From Interfaith Power and Light (http://interfaithpowerandlight.org):
We were glad to see a lot of what was included in the Heroes Act that passed the House last Friday. Funding for safe elections, a moratorium on water and energy shut-offs, and grants for communities affected by environmental injustice were among the many ways that this bill would help our neighbors and communities. But we also know that more is needed. As we’ve learned about the ways that air pollution has made Covid-19 even deadlier, it’s clearer than ever that investing in clean energy jobs is the best way to rebuild our economy and create cleaner, safer, and healthier communities for the long term.
Join us in faithful witness by calling on your senators to support the Heroes Act with the addition of support for clean energy jobs at http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/50836/p/dia/action4/common/public/?action_KEY=26709.
Before the crisis, clean energy was a big economic bright spot. But since March, we’ve lost almost 600,000 clean energy jobs. And without action, we’re projected to lose another 250,000 by the end of June. We can reverse those losses and create jobs right now by investing in clean energy tax credits.
Keeping our communities healthy means addressing decades of environmental injustice and funding a just transition to a new clean energy economy. One way we can start that process is through the RECLAIM Act, a bipartisan bill to provide funding for clean up and job training in communities with abandoned coal mines. These are some of the communities that have suffered years of neglect as they try to restore the decimated lands, polluted and destroyed waterways, and human health that has been harmed by the coal industry. By including that funding in the Heroes Act, we could both protect people’s health and provide immediate employment for hard-hit communities.
Finally, we must vociferously oppose a bailout for fossil fuel companies. Propping up fossil fuels means more of the air pollution that makes our communities vulnerable to the virus, while also contributing to future climate catastrophes.
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