
Boeve writes that the global climate justice movement must seize this moment, in which "renewable energy is becoming a revolutionary economic force that could power a just transition away from fossil fuels."
Time for Feeling Powerless in the Face of Climate Chaos Is Over
'This could be a turning point—if we push for it.'
2015 is on track to be the hottest year in recorded history, and this December, hundreds of world governments will meet in Paris to try to strike a global climate agreement. It will be the biggest gathering since 2009, potentially a big deal for our global movement.
"No matter what happens in the negotiating halls, we must build power to hold them accountable to the principles of justice and science."
In Paris, our governments are supposed to agree on a shared target for climate action based on the national plans they have been putting together all year. However, the numbers just don't add up. Everything being discussed will allow too many communities that have polluted the least to be devastated by floods, rising sea levels, and other disasters.
This has the makings of a global failure of ambition--and at a moment when renewable energy is becoming a revolutionary economic force that could power a just transition away from fossil fuels. Click here to join us in telling world leaders to keep fossil fuels underground and finance a just transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050.
Our movement has grown tremendously--and it shows every time a new leader stands up to declare we must keep fossil fuels under ground, or a university, church or pension fund divests from fossil fuels. The problem is the power of the fossil fuel industry.
The Paris negotiations could signal that world governments are serious about keeping fossil fuels in the ground. If they fail, it will embolden the fossil fuel industry and expose more communities to toxic extraction and climate disasters.
The solutions are obvious: we need to stop digging up and burning fossil fuels, start building renewable energy everywhere we can, and ensure communities on the front lines of climate change have the resources they need to respond to the crisis.
This could be a turning point--if we push for it. Click here to join our global call for action to world governments, telling them to commit to keeping at least 80% of fossil fuels underground and financing a just transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050.
The time for feeling powerless in the face of climate chaos is over. No matter what happens in the negotiating halls, we must build power to hold them accountable to the principles of justice and science.
After many months of consultation with our global network, here is the plan for what I call "The Road Through Paris": the plan to grow our movement and hold world leaders accountable to the action we need.
"The solutions are obvious: we need to stop digging up and burning fossil fuels, start building renewable energy everywhere we can, and make sure communities on the front lines of climate change have the resources they need to respond to the crisis."
First, we will launch a global framework in September to grow the movement before and after the Paris talks. On September 10th, Bill McKibben, Naomi Klein, and others will be joined by global movement leaders in New York City to lay out our vision for the road ahead. Then, on September 26th, communities across the globe will hold workshops to plan for the coming months of action. After that, we'll see several months of escalating activity as communities drive the message home that we can't wait for action.
The talks in Paris start on November 30th and run for 2 weeks. But before the talks start, the world will stand together in a weekend of global action, paired with an enormous march in the streets of Paris. During the talks, 350's team on the ground will do their best to help keep you in the loop on the most important developments. And when the talks wrap up, we're planning a big action in Paris on December 12th to ensure the people--not the politicians--have the last word.
But most importantly, we won't stop there. Please mark your calendars for April 2016. That's when we will mobilize in a global wave of action unlike any we've seen before. Not one big march in one city, not a scattering of local actions--but rather a wave of historic national and continent-wide mobilizations targeting the fossil fuel projects that must be kept in the ground and backing the energy solutions that will take their place.
In the 6 years 350.org has been around, this is the most ambitious plan we've ever proposed. But ambition is called for, along with courage, faith in each other, and the readiness to respond when disaster strikes, plans change, or politicians fail to lead.
We are nearer than ever to the changes we've been fighting to see. I hope to see them through with you in the coming months.
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 |
2015 is on track to be the hottest year in recorded history, and this December, hundreds of world governments will meet in Paris to try to strike a global climate agreement. It will be the biggest gathering since 2009, potentially a big deal for our global movement.
"No matter what happens in the negotiating halls, we must build power to hold them accountable to the principles of justice and science."
In Paris, our governments are supposed to agree on a shared target for climate action based on the national plans they have been putting together all year. However, the numbers just don't add up. Everything being discussed will allow too many communities that have polluted the least to be devastated by floods, rising sea levels, and other disasters.
This has the makings of a global failure of ambition--and at a moment when renewable energy is becoming a revolutionary economic force that could power a just transition away from fossil fuels. Click here to join us in telling world leaders to keep fossil fuels underground and finance a just transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050.
Our movement has grown tremendously--and it shows every time a new leader stands up to declare we must keep fossil fuels under ground, or a university, church or pension fund divests from fossil fuels. The problem is the power of the fossil fuel industry.
The Paris negotiations could signal that world governments are serious about keeping fossil fuels in the ground. If they fail, it will embolden the fossil fuel industry and expose more communities to toxic extraction and climate disasters.
The solutions are obvious: we need to stop digging up and burning fossil fuels, start building renewable energy everywhere we can, and ensure communities on the front lines of climate change have the resources they need to respond to the crisis.
This could be a turning point--if we push for it. Click here to join our global call for action to world governments, telling them to commit to keeping at least 80% of fossil fuels underground and financing a just transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050.
The time for feeling powerless in the face of climate chaos is over. No matter what happens in the negotiating halls, we must build power to hold them accountable to the principles of justice and science.
After many months of consultation with our global network, here is the plan for what I call "The Road Through Paris": the plan to grow our movement and hold world leaders accountable to the action we need.
"The solutions are obvious: we need to stop digging up and burning fossil fuels, start building renewable energy everywhere we can, and make sure communities on the front lines of climate change have the resources they need to respond to the crisis."
First, we will launch a global framework in September to grow the movement before and after the Paris talks. On September 10th, Bill McKibben, Naomi Klein, and others will be joined by global movement leaders in New York City to lay out our vision for the road ahead. Then, on September 26th, communities across the globe will hold workshops to plan for the coming months of action. After that, we'll see several months of escalating activity as communities drive the message home that we can't wait for action.
The talks in Paris start on November 30th and run for 2 weeks. But before the talks start, the world will stand together in a weekend of global action, paired with an enormous march in the streets of Paris. During the talks, 350's team on the ground will do their best to help keep you in the loop on the most important developments. And when the talks wrap up, we're planning a big action in Paris on December 12th to ensure the people--not the politicians--have the last word.
But most importantly, we won't stop there. Please mark your calendars for April 2016. That's when we will mobilize in a global wave of action unlike any we've seen before. Not one big march in one city, not a scattering of local actions--but rather a wave of historic national and continent-wide mobilizations targeting the fossil fuel projects that must be kept in the ground and backing the energy solutions that will take their place.
In the 6 years 350.org has been around, this is the most ambitious plan we've ever proposed. But ambition is called for, along with courage, faith in each other, and the readiness to respond when disaster strikes, plans change, or politicians fail to lead.
We are nearer than ever to the changes we've been fighting to see. I hope to see them through with you in the coming months.
2015 is on track to be the hottest year in recorded history, and this December, hundreds of world governments will meet in Paris to try to strike a global climate agreement. It will be the biggest gathering since 2009, potentially a big deal for our global movement.
"No matter what happens in the negotiating halls, we must build power to hold them accountable to the principles of justice and science."
In Paris, our governments are supposed to agree on a shared target for climate action based on the national plans they have been putting together all year. However, the numbers just don't add up. Everything being discussed will allow too many communities that have polluted the least to be devastated by floods, rising sea levels, and other disasters.
This has the makings of a global failure of ambition--and at a moment when renewable energy is becoming a revolutionary economic force that could power a just transition away from fossil fuels. Click here to join us in telling world leaders to keep fossil fuels underground and finance a just transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050.
Our movement has grown tremendously--and it shows every time a new leader stands up to declare we must keep fossil fuels under ground, or a university, church or pension fund divests from fossil fuels. The problem is the power of the fossil fuel industry.
The Paris negotiations could signal that world governments are serious about keeping fossil fuels in the ground. If they fail, it will embolden the fossil fuel industry and expose more communities to toxic extraction and climate disasters.
The solutions are obvious: we need to stop digging up and burning fossil fuels, start building renewable energy everywhere we can, and ensure communities on the front lines of climate change have the resources they need to respond to the crisis.
This could be a turning point--if we push for it. Click here to join our global call for action to world governments, telling them to commit to keeping at least 80% of fossil fuels underground and financing a just transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050.
The time for feeling powerless in the face of climate chaos is over. No matter what happens in the negotiating halls, we must build power to hold them accountable to the principles of justice and science.
After many months of consultation with our global network, here is the plan for what I call "The Road Through Paris": the plan to grow our movement and hold world leaders accountable to the action we need.
"The solutions are obvious: we need to stop digging up and burning fossil fuels, start building renewable energy everywhere we can, and make sure communities on the front lines of climate change have the resources they need to respond to the crisis."
First, we will launch a global framework in September to grow the movement before and after the Paris talks. On September 10th, Bill McKibben, Naomi Klein, and others will be joined by global movement leaders in New York City to lay out our vision for the road ahead. Then, on September 26th, communities across the globe will hold workshops to plan for the coming months of action. After that, we'll see several months of escalating activity as communities drive the message home that we can't wait for action.
The talks in Paris start on November 30th and run for 2 weeks. But before the talks start, the world will stand together in a weekend of global action, paired with an enormous march in the streets of Paris. During the talks, 350's team on the ground will do their best to help keep you in the loop on the most important developments. And when the talks wrap up, we're planning a big action in Paris on December 12th to ensure the people--not the politicians--have the last word.
But most importantly, we won't stop there. Please mark your calendars for April 2016. That's when we will mobilize in a global wave of action unlike any we've seen before. Not one big march in one city, not a scattering of local actions--but rather a wave of historic national and continent-wide mobilizations targeting the fossil fuel projects that must be kept in the ground and backing the energy solutions that will take their place.
In the 6 years 350.org has been around, this is the most ambitious plan we've ever proposed. But ambition is called for, along with courage, faith in each other, and the readiness to respond when disaster strikes, plans change, or politicians fail to lead.
We are nearer than ever to the changes we've been fighting to see. I hope to see them through with you in the coming months.