Major Climate Organizations Demand Peace Talks in Ukraine

CODEPINK members hand-delivered a letter today to Congress members on behalf of a coalition of major climate justice organizations. The large nationwide groups have one simple demand for President Biden and Congress - “immediately support a ceasefire and peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.” The letter addresses the need for Biden to use his power to leverage diplomacy and peace talks between Russia and Ukraine based on climate justice reasons alone.

Major national organizations signed on include Amazon Watch, Rainforest Action Network, Extinction Rebellion US, 198 Methods, and Beyond Extreme Energy. They are joined by regional organizations/chapters such as Extinction Rebellion DC, Extinction Rebellion San Francisco, Veterans for Peace Chapters 113 Hawaii and 106 North Texas, Waco Friends of the Climate, and North Alabama Peace Network. In total, nearly 50 groups are included as signatories.

The coalition focuses on the ecological devastation of war and militarism on the climate during an era when we are running out of time to address and reverse the collapse of a sustainable environment for future generations. The letter outlines a few points including the exponential increases in greenhouse gas emissions from rocket attacks and explosions and the sabotage of the underwater Nord Stream pipelines that led to the release of 300,000 tons of methane gas into the atmosphere - the largest release of methane gas emissions ever recorded.

It also points to the resumption of filthy coal-fired power generation and U.S. companies increasing their exports of dirty energy to Europe to supplement during the conflict.

During the delivery of the letter to Congressional members, CODEPINK organizer Olivia DiNucci learned that many congressional staffers were unaware of the deadly environmental consequences of militarism and active war.

Despite the efforts of organizations like CODEPINK and the damning report released by Brown University on the Cost of War, few are making the connection between the war industrial complex, the authorization of military aid packages, and our current climate crisis.

“We will continue to educate, organize, and disrupt until not only the connection is made but action is taken to save people and the planet,” said CODEPINK organizer Teddy Ogborn. “War can no longer be a policy option for nations. If any leader of a nation is even remotely serious about protecting the sanctity of life, they would push for a ceasefire and use their influence to establish peace talks.”