PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statewide Contact: Lily Jacobson, 350VT Volunteer Coordinator, [email protected], 831-236-6247
Local 350Vermont groups hold 6 actions across the state to
Rise for Climate, Jobs, and Justice
350Vermont organizers join tens of thousands of people in a global mobilization to showcase real climate leadership and step up pressure on governments ahead of the Global Climate Action Summit in September.
BURLINGTON, VERMONT -- On September 8, Vermonters join actions all over the globe to demonstrate what real climate leadership looks like and challenge governments to accelerate progress towards a just and equitable transition to 100% renewable energy for all while stopping all new fossil fuel projects.
“The evidence of climate change is worldwide: raging wildfires; unprecedented flooding and destruction from hurricanes; historic record temperatures; the rise of invasive bugs and tick-borne diseases; unstoppable ice melt, sea level rise and ocean acidification. We are watching the world as we know it rapidly change and soon it will be too late to do anything. The time to act is now. We have to keep fossil fuels in the ground, support sustainable energy and regenerative agriculture, and invest in resilient infrastructure,” explains Anne D'Olivo of Earth Matters 350VT Manchester.
Here in Vermont, groups in Bennington, Brattleboro, Burlington, Manchester, Montpelier, and Rutland have organized community actions including a water ceremony at the Burlington waterfront, a bike ride in Rutland focused on community climate solutions, a march through Manchester, a picnic along the State House lawn, a night of action in Bennington, and a community bike rally in Brattleboro. Through these actions we are collectively demanding even more from local and national governments in Vermont and across the world at this critical juncture where people’s livelihoods are at stake due to the growing impacts of the climate crisis.
“I believe that local action makes a difference. I believe that organizing in our communities is vital to create the world that we need. This global mobilization is going to be a powerful and heart-filling experience!" reflects 350Brattleboro organizer Daniel Quipp.
This mobilization is part of a larger wave of global mobilizations unfolding this year - together these actions will help to build a groundswell of support for real climate leadership, pile the pressure on national leaders that are falling short of their commitments, and create the right momentum to secure a fast and just transition to an equitable world by 2020.
“When I look back only 10 years when this movement was started, a movement that has international momentum, that's when I see and feel the value of each person's participation since, and how important each voice is, that is what fuels me. It is always the right time to speak up for the planet,” says Candy Jones, Rutland resident and action organizer
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ABOUT 350VERMONT:
350Vermont is a statewide organization in Vermont working to build a grassroots movement to reverse climate change. 350Vermont’s mission is to organize, educate, and support people in Vermont to work together for climate justice – resisting fossil fuels, building momentum for alternatives, and transforming our communities toward justice and resilience. Although we are an affiliated group of 350.org with a similar mission, 350VT is an independent organization, with local campaigns to bring about solutions to climate change, advocate for a carbon pollution tax, and stop any expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure.
For more information, visit: 350vermont.org