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The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Roberto Juarez, roberto.juarez@350.org, (301) 693-5357

Dani Heffernan, dani@350.org, (305) 992-1544

100+ Sit-In at Senator Schumer's office, Demanding Support for Green New Deal

Young people delivered thousands of petitions urging Senate Democrats to support bold climate action

WASHINGTON

Today, more than 100 young people joined a sit-in at Senator Chuck Schumer's office on Capitol Hill. The group delivered thousands of petition signatures to the Senate Minority Leader's office, demanding that Senate Democrats support a Green New Deal. The action took place amidst the government shutdown as the Trump administration attempts to force congressional support for a border wall. The crowd at today's action urged the Senate to stand against hatred and xenophobia, and support legislation for a just and equitable transition off of fossil fuels that puts millions of people to work building a 100% renewable energy economy.

"A Green New Deal is a chance to bring a just and equitable vision for climate policy to the forefront, something every progressive member of Congress should be fighting for," said Jordan Williams, a climate justice activist with 350 DC. "It's time for Democrats to be bold -- to resist Trump's xenophobic border wall distractions and support investment in the transition to a 100% renewable energy economy that serves all. That's where billions of dollars should go. With the window for action to prevent catastrophic climate change quickly closing, we must act now on the large-scale changes needed to to bring justice to our communities and ensure a healthy and livable planet for future generations."

According to the UN's recent IPCC report, there is little more than a decade to prevent devastating impacts of the climate crisis. For too long, fossil fuel executives and the politicians they bankroll actively sowed doubt among the public about climate change to protect their power and profits. All the while, Indigenous peoples, communities of color, and low-income families around the world have suffered some of the worst impacts of pollution and the climate crisis. A Green New Deal could phase out oil, coal, and gas while investing in a just transition that centers racial and economic justice and provides family-supporting jobs--especially to the workers and communities left behind by the fossil fuel industry.

Starting late last year, support for a Green New Deal has grown rapidly. Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hosted a town hall on the policy initiative in December. Since then, at least 45 members of Congress and hundreds of grassroots organizations have endorsed the proposal of a Green New Deal, with many offering ideas to inform the creation of bold climate legislation. Momentum will continue to build as communities call on public officials at all levels to stand against the undue influence of fossil fuel executives on government and support a Green New Deal that serves all.

350 is building a future that's just, prosperous, equitable and safe from the effects of the climate crisis. We're an international movement of ordinary people working to end the age of fossil fuels and build a world of community-led renewable energy for all.