
"A climate debate," said Annie Leonard, executive director of Greenpeace, "is our chance to find out who has what it takes to deliver the visionary promise of the Green New Deal and confront the fossil fuel executives standing in the way of progress." (Photo: WPLG/CNN Newsourc/Screenshot)
Amid Demand for Climate Focus, Burning Everglades Offer Fiery Backdrop to First Democratic Primary Debate
"Because subtlety is dead."
Offering an ominous backdrop to the first debates of the Democratic Party primary scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Miami, a wildfire is currently ripping through the Florida everglades--a fiery reminder that the climate crisis is on the minds of many progressive-minded voters even as the party leadership continues its refusal to sponsor a debate focused solely on the planetary emergency.
"We will come together in living rooms, classrooms and halls around the country by the thousands to unleash a social media storm and relentlessly demand the solutions we need." --Sunrise MovementAs Zoya Teirstein, acknowledging the interplay between the wildfires and the first debate of the Democratic primary, wrote for Grist on Monday:
The candidates will engage in what is sure to be a heated conversation about issues ranging from gun control to abortion rights. As all eyes turn to Miami, another fiery event is developing nearby.
Seventeen thousand acres and counting of public lands are aflame in the Florida Everglades, thanks to a brush fire sparked by an errant lightning bolt on Sunday night. Smoke from the fire has floated over the cities of Coral Springs and Parkland, prompting officials to send out advisories warning residents to stay inside.
Courtesy of Earther senior reported Brian L. Kahn, this is what some of that fire looks like:
\u201cIt's two days before the Democratic debates in Miami where climate change is likely to be a big topic and as if on cue, there's a 17,000 acre wildfire in the Everglades https://t.co/Ng2GYMYGaZ\u201d— Brian Kahn (@Brian Kahn) 1561411867
On Tuesday, as Common Dreams reported, a coalition of progressive advocacy groups and leading environmentalists published an open letter urging Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez to reverse his decision and devote at least one night to the planetary emergency.
"A climate debate," said Annie Leonard, executive director of Greenpeace, "is our chance to find out who has what it takes to deliver the visionary promise of the Green New Deal and confront the fossil fuel executives standing in the way of progress."
\u201cThe #DemocraticDebate will take place in two days in Miami. The DNC recently announced it will not host a climate-themed debate. And then yesterday, a lightning bolt sparked a massive fire miles from Miami, because subtlety is dead. https://t.co/d7hFp0YLRj\u201d— Zoya Teirstein (@Zoya Teirstein) 1561418960
The Sunrise Movement, meanwhile, which has been leading the charge for the Democrats to host a climate debate, announced Tuesday that while the push has already increased pressure on candidates to address the crisis, so much more is needed.
As part of its ongoing strategy to force the issue, the group will hold debate watching parties nationwide on Thursday alongside plans to flood social media with climate questions for the candidates.
"We will come together in living rooms, classrooms and halls around the country by the thousands to unleash a social media storm and relentlessly demand the solutions we need," the group said.
Find a watch party near you here, or register to create your own here.
In a strategy message to Sunrise members sent on Monday, executive director Varshini Prakash said that the scale of the climate crisis demands an unprecedented response.
"We need massive mobilization," Prakash wrote, "and disruption in every corner of the country unlike anything we've seen in our lifetimes: millions of people walking out of school, shutting down government offices, and taking to the streets to tell our leaders: this is a crisis, our lives are on the line, it's time you start acting like it."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. The final deadline for our crucial Summer Campaign fundraising drive is just days away, and we’re falling short of our must-hit goal. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Offering an ominous backdrop to the first debates of the Democratic Party primary scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Miami, a wildfire is currently ripping through the Florida everglades--a fiery reminder that the climate crisis is on the minds of many progressive-minded voters even as the party leadership continues its refusal to sponsor a debate focused solely on the planetary emergency.
"We will come together in living rooms, classrooms and halls around the country by the thousands to unleash a social media storm and relentlessly demand the solutions we need." --Sunrise MovementAs Zoya Teirstein, acknowledging the interplay between the wildfires and the first debate of the Democratic primary, wrote for Grist on Monday:
The candidates will engage in what is sure to be a heated conversation about issues ranging from gun control to abortion rights. As all eyes turn to Miami, another fiery event is developing nearby.
Seventeen thousand acres and counting of public lands are aflame in the Florida Everglades, thanks to a brush fire sparked by an errant lightning bolt on Sunday night. Smoke from the fire has floated over the cities of Coral Springs and Parkland, prompting officials to send out advisories warning residents to stay inside.
Courtesy of Earther senior reported Brian L. Kahn, this is what some of that fire looks like:
\u201cIt's two days before the Democratic debates in Miami where climate change is likely to be a big topic and as if on cue, there's a 17,000 acre wildfire in the Everglades https://t.co/Ng2GYMYGaZ\u201d— Brian Kahn (@Brian Kahn) 1561411867
On Tuesday, as Common Dreams reported, a coalition of progressive advocacy groups and leading environmentalists published an open letter urging Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez to reverse his decision and devote at least one night to the planetary emergency.
"A climate debate," said Annie Leonard, executive director of Greenpeace, "is our chance to find out who has what it takes to deliver the visionary promise of the Green New Deal and confront the fossil fuel executives standing in the way of progress."
\u201cThe #DemocraticDebate will take place in two days in Miami. The DNC recently announced it will not host a climate-themed debate. And then yesterday, a lightning bolt sparked a massive fire miles from Miami, because subtlety is dead. https://t.co/d7hFp0YLRj\u201d— Zoya Teirstein (@Zoya Teirstein) 1561418960
The Sunrise Movement, meanwhile, which has been leading the charge for the Democrats to host a climate debate, announced Tuesday that while the push has already increased pressure on candidates to address the crisis, so much more is needed.
As part of its ongoing strategy to force the issue, the group will hold debate watching parties nationwide on Thursday alongside plans to flood social media with climate questions for the candidates.
"We will come together in living rooms, classrooms and halls around the country by the thousands to unleash a social media storm and relentlessly demand the solutions we need," the group said.
Find a watch party near you here, or register to create your own here.
In a strategy message to Sunrise members sent on Monday, executive director Varshini Prakash said that the scale of the climate crisis demands an unprecedented response.
"We need massive mobilization," Prakash wrote, "and disruption in every corner of the country unlike anything we've seen in our lifetimes: millions of people walking out of school, shutting down government offices, and taking to the streets to tell our leaders: this is a crisis, our lives are on the line, it's time you start acting like it."
Offering an ominous backdrop to the first debates of the Democratic Party primary scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Miami, a wildfire is currently ripping through the Florida everglades--a fiery reminder that the climate crisis is on the minds of many progressive-minded voters even as the party leadership continues its refusal to sponsor a debate focused solely on the planetary emergency.
"We will come together in living rooms, classrooms and halls around the country by the thousands to unleash a social media storm and relentlessly demand the solutions we need." --Sunrise MovementAs Zoya Teirstein, acknowledging the interplay between the wildfires and the first debate of the Democratic primary, wrote for Grist on Monday:
The candidates will engage in what is sure to be a heated conversation about issues ranging from gun control to abortion rights. As all eyes turn to Miami, another fiery event is developing nearby.
Seventeen thousand acres and counting of public lands are aflame in the Florida Everglades, thanks to a brush fire sparked by an errant lightning bolt on Sunday night. Smoke from the fire has floated over the cities of Coral Springs and Parkland, prompting officials to send out advisories warning residents to stay inside.
Courtesy of Earther senior reported Brian L. Kahn, this is what some of that fire looks like:
\u201cIt's two days before the Democratic debates in Miami where climate change is likely to be a big topic and as if on cue, there's a 17,000 acre wildfire in the Everglades https://t.co/Ng2GYMYGaZ\u201d— Brian Kahn (@Brian Kahn) 1561411867
On Tuesday, as Common Dreams reported, a coalition of progressive advocacy groups and leading environmentalists published an open letter urging Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez to reverse his decision and devote at least one night to the planetary emergency.
"A climate debate," said Annie Leonard, executive director of Greenpeace, "is our chance to find out who has what it takes to deliver the visionary promise of the Green New Deal and confront the fossil fuel executives standing in the way of progress."
\u201cThe #DemocraticDebate will take place in two days in Miami. The DNC recently announced it will not host a climate-themed debate. And then yesterday, a lightning bolt sparked a massive fire miles from Miami, because subtlety is dead. https://t.co/d7hFp0YLRj\u201d— Zoya Teirstein (@Zoya Teirstein) 1561418960
The Sunrise Movement, meanwhile, which has been leading the charge for the Democrats to host a climate debate, announced Tuesday that while the push has already increased pressure on candidates to address the crisis, so much more is needed.
As part of its ongoing strategy to force the issue, the group will hold debate watching parties nationwide on Thursday alongside plans to flood social media with climate questions for the candidates.
"We will come together in living rooms, classrooms and halls around the country by the thousands to unleash a social media storm and relentlessly demand the solutions we need," the group said.
Find a watch party near you here, or register to create your own here.
In a strategy message to Sunrise members sent on Monday, executive director Varshini Prakash said that the scale of the climate crisis demands an unprecedented response.
"We need massive mobilization," Prakash wrote, "and disruption in every corner of the country unlike anything we've seen in our lifetimes: millions of people walking out of school, shutting down government offices, and taking to the streets to tell our leaders: this is a crisis, our lives are on the line, it's time you start acting like it."