Rachel’s Network President Fern Shepard joined almost 100 American religious leaders, health and medical professionals, business executives, community leaders, and educators in a signed message to President-elect Donald Trump calling for a clean-energy future in this country.
The declaration, which was published Monday as a full page ad in USA TODAY, advises Mr. Trump that the multiple benefits of climate solutions align with his primary goals of growing the economy, bringing jobs back to America, and strengthening national infrastructure.
The sign-on statement was spearheaded by ecoAmerica, a nonprofit organization that works to motivate Americans to act on climate solutions. The full text can be found at AmericansforClimateSolutions.com.
“We need presidential leadership focused right now on building a clean energy economy if we are serious about providing our children with a vibrant future,“ said Fern Shepard, President of Rachel’s Network. “We can’t wait or delay. A national effort to address climate change would spur good-paying clean energy jobs, ensure healthy communities, and honor future generations.”
“If you listen to the TV and radio talk shows, you might think that Americans are divided on climate change,” said Bob Perkowitz, President and Founder of ecoAmerica. “But if you ask them, you get a different story. Eighty-three percent of Americans believe climate change is happening; 81 percent think human activities contribute to it; and 89 percent — including 77 percent of Republicans — are concerned.”
The Chairman of ecoAmerica’s Board of Directors, former US Undersecretary of State Frank Loy, said the statement was placed to send President-elect Trump a message that everyday Americans are concerned about the future.
“The diverse leaders in our extensive network are not environmentalists as such. But they strongly believe that America should keep its climate commitments, including the international Paris Agreement reached a year ago. The US should be leading the world on climate solutions. Undoing the progress made to date would be disastrous for the future of our planet.”
The signatories added their voices to a growing list of mayors, scientists, business leaders, and environmental groups who have released major public statements urging Mr. Trump to heed scientific facts about climate change. Trump has called climate change a hoax and recently appointed Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, a fierce critic of the Environmental Protection Agency, to be that agency’s administrator.
Public advocacy is a key component of ecoAmerica’s strategy to build climate leadership and transform climate into a powerful social movement. ecoAmerica invites local, faith, and health leaders from across America to become signatories to this important statement, by digitally signing at AmericansforClimateSolutions.com.
Rachel’s Network, a nonprofit organization named in Rachel Carson’s honor, promotes women as impassioned leaders and agents of change dedicated to the stewardship of the earth. The Network builds productive alliances among influential philanthropists and offers services that empower them to lead.