This morning I received an email from my Senator. I felt it needed further exposure and wanted to share it with you.
We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win… President John F. Kennedy — Speech at Rice Stadium on September 12, 1962
In the face of all of his doubters, and in a space race he was losing to the Soviet Union, JFK pledged to do something we could only dream of at the time -- land a man on the moon.
We don’t do this anymore in America. We don’t go big, we don’t go bold. Even on issues that demand big and bold action. But I believe we should rekindle this fire in our spirit. And ensure that America leads on the biggest issue facing the planet -- climate change.
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I’ve signed onto to a bill with Senators Jeff Merkley and Bernie Sanders that does just that. It will transition the United States to 100% clean, renewable energy by 2050. This is a landmark piece of legislation -- and I’m proud to be a part of it. Will you add your name next to mine as a co-sponsor?
Big oil, gas, and every other dirty energy lobby will attack us. They will say, “How can we do this? We don’t have the technology or the ability.” My response to them -- how can we not?
And while we may not pass this bill in the next year, this legislation, and what it represents, is incredibly important. This shifts the discussion in a big way to how we do this, not if we can. And it will drive technological advances that we can only dream of now.
We’ve seen this in my home state of Hawaii. We’re an island state, highly dependent on oil. But that didn’t stop us from thinking big and passing the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative -- pledging to move to a 100% renewable energy portfolio by 2045.
Since the passage of this initiative, we’ve seen growth every single year in renewable energy and now are on track to hit this big goal. Would we have made such big advances without legislation? No way.
We can think big, drive innovation, and build a clean energy future to save our planet, but only if we all are ready to fight for it. The entire country went all-in on the space race, and I believe it will take that same type of energy now to fight climate change.
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Please add your name as a co-sponsor to this legislation to transition the country to 100% renewable energy by 2050. I believe we can do big things -- join this fight if you do too.
Thank you for being a part of this.
Brian Schatz
U.S. Senator
Please join the fight and contact your representatives or sign on as a co-sponsor.