Washington (October 12, 2022) – Major U.S. environmental groups today jointly announced their community’s largest-ever member mobilization effort. At least seven groups are activating millions of members across America to help get out the vote for pro-environment candidates in the final weeks of the 2022 political cycle.
The groups’ plans may include recruiting their respective members for door-to-door canvassing, texting, letter-writing, phone banking and other tactics. Through these efforts, members will communicate the importance of voting for U.S. Senate and House candidates who support policies to speed the transition to clean energy, cleaner air, safer drinking water, wildlife protection and preserving public lands.
Participating groups include Clean Energy for America, EDF Action, the League of Conservation Voters, the NRDC Action Fund, National Wildlife Federation Action Fund, Sierra Club, and The Wilderness Society Action Fund.
“We’ve made tremendous progress on climate and clean energy this Congress,” said Sarah Mason, Clean Energy for America Deputy Executive Director. “But if we are going to defend and build on that progress we must come together to expand the number of climate champions in office. We are excited to join with our allies across the environmental movement to do just that.”
“The environmental movement has long told our elected officials that if they do the right thing on climate, we’ll have their backs,” said David Kieve, President of EDF Action. “Now that Congress has delivered and the President has signed the most ambitious piece of pro-climate legislation in the history of our country, that check is coming due. We are ready to work with our partners across the movement to re-elect climate champions and build on the historic progress of the past two years.”
“Elections have consequences. After voters elected a president who ran on the most ambitious climate agenda ever and pro-climate majorities in the Senate and House in 2020, they delivered the biggest investment ever in climate and environmental justice with the Inflation Reduction Act,” said Tiernan Sittenfeld, League of Conservation Voters Senior Vice President of Government Affairs. “It is absolutely critical that we elect more climate champions to the Senate and House. We are proud that LCV’s members are working hard all across the country with other environmental advocates to do just that so we can continue building a just and equitable clean energy future.”
“This is an all-hands-on-deck moment,” said Kevin S. Curtis, executive director of the NRDC Action Fund. “Electing pro-environment candidates up and down the ballot is our best hope to finally turn a corner on the climate crisis and begin to secure a brighter future for all of us. We’re facing a deep-pocketed fossil fuel industry that wants to halt our progress and take us backwards, but together we can beat them with boots on the ground because the American people are on our side.”
“Make no mistake: Clean drinking water, stunning public lands, and thriving wildlife are at stake this year in every state, up and down the ballot,” said Karla Raettig, executive director of the National Wildlife Federation Action Fund. “Wildlife cannot vote, but our supporters can. That’s why we are proud to partner with our peer conservation organizations to ensure that our voters show up at the poll and our champions are elected up and down the ballot.”
“This election, we cannot take things for granted. The future of the planet is on the ballot this November. Democracy is on the ballot. Implementation of the IRA, reproductive rights, the judicial branch’s independence, and judges’ appointments are all on the ballot. Young voters have an incredible opportunity to push the country forward as a clean energy leader and confront the climate crisis,” said Ramon Cruz, President of the Sierra Club. “ By joining forces with other green organizations, we will help ensure that our endorsed candidates are victorious this fall and continue to build an inclusive broader environmental movement.”
“This is such a critical election for conservation and particularly our nation’s public lands. This year Congress and President Biden delivered on historic climate action, but those gains could be undone, we need Congress to continue to protect communities that are disproportionately impacted by climate change, pollution, and drilling on public lands,” said Maria Handley, Acting Executive Director of The Wilderness Society Action Fund. “Voting matters and elections matter. Together we will Get Out The Vote to elect environmental champions to ensure future generations and public lands flourish together in a changing world.”
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