Post-Debate Report Card Reveals that All but One Presidential Candidate Fails to Address “Climate Restoration Emergency Action” (CREA)

Climate Restoration Emergency Action (CREA)
2020 Bipartisan Presidential Candidates Report Card
2nd Report Card, issued 13 September 2019

DOCUMENTATION: https://bit.ly/CREA-Report-Card-2020

For Immediate Release

Post-Debate Report Card Reveals that All but One Presidential Candidate Fails
to Address “Climate Restoration Emergency Action” (CREA)
CREA Key to Fighting Climate Change

13 September 2019. Washington, D.C. – Following last night’s Democratic candidates presidential debate, only Andrew Yang has received a passing grade on the Build A Movement 2020/CCE 2nd Report Card on “Climate Restoration Emergency Action” – CREA.  While some candidates discussed climate change and have made bold commitments to reduce emissions, only Yang has proposed specific climate restoration solutions, which are critical to winning the fight against climate change.​  The 1st report card was published on Sept 10. ​

Worldwide CREA can ensure that humanity can inhabit the Earth for generations to come.  CREA calls for returning atmospheric CO2 to safe pre-industrial levels as fast as possible and restoring Arctic ice to prevent permafrost melt and the resulting disastrous methane emissions.  It is important to note that most 2020 candidates agree that we face a “climate emergency” and have plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions to slow global warming. Nonetheless, without addressing climate restoration solutions we will fail to reverse global warming and restore a healthy climate.  

According to the report card, Andrew Yang is currently the only candidate scoring above a C.  Yang has stated publicly and in his climate change plan that the elements of CREA, including carbon-negative building materials, massive carbon dioxide removal, and solar radiation management (SRM), are needed solution​s​ to reverse global warming.  The rest of the presidential field has failed to step up to the plate to tackle CREA.

Climate Restoration is prioritized in recently introduced Congressional Climate Emergency Resolutions (S.Con.Res.22, introduced by Sen. Sanders and co-sponsored by presidential candidates Booker, Harris, Klobuchar and Warren), (H.Con.Res.52) and by Santa Clara County, California (Res. 98193).  The inaugural Global Climate Restoration Forum will be held at UN HQ on September 17.

“Climate restoration won’t be easy by any stretch of the imagination.  But it can be achievable. We will continue to track the candidates movement on climate restoration so the public can make informed decisions about how the next president will address the urgency of saving our planet,”  said Dr. Paul Zeitz, Founder, Build a Movement 2020 ad Senior Policy Advisor, Foundation for Climate Restoration.

About Dr. Paul Zeitz 

Dr. Paul Zeitz is a physician, epidemiologist, an award-winning advocate for global justice and human rights. He is the senior policy advisor with the Foundation for Climate Restoration and the author of Waging Justice: A Doctor’s Journey to Speak Truth and Be Bold. Dr. Zeitz worked at the State Department as Director, Data Revolution for Sustainable Development. He led the Global AIDS Alliance from 2000–2011. For more information, www.drpaulzeitz.org

About BAM2020

BAM2020, launched on MLK Jr Day, is a newly forming movement to usher in a more healthy, just and peaceful world. For more information, www.BAM2020.world; www.climatechangeseverything.org ​(CCE)​

 CONTACT: Paul Zeitz, 202-365-6786, drpaulzeitz@gmail.com

What is the Climate Restoration 2020 Presidential Candidate Report Card?

The Climate Restoration 2020 Presidential Candidate Report Card provides a clear definition of the commitments leading to climate restoration. Itis designed to objectively inspire and assess the commitments, policy positions, and plans by leading Presidential candidates codified in verbal or written form.  Candidates were chosen for the 2020 Presidential Candidate Report Card based on their commitment to address the climate emergency and/or their top standing in the national polls. Each candidate is being assessed by an Advisory Committee on five climate restoration priorities:    

• Commits to Ensure All of Humanity’s Survival 

In the face of the climate emergency and the existential threat to the survival of the human species, we call on Presidential candidates to make a commitment to ensure all of humanity’s survival. This commitment can be made in the form of a speech, policy position and/or press release.

• Commits to Declare Climate Emergency as President

In the face of the climate emergency, we call on Presidential candidates to make a commitment in writing that if elected President, they commit to declaring a “climate emergency” which threatens life as we know it.   

• Commits to Climate Restoration

To respond to the climate emergency, we call on Presidential candidates to make a commitment in writing that if elected President, they commit to the deployment of a climate restoration solution as fast as is needed. 

• Publishes Detailed Plan to Reverse Global Warming with Net Zero CO2 by 2030 and Restoring Our Climate by 2050

To respond to the climate emergency, we call on Presidential candidates to publish a detailed plan for rapidly scaling up programs and policies to achieve net zero Co2 by 2030, accelerating programs to reverse global warming, achieving climate restoration by 2050. 

• Commits to Call for a Global Partnership for Climate Restoration: 

To mobilize global action to accelerate climate restoration, we call on Presidential candidates to develop proposals for new global partnerships to achieve the ambitious goal of restoring a safe and healthy climate for future generations, including specifying time-bound and measurable goals and targets to ensure that we successfully return atmospheric CO2 to pre-industrial levels by 2050.