The War in Ukraine AND the Crises of Climate Change
Russian invasion creates an opportunity for the West to end its dependency on fossil fuels and slow global warming.
QUICK READ: A total embargo on Russian oil and petroleum products together with a rapid transition to renewable energy is not only smart environmental policy but can help Ukraine and reduce our dependency on petro-dictators. The surprisingly rapid changes have so alarmed scientists that the United Nations Secretary-General put it bluntly. “Delay is Death”
TAKE ACTION NOW:
BACKGROUND
Russian efforts to exterminate Ukraine and the untold carnage of civilians have over overshadowed the fact that it is also an energy war with grave consequences for the environment.
The surprisingly rapid climate changes have so alarmed scientists that the United Nations Secretary-General put it bluntly. “Delay is Death”
If successful, Putin’s current offensive against gas-rich Eastern Ukraine will substantially increase Russia’s energy resources, which several analysts have suggested was his ultimate objective.
The West must help Ukraine defend its sovereignty including imposing an oil embargo.
But banning Russian oil alone will not reverse the devastating effects on the environment unless it is accompanied by a clean energy transition. Europe, which is far more dependent on Russian oil, and America must not increase domestic oil production nor shift to coal to meet the shortfall.
Instead, they must hasten the transition to wind, solar and hydroelectric energy (from small dams) to avoid a climate disaster.
Ending our dependence on fossil fuels is a smart climate policy and will free the West from the grip of petro-dictators in Russia and the Middle East.
Senators Wyden, Warren, and Sanders have documented how the oligarchs have “made out like bandits”. The latter, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, is holding a hearing on these financial abuses today.
ACTION One: Call the Senate.
Script for Oregon Senators
SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753
My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
- Support the Biden administration's environmental initiatives which would cut emissions appreciably by 2030 and achieve net-zero emission by 2050.
- Turbocharge renewable energy manufacturing under the Defense Production Act
- Impose a windfall tax on oil companies and use this revenue for climate and clean energy projects.
- Use the spike in gas prices to demonstrate moving to clean energy and away from fossil fuels which would help save the earth and leave the U.S less dependent politically on oil-producing nations
- Remind voters that this is “Putin’s Oil Tax” the very dictator who Trump and his Republican allies heralded as a “genius.”
SEN. WYDEN:
Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
- Support the Biden administration's environmental initiatives which would cut emissions appreciably by 2030 and achieve net-zero emission by 2050.
- Turbocharge renewable energy manufacturing under the Defense Production Act
- Impose a windfall tax on oil companies and use this revenue for climate and clean energy projects.
- Use the spike in gas prices to demonstrate moving to clean energy and away from fossil fuels which would help save the earth and leave the U.S less dependent politically on oil-producing nations
- Remind voters that this is “Putin’s Oil Tax” the very dictator who Trump and his Republican allies heralded as a “genius.”
Script for Republican Senators
D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].
- Support the Biden administration's environmental initiatives which would cut emissions appreciably by 2030 and achieve net-zero emission by 2050.
- Turbocharge renewable energy manufacturing under the Defense Production Act
- Impose a windfall profits tax on oil companies and use this revenue to to pay for climate and clean energy projects.
- Use the spike in gas prices to demonstrate oil moving to clean energy and away from fossil fuels which would help save the earth and leave the U.S less dependent politically on oil producing nations
ACTION TWO: Call the House.
Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
- Support the Biden administration's environmental initiatives which would cut emissions appreciably by 2030 and achieve net-zero emission by 2050.
- Turbocharge renewable energy manufacturing under the Defense Production Act
- Impose a windfall tax on oil companies and use this revenue for climate and clean energy projects.
- Use the spike in gas prices to demonstrate moving to clean energy and away from fossil fuels which would help save the earth and leave the U.S less dependent politically on oil-producing nations
- Remind voters that this is “Putin’s Oil Tax” the very dictator who Trump and his Republican allies heralded as a “genius.”
Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)
Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
- Support the Biden administration's environmental initiatives which would cut emissions appreciably by 2030 and achieve net-zero emission by 2050.
- Turbocharge renewable energy manufacturing under the Defense Production Act
- Impose a windfall profits tax on oil companies and use this revenue to to pay for climate and clean energy projects.
- Use the spike in gas prices to demonstrate oil moving to clean energy and away from fossil fuels which would help save the earth and leave the U.S less dependent politically on oil producing nations
Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
- Support the Biden administration's environmental initiatives which would cut emissions appreciably by 2030 and achieve net-zero emission by 2050.
- Turbocharge renewable energy manufacturing under the Defense Production Act
- Impose a windfall tax on oil companies and use this revenue for climate and clean energy projects.
- Use the spike in gas prices to demonstrate moving to clean energy and away from fossil fuels which would help save the earth and leave the U.S less dependent politically on oil-producing nations
- Remind voters that this is “Putin’s Oil Tax” the very dictator who Trump and his Republican allies heralded as a “genius.”
Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
- Support the Biden administration's environmental initiatives which would cut emissions appreciably by 2030 and achieve net-zero emission by 2050.
- Turbocharge renewable energy manufacturing under the Defense Production Act
- Impose a windfall tax on oil companies and use this revenue for climate and clean energy projects.
- Use the spike in gas prices to demonstrate moving to clean energy and away from fossil fuels which would help save the earth and leave the U.S less dependent politically on oil-producing nations
- Remind voters that this is “Putin’s Oil Tax” the very dictator who Trump and his Republican allies heralded as a “genius.”
Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
- Support the Biden administration's environmental initiatives which would cut emissions appreciably by 2030 and achieve net-zero emission by 2050.
- Turbocharge renewable energy manufacturing under the Defense Production Act
- Impose a windfall tax on oil companies and use this revenue for climate and clean energy projects.
- Use the spike in gas prices to demonstrate moving to clean energy and away from fossil fuels which would help save the earth and leave the U.S less dependent politically on oil-producing nations
- Remind voters that this is “Putin’s Oil Tax” the very dictator who Trump and his Republican allies heralded as a “genius.”
ACTION 3: GOOD TROUBLE
GOOD TROUBLE: Below are opportunities to fight for our democracy. As John Lewis said, go make some “good trouble.”
Find out more about Indivisible Oregon here.
TUESDAY 11:30am-12:30pm LETTER WRITING PARTY - INDIVISIBLE OREGON:
https://www.mobilize.us/swingleft/event/442887/Fridays at 4 - Letter and Postcard Writing — Indivisible Oregon.
Learn about persuasive language and communication research at the Zoom ASO Movement Briefings every second Wednesday.
Join the campaign to hold the House and Senate at GiveNoGround.org
Work to protect democracy in the House by replacing retiring US Representative Peter DeFazio with another Democrat, replacing Democrat Kurt Schrader, the “Manchin of the House,” with a progressive, and electing a Democrat in Oregon’s new Congressional District 6.
Demand that your primary news source stop creating false equivalencies and just report the truth.
Check out the Poor People's Campaign Readies 'Massive, Nonviolent' Effort to Save Democracy
Outside of Portland? Check out COIN Oregon.
Rally inconsisent Democratic voters to vote in 2022 with Progressive Turnout Project | Feb, 2022 | Medium
FURTHER READING:
As War Rages, a Struggle to Balance Energy Crunch and Climate Crisis - The New York Times
Ukraine war: Oil price rises again due to fears over Russian shortfall - BBC News
‘This is a fossil fuel war’: Ukraine’s top climate scientist speaks out - The Guardian
War in Ukraine is scrambling the world's ability to fight climate change - CNN
President Joe Biden to propose new 20% minimum billionaire tax
How Big a Threat to the U.S. Economy Is the War in Ukraine? | The New Yorker
