GreenLatinos Ready to put the Inflation Reduction Act Law into Action, Committed to Fix Fossil Fuel Provisions that Could Continue to Harm our Communities

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, President Joe Biden signed the landmark Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 into law. This new law is the most consequential climate legislation in our lifetimes, investing billions of dollars into environmental and climate justice initiatives. This is tempered by the fact that it locks us into a generation more of deadly fossil fuel production and extraction that could continue to poison and sacrifice our comunidades for decades to come if appropriate action isn’t taken.

Following President Biden’s signature, GreenLatinos Founding President and CEO, Mark Magaña, releases the following statement:

“Today, President Biden and our nation are taking a massive step toward tackling the climate crisis by making the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 law. As we take this moment to recognize the significant investments in climate, jobs, and health this law promises to bring, we must also underscore the dangerous and inequitably endured trade offs this law contains for our frontline comunidades. We are experiencing deadly levels of contamination, pollution, and environmental degradation that will, unfortunately, be exacerbated by the increased fossil fuel exploration, mining, drilling, processing, refining, and transporting that will be realized if the fossil fuel handouts in the bill are not reversed.

The real work begins now. These next coming weeks and months will be critical. It is imperative that the Biden Administration and Congressional champions stand up for our communities and stop the expansion of fossil fuel handouts threatening to outweigh the benefits of this historic bill, stop the erosion of the power of our local community voice, and fight for true environmental justice for our long-suffering communities . Steady and strong action is needed to block the harmful fossil fuel industry from continuing to pollute the air, water, soil and degradation of our lands, waterways and ocean that our gente depend on for their livelihood and for their wellbeing.

While we applaud our elected leaders who worked tirelessly to include, negotiate, and sustain the bold climate and environmental justice provisions included in the new law, we will continue pushing President Biden and his administration to use everything within their power - including Executive Action - to provide further protection for frontline communities facing the brunt of environmental degradation and the climate crisis.”

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