A TOOLKIT FOR EDUCATORS: "GREEN SCHOOLS, NOT FOSSIL FUELS!"
Why should we demand that President Biden declare a Climate Emergency?
Union Educators and Youth are Natural Allies
Last October, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) passed a resolution demanding President Biden declare a climate emergency and explicitly naming fossil fuels as the culprit.
The union wrote that “the burning of fossil fuels . . . [is] wreaking havoc on our daily lives” and demands “that President Biden take bold action by declaring a national climate emergency and working to build a robust, just and regenerative energy system.”
Two AFT educators summed it up well in their recent opinion piece:
"We—and thousands of other climate-informed teachers—feel a responsibility to act upon our knowledge and firsthand experience. When we march against fossil fuels and support youth-led green movements, we are marching for conditions that will sustain the work we love. If Biden wishes to be known as union-friendly, he has to be climate-friendly too."
What does declaring a Climate Emergency actually do?
The President can unlock emergency powers to do much more to stop fossil fuel burning and lead a just and equitable transition. As the two AFT educators put it:
"We believe it is time for the rest of the labor movement, as well as the Biden-Harris administration, to join students in defending the conditions for life on Planet Earth. By formally declaring a climate emergency, President Joe Biden can enable a host of executive measures, chief among them restoring the ban on exports of crude oil and halting hundreds of billions in private taxpayer dollars from funding fossil fuel projects abroad. Alongside Biden and Congress’ recent investments and green policies, we can update our infrastructure and provide funding needed to transform our public schools into climate-resilient hubs, creating thousands of safe, good-paying, secure union jobs in the process."