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A clean energy economy will move us closer to the future we deserve. Problems viewing this email? [View it in your browser]( [Center for American Progress]( InProgress from the Center for American Progress The Climate Crisis Is Here [A person on the subway wears a facemask as smoky haze from wildfires in Canada blankets a neighborhood on June 7, 2023 in the Bronx borough of New York City. New York topped the list of most polluted major cities in the world on Tuesday night, as smoke from the fires continues to blanket the East Coast. (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)]( The climate crisis is creating conditions, such as drought and extreme heat, that exacerbate wildfires, making them more frequent and difficult to control. Wildfires are currently raging through Canada—not only destroying the homes in their paths, but creating toxic smoke that has hung over much of the northeastern U.S. this week. This smoke has forced people to stay indoors, canceled school days, and put the most vulnerable people—including the elderly and those with respiratory and cardiovascular disease—in danger. These climate change-fueled catastrophic wildfires are a consequence of burning fossil fuels. The United States must quickly transition to a clean energy economy and stop the fossil fuel pollution responsible for the climate crisis. President Joe Biden's affordable clean energy plan, coupled with strong protections against pollution, will move us closer to the future we deserve. [Take Action]( Further Reading: Where Climate, Development, and Democracy Meet The Biden administration just negotiated a deal with Congress to avoid the first-ever deliberate default on the nation’s financial obligations. But worldwide, [26 other nations]( teeter on the precipice of default or have already defaulted—undermining their climate resilience and economic growth, as well as risking the erosion of democracy. The upcoming [Summit for a New Global Financial Pact]( hosted in Paris this month, is slated to focus on several reforms needed to address the ongoing interlinked debt and climate crises. A [new column]( from the Center for American Progress outlines why the United States must push for transformative reforms to the global financial system to alleviate Global South debt burdens that prevent investments in climate, development, and democracy. [Learn More]( Supreme Court Rules Alabama Violated Black Voters' Rights This week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Alabama lawmakers impermissibly diluted the power of Black voters in violation of the Voting Rights Act when they drew a congressional map with only one majority-Black district. In response, [William Roberts]( acting senior vice president for Rights and Justice at the Center for American Progress, issued the following [statement]( The carving up of Alabama’s Black Belt communities to dilute Black voting power is a textbook example of the kind of discriminatory impact the Voting Rights Act was designed to prevent. Despite the Supreme Court’s shameful practice over the past decade of repeatedly gutting the law, this ruling preserves what power the historic law has left. The Voting Rights Act remains just as important today as when it was passed six decades ago. It is a bulwark against the historic discrimination that Black voters have endured in America, and one of the few ways to guarantee these voters can participate effectively in the political process. While the court’s decision preserves this critical part of the law, Congress must bring the landmark law back to full strength by passing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. And the Biden administration and Department of Justice must do everything in their power to protect the fundamental right to vote. Meet Angelo Villagomez [Black and White photo of Angelo Villagomez, a man smiling with shoulder length dark hair and a mustache. He is wearing a button down shirt and large white necklace. A pink outline surrounds Angelo, and a black text on a yellow background says Angelo Villagomez, Conservation Policy]( [Angelo Villagomez]( (he/him) is a senior fellow in Conservation Policy. He has worked in ocean conservation policy for 20 years and has helped shape local, national, and international laws and agreements, including the designation of some of the world’s largest marine protected areas and shark sanctuaries, global protections for threatened sharks species, and commitments by countries to protect 30 percent of the ocean by 2030. "Conservation is people," Angelo said. "In many of these places [where the conservation movement is pushing for protected areas], Indigenous peoples are the long-term stewards and owners of nature. And I see my role as helping to elevate their voices so that their views of science and conservation feed into national and international efforts to protect nature." Follow Angelo on [Twitter]( [Instagram]( and [LinkedIn](. [Share This]( ICYMI: Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice [Image of the event Upwell: A wave of Ocean Justice which took place in the CAP event space with 4 people on a stage with CAP’s logo behind them and infant is a full audience of people listening intently]( What does equitable and just access to ocean resources and influence in shaping ocean policy look like? Given historical disenfranchisement across racial, economic, and generational lines (as a result of the legacies of racism, colonialism, and industrialization), historically marginalized people in coastal communities are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. These areas have been subject to rising sea levels, intensifying storms, pollution, overfishing, loss of habitat and biodiversity, and coastal gentrification. On June 7, the Center for American Progress, along with co-hosts Azul and the Urban Ocean Lab, held a half-day conference prioritizing the experiences and voices of historically marginalized communities in ocean conservation discussions. With focuses on conservation leadership, justice, and joy, the conference spotlighted authentic lived experiences and how they can—and in fact should—lead policymaking and conservation actions. [Watch The Event Recap]( Progress in Action: Ohio Is in the Heart of It All In 2021, [when Maddix Curliss enrolled in technical college]( the economy was in pandemic-induced disarray, making the promise of a job after graduation feel infeasible. However, that stress changed to excitement in just two years. Across Ohio, companies are breaking ground on construction projects and business endeavors that will help reach the growing demand for jobs and clean energy. [Honda]( built an electric vehicle battery plant, [Intel]( is adding a semiconductor manufacturing hub, and [solar energy projects]( are spreading across the state—creating thousands of new, well-paying jobs. These new jobs are paramount to new growth in states with economic histories of manufacturing such as Ohio. [The Biden administration’s]( investment in transforming communities will allow businesses to meet global demand. New workers such as Maddix are entering a more reliable workforce with stronger wages. They will join an economy that promises opportunities in Ohio, supports personal planning, and builds up retirement accounts. As Maddix [reflects]( "These days, Ohio increasingly does feel like the heart of it all" [Learn More]( Follow us on [Follow us on Twitter]( [Follow us on Facebook]( [Follow us on YouTube]( [Follow us on Instagram]( [Support CAP]( [Manage Email Preferences or Unsubscribe]( [Privacy Policy]( [Center for American Progress]( Center for American Progress 1333 H Street NW Washington, D.C. 20005 [supporter]