(BPT) - USAFacts, a not-for-profit, nonpartisan civic organization founded by former Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, is launching the next set of PSAs in a six-part series — these will focus on energy & the environment, and economy. Since the series aired last month, “Just the Facts with Steve Ballmer” has had more than 16 million views, a testament to the public’s interest in understanding facts during peak election season.
“Voters are yearning for a place where they know what they’re getting is accurate information and reporting, especially ahead of the Presidential debates,” said Steve Ballmer, founder of USAFacts. “We take real government data that underscores important issues that matter to Americans from inflation numbers and housing stats to immigration and healthcare data and present it in a way that helps people understand the actual numbers and issues without the rhetoric.”
USAFacts’ mission is to provide Americans with answers using unbiased facts about our country that are rooted in data. The two new episodes will premiere on NewsNation on Sept. 8 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, featuring key statistics on the economy and the U.S. energy sector and the environment. USAFacts will provide the facts — voters can see the data for themselves and decide what it means for them.
"At USAFacts, we are adding clarity to the conversation by providing unbiased, easy-to-understand facts to inform voters on the topics making headlines during election season,” said Poppy MacDonald, president of USAFacts. “The positive response to our video series speaks to just how many voters are seeking to make sense of partisan dialogue. Our platform empowers voters with the facts to help them decide what’s best for our democracy in November.”
Episodes will be available to stream on the USAFacts YouTube channel.
Key economic stats** include:
**Sources: USAFacts, U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 7/19/24, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, accessed 8/14/24, Bureau of Economic Analysis, accessed 8/13/24
Overall, the proportion of total consumer spending spent on energy is lower today than in the past. Forty years ago, total energy costs accounted for almost 8% of all consumer spending. That's recently dropped to around 4.2%.
Key energy & the environment stats* include:
*Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, accessed 8/12/24, U.S. Energy Information Administration, 7/21/20, U.S. Energy Information Administration, accessed 8/13/24, United States Census Bureau, accessed 8/12/24)
About 73% of America’s greenhouse gasses result from our burning fossil fuels for energy, with the transportation sector being the most significant source of these emissions. Global forces have also created an impact. Russia invading Ukraine, and unrest in Venezuela, reduced the amount of oil that the U.S. imported from both countries.
“Just the Facts” videos launch monthly leading up to Election Day (Nov. 5). Current episodes include Immigration, the National Budget, Energy & the Environment, and the Economy. The last set of PSAs will launch on Oct. 6 and dig into Health and Healthcare, and America by the Numbers.