Climate Change

ACT accepts the overwhelming consensus of scientists that the earth is warming and that the warming is mainly caused by human activities – most importantly, the consumption of fossil fuels. 

Climate change presents an immediate and pressing national security threat. According to former Secretary of State James Mattis, climate change is a threat to Pentagon assets and operational readiness everywhere. 

Climate change also presents physical threats to our homeland. We are already seeing the impacts of climate change, including abandoned homes in flood-prone areas from Staten Island, New York, to Houston, Texas, to the Florida Keys; catastrophic flooding in farm belts along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and changing rainfall and weather patterns in farm communities from Iowa to South Carolina; increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events and increased wildfire activity, threatening human safety and costing billions of dollars per year in mitigation, response, reconstruction, and health care costs; and increased spread of infectious diseases carried by mosquitoes, ticks, and other insects. 

In addition to climate impacts, excessive dependence upon fossil fuels embroils the U.S. in foreign conflicts in the Middle East, exacting an enormous toll in blood and treasure. It also causes water and air pollution which endangers human health, introduces toxins into food chains, reduces plant growth and crop yields, and reduces economic strength. Conventional fossil fuel generation facilities also are more vulnerable to physical and cyber-attack than modern, decentralized, green power grids. 

ACT supports candidates who believe in science and who propose bold action plans to transition to a clean energy economy, build resilience, and restore American leadership.