This week, in light of the House GOP’s “dirty energy week,” WE ACT For Environmental Justice is shining a spotlight on the real stories of advocacy and impact for front and fenceline communities. Dana Johnson, Senior Director of Strategy and Federal Policy shared the urgent need to focus on positive and just energy progress, and emphasizes the underlying messaging of WE ACT’s Wrong Direction energy policy campaign in the following statement:
A just transition of our energy system to clean, non-polluting sources is the single largest opportunity to course correct, address the climate crisis, and achieve environmental justice. For too long, our communities have been used as sacrifice zones, and all we’ve gotten in exchange has been increased public health risks, decreased quality of life, and expanded degradation of our environments.
We envision a new path forward, with communities powered by energy that does not pollute our cities, choke our families and neighbors, or cause our premature death. This requires a swift and equitable phase out of fossil fuels – including liquified natural gas – and a commitment to not advance the build out of untested technology like carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration and dirty, fossil-fueled derived forms of hydrogen that serve as nothing more than life support for a deeply harmful industry. As Congressional Republicans expose their extreme, dirty energy agenda this week, it will be even more evident that a great deal of time and energy will be invested in stifling critical progress toward an equitable and just energy future. We need legislators who will focus on advancing the best interests of all Americans, which includes protecting people and the environment by ensuring access to clean water, air, and land, a livable climate, community sustaining jobs, and robust federal investments. We need legislators who will prioritize people over polluters.
-Dana Johnson, Senior Director of Strategy and Federal Policy, WE ACT for Environmental Justice