Legislation to promote transformative climate change was on the agenda when Governor Steve Sisolak and Assemblywoman Rochelle Nguyen met last week with the Nevada Conservation League, artists, youth activists and outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
In a release on April 22 Gov. Sisolak said the State of Nevada has struggled with high heat, wildfires and drought, and the call for action showed there is a responsibility for everyone when it comes to curbing climate change.
“I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished in Nevada together so far, but we can and we must do more across all sectors and levels of government,” Sisolak said. “Climate change doesn’t just impact some of us – it impacts all of us. We owe it to the next generation to reduce our emissions and take action that will protect our communities and our natural resources from climate change. And this is going to take all of us. I am proud to be a partner in this important work.”
The release said that the call to action comes after a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that showed how the climate is disrupting worldwide communities and ecosystems. The report said that governments need to take charge within the next decade or the future will be dire.
“While the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill was a great first step, there is still more to be done,” according to the report. “Nevada Conservation League urges federal leaders to pass the $550 billion in climate provisions, meeting the climate test, and acting on climate, justice and jobs for our communities.”
Nguyen said that communities of color, as well as those in the low economic bracket, are affected the worst by climate pollution. She said this leads to health and economic impacts.
“As we celebrate both Earth Month and Minority Health Month, I’m proud to join climate leaders and community members to urge our federal leaders to take bold steps to speed up our transition to clean, renewable energy that will improve the health of Nevadans while centering communities far too often left behind,” Nguyen said.
Nevada Conservation League Communications Director Angelyn Talbalba said that Nevada is experiencing the highest risks of the climate crisis, as there have been record-breaking temperatures, wildfires and droughts. She said now is the time to act.
“The climate crisis is threatening our communities, and we must protect Nevadans from dangerous extreme weather events and the peril posed now and in the future,” Talbalba said. “Today, we’re demanding Congress pass comprehensive climate legislation to build an affordable clean energy economy that creates jobs, cuts pollution, protects our health and advances environmental justice.”