One question comes up, over and over again, whenever there are discussions about climate change. What can I do? How can I be useful?
There are so many small, everyday ways that we can all be more mindful about the energy we use (and waste). We always encourage those in one another and in our children.
But there are also some small, everyday “habits of citizenship,” as I call them, that make a big difference.
Yes, I’m talking about signing petitions. And picking up the phone and calling the person YOU elected to represent you. I’m talking about making demands. I’ve seen habits of citizenship in operation up close now, during the time I’ve been running Moms Clean Air Force. I promise: it really makes a difference. YOU really make a difference.
This is a moment when I’m asking our members to be good, strong citizens demanding a simple but significant change: Put EPA back to work regulating potent methane emissions from oil and gas operations. Methane, a greenhouse gas, is far more potent than carbon in amping up the warming of our atmosphere in the first 20 years after its release.
So right now, we are asking Congress to sweep away the previous administration’s harmful policies and restore vital methane pollution safeguards. This will clear a pathway for EPA to quickly move ahead to further strengthen the rule to protect the health of our children and their futures.
Passing the methane resolution before Congress right now, in what is known as a Congressional Review Act (CRA), is a crucial step to putting the EPA back to work on a problem that is solvable — as long as oil and gas companies face national standards. Voluntary reductions aren’t enough. We need a system-wide approach.
And for the methane CRA, we need a simple majority vote to put us on the path to cutting methane pollution. That means that every single legislator who cares about protecting children’s health, and cleaning up our air, and stabilizing our climate, must vote yes.
Ready to do even more, once you’ve signed a petition? Share it on your social media networks.
And even more powerful? Pick up the phone. Call your lawmaker’s office. Every day, their staff reports to their boss about what they are hearing about from callers. You.
This methane CRA is a commonsense measure to cut methane pollution. But there is more work to do to address methane escaping from wells that are no longer in operation, are without an owner, and have been abandoned without being capped. Action to stop all that will be coming up. For now, we’re at step one: EPA must be able to get back to work on cutting methane pollution.
We cannot lose this fight. Everyone must pitch in. And honestly, everyone wins if we win — the air is cleaner, climate pollution is lessened, and the oil and gas industry has some certainty about pollution requirements. You see, the industry itself supports methane rules.
Please. Join us. Be a part of solving the problem, for all of us, and for the world our children will inherit.
Tell Congress: Vote YES on the Resolution to Reinstate Methane Emissions Standards