Social Justice - Chispa | League of Conservation Voters

Trump’s Inhumane Executive Orders Targeting Immigrants Threaten All Communities and Civil Rights

For Immediate Release January 20, 2025 Contact: Mika Hyer, mhyer@lcv.org, 940-783-2230 En Español: Elena Gaona, egaona@lcv.org, 202-907-9717 LCV and Chispa Statements on Trump Administration Actions Targeting Immigrant Communitiesc Washington, D.C. — In response to the new Trump administration’s flurry of executive orders and actions targeting immigrants, their families, and communities, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and Chispa released the following statements: “Trump’s inhumane executive orders targeting immigrants for political gain will harm the privacy and fundamental civil liberties of communities across the country, regardless of their citizenship or immigration status,” said LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld. “These abhorrent executive orders — going as far as the unconstitutional revocation of birthright citizenship – are not about national security or protecting communities; they demonstrate the disturbing cruelty Trump and his allies have promised to enact against immigrant communities and communities of color — which will have far-reaching and unintended consequences for all citizens and their civil rights. Immigrants have been vital to the economy of this country since its inception, and globally they are too often disproportionately on the frontlines of the fossil-fueled climate crisis and pollution that have made their communities unlivable. LCV will continue to work with our partners at the state, local, and federal levels to help protect communities, no matter their immigration status, from these chaotic and inhumane policies intended to dismantle families and communities.” *** “Today’s immigration actions from the new administration are inhumane, ineffective, dishonest, and excessively costly as our nation works to become financially stronger and address critical issues like the affordability of living expenses and safe and healthy environments. We will not tolerate the further dehumanization and erasure of our communities through proposed false solutions and militarization to attack us,” said Chispa Senior Director Estefany Carrasco-González. “Immigrant communities of all backgrounds make our country better and stronger, from helping our cities flourish to contributing to our rural communities to helping Los Angeles recover from the current climate change-driven wildfires. We are inspired by immigrant communities’ innovation, community building, dedicated engagement, and being a pillar of the economy in countless ways, and we know our fight for climate justice is directly connected to immigrant justice. Today’s actions and abuse of power will cause long-term damage to entire neighborhoods, families, and local economies for the political profit of a few. Chispa will continue organizing our base to build protections and power across the country and work with federal, state, and local jurisdictions and partners to defend all our communities in the face of this hateful targeting.” ###

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ICYMI: Gulf residents, community members, and church leaders urge the Department of Energy to protect their communities at People’s Hearing on LNG

Chispa Texas, a program of the League of Conservation Voters, convened a People’s Hearing on the Environmental Justice Impacts of LNG to offer community members a chance to give public testimony as the Department of Energy (DOE) reviews and updates the data and analysis used in its Public Interest Determination to review LNG export license applications.

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Utility Watch Nevada’ Demands Greater Accountability from Energy Utilities

Frustrated by high energy bills and air pollution, a new effort empowers Nevadans to stand up to monopoly-owned utilities NEVADA — Today, community and environmental advocates launched ‘Utility Watch Nevada’ to demand greater accountability and transparency from NV Energy and Southwest Gas. The campaign reflects and builds on the frustrations of customers who are tired of inaction after repeatedly calling out volatile methane (natural) gas price spikes, unfair rate increases, and frivolous utility spending like paying for employee bonuses or a new gas plant, the first in nearly 15 years. Utility Watch will empower customers to demand action from Nevada’s energy utilities to meet their clean energy commitments while advocating for utility reforms that reduce pollution and provide real rate relief for hard-working families. Utility Watch Nevada is led by the Nevada Conservation League in partnership with Chispa Nevada, CHR, Inc. (Caring, Helping, Restoring Lives), Faith In Action Nevada, Faith Organizing Alliance, For Our Future Nevada, Moms Clean Air Force, and Solar United Neighbors. Utility Watch Nevada aims to: Expose tactics by NV Energy and Southwest Gas that hinder efforts to reduce pollution, make clean energy progress, and lower customer bills. Educate customers and community members about the impacts of utility energy decisions on their families and how to help shape a cleaner, safer, and healthier energy future. Mobilize and empower customers to demand stronger clean energy policies and regulations that ensure transparency, accountability, clean energy and energy efficiency, and affordable bills. Promote clear and fair rules that protect customers from unjust utility tactics and safeguard our communities from pollution. The campaign includes a petition empowering NV Energy and Southwest Gas customers to demand affordable, reliable, and clean energy. “It is unfair for these monopoly companies to increase their profits and continue polluting in a way that costs us all,” the petition states. “We are counting on our utility regulators and policymakers to end this and protect struggling families and businesses…Nevada families, not corporations and their Wall Street shareholders, must come first.” Utility Watch Nevada partners agree: “Utilities must prioritize the needs of their customers over their profits. While NV Energy and Southwest Gas report record profits, families and small businesses are left grappling with exorbitant energy bills that are driven by soaring methane gas costs and unchecked spending,” said Kristee Watson, Executive Director of Nevada Conservation League. “It’s time to stop investing in outdated, expensive, and polluting energy sources and prioritize smarter investments in local clean energy and energy efficiency.” “Corporate greed is forcing Nevada working families to choose between paying for groceries or paying their utility bills, and we need urgent relief,” said Audrey Peral, Program Director for Chispa Nevada. “Latine families already pay disproportionately higher bills and live in areas with the worst pollution and hottest temperatures. So long as NV Energy and Southwest Gas are relying on dirty and volatile gas, our families will continue to suffer. Enough is enough. The community is demanding change. Utility Watch Nevada is one way to hold corporate utilities accountable to a clean, healthy, and affordable future for all Nevadans.” “As a faith leader and community advocate, I see firsthand the struggles our communities face due to rising energy costs and air pollution, especially low- and fixed-income households. It’s disheartening to see monopoly utilities prioritize profits over the well-being of Nevada families,” said Dr. Mary House of CHR, Inc. “NV Energy and Southwest Gas must be held accountable for their costly decisions that drive our bills up. We must demand the transparency and fairness our friends, neighbors, and loved ones deserve. We have a moral obligation to ensure that all Nevadans, regardless of income, have access to clean and affordable energy. We must stand up to unjust utility practices that disproportionately affect our most vulnerable residents.” “Nevadans deserve affordable, reliable energy. We must hold utility companies accountable for their failures to meet those needs,” said Shaunda Johnson, Executive Director of Faith In Action Nevada. “Our communities, especially those already facing racial and economic injustice, cannot afford to shoulder the rising costs and pollution resulting from NV Energy and Southwest Gas’s outdated and harmful practices. Utility Watch Nevada will help foster the process by which people have the power to ensure transparency, accountability, and clean energy solutions. Together, we will build a future where all Nevadans have access to affordable, clean, and reliable energy, aligning with our shared values of justice, equity, and love.” “I am deeply disappointed, frustrated, and saddened by the soaring energy bills and the pervasive air pollution impacting our communities,’’ said Pastor Marlon of Faith Organizing Alliance. “This new effort empowers Nevadans to stand up to monopoly-owned utilities, demanding greater accountability and transparency from NV Energy and Southwest Gas. We believe that residents deserve affordable, clean energy and a voice in how these utilities operate. Our alliance is committed to ensuring that these corporations prioritize the well-being of the people they serve. Together, we can create a more just and clean energy future for Nevada.” For the past few years, Nevadans have suffered under soaring utility bills and ever-hazier skies while Southwest Gas and NV Energy pad their record profit margins and further commit themselves to dirty, expensive fossil fuels,” said Jarrett Clark, Communications Director at For Our Future Nevada. “From installing rooftop solar to reducing their usage through energy efficiency, Nevada families have gone to great lengths to save money on their energy bills and reduce pollution. But those efforts have been no match for the utilities’ unchecked corporate greed. We’re proud to join Utility Watch Nevada and empower working families to demand the affordable rates and clean air they deserve.” “At Mom’s Clean Air Force, we are committed to holding utilities accountable for their impact on our environment and the health of our families. We believe that transparency and responsibility are crucial in ensuring clean air and a sustainable future for our children,” said Mary Wagner, Moms Clean Air Force Nevada Organizer. “This campaign is an essential step toward demanding accountability and driving meaningful change in the way utilities operate, ultimately safeguarding the well-being of our communities and the planet.” “In a state as sunny as Nevada, every family should be able to reap the benefits of local solar power,” said Bret Fanshaw, West Region Director of Solar United Neighbors. “Unfortunately, Nevada utilities continue to show they will protect their profits and monopoly status over the rights of their customers to go solar. We support Utility Watch Nevada in order to help protect consumers and hold utilities accountable.” Learn more at UtilityWatchNV.org. ### About Utility Watch Nevada Utility Watch Nevada is a project of community and conservation organizations in Nevada. https://utilitywatchnv.org/

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LCV and Chispa Respond to MAGA Republican Efforts to Suppress Voters in Continuing Resolution

Washington, D.C. — Today, in response to extreme MAGA Republicans’ attempt to disenfranchise and suppress voters by attaching the SAVE Act to a government funding bill, the League of Conservation Voters and Chispa issued the following statements: “Extreme MAGA Republicans continue to attack our democracy and our freedom to vote by attempting to create even more barriers for eligible voters to exercise their rights at the ballot box instead of fulfilling their foundational responsibility of funding the government,” said LCV Senior Government Affairs Advocate David Shadburn. “Trump is now recklessly calling for a government shutdown if extreme MAGA Republicans don’t get their racist voter suppression bill that would undermine election integrity by making voting harder for millions of eligible voters. A MAGA shutdown would harm our communities and protections for our health and our planet, and only benefits those trying to enact the extreme Project 2025 agenda. Congress must get serious and pass a clean short-term continuing resolution into the lame duck.” *** “The SAVE Act is unnecessary and dangerous. It promotes false claims about election interference and erodes the integrity of our democratic process by suppressing eligible voters and casting doubt on a system that is already secure. This legislation and the rhetoric of its proponents are making our immigrant communities and communities of color further targets of hate. We are already facing numerous voter suppression and intimidation efforts, not only from extremist groups but even from our own government officials,” said Chispa Senior Director Estefany Carrasco-González. “Such targeting, lies, and elevated hate speech about our Latinx communities are promoting a dangerous narrative that threatens to suppress our vote and threatens our safety across the country. The SAVE Act does nothing to help protect our communities and does nothing for election integrity. It only contributes to more eligible Americans having difficulty registering to vote and casting their ballots. Congress has a responsibility to safeguard our nation’s elections and make voting more accessible to all voters. They must continue to reject this legislation in all its forms and not perpetuate myths that put us in danger.” ###

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Left Without Power But Not Powerless

This summer, shortly after I started my internship with LCV and Chispa, all of my family in Houston was on high alert. This was because a hurricane was coming into the area. The last time we had a storm, there was a major flood, and we had a power outage for about four days, so we were nervous. Luckily we’ve learned from past experiences, and my immediate family (my Mom and sister) and I are now always prepared for any storm heading our way. While I was still bracing for a possible power outage, the more I read, the more it seemed like the storm had calmed down and that we wouldn’t be affected. This was not the case, especially when I fell asleep. During the eight hours I was asleep, the tropical storm turned into a hurricane, and the path shifted. It was hitting the Houston area dead on, and at 5 a.m., I woke up covered in sweat because our power was completely out. Luckily, I had emailed my supervisors saying this might happen, but this was just the beginning of a very long and arduous journey of surviving the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. The heat in the house started to ramp up. It got so hot that spending the day outside in the heat was better than inside our “oven house,” as my sister called it. If you have ever been to Houston in the summer, you know that spending longer than a couple of hours in the heat, even with shade, can be brutal. As we started our first day without power, we saw the news on our phones and realized that trees had fallen all over the city, damaging a lot of infrastructure. We learned some of this wind damage had happened right outside our house, including many of our neighbors’ roofs that fell off their house. We helped them put parts of their roof we found on the ground in our backyard so that the strong winds wouldn’t blow it away even further. News reports painted a picture of the whole city being in disarray, trees falling on people’s homes everywhere, and power outages facing 2.7 million people in Houston. We realized we probably wouldn’t have our power for at least today. As the day went on, the thought of getting power started to fade even more, and we realized that we had no idea when power would be returning. This was a sentiment that a lot of people in the area shared. We heard that a good number of people were getting some of their power back, with some businesses getting their power back, too. The heat was unbearable so I decided I wanted to get some A/C and some power to charge my laptop and my phone. So we went to some local businesses closer to downtown, and I began to notice a pattern. Higher-income areas were often the ones to get their power back first. Businesses and homes near the community I lived in, a diverse middle-class community, did not have power back yet. As I began to research more, I discovered it was because most people in wealthier neighborhoods had generators, while everyone else often didn’t. While charging my electronics in the coffee shop, I realized one company has a monopoly over all the energy in Houston: Centerpoint Energy. The electricity was out due to the Houston energy grid’s lack of regulation and diversification. All this caused me to understand events that have hit Houston and Texas in the past with a new viewpoint. It was a lack of government oversight that caused problems to become even worse. We were extremely desperate to get relief on the third day without power. We were lucky to find a restaurant not too far from us serving lunch, and it was like paradise. The A/C was blasting, and I finally felt at peace as I began to read while my sister and mom talked about where my sister wanted to go to college. After a long day of reading and eating at the nice air-conditioned restaurant, we decided to go home. Once we got home, it was still miserable. I went for a swim in our local pool to cool off. When I came home around dinner time, the power had finally come back on! The thermostat said the house’s temperature had risen to a boiling 95 degrees. It was like a miracle the power was on, and we were all celebrating as if power and electricity were something we had never had before. As the days and even weeks passed, more and more Houstonians started regaining their electricity. This was a good thing, but because of the massive power outages, Houston had 36 deaths that could have been prevented. Many of those deaths were due to power outages caused by Centerpoint’s lack of hurricane preparedness. While the governor is planning on investigating Centerpoint, I don’t know if the government will actually do anything about it. As climate change worsens, we can’t count on the government alone to fix things. Chispa and LCV have been working on the ground in states like Texas to help organize communities so the power of the people fights against these regional problems. For instance, Chispa Texas is working with community organizers to build grassroots power against air pollution in all communities, particularly communities of color. This pollution from refineries and Big Oil makes climate change worse and leads to stronger and more costly hurricanes like Beryl which wreck our communities. By interning at Chispa, I have been able to work on other community-driven solutions, such as creating Congressional memos for electric school buses and presenting my own environmental recommendations to the LCV organization. I have truly seen how to make a difference in the environment and our communities. This summer, I have been able to see why the work we’ve done these past few months can actually save lives. I want to thank Chispa for allowing

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LCV Statement on Western District Of Louisiana Ruling on LNG Pause

For Immediate Release July 2, 2024 Contact: Kelci Hobson, khobson@lcv.org Washington, D.C.: In response to the U.S. District Court for Louisiana issuing a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed by 16 Republican Attorneys General challenging the Department of Energy’s pause on permits for new LNG export authorizations, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and Chispa Texas released the following statement: “President Biden heeded the calls of young people and frontline communities in pausing the development of new liquefied methane gas export facilities. This historic step to take on the greedy Oil and Gas CEOs was the right thing to do for consumers, our communities, and our environment. Unfettered LNG exports raise energy bills, pump toxic pollution into the air that further threaten the health of communities neighboring these massive facilities, and fuel the climate crisis,” said Leah Donahey, Senior Federal Advocacy Campaigns Director at League of Conservation Voters. “Despite the ruling, the Department of Energy can and should continue its much-needed, common sense evaluation of whether or not these dangerous LNG exports are in the public interest. This lawsuit was filed by 16 Republican Attorneys General and is a blatant attempt to aid Big Oil and Gas CEOs who will stop at nothing to line their pockets while harming people, our pocketbooks, and the planet.” Previously, LCV launched a $2.5 million campaign in support of the Biden administration’s pause on permitting for LNG export facilities. This included a DC cable buy thanking President Biden for this latest decision in an unprecedented string of action to tackle the climate crisis and digital ads focused on the young people who have been pushing for this kind of bold action. For more information, see LCV’s LNG fact sheet. *** “Our communities along the Gulf Coast have suffered from toxic air pollution from fracked methane gas facilities in our backyards, endangering our health with illnesses such as asthma, heart disease, and cancer,” said Chispa Texas Program Director Elida Castillo. “The LNG pause is an opportunity for our Department of Energy to study these harmful effects and fulfill its public duty. But at every turn Big Polluters, and our state leaders who are supported by them, continue to seek irresponsible growth that prioritizes profits over the lives and livelihoods of people and the beautiful spaces we need and love. As our nation literally experiences record-breaking heat everywhere, it’s extremely disappointing that this much-needed action to combat the climate crisis and environmental injustice is facing these hurdles from those in the pockets of the oil and gas industry. Our communities most harmed by emissions of formaldehyde, benzene, carbon monoxide, and other toxins from these facilities should not continue to suffer, so fracked methane gas exporters can post record profits quarter after quarter. Our path forward to bring down energy costs for everyone and confront the global climate crisis begins with this pause and not the false narrative being sold to bring more destructive methane gas projects online.” ###

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LCV and Chispa Statements On Biden-Harris Action to Keep Families Together

For Immediate Release June 18, 2024 Contact: Mika Hyer, mhyer@lcv.org, 940-783-2230 En Español: Elena Gaona, egaona@lcv.org, 202-907-9717 Washington, D.C.— In response to today’s announcement from the Biden-Harris administration to help keep hundreds of thousands of families together, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and Chispa issued the following statements: “We can’t have environmental justice without a healthy democracy and an immigration system that respects the dignity and humanity of the people and communities most impacted by the climate crisis in our country,” said LCV Senior Vice President of Community and Civic Engagement Sandra Pérez González. “The Biden-Harris administration is taking bold action to keep families together and ensure hundreds of thousands of children and spouses of citizens can access their legal pathway to residency. Communities across the country are seeing the severe impacts of the climate crisis and extreme weather firsthand, and as temperatures continue to rise, our immigrant communities are often on the front lines of environmental injustice, are excluded from opportunities like resiliency investments, and are denied security. This is a step towards realizing an immigration system that centers people and their lived experience, and LCV will continue to support more just and equitable immigration policy for future generations.” *** “Chispa welcomes today’s executive actions to keep families together,” said Chispa Senior Director Estefany Carrasco-González. “Through my personal experience and our work on the ground in the communities affected most by environmental injustice, we know that families need stability just as much as they need clean air, clean water and a healthy environment. Immigrant families who pay taxes and contribute to their communities often bear the brunt of climate inequality, and children of color especially need all the strong family support that is possible to thrive. Expanding pathways for immigrants and keeping families together, including mixed-status families, will make our communities’ environmental and local work, and our nation, stronger.” ###

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Community Advocates Oppose NV Energy’s Plan to Triple Northern Nevada Basic Service Charge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, June 13, 2024 Media Contact: Hannah Hertlein, hannah@impactcommunications-publicaffairs.com, 513.262.6597 High Fixed Charges Undermine Energy Conservation, Increase Costs for Nevadans RENO, NV — Today, the Nevada Conservation League, Chispa Nevada, Faith In Action, and For Our Future joined dozens of NV Energy customers in opposing the company’s proposed rate increase in Northern Nevada. The public consumer session held by the Public Utilities Commission (PUCN) in the Washoe County Commission Chambers followed two previous consumer sessions in Carson City. These sessions showed widespread concern about NV Energy’s plan to nearly triple the basic service charge (BSC) for single-family residential customers from $16.50 to $45.30 per month and double the BSC for multi-family households from $8.00 to $18.80. Starting each month with a $45.30 charge before using any electricity reduces the incentive for energy conservation and increases the minimum costs of living. The rate hike would burden the most vulnerable Nevadans, particularly families on fixed or lower incomes who consume less electricity. It also punishes residents who bought rooftop solar systems, throwing the economics of their investments out the window. Many solar customers save hundreds annually, but these savings would be slashed and the payback period extended. This comes after NV Energy recently increased the BSC for Southern Nevada customers from $12.50 to $18.50, a rise of 48 percent. If approved, this rate request threatens to escalate the company’s return on equity from 9.5% to 10.4% and its rate of return from 7.14% to 7.95%, lining investor pockets on the backs of hard-working Nevadans and almost eliminating the relief customers should see from declining methane (natural) gas prices – costs the utility already passes entirely onto ratepayers. “NV Energy’s rate hike proposal undermines Nevada’s clean energy policies and goals,” said Trystin St. Denis, Northern Nevada Community Organizer for the Nevada Conservation League. “When families face higher fixed charges, the financial benefits of reducing energy use or investing in rooftop solar nearly vanish, disincentivizing conservation practices that benefit our environment and economy and hit disadvantaged communities the hardest. As the number one state for solar potential, NV Energy should incentivize solar energy, not penalize it.” “For many in our community, every dollar counts,” said Astrid Martinez, Community Organizer for Chispa Nevada. “NV Energy tripling fixed charges would hit Latine families and other vulnerable groups the hardest, making it difficult for our families to manage our budgets effectively. This would be the highest fixed charge in the country. We cannot allow this to happen without a fight. We call on the PUCN to protect consumers and reject corporate greed.” “NV Energy’s proposed rate hike is not just an economic issue; it is a moral one,” said Chasity Martinez, Community Organizer for Faith In Action. “Our faith teaches us to care for the most vulnerable among us, and this rate increase is unjust. It promotes waste over stewardship and prioritizes corporate greed over human dignity. NV Energy has failed to take responsibility for overburdening customers with increasing bills while their profits remain protected, and now they want even more. Enough is enough! We stand in solidarity with all Nevadans in opposing this harmful proposal, and we call on our elected leaders to protect our community from these unnecessary and excessive charges.” “NV Energy’s proposal is more than just a rate increase; it’s a direct attack on hard-working families,” said Madisen McGrath, Senior Organizer at For Our Future Nevada. “With the highest fixed fee in the country, this move threatens to derail our progress towards a clean and pollution-free energy future and penalizes households that make efforts to reduce their energy usage and save money. For years, NV Energy has collected money from ratepayers to institute energy efficiency programs. Not to mention, President Biden’s Clean Energy Plan is helping people weatherize and upgrade their homes to be more energy efficient. And now, they want to punish us for using these programs. Further adding insult to injury, NV Energy has boasted record profits quarter after quarter. This rate hike is nothing more than a blatant cash grab at the expense of Nevada’s working families.” In case you missed the Carson City consumer session on June 4, 2024, attendee quotes are available here. ### The Nevada Conservation League is the independent voice of Nevada’s conservation community. We work to maintain and enhance the natural character of Nevada and the quality of life for Nevadans through effective advocacy, the election of pro-conservation candidates, and building collaboration. Visit their website

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ICYMI: Chispa, Chispa AZ, Chispa NV, and Chispa TX meet with Members of Congress in D.C. to discuss Clean Energy Benefits under IRA and IIJA in Latine Communities Extreme Heat, Clean Air, Electric School Buses, LNG Pause also Discussed

For Immediate Release June 14, 2024 Contact: Elena Gaona, egaona@lcv.org, 202-907-9717 Washington D.C. – Members and community organizers with Chispa National, Chispa Arizona, Chispa Nevada, and Chispa Texas visited Washington, D.C. this week (June 11-14) to meet with their Members of Congress and key Biden-Harris Administration officials to discuss environmental concerns and clean energy investments in Latine communities across the nation. The discussions took place as a total of 80 advocates from 29 League of Conservation Voters state partners from around the country convened in D.C. for an advocacy week to highlight Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) investments transforming communities. Chispa members focused on continued investments and solutions for clean air, clean water, clean land, and extreme heat, such as electric school buses and a continued pause on new LNG facilities in places like the Texas Gulf Coast. They highlighted how investments from the Biden-Harris administration’s affordable clean energy plan are making clean energy and cleaner air a reality by helping fund home energy and vehicle upgrades, and creating good-paying clean energy jobs across the country. The clean energy plan is also saving consumers money as temperatures continue to rise, while combating the climate crisis and environmental injustice. “In my community it can reach 120 degrees. Having this funding and communicating about the opportunities is a matter of life and death,” said Vania Guevara, Advocacy and Political Director, Chispa Arizona, who participated in meetings and also attended a roundtable that included Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Chair Debbie Stabenow. “No matter where you live, no matter how much money you make, everyone should have access to clean air, clean water, and public lands. We want a clean energy transition but that cannot come at the expense of our indigenous communities, our working class, or our environment.” WATCH: Roundtable on Inflation Reduction Act Benefits in Local Communities “Our Chispa Texas members had an important opportunity to speak directly to their Members of Congress and administration officials about the issues affecting their daily lives, like stopping out-of-control LNG and hydrogen facilities expansion in their backyards, and access to clean water and clean air,” said Chispa TX Director Elida Castillo. “We were glad to meet with the Department of Energy, EPA and Environmental Justice champions from Texas. Our elected officials got to hear directly from the people, and we hope to continue the conversations for more impactful change brought about by the people, that benefits all our communities immediately and into the future.” View Chispa TX Instagram post. “It was important for my whole family to travel to our nation’s capital because our communities are impacted by poor air quality and heat in Nevada, and we want to raise our voice on behalf of our neighbors and families,” said Guadalupe Lyn, a Chispa Nevada member who traveled to DC with her spouse Rojan Lyn, and teenage son, Nathaniel Lyn. “We met with our representatives and they listened. We discussed electric school buses, charging infrastructure, clean air, clean water, and climate investments that can lower our energy bills and bring good jobs to Nevada. We requested that our federal delegation create a big climate coalition, including Tribes, to learn more about survivorship under this extreme heat and climate change. And we also discussed justice for our community because we want to make sure all these programs are accessible to everyone.” View Chispa NV Instagram post. # # #

ICYMI: Chispa, Chispa AZ, Chispa NV, and Chispa TX meet with Members of Congress in D.C. to discuss Clean Energy Benefits under IRA and IIJA in Latine Communities Extreme Heat, Clean Air, Electric School Buses, LNG Pause also Discussed Read More »

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