FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2024
CONTACT: Kayla Gaines; kgaines@greennewdealnetwork.org; (202) 709-2762
Green New Deal Network Statement on the One Year Anniversary of the Maui Wildfire Disaster
Washington D.C.— In response to the one year anniversary of the deadly Maui Wildfire, the Green New Deal Network applauds the local common-sense solutions of community leaders to support long-term direct aid and community empowerment, and calls for the remediation and recovery protections still needed, including the importance of implementing preemptive policies that mitigate climate catastrophes.
Kaniela Ing, National Director of the Green New Deal Network and a seventh-generation Kānaka Maoli (indigenous Hawaiian) from Maui, released the following statement:
“It’s been a year since Maui was on fire and we are still facing the devastation of climate disaster, colonial greed, and corporate land management. But our community has risen up to create a new recovery model that addresses our needs neighbor to neighbor and elevates our voices to the highest levels of decision making.
“From Hurricane Beryl in Texas, to more than thirty major fires burning in the Pacific Northwest, unnatural disasters like the one that devastated my home island are becoming more frequent and severe. Our communities are demanding political leaders stop the corporate pollution responsible for our suffering, ramp up the clean energy transition, and center our voices.”
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About the Green New Deal Network:
The Green New Deal Network serves as the central hub for the GND movement, uniting a growing coalition of national groups across various sectors. Over the past four years, the network has built a strong state infrastructure comprising over 600 organizations and millions of members across 23 states. The coalition drives campaigns for transformative investments in climate, care, jobs, and justice. Following the successful advocacy for the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021 and 2022, the network shifted its focus to ensuring these laws deliver tangible benefits to communities most affected by the climate crisis. In 2023, they leveraged these new laws to help pass 13 major state-level climate laws, and are now working on shaping climate policy for the next Congress and President.