Dear Friend,
 

ecoAmerica’s latest research on Post-Election Climate Perspectives once again shows that the vast majority of Americans want climate solutions prioritized. We need to activate their support as we move into the new year and come in strong. ecoAmerica is the only organization dedicated to helping influential institutions activate their tens of millions of members on climate. Our time is here — our time is now. Find out what ecoAmerica is doing to empower climate leaders in our December eUpdate.

With so much uncertainty in our world, charting a clear path forward on climate change is essential. Solutions that can minimize impacts, address health, racial and economic inequities, and build our communities and economy back stronger than ever are at hand. We need to unify American support and harness that power toward effective solutions.

Now, more than ever is time to bring America together, particularly for climate solutions. On January 7 at 2 PM ET, hear from leaders in health, faith, and local communities about what you can do to move solutions forward in 2021, who you can partner with and how, on a local, regional, and national scale. It’s our moment, our time for climate action, no matter if you have been a long-time activist or are new to the issue.

 ecoAmerica’s latest American Climate Perspectives Survey, Biden and Trump Voters Alike Want the New Administration to Prioritize Climate Solutions, finds that the large majority of Americans think President-elect Biden should prioritize climate solutions — including nearly half of Americans who voted for Trump. Findings also reveal that the majority of Americans are confident President-elect Biden will take action. Read the full report to learn about America’s post-election climate perspectives and check out the Let’s Talk Climate video brief here.

Our latest Let’s Talk Climate episode, It’s Been a Better Year than You Think, featured a conversation with Laura Jay, Regional Director for North America, C40 Cities, Kelly Shultz, Sustainable Cities Lead, Global Climate and Environment Program, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Conor Hall, Director, Conservation Finance, Trust for Public Land. As we reflect on 2020, we tend to think about all the challenges our country has faced, ranging from the coronavirus pandemic to the EPA rollbacks. However, a look around the country pointed to some successes in climate action despite all the struggles. 

How can ambition, restoration, and justice lead to timely and effective climate solutions? Read this recently published column by ecoAmerica President, Bob Perkowitz and Climate for Health Director, Rebecca Rehr in the Journal of Environmental Health.

In a recent opinion piece in Scientific American, Drs. Howard Frumkin and Richard J. Jackson make the case for creating a National Institute of Climate Change and Health. “It would deliver needed insights to protect the public from the ravages of climate change, and it would create a world-class research workforce.” A new National Institutes of Health could provide guidance and research dollars to inform sound policy, and explore under-resourced topics like mental health impacts and quantification of co-benefits to health from clean energy and energy efficiency initiatives.

In order to move more communities to climate action, citizens have been showing up (virtually at this time) at their city council and state legislature meetings. Around the country, cities have been putting climate solutions on the ballot in response to demands from their citizens. 

On November 3 an overwhelming majority of these initiatives on the ballot passed, including $3.7 billion in land conservation.

Rev. Dr. Gerald Durley writes, “Slavery was our country’s original sin, and one that tarnishes the nation’s soul to this day; a terrible legacy that has reverberated through generations. Now there is another sin our country is in danger of committing that will possibly have even farther-reaching consequences: destruction of the environment that leads to catastrophic climate change.” Read the full blog by Rev. Dr. Durley below.