One of the things that makes Third Act distinct among climate groups is our emphasis on democracy and climate or rather our recognition that they’re inseparable. The only way we will achieve the climate goals we aspire to is through democracy—through the ability of ordinary people to participate in deciding their own fate and both the fate of the earth and the generations to come. Our means are democratic.
The very existence of climate change is undemocratic, in that a minority with a vested interest in fossil fuel proliferation has chosen again and again to chase that profit at the cost of destruction to people, places, species, ecosystems—the earth and all life on it. For a long time, corporations like Exxon knew the dangers and chose them without even letting the public know that they were steering us into climate chaos. We had a right to know; they violated that right. Even when the public became aware in the 1990s and after, the industry strove—and strives—to protect its profits rather than the earth, and to do so by overriding the will of the people.
As the climate activist Hop Hopkins once pointed out, you can’t have climate change without inequality, because over and over again the choice has been made to get fossil fuel by sacrificing areas and the people who lived in them, most often poor and nonwhite people. They were and are the people of the Niger Delta, the Ecuadoran Amazon, rural people in the fracked landscapes from the Permian Basin of West Texas to the valleys of Pennsylvania and the coal mines of Kentucky and West Virginia to the refinery-poisoned stretch of Louisiana known as Cancer Alley.
So it is beautiful that we’re using democratic means to democratic ends as we recognize that the climate crisis is also a crisis of democracy, and the democracy crisis is also a factor in the climate crisis.
You’ve been hard at work getting out the vote—making calls, writing postcards, and canvassing to ensure our voices are heard when it matters most. Bill and I are setting out, following your footsteps, on the Silver Wave Tour to rally older voters in key states. This tour is a chance to amplify everything you’ve been doing, connecting our climate and democracy goals in action. Whether you join us in person or continue organizing from where you are, your efforts will drive this movement forward at a most critical time.
Rebecca Solnit
Advisor, Third Act
Six Weeks to Election Day!
Join the next Election Countdown Call
This week’s Election Countdown call will feature some standout work by volunteers that can serve as a model for your own local efforts. Come learn and share strategies for canvassing, endorsements, and GOTV efforts. Let’s keep up the momentum––these next six weeks are crucial.
GrayPAC, our newly launched political action committee, is mobilizing Americans over 60 to elect leaders and support policies for a sustainable and vibrant future for our democracy and climate. In the lead up to November, volunteers are working hard to get out the vote with the flexibility the PAC structure enables. Visit the GrayPAC website for the latest!
Paid for by GrayPAC. Not authorized by any candidates or candidates’ committees. 1110 N Virgil Ave #375 Los Angeles, CA 90029
Third Actors in Action
Anne and Uta, Third Act Maryland, write to voters at a postcard party in Baltimore, MD.
Over 250,000 postcards sent to voters!
Third Act volunteers are proving that taken together, every small action can make a big impact. Third Actors have been hosting lively postcard and letter-writing parties to mobilize voters with hand-written messages. We’ve surpassed our initial goal of 250,000 postcards and are raising the target to 300,000! Postcarding ends in mid-October, when other GOTV tactics take priority, like phonebanking and canvassing. Attend an upcoming postcard party, host your own––or join one of the many, many elections activities organized by Working Groups across the country. There’s a way for everyone to take action, no matter where you are.
12 weeks of sustained non-violent direct action targeting Citibank
Third Actors turned out in force for Summer of Heat, a coalition-led effort to pressure Citibank, and other big banks, to stop funding the expansion of fossil fuels. Over the course of the summer, there were 45 actions in New York City and another 20 organized by Third Act working groups across the country for Elders Week in July. Over 5,000 people participated, and of the 700 arrests, 200 were Third Actors––many protesting and risking arrest for the first time! The momentum is building, read the full report by campaign strategist, Deborah Moore.
The most important thing an individual can do is be less of an individual and join together with others, in movements large enough to change the economic and political ground rules.
Bill’s lifelong dedication to environmental activism has earned him a spot on The Independent’s prestigious Climate 100 List. After hearing one too many times that “it’s up to the younger generations” to solve the climate crisis, Bill recognized that young people alone lack the structural power needed for concrete change. It’s that invitation that brings many of us here to Third Act––to use our wisdom and experience to ensure a safe and healthy planet for generations to come.
Help university students in Wisconsin register to vote! Featuring speakers, community building, and training on how to reach out to new voters. People of all ages welcome—so grab a friend or relative!
This special all-in call takes place ahead of the most important election of our lifetimes. We’ll fine-tune our strategy, share impactful stories, and plan for the world ahead, whatever November brings.
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