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A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Laura Cofsky, laura@chesapeakeclimate.org, 202-642-9336

Climate and Policy Experts Agree: America Can Achieve Biden's Goal of 100% Clean Electricity by 2035

During one of the earliest sneak peeks into Biden’s plan, experts laid out the political hurdles and roadmap to pass one of the most ambitious climate plans in America’s history.

WASHINGTON

Against the backdrop of a brand-new administration and Congress, renowned climate and policy experts today argued that President Joe Biden's goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035 is not only crucial, but doable and economically sound.

Here's a link to the webinar recording (Passcode: vTS%65^2).

The five experts who came together to speak at a February 24th webinar entitled "Path to 100%" included Dr. Leah Stokes of Evergreen Action and UC Santa Barbara, Economist Dr. Stephanie Kelton of Stony Brook University and author of "The Deficit Myth", renowned climate scientist Dr. Michael Mann of Penn State University, Federal Policy Associate Quentin Scott of Chesapeake Climate Action Network and CCAN Action Fund, and Johnathan Williams of Sunrise Movement.

The panel confirmed that, even after four years of Donald Trump, it is not too late to stop climate change. They also agreed that budget deficits should not impede the nation's ability to take drastic action, right now. And even with a divided Congress, the experts argued that there are still many ways to pass all kinds of ambitious environmental legislation.

President Biden campaigned on a platform of 100% clean electricity by 2035. That goal is at the core of his $1.9 trillion promise to fight climate change with new jobs and environmental justice. Now, leading climate policy experts and advocates are calling on Congress to fulfill that promise by including a federal Clean Electricity Standard in the "Build Back Better" infrastructure package. The package is expected to be introduced in late spring or early summer, and would likely need to pass through reconciliation.

The United Nations has emphasized that countries only have a decade to stop the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. Even now, the U.S. is increasingly getting ravaged by major storms that are destroying entire cities and causing rolling state-wide blackouts. Meanwhile, across the globe, pollution accounts for one in five deaths.

The webinar was sponsored by Chesapeake Climate Action Network, CCAN Action Fund, and Evergreen Action. You can watch a recording of the webinar here (passcode: vTS%65^2).

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) is the first grassroots, nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to fighting global warming in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Our mission is to build and mobilize a powerful grassroots movement in this unique region that surrounds our nation's capital to call for state, national and international policies that will put us on a path to climate stability. - See more at: http://www.chesapeakeclimate.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view;=itemlist&...