Well, there's nothing sexy about extreme weather. Just ask people who have been the victims of hurricanes, including New York City and environs. Homes destroyed, businesses wrecked, Manhattan subways deluged with water.
Unfortunately, too many Americans still don't get how climate change is the catalyst behind the challenges -- both now and in the future -- for America's health, economy, and national security.
It can be hard to hear that message when ads pushed by the American Petroleum Institute and individual oil companies (like Chevron and Exxon) are busy promoting the agenda that Americans have no choice except to choose between a robust economy and clear air.
Okay, I'm not naà ¯ve enough to expect the fossil-fuel industry to elevate the conversation about renewable energy. They don't want to promote what the growth of a green economy has to offer in terms of building a viable new job sector, that can implement change and employ workers.
Donald Trump has made outrageous statements about the environment. Both he and Mike Pence are on the record as being climate deniers. Oh, and Trump wants to get rid of the EPA.
Great. With no regulations on the table, big polluters will be able to get away with toxic dumping the same way Trump "legally" avoided paying taxes (see "Halliburton Loophole").
Who will suffer? Not the Exxon executive who didn't want fracking in his backyard. It will fall to everyday Americans who be unaware of the toxins in the air, chemicals in the products they buy and ingest, unborn children at risk in the womb, and low-income communities and people of color who live daily without environmental justice. The list goes on.
Every candidate appearing on your ballot has a record of where they stand on the environment. You need to know that information. The League of Conservation voters has a scorecard with the stats.
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