Building a Zero-Emission Transportation Future with Alok Disa, Earthjustice

Quantum Quote: “Know thy enemy and know thyself and a thousand battles you will win.” – Sun Tzu

How much would you give to have your kids live a healthy and happy life?

More and more people are waking up to the fact that this is a very critical time for our survival, and that we still have a long way to go in order to achieve the goal of having 100% fossil-fuel free electricity, heating, cooling and transportation by 2050.

Do you know that we will be saving a lot of money when this transition happens? Investing in the clean energy transition will create over $5 trillion in savings - and it will fuel millions of jobs!

The 3 million Americans working in the clean energy industry (triple the number working in fossil fuels) at this moment are just the beginning.

This is a climate crisis. It really is an emergency.  We all need to take part in rebuilding our civilization because after all, this is an investment in our kids’ lungs and ours. You are a part of this society. Use your voice to make a difference.

Alok Disa is a Senior Research and Policy Analyst at Earthjustice and leads the Northeast Regional team’s work on transportation electrification with an emphasis on the climate and public health impacts of truck and bus emissions.

 

For 50 years, Earthjustice has been a legal backbone for the environmental movement. It is a premiere non-profit public interest environmental law organization that represents clients free-of-charge to take on cases that will advance the law and policy that we need to protect our air, water, land, and everything else.

  

Watch a free webclass Power of Earth by Climate Master  to discover how easy it is to get ultra-efficient geothermal heating and cooling installed in your home – without the pain of emptying your savings account. 

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Do you want to increase your climate impact by a factor of 1,000?

Then pick up your phone today and call your United States Congressional Representative and both your US Senators and ask them to support the federal “Build Back Better” bill.

“Build Back Better” will create the largest climate protection action in American history.

Because so few people take the time and make the effort – our elected representatives interpret the opinion of everyone who calls or writes as representing the views of 1,000 other citizens.

During these next few weeks, Congress will vote on the “Build Back Better” bill that aims to get the country to 80% pollution-free electricity by 2030 and cut climate pollution 100% by 2050.

The "Build Back Better" bill provides tax incentives for solar, wind, energy-efficiency, electric cars, charging stations, and more; and it will finally cut subsidies for fossil fuels. It will also drive major investments into communities that have been disproportionately hit by environmental injustice.

After you make the calls, spread the word via social media by posting images of a large red exclamation point using the hashtags #CodeRedClimate and #CodeRedCongress.

You’ll be joining some of your favorite musicians and celebrities include the Dave Matthews Band, Dead & Company, Billie Eilish, Melissa Etheridge, Finneas, Maroon 5, Brittany Howard, Jon Batiste, Alec Benjamin, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jane Fonda, Mark Ruffalo, Damian and Stephen Marley, GROUPLOVE, Huey Lewis and The News, and many others.

When the "Build Back Better" bill passes, the United States can enter the global climate negotiations on Nov. 1st with America setting out to cut climate pollution 100% by 2050 - and encourage other major nations to do the same. 

If not you – then who?  Act now and help create a better future for our children - and all 7+ Billion EarthKind people.

 

 

 

SuperNova #1. It’s kind of a complicated process, but in reality, anyone can participate in these systems. You don’t have to be a lawyer to participate. Obviously, it helps to have a lawyer – to know a lawyer, but if you just dig and you figure it out, you find at any given time that there’s a lot of procedures and processes that you can weigh in on – you can lend your voice, and your voice will matter. The barriers are real, but there are ways we can all use our voice, our power, and our time to influence the outcomes.

 

SuperNova #2. You are a part of this society. Your voice makes a difference.

 

SuperNova #3. It’s an investment. Some people are barking at the price tag of the federal “Build Back Better” legislation, but the price tag is not telling you anything about the provisions. What are we trying to achieve with this money? We can’t lose sight of that. This investment is already less than what we know that we need, but it’s the start. There’s no amount of money that we should be balking at when we think about the triple win – the climate win, the public health win, and the economic and jobs win. This is an investment in our kids’ lungs and ours.

 

 

Best Advice He’s Ever Received: “I have two. The first one: trust the process. Do the work and trust the process. The other one is you miss a hundred percent of the shots you don’t take. You have to do the work, put yourself out there, and only then can you reap the rewards of your hard work.” – Alok Disa

 

Personal Habit that Contributes to Success: “That one thing that really helps me is just being really tenacious; not taking no for an answer. Just don’t take no for an answer and find the thing that you’re looking for. We have passion in our side. We have justice on our side. We just have to roll up our sleeves and just do the work.” – Alok Disa

 

Internet Resource: AirNow

 

Book Recommendation: “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants” by Robin Wall Kimmerer

 

Magic Wand: “It’s that we actually stop burning fossil fuels, we stop extracting fossil fuels, we stop bending to their interests, and we ramp up the clean energy technology that’s there. Basically, we could create the future where we don’t just tamp down our emissions but we rebuild our society in a justice-forward way.” – Alok Disa

 

WTF or F: “When I was living in California, a friend of mine – we were getting ready to go on a camping trip to Yosemite. We rented a van and did whatever precaution we had to do. We went there, set up the camp, cooked and had a great time. When we were sleeping, we realized that there’s all these patterns on our tents, and when we looked out, it’s like a blizzard happened overnight. It’s blanketed in snow, and that was not part of the forecast. We didn’t have the gear we need for that. We’re the only ones in this parking lot and the plow had plowed us in. We had no way to get to the main road. I couldn’t get the car started. Finally, when I did get the van started, I had to drive through the snow bank to get through. Eventually, it worked. We managed. No harm. Then we had this beautiful time in Yosemite. It was pretty empty and was actually one of the most picturesque things I’ve ever seen in my life.” – Alok Disa

 

Most Energized About Today: “It’s the new administration in New York State, Governor Hochul, some of the signals that she’s shown – that she wants to be a climate leader. She said it’s not about goals, it’s about action. It’s about what we do. We have a great opportunity with her leadership to meet those goals and exceed those goals that we have under the CLCPA.” – Alok Disa

 

Parting Advice: “Be in the fight. Don’t back down. Keep fighting. If you take one loss, that’s fine, but in the end, you’re gonna win if you believe in the cause. There’s gonna be down moments, but just keep fighting.” – Alok Disa

 

 

Connect:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website and Action Templates: Earthjustice;  Take Action: Time for big, bold, and equitable climate investments; and  Take Action: Tell the EPA to strengthen clean car standards.
• Twitter: @Earthjustice
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• TikTok: @earthjustice
• Personal Twitter: @alok_disa
• Twitter: @RightToZeroCA
• Twitter: @RightToZeroDMV