So you say you want a (clean energy) Revolution?
This summer, all eyes will be on Philadelphia during the Democratic National Convention July 25-28. But before the press and delegates show up, there’s something important the nation (and all those politicians) need to talk about: Fracking and fossil fuels. More specifically, the fact that America’s boom in fracked gas and extreme energy is endangering our health and climate, and slowing down our just transition to a 100 percent clean energy economy.
That’s why Environmental Action is proud to be one of the hundreds of organizations sponsoring the March for a Clean Energy Revolution. Together, our plan is to hold a massive series of teach ins and conferences (in partnership with the always awesome PowerShift) and then march through the streets of Philadelphia the day before the convention (July 24) and take our demands directly to elected leaders at the Democratic National Convention. Together, we will march to call for:
- A ban on fracking and other unconventional extreme fossil fuel extraction methods – we must keep fossil fuels in the ground!
- A halt to the rapid and reckless expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure including gas and oil pipelines, frack sand mining, wastewater injection wells, gas storage facilities, fossil fuel power plants, bomb trains, and other dirty infrastructure across the United States.
- A ban on the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG), a halt to the approval of export facilities, and reestablishing the ban on crude oil exports.
- Swift action to invest in solar, wind and other clean energy power sources and energy efficiency measures across the United States so that we can transition quickly to a 100 percent renewable energy economy.
- A just transition for workers who are employed by the fossil fuel industry, and policies to ensure that the new renewable energy economy provides living wage jobs and benefits communities across the country.
The presence of the Convention in Philadelphia is a key opportunity for our movement: Over the past decade, Pennsylvania has been hit harder than almost any state by the impacts of fracking. Pennsylvanians have been sickened; water, air and land have been polluted and poisoned. Philadelphia itself faces a dire threat from environmental injustice, including a massive oil refinery that many of us showed up to protest during the Break Free actions.
So Philly is a perfect stage for our demands to break free from fossil fuels, and fracking in particular. And the presence of the Convention gives us a platform big enough for our largest global challenge: climate change. Now. more than ever, it’s imperative that our political leaders take swift action to keep at least 80 percent of fossil fuels in the ground and finance a just transition to 100 percent clean energy by 2050.
Hundreds of organizations have joined Americans Against Fracking to endorse the March for a Clean Energy Revolution. But to deliver the change we need, we need everyone to show up and sign on to support this ambitious call to action on the eve of the Democratic National Convention. If you can make it, I hope you’ll join us in Philly this July – housing and ride-shares are available, and we’re working hard to make sure everyone who wants to attend has the chance.