With the start of hurricane season and federal lawmakers still dragging their feet on climate and clean energy legislation, E2 last week launched its Climate Economics Campaign in the heart of hurricane country, with in-person events in North Carolina, Virginia and Washington D.C.
It was so refreshing to meet with E2 members and supporters again for the first time in a very long time. We heard from people facing climate costs first-hand – as well as from businesspeople and local policymakers who are making a difference to address climate change.
Special thanks to our fantastic E2 Southeast Chapter directors Dave Belote, Ethan Blumenthal, Miriam Makhyoun, Bill Capp and Dave Petri for their incredible help and to E2 staffers Zach Amittay and Riana Ackley for their hard work.
In Norfolk, our E2 Southeast chapter hosted a terrific event featuring local lawmakers, business leaders and the commanding officer of Naval Station Norfolk – the world’s largest naval installation – which is facing regular flooding and billions of dollars in damage to the region’s economy as sea levels continue to rise.
From there, E2 traveled to Charlotte, for an event featuring the sustainability leaders for one of the nation’s biggest banks, Bank of America; the city of Charlotte; the North Carolina Senate; and a local cleantech business who all see the economic opportunities of investing in clean energy and climate solutions.
And then it was on to Raleigh, where the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Secretary, Elizabeth Biser, told attendees about the interconnectedness of the economy and environment and the importance of businesspeople engaging in policy. We also heard from the energy and utilities chief of Fort Bragg— the world’s largest military base— on their plans to roll out the largest floating solar farm in the Southeast and electric vehicles, create jobs, and attract new business for local contractors.
The event was covered in all of North Carolina’s biggest newspapers, Stars & Stripes, and elsewhere, including the influential Business: North Carolina magazine.
The events are just part of our far-reaching Climate Economics Campaign.
Following in Washington, D.C. this week, E2 launched a six-figure major television and social media ad blitz to deliver our message to Congress and the White House that our economy can’t wait any longer for climate action. You can see the first ad here.
And we continue to get out the message about the economics of climate change on television, radio and in print, using my new book, Climatenomics: Washington, Wall Street and the Economic Battle to Save Our Planet as a hook. I’ve now done interviews with more than 30 media outlets in every part of the country in recent weeks. You can see and hear some examples here.
Now it’s your turn to help.
Please add your name here to this letter to President Biden and Congress urging them to pass climate and clean energy legislation now.
And please watch your email for upcoming E2 Cost of Climate events near you. I look forward to reconnecting in person again.