Climate change will bring Nevada new challenges. Over 70,000 Nevadans are especially vulnerable to extreme heat, and climate change threatens to raise the number of extreme heat days from 20 per year to 30 per year by 2050. That’s dangerous. In 2018 alone, 74 Nevadans died due to extreme weather. Over a million acres burned in wildfires in 2018, and weather or wildfire events linked to climate change that caused more than a billion dollars of damage affected Nevada on 9 different occasions in the past decade — putting our people, our economy, and our beloved public lands at risk. Check out the personal stories of Nevadans already affected by climate change and some working in the clean energy economy.
For Nevadans of color, who make up over 40% of the state’s population, climate change is even deadlier. Communities of color are more likely to live in neighborhoods with dirtier air and higher temperatures. Latinx and Black children are more likely to die from asthma complications. Yet communities of color are less likely to contribute to the environmental pollution that exacerbates climate change.
Nevada has shown that clean energy creates jobs and supports economic growth. As of 2018, there were 11,155 energy efficiency jobs in Nevada, 6,680 solar jobs, and over 500 wind jobs. Nevada can lead the way to a clean energy economy.
Already, Nevada has been leading on climate action. In 2019 alone, Governor Sisolak signed legislation raising the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard to 50% by 2030, joined the U.S. Climate Alliance’s goal of significantly reducing carbon pollution, and committed to investing in electric school buses and other forms of clean transportation. But Nevada cannot achieve its goals to tackle climate change without bold federal leadership.
The 2020 presidential election represents the last, best chance for the U.S. to confront the climate crisis. Nevadans overwhelmingly believe climate change is a serious problem and want candidates to take climate action.
Change the Climate 2020, a project of the League of Conservation Voters, aims to make sure the presidential primary candidates make climate change a top priority.