WASHINGTON – With his apparent victory over Donald Trump, President-elect Joe Biden has an opportunity to implement a drastically different approach to issues of climate change and environmental protection — especially those involving federal policy on fossil fuel extraction, and rampant air and water pollution. In response, Food & Water Action Executive Director Wenonah Hauter issued the following statement:
“We are of course deeply relieved and encouraged by Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump. Trump represents an unprecedented threat to public health, climate stability and a livable future on Earth – not to mention a grave threat to our democracy.
“Joe Biden has an opportunity to right the ship and take the decisive action necessary to tackle our climate crisis with the urgency it requires. He must start by immediately banning fracking on federal lands, as he has promised. Fracking poses an unacceptable risk to public health and it enables our perilous addiction to fossil fuels. A real transition to a clean energy future can and must begin with a halt to new fracking – first on federal lands, and everywhere else soon after.
“Joe Biden must also lead our country through a much-needed overhaul of our food and water systems. If the COVID crisis has taught us anything, it’s that every American needs and deserves access to clean water and safe food, no matter what. Biden must work with Congress to upgrade our public water infrastructure and drastically reform our filthy, polluting factory farm system.
“By aggressively tackling these critical issues of climate stability and public health from day one, Joe Biden can prove himself to be the leader these precarious times require.”