Budget talking points for climate deniers (& folks who don’t “get” EPA)

Here’s some great advice from a savvy advocate about how to talk to people who aren’t in the pro-EPA camp.

“We need to reach these guys with language/framing  that will leverage their system of values, if we want them to change their positions/ be strong in maintaining pro EPA position.

Instead of climate change, talk about how clean air and water are our critical infrastructure, how none of us can live in toxic dead zones, and how property loses all value when it becomes poisoned with toxics.”

These points would play well with Congressionals who are climate deniers, as well as Congressionals who are generally supportive of environmental issues but not down in the weeds.  These points of commonality could also a bridge to moderates and working class folks – remember that pollution impacts fall more heavily on people in lower income brackets.

Example script

Dear {XYZ},

Clean air and water and soils are the critical infrastructure of life: humans, animals, plants/crops cannot survive without them.

The role of the EPA, since it was created, is to ensure that threats to our clean air, water, and soils are assessed, managed, and contained or prevented.  The EPA was created to perform this role due to massive pollution by industry that resulted in huge  public health crises and dead zones  (SuperFund sites) like Love Canal.

The massive proposed cuts to EPA will effectively result in  cutting off  our clean air and water supply and clean soils needed to grow crops. Cutting off our clean air and water supply is madness and will devastate the public health and  property values of our nation.

Prosperity cannot thrive when the critical infrastructure is devastated. Be pro life, stand for a viable, healthy  future and vote a resounding no on gutting the EPA.

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Save EPA has been an all-volunteer group of former EPA officials who became alarmed about the Trump agenda for EPA and joined together to fight it.

With newly-elected President-Elect Biden and VP-Elect Harris coming in January, the need to "save EPA" is much less urgent. This is not to imply all clear skies ahead - there is much re-building to do, there will be negative pressures on the new administration, and we will likely have policy differences in the future. However, we are hopeful that these differences will be discussed rationally, using science as a basis for moving forward, and keeping EPA's mission of protecting human health and the environment in the forefront.

And so, we are going back to retirement!  We're keeping our website up at http://saveepaalums.info/ , as a resource for those who want to follow and influence the restoration work. Our report on the Trump record at EPA describes the actions that need to be reversed [saveepaalums.info/Trump+era+report], and our guide to participating in the rulemaking process [http://saveepaalums.info/Resistance+Guide] can help you be part of the solution.

Thank you for your support and commitment during the past 3.5 years.  While the Trump assaults were unending, they were also frequently unsuccessful, and that was due in large part to public outrage.  Keep it up!  Although EPA will be in much better hands with a Biden administration, there is always a need for an informed and engaged public.

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