EARTH FUTURE ACTION
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We support the urgent call from environmental, labor, and justice organizations demanding immediate action to protect vulnerable communities from extreme heat. With temperatures rising and utility shutoffs leaving families without basic cooling, it's clear that policies must prioritize public health, worker safety, and energy justice.
On June 24, 2025, over 150 advocacy organizations urged
governors, mayors, and members of Congress to take immediate action to protect
vulnerable communities from the growing dangers of extreme heat.
In one letter, 155 groups called on state and local leaders to ban utility
shutoffs during heatwaves, expand access to cooling centers and hydration
stations, and adopt enforceable protections for outdoor workers. A separate
letter from 140 organizations urged Congress to restore utility services for
those already disconnected, increase funding for energy and water assistance
programs, and pass laws to ban shutoffs nationwide.
Signatories include the Center for Biological Diversity, Food & Water Watch,
Sunrise Movement, Climate Justice Alliance, Utility Workers Union of America,
and Friends of the Earth U.S. Both letters emphasize that extreme heat now kills
an estimated 154 people per day in the U.S., with the toll expected to grow as
summers become hotter and longer.
The coalitions also demanded a national OSHA heat safety standard, greater
investment in resilient infrastructure, such as rooftop solar and public water
systems, and policies requiring polluters and utilities—not customers—to absorb
energy debt and costs.
Without bold federal, state, and local action, the groups warn, extreme heat
will continue to be a deadly and unjust crisis for millions of Americans.
State, Federal Officials Urged to Ban Utility Shutoffs, Protect Workers From Deadly Extreme Heat (The Center for Biological Diversity, 6-24-25)
As Heatwave Cooks US, 150+ Groups Urge Leaders to Ban Deadly Utility Shutoffs (Common Dreams, 6-24-25)