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Why This Matters: Regardless of what happens at the federal level, measures like these at the state and local level are the key to achieving 30% of the land and waters in the U.S. protected from development by 2030, as well as to combatting climate change. These local initiatives are likely to educate and engage the public in implementing the policies we need to conserve our planet. They are feeling the impacts in their cities and towns, and these ballot initiatives empower them to be part of the solutions as well.
Big Winners
While the polls on candidate races were wrong to the detriment of Democrats, the polling we have seen before the election for climate and conservation is consistent with the margin of victory for these state and local ballot initiatives. For example, the Nevada constitutional amendment passed with more than 56% of the vote. Here are some other highlights:
Michigan passed a measure to protect the state’s water, wildlife, and parks through the use of the state’s Natural Resource Trust Fund and the State Park Endowment Fund, which have pumped over $1 billion into land conservation.
Colorado passed a measure creating two new water districts—one encompassing 15 counties on the West Slope and another encompassing three counties north of Denver—to ensure there sufficient clean water for biodiversity, farmers, ranchers, and the city, as well as water education programs.
Hays County, Texas passed a measure to spend $75 million for the conservation of critical tracts of land and for protection of the Edwards Aquifer, a major drinking water source for San Antonio and Central Texas.
According to The Nature Conservancy, all together, seven states passed ballot measures that will provide $2.2 billion for forward-looking policies to protect nature and help address climate change.
As the Senate began debate on President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus rescue package, likely leading to a final vote this weekend, Senate Republicans have attacked it as “big, wasteful, and bloated.” The version of the bill passed by the House of Representatives contains $30.5 billion in aid for public transit systems that desperately need the […]
It’s not just men in the fishing sector who are impacted by climate change, overfishing, and COVID-19 — women are too. Women like Alexia Jaurez of Sonora, Mexico, who is featured in this Environmental Defense Fund video, do the important work of monitoring the catch and the price, and most importantly determining how many more […]
Last Friday, the United States formally reentered the Paris Climate Agreement. This is undoubtedly good news but after four years of total climate inaction on the part of the Trump administration as well as other nations failing to meet their commitments, it’s more urgent than ever that the world comes together and gets it right. […]
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