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Natalie Portman Urges Millennials to Vote

Climate

NextGen Climate released a new video today starring Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman that urges millennials to exercise their vote on behalf of candidates who have concrete plans to address the climate crisis and transition our country to a clean energy economy. Watch here:

The video is backed by a six-figure ad buy and will run in battleground states to engage with millennials and encourage them to turn out and vote on Election Day.

"We already have the tools to stop climate change—not tomorrow, not in 10 years, right now. We can power our country with 100 percent clean energy, creating millions of new jobs, keeping carbon pollution out of our climate," said Portman in the new ad. "It all starts with your vote … I'll see you at the polls on November 8th."

With this new digital video, NextGen Climate is engaging millennials on and off campus to get them to turnout on Election Day. NextGen Climate's #WHYWEVOTE campaign is a series of targeted digital ads to engage millennials—a demographic that has historically been difficult for campaigns to reach—by meeting them where they are: online and on their phones. This campaign complements NextGen Climate's data-driven field program on more than 300 campuses across 13 battleground states.

"The Millennial Generation is a great generation—one that's very passionate about issues that impact their lives, like climate change—and it's critical that millennials make their voices heard at the ballot box this November," said NextGen Climate President Tom Steyer.

"Elections are about choices and this year we have the choice to elect candidates to the White House and Senate who will enact policies to fight climate change and transition to clean energy or we could elect candidates who would take our country backwards and put our health, safety and economy at risk"

NextGen Climate is running the largest campus initiative in the country. On 300 campuses in 13 battleground states, NextGen Climate is registering millennials to vote, educating them about where the candidates stand on key issues and getting them to the polls on Nov. 8 for climate champions.

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Gov. Kasich Admits Renewables Are the Future, So Why Did He Freeze Ohio's Clean Energy Mandate

Politics

At a town hall event in New Hampshire, presidential candidate John Kasich paid lip service to growing a clean energy economy, despite having hindered the growth of Ohio's wind, solar and other renewable energy industries.

It’s no surprise he’s talking about the importance of clean energy on the campaign trail—thousands of voters in Iowa and New Hampshire have committed to voting on clean energy and a growing number of Ohioans are doing the same. It’s time for Gov. Kasich to start leading by example and support clean energy at home, not just touting empty rhetoric on the campaign trail.

“In Ohio, we are going to have development of solar and wind,” Gov. Kasich said in New Hampshire. “If the legislature wants to gut it, then I’m going to go back to the goal that we had, which was unpalatable, because I’m not playing around with this.”

On June 13, 2014, Gov. Kasich signed a freeze on clean energy mandates into law. By slowing the growth of clean energy in the state, this bill had far reaching negative consequences to the environment and the economic prosperity of Ohio. The freeze is set to expire at the end of this year and leaders from across the Buckeye State are calling for clean energy solutions.

“As a business owner in Ohio who works in the clean energy sector, I’ve had the rug pulled out from under me by Ohio’s freeze on the renewable energy standards,” Alan Frasz, president of Dovetail Solar and Wind in Cleveland, said. “We were moving toward energy independence in Ohio, but with the dismantling of the renewable energy standards by Gov. Kasich and the legislature, many of those job opportunities have vanished.”

"For the past year, our Ohio legislature has sat back and ignored the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor. They have put a deep freeze on our children's future by neglecting to act on climate change,” Rev. Dr. Tim Aherns of First Congregational Church in Columbus said. “Our state leaders can no longer hide behind political excuses to perpetuate this moral failure. Gov. Kasich must stand firm on his recent recognition that Ohio is ready for renewables. We are counting on him to lead the charge."

According to a recent study released by Policy Matters Ohio and NextGen Climate America, in partnership with Green for All and Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy, Ohio’s 2014 freeze on energy efficiency standards reduced weatherization efforts by 26 percent—costing Ohio families more on their electricity bills, causing more reliance on payment-assistance plans and creating fewer job opportunities in Ohio’s clean energy economy.

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