It is time for the United States to act in a major way regarding the climate crisis. Currently, much of the American west is in a historic drought, and being ravaged by forest fires. Heatwaves, sometimes record-setting, are hammering both sides of the U.S. Floods continue to inundate parts of the European continent. (For event details & to RSVP, scroll down.)
Photo: Smoke envelops trees as the Sugar Fire, part of the
Beckwourth Complex Fire, burns in Doyle, California on July 9, 2021;
While there's always been extreme weather, scientists now are trying to explain why weather has been dramatically amplified in such a short period of time such that records are being shattered. And the off-the-charts disasters in the U.S. have come at a huge cost to its pandemic-recovering economy. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently reported that "in 2021 (as of July 9), there have been eight weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect the United States." With a crisis seemingly threatening to spin out of control, it is critical that the world's most powerful country take big steps to mitigate a dangerously-warming climate.
Appropriately, this coming November 1st, the most important international climate talks since Paris will begin in Glasgow, Scotland. While government leaders from the U.S. and around the world will gather at the meeting and make new climate commitments, many major corporations will also release their latest plans to reduce climate-pollution emissions. The Glasgow climate talks are a historic opportunity for the world to address the growing climate crisis. When the Paris Climate Accord was signed in December 2015, nearly every nation on earth agreed to meet five years later, and “ratchet up” their climate ambition. We are now at that moment ― and it is vital that the U.S. people hold their nation's governmental and business leaders to their promises.
Towards that, the Stop the Money Pipeline (STMP) coalition has asked its members to organize actions in the time leading-up to the Glasgow talks in which they demand that corporations and the U.S. government enact dramatic measures to mitigate the climate crisis. Climate First! has organized a "bank walk" on Friday, August 13, 2021 which will call on big banks to stop their corporate greenwashing, and end their funding of the climate-wrecking Line 3 pipeline. See below, for details and how to RSVP to this covid-safe event.
For folks who can't attend Climate First!'s bank walk, stay tuned for future actions. In addition, if you haven't heard about it yet, Climate First! is asking folks to sign STMP's petition which requests that U.S. financial institutions and the U.S. government stop funding climate chaos by the start of the Glasgow climate talks.
What: We'll walk to/from some of the above banks, demanding that they stop greenwashing the climate issue, and end their financing of the Line 3 pipeline.
When: Friday, August 13, 2021, 11 am EDT to 1:30 pm, EDT. Join us for one bank or all of them, whatever you have time for!
Who: Climate First!, as part of the Stop the Money Pipeline Coalition (160+ groups across the country), is working to cut-off bank funding of the climate crisis.
Where: "Metro Center" Entrance/Exit, 13th and G Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
Misc.: We ask that all participants in this event wear masks, & abide by CDC pandemic guidelines. Also, we request that only people that have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 attend the action. Please note that we will not be engaging in civil disobedience during the event. Bring a sign or two if you can. Also, bring water & snacks, and dress for the weather. PLEASE RSVP BELOW.
Q's? Contact us at [email protected].