SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Protesters march during an environmental justice rally in San Francisco on September 8, 2018.
(Photo: Sunshine Velasco/Survival Media Agency)
Indigenous and Progressive Activists and Lawmakers Plan Rally at DNC to Push Biden in Greener Direction
Organizers are calling for "a corporate-free Cabinet and administration staffed with personnel committed to addressing the climate threat, as well as following through on promises made during the campaign."
Nov 17, 2020
In a show of progressive power and solidarity that organizers hope will make President-elect Joe Biden take notice--and take action--a coalition of frontline Indigenous activists, union organizers, climate campaigners, and progressive lawmakers including members of the expanded Squad will hold a rally Thursday at Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C.
"[This] rally is a culmination of intensive and sustained organizing by labor, racial justice, environmental, Indigenous, and other groups to address racial injustice, the climate crisis, and economic justice in this moment of overlapping crises."
--Indigenous Environmental Network
Scheduled speakers for the event include Ta'Sina Smith of the Cheyenne River Grassroots Collective, as well as U.S. Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Representative-elect Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.). All of the lawmakers are staunch supporters of the Green New Deal.
Keya Chatterjee of U.S. Climate Action Network, John Henry Williams of the Sunrise Movement, Margaret Kwateng of Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, and Jess Morales Rocketto of Care In Action are also set to address the socially-distanced rally.
A broad range of progressive organizations including Black Lives Matter Philadelphia, Center for Justice and Accountability, Climate Justice Alliance, Greenpeace, Indigenous Enironmental Network, Indivisible, Pueblo Action Alliance, and the Working Families Party plan to participate in the event.
Indigenous Environmental Network said in a statement that the event is a "bold action to address the interconnected crises of the [Covid-19] pandemic and the economic and climate threats facing our communities."
"This includes a corporate-free Cabinet and administration staffed with personnel committed to addressing the climate threat, as well as following through on promises made during the campaign," the organizers said.
"[This] rally is a culmination of intensive and sustained organizing by labor, racial justice, environmental, Indigenous, and other groups to address racial injustice, the climate crisis, and economic justice in this moment of overlapping crises," they added.
On Tuesday, Greenpeace USA released its Just Recovery Agenda, which is packed with more than 100 policy recommendations for the Biden administration and the new Congress in service of prioritizing environmental and social needs over corporate greed.
While campaigning for president, Biden unveiled an ambitious $2 trillion plan to address the climate emergency that was lauded by green and progressive groups. However, critics say the former vice president--who repeatedly stressed he would not ban fracking--is off to a less than auspicious start, as he has staffed his incoming administration with or considered hiring fossil fuel-friendly figures including Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) and former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.
"Biden ran on a promise to act decisively to combat the climate crisis, signed a pledge not to let his campaign be unduly influenced by fossil fuel corporations or their money, and said leaders of fossil fuel companies would not be involved in his transition," Sunrise Movement executive director Varshini Prakash said of the president-elect's choice of Richmond--who has taken more donations from the fossil fuel industry during his congressional career than nearly any other Democrat. Richmond's hire, Prakash added, felt like "a betrayal."
Environmentalists are also alarmed that Biden is considering former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota for agriculture secretary.
"Heitkamp is the wrong choice for the USDA because she has aligned herself with corporate agribusiness at the expense of family farmers, supports fossil fuel interests, and holds views that are out of step with the Democratic Party and the majority of Americans," Friends of the Earth said in opposition to her possible appointment.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. 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. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
usdademocratic national committeedncindigenous environmental networkindigenoussunrise movementclimate justice allianceilhan omargreenpeaceelection 2020jamaal bowmanblack lives matterro khannagreen new dealalexandria ocasio-cortezjoe biden
In a show of progressive power and solidarity that organizers hope will make President-elect Joe Biden take notice--and take action--a coalition of frontline Indigenous activists, union organizers, climate campaigners, and progressive lawmakers including members of the expanded Squad will hold a rally Thursday at Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C.
"[This] rally is a culmination of intensive and sustained organizing by labor, racial justice, environmental, Indigenous, and other groups to address racial injustice, the climate crisis, and economic justice in this moment of overlapping crises."
--Indigenous Environmental Network
Scheduled speakers for the event include Ta'Sina Smith of the Cheyenne River Grassroots Collective, as well as U.S. Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Representative-elect Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.). All of the lawmakers are staunch supporters of the Green New Deal.
Keya Chatterjee of U.S. Climate Action Network, John Henry Williams of the Sunrise Movement, Margaret Kwateng of Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, and Jess Morales Rocketto of Care In Action are also set to address the socially-distanced rally.
A broad range of progressive organizations including Black Lives Matter Philadelphia, Center for Justice and Accountability, Climate Justice Alliance, Greenpeace, Indigenous Enironmental Network, Indivisible, Pueblo Action Alliance, and the Working Families Party plan to participate in the event.
Indigenous Environmental Network said in a statement that the event is a "bold action to address the interconnected crises of the [Covid-19] pandemic and the economic and climate threats facing our communities."
"This includes a corporate-free Cabinet and administration staffed with personnel committed to addressing the climate threat, as well as following through on promises made during the campaign," the organizers said.
"[This] rally is a culmination of intensive and sustained organizing by labor, racial justice, environmental, Indigenous, and other groups to address racial injustice, the climate crisis, and economic justice in this moment of overlapping crises," they added.
On Tuesday, Greenpeace USA released its Just Recovery Agenda, which is packed with more than 100 policy recommendations for the Biden administration and the new Congress in service of prioritizing environmental and social needs over corporate greed.
While campaigning for president, Biden unveiled an ambitious $2 trillion plan to address the climate emergency that was lauded by green and progressive groups. However, critics say the former vice president--who repeatedly stressed he would not ban fracking--is off to a less than auspicious start, as he has staffed his incoming administration with or considered hiring fossil fuel-friendly figures including Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) and former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.
"Biden ran on a promise to act decisively to combat the climate crisis, signed a pledge not to let his campaign be unduly influenced by fossil fuel corporations or their money, and said leaders of fossil fuel companies would not be involved in his transition," Sunrise Movement executive director Varshini Prakash said of the president-elect's choice of Richmond--who has taken more donations from the fossil fuel industry during his congressional career than nearly any other Democrat. Richmond's hire, Prakash added, felt like "a betrayal."
Environmentalists are also alarmed that Biden is considering former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota for agriculture secretary.
"Heitkamp is the wrong choice for the USDA because she has aligned herself with corporate agribusiness at the expense of family farmers, supports fossil fuel interests, and holds views that are out of step with the Democratic Party and the majority of Americans," Friends of the Earth said in opposition to her possible appointment.
In a show of progressive power and solidarity that organizers hope will make President-elect Joe Biden take notice--and take action--a coalition of frontline Indigenous activists, union organizers, climate campaigners, and progressive lawmakers including members of the expanded Squad will hold a rally Thursday at Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C.
"[This] rally is a culmination of intensive and sustained organizing by labor, racial justice, environmental, Indigenous, and other groups to address racial injustice, the climate crisis, and economic justice in this moment of overlapping crises."
--Indigenous Environmental Network
Scheduled speakers for the event include Ta'Sina Smith of the Cheyenne River Grassroots Collective, as well as U.S. Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Representative-elect Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.). All of the lawmakers are staunch supporters of the Green New Deal.
Keya Chatterjee of U.S. Climate Action Network, John Henry Williams of the Sunrise Movement, Margaret Kwateng of Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, and Jess Morales Rocketto of Care In Action are also set to address the socially-distanced rally.
A broad range of progressive organizations including Black Lives Matter Philadelphia, Center for Justice and Accountability, Climate Justice Alliance, Greenpeace, Indigenous Enironmental Network, Indivisible, Pueblo Action Alliance, and the Working Families Party plan to participate in the event.
Indigenous Environmental Network said in a statement that the event is a "bold action to address the interconnected crises of the [Covid-19] pandemic and the economic and climate threats facing our communities."
"This includes a corporate-free Cabinet and administration staffed with personnel committed to addressing the climate threat, as well as following through on promises made during the campaign," the organizers said.
"[This] rally is a culmination of intensive and sustained organizing by labor, racial justice, environmental, Indigenous, and other groups to address racial injustice, the climate crisis, and economic justice in this moment of overlapping crises," they added.
On Tuesday, Greenpeace USA released its Just Recovery Agenda, which is packed with more than 100 policy recommendations for the Biden administration and the new Congress in service of prioritizing environmental and social needs over corporate greed.
While campaigning for president, Biden unveiled an ambitious $2 trillion plan to address the climate emergency that was lauded by green and progressive groups. However, critics say the former vice president--who repeatedly stressed he would not ban fracking--is off to a less than auspicious start, as he has staffed his incoming administration with or considered hiring fossil fuel-friendly figures including Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) and former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.
"Biden ran on a promise to act decisively to combat the climate crisis, signed a pledge not to let his campaign be unduly influenced by fossil fuel corporations or their money, and said leaders of fossil fuel companies would not be involved in his transition," Sunrise Movement executive director Varshini Prakash said of the president-elect's choice of Richmond--who has taken more donations from the fossil fuel industry during his congressional career than nearly any other Democrat. Richmond's hire, Prakash added, felt like "a betrayal."
Environmentalists are also alarmed that Biden is considering former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota for agriculture secretary.
"Heitkamp is the wrong choice for the USDA because she has aligned herself with corporate agribusiness at the expense of family farmers, supports fossil fuel interests, and holds views that are out of step with the Democratic Party and the majority of Americans," Friends of the Earth said in opposition to her possible appointment.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.