Sierra Club endorses Biden for president 

The Sierra Club, one of the nation’s most influential environmental groups, endorsed presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden for president on Monday. 

“We are confident that Joe Biden will be the champion for climate justice that America needs in the White House. As Americans head to the polls in November, our country will be facing crises on multiple fronts, including a climate emergency that disproportionately harms communities of color,” Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune said in a statement. 

The club’s preference for Biden over President Trump is not a surprise, as the organization has sued the current administration over numerous issues including the border wall, power plant regulations and vehicle emission standards. Other major green groups such as the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund have already backed the former vice president.

“No president has been worse for our environment or our nation’s public health than Donald Trump. He has sold off our public lands to corporate polluters, waged unprecedented attacks on environmental protections, and prioritized the desires of fossil fuel company executives over the best interests of the American people at every turn,” Brune’s statement said. 

Biden has recently made overtures to environmentalists, including those in the more progressive wing of the party, by expanding his climate platform. 

Last month, he unveiled a new $2 trillion climate and infrastructure proposal that includes making electricity generation carbon free by 2035. 

But not every environmentalist was entirely satisfied, with progressive Sunrise Movement co-founder Varshini Prakash recently telling The Washington Post that the organization will campaign for Biden but will stop short of a formal endorsement. 

Prakash was a member of a unity climate task force created by Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) that recommended that Biden adopt the 2035 carbon-free power goal among other measures.