As world leaders prepare for the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP 26) in Glasgow, President Biden’s failure thus far to take necessary executive action to address the escalating climate crisis could undermine the chances for success at the conference.

Biden ran for office promising to listen to the science on climate, stop drilling on federal lands, and move the nation to a renewable energy future. But with his legislative agenda being substantially slimmed down in Congress, the real test will be how he uses his substantial executive authority.

While Biden has used lofty rhetoric to describe the climate crisis, he has also made moves to appease the fossil fuel industry. His administration has continued to approve new drilling and fracking permits, failed to intervene to stop the dirty Line 3 and Dakota Access pipelines, and has embraced industry scams such as carbon capture and blue hydrogen, which will only prolong our dependence on fossil fuels. For more see Food & Water Watch’s Biden Climate Watch.

From October 11-15, hundreds of climate activists from across the country were arrested at the White House, imploring Biden to stop fossil fuel projects and declare a climate emergency. A week earlier, over 330 research scientists urged Biden to follow the science and do the same. The UN Secretary General called the release of the latest IPCC report “code red for humanity.” Action is needed now. There is no time to delay. 

“As world leaders gather in Glasgow next week, all eyes will be on President Biden’s actions and his record,” said Mitch Jones, Policy Director at Food & Water Watch. “Everyone can see how the climate provisions of the Build Back Batter Act have been substantially weakened, but there is plenty that President Biden can and must be doing to promote a safe and livable future. Biden must use his executive authority to stop the expansion of fossil fuels, reject industry scams, and put the full force of his administration behind a transition off fossil fuels. That will determine the success or failure of COP 26. We do not have time for further delay or half measures.” 

Food & Water Watch was the first national organization to call for a ban on fracking and is working across the country with community partners against new fracking and drilling plans, dirty power plants, and fossil fuel pipelines. 

Available for Interview:

Policy and Organizing Experts

Mitch Jones is Policy Director at Food & Water Watch. Mitch leads the organization’s national legislative and executive strategies including legislative efforts to stop fossil fuel subsidies and ban fracking. . 

Emily Wurth is Managing Organizing Director at Food & Water Watch. Emily leads the organization’s field strategy at the national level and across the country and was a leader in the successful efforts to ban fracking in New York, Maryland and the Delaware River Basin. 

Alan Minsky is Executive Director at Progressive Democrats of America. PDA has partnered for years with Food & Water Watch and is focused on pushing Congress and President Biden to address the climate crisis by taking on the fossil fuel industry. Alan advocates for the Democratic Party severing all ties to the Fossil Fuel Industry.

Scientific Experts

Sandra Steingraber and Peter Kalmus initiated with Food & Water Watch and Center for Biological Diversity a letter from over 330 scientists to President Biden calling on him to follow the science, stop fossil fuel projects and declare a climate emergency. 

Sandra Steingraber is a biologist and Senior Scientist at Science & Environment Health Network. She is co-founder of Concerned Health Professionals of New York and was a key leader in the fight to ban fracking in New York. 

Peter Kalmus is a climate scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and associate project scientist at UCLA’s Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science & Engineering. He speaks on his own behalf. 

Contact: Seth Gladstone – [email protected]

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