but also widely supported by voters. Among the most popular executive actions Biden announced on Wednesday was his order to direct the federal government to purchase sustainable and American-made products. This policy is widely popular, even across the aisle: 83 percent of Democrats, 70 percent of independents, and 56 percent of Republicans support this revamp of federal procurement policy.
While Biden may face opposition from those that balk at the scale of this undertaking, he can feel confident knowing that voters overwhelmingly support this pro-worker climate policy.
See our Twitter thread for complete polling and analysis on the Biden executive actions here.
Policy
Senator Schumer Leading On Climate
Civilian Climate Corps
As part of the suite of climate executive actions, President Biden announced the creation of a Civilian Climate Corps. DFP and many others have been advocating for this idea for over a year, including in our Clean Jumpstart plan with Evergreen Action. Not only is a CCC supported by over 60 percent of voters nationwide, it also provides the opportunity to put millions of Americans to work at a time when good-paying, sustainable jobs are desperately needed.
In 2019, Governor Jay Inslee made the case for a Climate Conservation Corps on our blog, and earlier this Fall, our fellow Saul Levin wrote about how to make a pro-worker Civilian Climate Corps.
EJ Mapping
President Biden also announced the development of a Climate and Environmental Justice Screening Tool to build on EPA’s EJSCREEN. This announcement broadly aligns with whatJulian and Marcela advocated for inVox last month, and what our friends over at Evergreen have been working on since Governor Inslee’s presidential race.
We’re also thrilled to see Sen. Ed Markey, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, and Rep. Cori Bush taking the lead on Capitol Hill with their new bill, the Environmental Justice Mapping and Data Collection Act of 2021.
A federal equity mapping initiative is also immensely popular with voters. Over two-thirds of voters (67 percent)—including a majority of Democrats, independents, and Republicans—all support this proposal.
Electric Freaking Government Vehicles
Several months ago, our team advocated for replacing the USPS fleet with electric vehicles. Biden really out did us with an executive action to replace all government vehicles with electric ones. (Go off king.)
Lead Locally
As a reminder, this section highlights the work of our friends at Lead Locally, who help elect local, progressive, climate champions running for office down ballot across the country. We hope to amplify underreported electoral wins for our movement and uplift exciting new candidates growing the bench for climate justice.
Races To Watch
Yassamin Ansari for Phoenix City Council District 7 is in a runoff on March 9th: We included Ansari in our GND Slate for a reason—she’s a climate policy expert with plans to pass progressive climate policies in the 5th fastest growing city in the country. Yassamin worked for the UN Secretary General on climate policy and advanced from the general, losing by only a quarter of a percent.
The governor’s race in Virginia will be one of the biggest 2021 races to watch. Jennifer Carroll Foy recently retired from the state legislature to focus on the gubernatorial race and picked up the endorsement of Sunrise VA and VA Justice Dems. She’s running on a Virginia GND and is opposed to the Mountain Valley Pipeline. She faces a crowded field that includes former governor Terry McAullife.
With Marty Walsh nominated to be Secretary of Labor, progressive city councilor Michelle Wu has entered the race for Mayor of Boston and is putting the GND center stage. She has an extensive climate plan and would be the first woman and first person of color to serve as the city’s mayor. There will likely be a special election this summer if Walsh leaves before March 3rd.
Environmental justice champion and State Senator Holly Mitchell was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors last November, so the race is on to fill her SD 30 seat. Culver City Councilor Daniel Lee who has successfully led Culver City to transition its oil fields is running on a GND and Medicare for All. He’s endorsed by Sunrise LA and signed the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge.
GND Champions Getting To Work
State Senator Lindsey Port who was on our GND Slate introduced legislation with DSA-backed Senator Omar Fateh to legalize rooftop solar panels statewide, allowing residents to take full advantage of federal solar energy dollars. It’s one piece of a host of climate and energy legislation anticipated to be introduced this year. Minneapolis city elections will also be held in 2021, so we’ll be keeping an eye on those.
Media Hits
Kansas Reflector (Marcela op-ed)
The Nation (Julian op-ed)
AM New York Metro (Marcela featured)
Joe Biden’s Climate Actions
Biden Staffing
E&E News (Julian quoted, DFP mentioned)
Columbia Journalism Review (Julian quoted, DFP mentioned)
Miscellaneous climate
New Republic (Julian quoted)
NRDC Blog (DFP mentioned)
Memes
