The Case for Climate Action Building A Clean Economy For The American People

"The climate crisis threatens our lives and livelihoods. The evidence is clear: we must flatten the warming curve, and fast. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),1,2 the U.S. National Climate Assessment,3,4 and other reports give us the scientific imperative for action. It is scary stuff. But too much of the climate movement of the past was about what climate change is doing to us, and not about what climate action will do for us. Taking action does not require austerity and scarcity. Done well, it will result in more wealth, more fairness, better jobs, and more security for every American. We already have the technologies needed to avert catastrophe. We just need the American optimism and the political will to deploy them on an unprecedented scale. To ignite this transition, we need Congress to act. This report provides a framework for Congress to finally do what is necessary to build the clean energy future we all deserve.

Choosing action means choosing American wealth and American leadership. Individually, we will benefit from better technology, cheaper energy, and things that simply work better. The transition will make our economy stronger, drive innovation, and create millions of new careers that cannot be outsourced overseas. It will also ensure that America is not left behind as other countries develop the technologies of tomorrow.

What we are describing is a future with an improved quality of life, more fairness, and better products. Cars will be better—safer, cleaner, quieter, and you will never need an oil change. Indoor air quality will improve. Windows will be solar panels so that whole skyscrapers, and not just roofs, generate clean electricity.5 The materials used to build homes and office buildings will store carbon instead of being a significant source of carbon pollution.6,7 By powering American homes with clean energy, electricity prices will be more affordable and more stable. Clean energy is already cheaper in many instances, and prices continue to drop fast..."
Case for climate change