Climate Power On The Timing Of Build Back Better Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 17, 2021

Contact: Jason Phelps, [email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to the timing of Build Back Better Act, Lori Lodes, Climate Power executive director, issued the following statement:

“Going home for the holiday recess should only serve as a reminder to Senators of why the Build Back Better Act needs to get done immediately. People are feeling the impacts of a changing climate now more than ever. Failure to act is not an option. The Build Back Better Act is our last best chance to take on the climate crisis that is driving the unprecedented extreme weather and the high energy costs straining our families. It will create millions of good paying jobs, lower costs, and invest in communities of color on the frontlines of environmental injustice. As soon as the Senate gets back to DC, they need to get the bill over the finish line and deliver the economic relief and climate action the American people want and need.”

The Climate Crisis is Real and It’s Here.

Extreme weather affected nearly every community this year, high energy costs are stressing family budgets, pollution continues to choke the lungs of America’s most vulnerable people – especially Black, Brown and Indigenous communities –, and fossil fuel CEO’s are cashing in as their industry stretches the environment to the brink. Every day that goes by, the climate crisis grows worse.

The consequences of climate inaction are real. The human and economic costs rise every single week the Build Back Better Act does not pass. Here is a snapshot of the average weekly costs of inaction:

10 people die on average in the U.S. from climate-related disasters.
167,307 people die worldwide because of pollution from burning fossil fuels.
$16.7 million is spent on healthcare costs because of pollution from burning fossil fuels.
2,942 Latino children experience asthma attacks because of pollution from burning fossil fuels.
30,769 hospital emergency room visits are caused by asthma.
$2 billion in damages is caused on average in the U.S. from climate-related disasters.
$20 million in U.S. crop insurance claims on average can be attributed to climate change.
194,660 acres are burned in the U.S. in wildfires.
$173 million in damage is caused on average in the U.S. from urban flooding.
413,462 people are displaced from their homes worldwide due to climate change.
3.8 billion tons of ice disappear from Antarctica.
624.6 million tons of CO2 are released into the atmosphere.
Oil companies make $4.46 billion in profits.
$9.3 billion is spent on gasoline in the U.S.

###