Don’t Forget About the Climate Crisis

Wisconsin’s future is on the line. If we don’t take bold action to avert the worst harms of the climate crisis, our children will be the ones who suffer the most, left to deal with an ailing environment and limited economic opportunity.

For many Wisconsinites, especially young people, climate change is a growing concern, both nationally and at the state level. Across the Midwest, the climate crisis is already leading to hotter temperatures and increased flooding, which directly harms the health of our state, especially in communities of color and other underrepresented communities. Our current trajectory isn’t sustainable, threatening some of our state’s most beloved outdoor traditions, and it’s time to pivot.

Climate change knows no borders, and Wisconsin can’t make the changes we need alone at the state and local levels. We need bold federal leadership to tackle this crisis. Indeed, President Joe Biden recently used his first State of the Union address on March 1^st to reiterate his strong commitment to climate action. However, executive action can only go so far alone. We are grateful for all that Senator Tammy Baldwin has done for climate and the labor community in the past, and we want her to know we have her back as she continues to fight for strong climate-focused legislation.

In 2021, Congress passed a major infrastructure bill, which included significant investments to help tackle climate change (investments that will be felt in Wisconsin). But the scope of the climate crisis is immense, and the infrastructure bill is only a start. Late last year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed $550 billion in investments to make major strides on climate, while also creating thousands of good-paying union jobs in Wisconsin, delivering environmental justice, and lowering energy costs for consumers across the state. These investments in renewable energy are a win for our environment, public health, and the economy. Indeed, the Milwaukee City-County Task Force on Climate Change and Economic Equity, a body with a very diverse stakeholder group, has been drawing up plans for connecting Milwaukee residents to these potential career opportunities for over a year.

These investments represent our nation’s largest effort to date to combat climate change. By speeding up the transition from legacy to renewable energy, the investments in climate, justice and jobs will set the U.S. on a course to reduce greenhouse gas pollution by 50 to 52 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 – the same percentage scientists say is necessary to avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis. It will do so while creating nearly 75,000 new jobs just in Wisconsin over the next five years, protecting existing workers, and providing more opportunities for hardworking families. A true win, win, win for Wisconsin.

Importantly, 40 percent of these bold climate investments would be directed to communities of color, which historically have received the least amount of investment in clean energy technologies and resilient infrastructure despite experiencing the worse impacts of climate change. It is no secret that these underserved communities have suffered over decades from environmental injustices. We must address this now.

To be sure, both the administration and Congress have the opportunity right now to make the necessary changes, but President Biden and Wisconsin’s leaders in Congress cannot let this opportunity for climate action slip away.

Pam Fendt is the president of Milwaukee Area Labor Council AFL-CIO.