Policy: Climate Crisis
President Trump calls global warming “a hoax”. Oregonians know that he’s wrong. Whether it’s melting polar ice caps, severe weather emergencies, crop failures, lost coastlines, fires, floods, or droughts, evidence of the impending catastrophe is everywhere. No responsible candidate for any office has any business ignoring this existential crisis eclipsing all others. Environmental justice and green innovations can still change our course, however. Oregon cannot do this alone, but we can serve as a model for others, and we must.
We must stand up to climate polluters and take action to reduce dirty energy that dumps carbon, sulfur, mercury, and arsenic into our air and water, causing higher rates of asthma, heart disease, and cancers. Doing nothing puts us all at risk and betrays the health and safety of future generations.
Solutions:
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Pass legislation to help create 50,000 family-wage renewable energy and land rehabilitation jobs.
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Work to ensure that renewables become more affordable, so that clean energy is not just a luxury for the affluent.
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Hold large, corporate polluters accountable for the pollution they create.