Saving the Planet for Future Generations–and Saving You Money

This piece was originally published in the April 25, 2022 edition of CAP Action’s newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.

“Let’s provide investments and tax credits to weatherize your homes and businesses to be energy efficient and you get a tax credit; double America’s clean energy production in solar, wind, and so much more;  lower the price of electric vehicles, saving you another $80 a month because you’ll never have to pay at the gas pump again.” – President Joe Biden

More than perhaps any American president in history, President Biden is focused on protecting the planet from the ravages of climate change. That focus comes not one minute too soon: The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has declared the current moment to be “now or never” to mitigate and reverse climate change. Climate change is already making natural disasters worse and more frequent as well as harming people’s physical and mental health.

A now-or-never moment needs a now-or-never plan—and President Biden has one. Not only will his clean energy plan cut carbon emissions in half by 2030, it will also save American households $500 per year and create millions of jobs in the new clean energy economy.

Share the graphic below to let everyone know about President Biden’s plan:

In the news

• The Tunnel Fire that has been burning north of Flagstaff, Arizona, for almost one week remains only 3 percent contained as officials have placed areas around the fire under evacuation warnings. Smaller wildfires are also raging in New Mexico and Nebraska. Like the recent devastating wildfires in northern California, Oregon, Washington, and more, the Tunnel Fire is part of a trend of worsening fires as climate change and drought conditions intensify.
• Mississippi is poised to become the final state to pass a law requiring equal pay for equal work performed by both men and women. While the gender pay gap persists, measures such as this are an important part of building an economy that works for all Americans.

What we’re reading

• “Biden’s executive order in Seattle spotlights importance of old-growth forests in fight against climate change” by Hal Bernton, Nick Turner, and Lynda V. Mapes (The Seattle Times)
• “Marjorie Taylor Greene hostile in testimony over eligibility” by Kate Brumback (The Associated Press)
• “Jeff Bezos is worth $160bn – yet Congress might bail out his space company” by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) (The Guardian)
• “Mississippi prison embodies the failure of mass incarceration” by Ja’han Jones (MSNBC)
• “Earth Day: 5 ways we’re working to repair the damage to our planet and combat climate change” by UN News (The United Nations)

This piece was originally published in the April 25, 2022 edition of CAP Action’s newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.