Global Climate Summit in NYC in Sept. | The world's largest demonstration yet about climate change
Dear friends of the Planet
The Climate Summit in New York this September is turning into a very big deal.
Last week US President Barack Obama and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping both announced they’ll be traveling to New York at the invitation of Ban Ki-moon to talk about global warming. That’s good -- we need them talking. And doubtless they’ll be expressing deep concern for future generations.
But frankly we need much more than talk. Five years ago the failed Copenhagen climate talks dramatically reduced the planet’s chances of ever dealing with climate change. Now, as global temperatures set new records each month, as 'irremediable' melt gets underway on the great ice sheets of the Antarctic, as climate disasters pummel communities around the world we need much more than words.
So we're coming in the tens of thousands to New York to demand more than just talk from our leaders. On Sunday, September 21 we'll come together for the People's Climate March, and walk through the canyons of Manhattan in the world's largest demonstration yet about climate change.
LOCALLY in San Diego:
Sunday, Sept 21: SanDiego350 will hold our local version of the People's Climate March in conjunction with the huge event in New York. Special website coming soon. Over 20 organizations have endorsed this event, which will feature amazing speakers, including San Diego Council President Todd Gloria and Secretary / Treasurer of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO RIchard Barrera. We'll gather at 12:30pm at City Hall, march to the new County Administration Park for a rally that will end by 4pm. Email volunteer@sandiego350.org if you can help with this big project.
If you can join us in New York for this historic moment, click here to sign up.
The movement converging in New York will be multi-faceted, but our core message will be simple: the time for mere speech-making on global warming is past, and the time for action is at hand. If that's a message you feel comfortable spreading, we need you there.
September needs to be historic because there hasn’t been a social movement in the history of the United States that has succeeded without putting massive numbers of people in the streets. As a climate movement, we've been arrested fighting to stop dirty fossil fuel projects, organized coordinated days of action with events around the world, and have supported the groundswell of fossil fuel divestment campaigns on campuses and in communities everywhere.
But sometimes we need to show up in force, all together, and let the world see the power and beauty of the movement. This is our chance: with President Obama and other world leaders attending the summit, the global spotlight will be on New York City. And the climate movement is bigger and more diverse than ever: we're working with a coalition of over 600 groups ranging from environmental justice organizations to large labor unions, and we're finding strength and hope in these new alliances.
This march will be absolutely critical: world leaders must walk away from New York having seen the strongest public demand for climate action in the history of the planet and knowing that we expect them to take bold action to deal with climate change.
So thank you -- I know it’s no easy thing to take a weekend out of your life and make this kind of trip. But it matters. So sign up here.
See you in September,
Jamie for the whole team at 350.org
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