Earth Day LIVE!
I have included information about the 50th anniversary Earth Day Climate Strikes for months. As many of you have probably heard, they have had to adapt and transform the 3-day Earth Day Climate Strikes into a 72-hour, livestream digital strike event — Earth Day Live — happening from April 22 to 24.
As the world has gone digital, so have the strikes. In a time where community and togetherness are needed more than ever, the youth strikers and partners are determined to continue to build up our collective power as a movement.
April 22, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, will kick off a three consecutive day livestream that will bring together celebrities, activists, performers, and thought leaders for an empowering, inspiring, and communal digital experience. The fights against the coronavirus and the climate crisis go hand-in-hand, and as we work to flatten the curve of this pandemic, we must strive toward the longer term goal of building a society rooted in sustainability and justice.
Sign up here to join Earth Day LIVE. Each day at noon will highlight local actions taking place across the U.S.. Sign up here for the local Triangle Earth Day Live at noon on April 22 and sign up here for the local Triangle Stop the Money Pipeline at noon on April 23. Spread the word!
Each of the three days has a theme:
The 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, is a day to demonstrate our collective power and unity through community building and storytelling. Originally a day of mass mobilization, we are leaning into healing and togetherness to provide comfort and inspiration during this time of unknown. As with all three days, we are centering the stories and voices of frontline, Indigenous, and people of color leaders.
On Thursday, April 23, we will target financial institutions across the country. Led by the Stop the Money Pipeline Coalition, this day of action will bring urgent public attention to the fact that banks, insurance companies, and asset managers are complicit in funding, insuring, and investing in the climate crisis, and that stopping this money pipeline is one of the most important ways we can address the climate emergency.
Friday, April 24 is a Day of Political Action and Voter Engagement. We will focus on the urgency of political change through a nationwide youth voter registration day. We need leaders who will address this existential threat. There will be a digital, relational voter registration challenge — seeing which region of the country can register the most voters.
April 7, Climate Solutions for North Carolina
5-7 pm, online, RSVP here State-wide perspectives on NC climate solutions
Accelerating Innovation, Preparing and Protecting Communities, and Reducing GHG Emissions. Wake Forest University will host a virtual panel and dialog on climate solutions for North Carolina. This event is part of Solve Climate by 2030 — webinars across 52 states highlighting state-level climate solutions. Wake Forest University is hosting the webinar for the state of North Carolina.
Support our local, sustainable farmers!
– Carolina Farm Stewardship Association has set up this link where you can find farmers in NC and SC who are offering where to buy local food during this crisis. There are some pick up locations, delivery options, or farm pick ups.
– Lyndon Smith from the yummy Botanist & Barrel and Cedar Grove Blueberry Farm set up this great Triangle Online Farmers Market public Facebook page that includes updates from farmers and others. You don’t have to have an account on Facebook to access this public page!
– Here’s a link to a list of some Triangle home delivery or meet up options.
Several actions to take and videos and articles to inform!
Durham Public Schools provided its final meal distribution on Monday, April 6. These students and many of their families need food. Our homeless population is struggling more than ever to access food. Please consider supporting the new Durham Neighbors Free Lunch Initiativelaunched by Elijah King, one of our speakers at the September and December climate strikes, and other community partners, to provide contact-less free meals, Monday-Friday, through the local restaurant, Geer Street Garden. They will be providing free high-quality meals, made with local ingredients, by workers paid a living wage to anyone who is hungry. Five days a week. Until the need is gone. More information here and the link to support.
One of Bill McKibben’s most powerful articles, writing about the evil oil and gas industry. Big Oil is using the coronavirus pandemic to push through the Keystone XL pipeline
Rural and tribal communities are calling on TC Energy to cancel the Keystone XL Pipeline activity due to coronavirus public health threat. Please take action here on the critical issue and spread the word. #NoKXL
If you’re on Twitter, follow this thread from Jamie Henn for a summary of the destruction the fossil fuel companies are continuing to do in just the past few weeks. Heartbreaking!
Sign onto this letter from the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for a Moral Rival to the President, Vice President, and Congress, Poverty Amidst Pandemic: A Moral Response to COVID-19.
Vote by Mail! Submit your public comment at this link to tell the NC General Assembly House Select Committee on Covid-19 that we must have vote by mail!
Here’s a link to a powerful teach-in in late March hosted by Haymarket Books, “How to Beat Coronavirus Capitalism,” that featured Naomi Klein, Astra Taylor, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, and Lia Rose.
Check out this video from NC Interfaith Power and Light’s First Eco Story Hour with Sarah last week featuring “Miss Maple’s Seeds” by Eliza Wheeler. They will be holding an Eco Story Hour weekly on Wednesdays at noon that you will be able to find on their Facebook page. The next one is April 8th at noon. Here’s the link.
Read this great letter A Green Stimulus to Rebuild Our Economy: An Open Letter and Call to Action to Members of Congress and please consider signing on in support! “As a nation we face three converging crises: the COVID19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession; the climate emergency; and extreme inequality.”
June 20, The Mass Poor People’s Assembly & Moral March on Washington
The Mass Poor People’s Assembly & Moral March on Washington is going digital! We will hold the largest digital and social media gathering of poor and low-wealth people, moral and religious leaders, advocates, and people of conscience in this nation’s history. A global pandemic is exposing even more the already existing crisis of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, the war economy and militarism, and the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism. On June 20, the 140 million poor and low-wealth people across this nation will be heard! Updates and more information at June2020.org. Share this awesome video to help spread the word!
Thanks for reading and taking action! Take care of yourselves. Peace and love for our beautiful Earth, Karen