350 Wenatchee Climate Conversations NCW

Friends,

I hope this email finds you safe and healthy in these troubling times.

The coronavirus has laid bare the brutality and injustice of our current economic system. Millions of people have lost their jobs, are no longer able to pay their rent, student loans, credit card bills, utilities, or healthcare costs. Now when we need it most, we find our social safety net in tatters, torn apart by corporations and right-wing politicians.

Normally, in response to a crisis we take to the streets — marching, holding rallies, planning actions, and so much more. We can’t do that now, but we can still still organize to win.

Together with our 90 partners we’re taking the 3 days of action celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day online to launch Earth Day Live. 

On April 22-24, millions of people around the world are going online for a three-day mobilization to stop the climate emergency. Activists, performers, influencers, and thought leaders are coming together to host a 3-day digital event full of teach-ins, performances, and more.

You can find out more on the website, but there are two more links that you should look at:

• The submission form for content for the national live stream — To create the best live stream possible we need your help to curate powerful sessions and programming. This can be anything from musical performances to speeches, to trainings, to panel discussions; let creativity be your guide.

• The host form for local live streams — In moving from offline action to online live stream it’s important we don’t lose the centrality of building the local power we need to win. That’s why we’re asking local organizers across the US to join us in putting together live stream events to provide community and purpose to people during this difficult and uncertain time. We’ll feature and direct people to local live streams throughout the three days.

Right now, fossil fuel companies are elbowing to be first in line for corporate handouts and tax breaks. Last night, the EPA dropped all its environmental and safety requirements with no restrictions around duration. Now, the coal industry is arguing it should no longer have to pay into a Black Lung fund that provides healthcare for 25,000 sick miners.

It doesn’t have to be this way. The coronavirus has turned off the global economy. Now is our chance to change the system before we turn it back on. We know that even before the coronavirus crisis, financial institutions were driving us straight off a cliff. Instead of just giving them back the keys we need to take control of the economy and steer it in a new direction.

We’ll have more details about Earth Day Live over the coming weeks, but for now, take a look at the submission form for the national live stream as well as the sign up to host a local live stream. And if you have any questions, let us know.

The global crisis we face right now is terrifying, but our best hope in moments like these is to work together. Let’s reimagine what a social movement can look like in the digital age.

Onward,
The Stop the Money Pipeline Coalition

P.S. Earth Day Live has already gotten traction in the press, with articles in the Washington Post, New York Times, and more. Check it out!