Tomorrow, Sept 8th, is Rise for Climate day.
The weekend of 8-9 Sept will see people all around the world getting together to hold events under the banner of Rise for Climate. This is grassroots movement seeking a fossil fuel free world.
Is there an event near me?
Probably yes. There are over 600 events taking place in over 80 countries. You can go to the official website and see if there is anything happening near you.
What exactly are people asking for?
The threat posed by Climate Change is real and yet we are simply not doing enough. As explained on RiseForClimate …
The bar for real climate leadership is simple: public, actionable commitments to a fast and fair transition to a fossil free world, powered by 100% renewable energy for all.
We can’t keep powering our lives with dirty fuels from the last century. It’s time to repower our communities with clean, renewable energy from the sun, earth, wind and water.
We need every local government and institution to commit to building 100% renewable energy and stopping new dirty energy projects in their community. Anything less than that is out of line with what science and justice demand.
Why 8th Sept?
On 12th September the Global Climate Action Summit starts. It is a gathering of mayors & local governments, business and civil society in San Francisco on 12-14 September 2018. The Rise For Climate movement is to demonstrate to those participants that there is a real desire amongst those that elected them to step up to the mark and make commitments for meaningful actions.
Who is behind this movement?
Clearly it is global. You can find a listing of all the groups that are participating – It is a very large list.
Why does this matter?
Thanu Yakupitiyage from 350.org spells out why we all must take action right now for the climate and each other …
“National governments are still falling short on their commitments on climate action — they’re still investing in fossil fuels.
That’s why we’re intensifying our calls for elected officials to act.
We need bold climate action now.”
What is happening?
Events small and large on a global scale.
Here are a few highlights …
North America
- In the United States hundreds of actions are planned under the banner Rise for Climate, Jobs, and Justice with large actions focussed in several states with pivotal midterm elections this November but the flagship march will be taking place in California. Tens of thousands of people will take to the streets in San Francisco in a highly visual event, including the world’s largest ever street mural, to represent diverse communities on the frontlines of climate change – people suffering escalating climate impacts like severe flooding and people suffering the ongoing impacts of fossil fuel extraction like water pollution.
- In Canada more than 20 actions will take place to boost local opposition to the Kinder Morgan Pipeline that poses a direct threat to indigenous, farming and rural communities across the country.
Latin America
- In Peru indigenous peoples, the Iquitos, will join in a public celebration of Mother Earth and reflect their stories of displacement and dispossession at the hands of the fossil fuel industry.
- In Colombia cycling events will be followed by public festivals and public art displays to celebrate reforestation, oppose fracking, and promote renewable energy, while in Brazil activists will be working with the Mayor of Curitiba city to build on the city’s new fracking ban by committing to become Brazil’s first zero-carbon city.
Africa
- Regional climate summits, accompanied by public artworks, will take place in countries regularly exposed to climate impacts: South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal. Local decision-makers will attend these events along with frontline communities in order to discuss plans for leading the way in the just transition to fair and equitable energy systems for all.
- There will be many decentralised actions across the continent including events calling on churches to divest from fossil fuels and encouraging schools to lead on deploying distributed renewable energy.
Europe
- In France actions will focus on putting pressure on town halls as communities in areas that are experiencing climate impacts like sea level rise and flooding will rally together against the fossil fuel industry and proposed dirty energy projects like the MidCat pipeline. In Turkey there is also going to be a focus on local governments as community members raise the pressure on three municipalities to commit to 100% renewable energy for all.
- Distributed actions will take place across Germany in an effort to boost support for the national phase-out of coal with others demanding that the national pension fund and Archdiocese divest.
- In Portugal a large march will take place to promote climate jobs and a just transition to 100% renewable as the country’s largest trade union continues to strengthen its relationship with the climate movement. And in Ukraine a large power-shift event, also supporting 100% renewable energy, will reflect the creative use of public spaces in the region by incorporating colourful street-paintings and murals.
Asia
- Women will lead the way in Thailand and The Philippines with a series of marches taking aim at massive coal projects in the region, while in Manilla groups also standing up against destructive fossil fuels will deliver one of the world’s first virtual marches. People will have holograms of themselves projected in places that a regular march might never reach.
- In Nepal communities living in the shadow of Mount Everest will take part in events to share their experiences of climate change melting glaciers and damaging the fragile ecosystems that they rely on to survive. While in Indonesia an interfaith dialogue will take place to call for 100% renewable energy.
- In Thailand a march will take place in Bangkok, outside the venue as national government representatives meet at the UN Climate Change Conference, to bring the message from tens of thousands around the world taking part in Rise for Climate to the negotiators.
Australia and Pacific
- Across the Pacific Island Nations where climate impacts threaten the existence of entire communities and cultures, people across 15 nations will be petitioning their places of worship and faith institutions to commit to 100% renewable energy and demonstrate climate leadership on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
- In Australia images will be projected onto the sails of a ship crossing the iconic Sydney harbour to promote more than 40 Rise for Climate actions across the country targeting town halls, universities, and banks as well as a summit to promote non-federal government institutions divesting from fossil fuels.
Further Details
All here on the Rise For Climate website.