350 Wenatchee Climate Conversations NCW

Dear Jeanne,

In our last edition, we hinted there would be more Fossil Free commitments coming, including ones that go beyond divestment. Well, we were right. Prominent cultural institutions are breaking their partnerships with the fossil fuel industry too, and with a bold move to pass a 100% clean energy bill in California, we’re seeing real momentum develop. All hot on the heels of breaking news this week that approval was overturned for the Kinder Morgan tar sands pipeline in Canada! 

These wins don’t just come out of nowhere. People like you are getting involved and driving forward local campaigns. Just one week from now, a huge coordinated day of action called Rise for Climate will spark even more new commitments around the planet. But what might even be more important is what comes after September 8th – I hope you’ll ride the rising wave of momentum with us.

Stay tuned,

Nicole

The world’s 5th biggest economy has taken a big step forward on clean energy. California’s legislature voted yes this week on SB 100, a bill to achieve a 100% clean energy electrical grid by 2045. Now it’s up to California Governor Jerry Brown to sign it into law – and then go even further by ending all fossil fuel extraction. The pressure is on as San Francisco’s Global Climate Action Summit approaches 12-14th September. 

We’re seeing even more local level change, too: the city of Spokane, Washington legally bound itself to 100% renewable electricity generation by 2030, while the state’s capital, Olympia, passed a non-binding motion for the whole state to divest from fossil fuels.

After some amazing campaigning from Fossil Free Culture NL, Amsterdam’siconic Van Gogh museum announced last weekend that it has dropped its partnership with Shell. This created a chain reaction in the Netherlands, with the Mauritshuis Art Museum and Museon Science Museum, both in the Hague, also breaking ties with climate wrecking sponsors. Fossil Free Culture NL stated, “We believe an ethical tipping point in sponsorship norms has been reached in the Dutch cultural sector,” but they’re keeping up the pressure to make sure it’s completely Fossil Free. 

With just one week to go, #RiseforClimate stories have been pouring in from all over the world about communities’ plans to Rise for Climate and a Fossil Free world on September 8. In the Pacific, Climate Warriors are combining their resilience with the legacy of their ancestors, to provide climate leadership and protect their homes and culture. Read about a recent emotional trip to the construction site of Ta Reo Vanuatu, “the Voice of Vanuatu.”

In Vietnam, 30 young people joined a climate leadership camp (VCLC) where they made bold plans for Rise for Climate and how to keep building the climate movement in their country. The youth camp took place in Binh Thuan Province, which is home to some of the country’s dirtiest coal plants but also its burgeoning wind farms. It was an eye opening moment for many of the young attendees from rural communities. Every young person made a commitment to take action against Vietnam’s plans to keep expanding coal capacity and pursue a Fossil Free Vietnam.

“It has helped me realize no matter who you are, where you are from, what your background, as long as you care about the environment and commit to take action, you’ll create an impact that this world needs to solve its current crisis”,  said Trinh Nguyen from Khanh Hoa Province.

“I’ve changed the way I think about climate change … I plan to set up [a local group] in Quang Tri, so I can tell more people in my province about climate change and engage them in speaking up for our sustainable future”, said Phuong Pham from Quang Tri Province.

“VCLC has convinced me that community has power to solve their own problems, and now I plan to engage my community in our next campaign RISE”, said Ly Bui from Gia Lai Province.

“I never knew Vietnam is part of the global climate movement. Before VCLC, nobody told me young people from a small village like me can make an impact on such a big issue like climate change”, said Cuong Pham from Binh Dinh Province

You can read the full account here. 

Code Red: Also in the Netherlands, thousands of ordinary people, young and old, came together to blockade operations in Europe’s largest gas field near Groningen on Tuesday for #CodeRood. The region has been suffering earthquakes linked to gas extraction, led by Shell and Exxon. Watch the video, and if you want more, check out the photos from the action (they’re stunning).

Now that we’re just one week away from #RiseforClimate, it’s up to all of us to pull in our friends and family to make sure we send as loud a message as possible to our local leaders. One really simple way to spread the word to people around you is to change your profile picture – just click on the “Try It” button in this post. I’ve done it, and people won’t stop asking me how to get involved!

That’s all for now. I’ll be back in two weeks with another update. Here’s to successful Rise for Climate actions for next weekend, wherever you are in the world. Find your nearest event here if you haven’t RSVP’d yet!