August 12, 2019

September 20 Triangle Global Climate Strike

We’re in a CLIMATE EMERGENCY!

As part of the Global Climate Strike join forces and raise voices with Triangle students, faith communities, and those who care about our planet this September 20th as millions of us around the world walk out of our homes and workplaces to join young people in the streets for the biggest global climate strike yet.  We will learn about the impacts of climate change, interact with Triangle groups taking actions to avert the looming disaster, and take personal action to make our concerns known.
 
Our house is on fire. The climate crisis is an emergency but we’re not acting like it. Invite your colleagues, friends, family, clubs, and community. We need everyone!!

Part of our event will be a “parade” going around the education tables and gathering pieces of the puzzle/quilt with people joining along the way, that we will use to create a beautiful visual in the center, showing how we need all of the connections and pieces to this puzzle to help with the climate emergency we are in. We will deliver letters to the NC General Assembly (Sen. Berger and Speaker Moore) and some of our own legislators, Governor Cooper’s office, NC Public Utility Commission, and NC Department of Environmental Quality. There will be suggested actions people can take the following week during the Global Week of Climate Action through September 27 with phone calls and personal actions. More as we continue to organize!

Register to be informed about the details at https://actionnetwork.org/events/triangle-climate-strike/

In the meantime, share this announcement with your schools, workplaces, faith communities, social networks and more to join us! 
 
When
Sept. 20, 2019, 12:30-2:30 pm

Where
Halifax Mall, 300 N Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC  27613

350 Triangle, NC WARN, Sunrise Movement, US Climate Strike — Triangle Climate Strike organizing team

 

Check out this Stay Involved link our organizing team has created with actions we can take together for the rest of Climate Week and beyond!

Co-sponsors:  Appalachian Voices, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, Center for Biological Diversity,  Citizens Climate Lobby, Clean Air Carolina,  Clean Path 2025, Coalition of Healthcare for NC, Defend Our Future, Dogwood Alliance, Don’t Waste Durham, Eco Committee of Community Church of Chapel Hill UU, Church of Nativity’s Zero Waste Church, Energy Justice NC, Extinction Rebellion, Farmer Food Share, Forward Together NC UU Justice Ministry, Friends of the Earth, Handy Village Institute, Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle,  NAACP Raleigh-Apex Branch, NextGen America NC, North Carolina Asian Americans Together, NC Interfaith Power & Light, NC Poor People’s Campaign, Orange Chatham Interfaith Creation Care, Orange County Climate Reality Chapter, Pachamama RTP, Sierra Club, Temple Beth Or Social Action, The Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain, Toward Zero Waste, Trees for the Triangle, Unneccessaryuse.com, Vegans for Peace, Woman’s International League for Peace and Freedom-Triangle Chapter

Email updates to registrants:
August 16, 

Thanks so much for signing up to attend the September 20 Triangle Climate Strike at Halifax Mall!! It’s been fun watching the registrations grow after the global strike map went live a week ago. You will receive a weekly email with updates and actions you can take leading up to the big day.

Check out this article by Bill McKibben, Naomi Klein, and others, that was written on May 24th, the day the September 20 Global Climate Strike was announced. This is going to be a historic event!

We need lots of people on September 20th to demand action on the climate crisis. Reply to this email if you are able to help organize your workplace, faith community, school, or neighborhood to join us. We are looking for connections to help spread the word.

The amazing Greta Thunberg, who inspired the youth climate strikes, set sail on Wednesday on her way to the U.S. The youth are requesting all of us to join them for this strike. Look forward to seeing you there!!

August 25,
Thanks to all of you who have registered since the last email update!
Now that the school year has begun, students and parents, please spread the word about the strike with your friends, teachers, clubs, administrators, and PTAs.
September 20 is the day that everyone is being asked to join and support the youth, who have been striking for a year. Encourage your managers and co-workers to walk out with you for the day.
***Let us know if you are able to encourage your business, employer, faith community, or school to support the strike!
Bill McKibben wrote this article last week, Youth to adults—join us in the climate fight, a month out from the September 20 Global Climate Strike.
Update on Greta Thunberg’s travels across the Atlantic. She tweeted today they will arrive in New York City on Tuesday!
A great way to help spread the word about the climate strike is to consider sharing your story. Millions of people across the world are going to be striking for climate in September, all with different experiences of the climate crisis. Take a photo or record a quick video of yourself holding a sign/ explaining why you’re going to take part.
Share it on social media or email it to the address in the link above. Be sure to use the hashtags #climatestrike and #triangleclimatestrike. Your reasons for joining the global climate strike might resonate with someone unexpected and encourage them to join too!
Check out this Stay Involved link our organizing team has created with actions we can take together for the rest of Climate Week and beyond!
An event this week you might be interested in:
August 28,  Energy Justice North Carolina, End the Duke Monopoly Tour: Community Conversations
Doors open at 6, program 6:30 -8:30 pm, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, 1801 Hillsborough St, Raleigh
What would it look like to have a more democratic energy system, where local communities have a say in how and where their electricity is produced? Come learn about efforts from local groups to advance clean energy initiatives and climate change solutions, hear directly from members of impacted communities, and participate in an interactive storytelling experience. We’ll discuss how the current energy monopoly system creates barriers to fully implementing clean energy solutions, as well as how you can get involved.  More information and RSVP here.
Maybe we’ll meet some of you on Wednesday! Have a nice week!
Peace and love for our beautiful Earth,
Karen Bearden, on behalf of our Triangle Climate Strike Organizing team
September 9
With less than two weeks to go until the big day, you are one of the over 300 people registered as of today to attend The Triangle Climate Strike. Thank you!! Keep spreading the word at work and school to help us increase that number! Sure would be great if a few Triangle businesses could follow the lead of Patagonia and others with supporting the strike!
Join us if you can on September 16 from 7-9 pmto create our art visual we will use on the 20th, showing the connections we need in order to create the world we want to see. We will meet at Highland United Methodist Church located at 1901 Ridge Road in Raleigh in the gym (Bradley Room).
 ***Please let us know at this email if you will be able to join usso we know how many people to expect!
Tonight you can join by livestream to watch The Right to a Future, with Naomi Klein and Greta Thunbergfrom New York City from 6:30-9:30 pm, as they and others discuss the climate emergency and how an international, intergenerational movement is rising up to confront it.
Check out this article by Bill McKibbenin YES! Magazine about the strike and this excellent opinion piece by two professors in the Guardian writing how the climate strike is a “teachable moment” with a link to letter that over 200 professors have signed onto in support of the strike so far.
Yume, Sally, and I from the local organizing team wrote an opinion piece that we have submitted to the N&O. Let us know if you see it!! And, more importantly, consider writing a letter to the editor in response please, to keep the conversation going about the climate crisis and climate strike!
Flow of the Triangle Climate Strike
Begins at 12:30 pm at Halifax Mall with 25+ organizations tabling. Tables will be set up in a circle.
~ 12:45-1:15, speeches and songs 
~1:15-2 pm, tables, participatory art, letter and poetry writing, soapbox
~2-2:30 pm – Drumming to lead the parade for art visual and group photo.Jan from Paperhand Puppet Intervention will bring masks and costumes.
***Please let us know at this email address if you would like to volunteer to wear one of the masks or costumes and can help Jan unload and load the truck!
If you haven’t seen Paperhand Puppet’s 20th anniversary show, We Are Here, you have until the end of the month on weekends at the Forest Theatre in Chapel Hill!
Here is the Stay Involved link again with actions we can take together for the Global Week of Climate Action and beyond!
As part of your Triangle Climate Strike planning we encourage you to carpool, ride the bus, ride a bike, walk, or use your favorite ride-sharing company. If driving, Halifax Mall has several parking garages and lots that are close by. Visitor Lots #2, #4, #3 and #1 are closest to Halifax Mall. Street parking is also available, but beware of the time limits and parking signs.
Please use hashtags #climatestrike #triangleclimatestrike and #ClimateEmergency as you spread the word. THANKS! 
Peace and love for our beautiful Earth, Karen Bearden, on behalf of the Triangle Climate Strike organizing team 

 

September 15

Hi!

Five days until the historic Global Climate Strike!

***One more friendly reminder! Join us tomorrow, Monday, September 16 from 7-9 pm to create our art visual we will use on at the #TriangleClimateStrike on the 20th, showing the connections we need in order to create the world we want to see! We will meet at Highland United Methodist Church located at 1901 Ridge Road in Raleigh in the gym (Bradley Room). Bring some extra art supplies if you have them, cardboard boxes we can reuse, or 22×28 poster boards to create our signs. Let me know if you are able to join us!

***For those of you who have already created signs or will be later this week, our permit at Halifax Mall states NO STICKS on signs. Capital police have said cardboard tubing is allowed, and the Paperhand Puppet masks will only be allowed to be worn during the “parade” near the end of our event.

Great quote from Greta Thunberg on the The Daily Show this week: “What we should do as individuals is to use the power of democracy to make our voices heard and to make sure that the people in power cannot continue to ignore this.” Exactly!! Happy to say there are now 779 climate strikes planned in the U.S, over 44,000 RSVPs in the U.S., and over 3,500 strikes across the world!! People power and the climate movement is gratefully growing!

Delighted to learn UNC and Duke students are working together on the Bike for the Climate event, beginning in Chapel Hill on the 20th. Some people will be riding their bikes to Raleigh for the Triangle Climate Strike. Others will be carpooling or taking the bus from Chapel Hill and Durham. Much more information here.

We are aiming to make this a ZERO WASTE event! Right now it’s looking like the high will be in the low 80s on Friday. Please bring your own water/beverage container. We’ll have extra water for refills. Also think about hats and more for protection from the sun. There are few trees for shade at Halifax Mall.

Happy to say we have a spot on WUNC’s The State of Things at noon on Tuesday, the 18th with Frack Stasio! Two of our speakers at the Triangle Climate Strike, Hallie Turner and Bobby Jones, will be joined with Mary Ellis Stevens calling in from Charlotte. Last week Sammy, Lib, and Emily were on WCOM radio talking about the climate crisis and climate strike with Lori Hoyt. We also just confirmed Donell will be on The Aaron Keck Show, 97.9 The Hill WCHL about 4:08 pm on Wednesday the 19th, talking about the strike. There will also be an add in The Indy Wednesday thanks to Amanda, Sally, and NC WARN.

Schedule for Sept. 20 Triangle Climate Strike

The event begins at 12:30 pm at Halifax Mall with the 25+ organizations tabling. Tables will be set up in a circle in the area of Halifax Mall closest to the NC General Assembly building. We will be in the grassy area. We can not block the sidewalks.

SPEAKERS ~12:45 -1:20 pm
Emcees — Yume Iwakura, Apex Friendship HS, Youth Climate Strike Organizer and Karen Bearden, 350 Triangle Coordinator
Blessing, Crystal Red Bear Cavalier, Occaneechi Saponi and Jason Crazy Bear Keck, Choctaw
Michelle Rouse, Cary Academy, Sunrise Movement
Rachel Weber, Forests & Climate Campaigner for Dogwood Alliance
Elijah King, Riverside High School and Aissa Dearing, Early College HS at NCCU
Raging Grannies
Hallie Turner, Enloe HS
Bobby Jones, Down East Coal Ash Coalition
William Barber III, Co-Chair of the Ecological Devastation Committee for the NC Poor People’s Campaign
Youth leading us in singing Sing for the Climate

~2:2:30 pm – Drumming to lead the parade for art visual and group photo. Jan from Paperhand Puppets will bring masks and costumes.

Share this awesome video from Peace Poets to help spread the word about the strike!

Including this again for new registrants. As part of your Triangle Climate Strike planning we encourage you to carpool, ride the bus, ride a bike, walk, or use your favorite ride-sharing company. If driving, Halifax Mall has several parking garages and lots that are close by. Visitor Lots #2, #4, #3 and #1 are closest to Halifax Mall. Street parking is also available, but beware of the time limits and parking signs.

Here’s our Stay Involved link again. Notice on September 23rd you have the opportunity to join NC, VA, and WV landowners and activists at the Climate Emergency: Tri-State Pipeline Strike in Roanoke, VA.

Please use hashtags #climatestrike #triangleclimatestrike #StrikeWithUs and #ClimateEmergency as you spread the word and on the day of the strike!

Peace and love for our beautiful Earth, Karen Bearden, on behalf of the Triangle Climate Strike organizing team

 

September 19

Howdy!

One last update, and a thank you to the new people who have registered since the last email! There are now over 1,000 strikes across the U.S, and over 4,600 thousand across the world! The is going to be a historic AWESOME showing of PEOPLE POWER across the world!!! It’s time our leaders and corporations take ACTION on the climate EMERGENCY!

Remember to bring your favorite reusable water container and sun protection. We’re aiming to make this a ZERO WASTE event. There will be compost bins at the Toward Zero Waste table, plus, there are recycling bins around the mall.

Remember our permit says no sticks on signs. No whistles and such loud noises. Look for organizers with blue armbands if you have questions.

Get ready to SING a couple songs with us tomorrow, lead by youth! I will include the links to the videos and lyrics below, along with the flow of our event again. Have the lyrics on your phone and share with others in the crowd as we sing together!

As part of your Triangle Climate Strike planning we encourage you to carpool, ride the bus, ride a bike, walk, or use your favorite ride-sharing company. If driving, Halifax Mall has several parking garages and lots that are close by. Visitor Lots #2, #4, #3 and #1 are closest to Halifax Mall. Street parking is also available, but beware of the time limits and parking signs.

Here’s the link to our Stay Involved pages. Please use hashtags #climatestrike #triangleclimatestrike #strikewithus and #ClimateEmergency at the rally tomorrow.

Flow of the afternoon and song lyrics below. See ya tomorrow! THANKS!

Peace and love for our beautiful Earth,
Karen, on behalf of the Triangle Climate Strike organizing team

The event begins at 12:30 pm at Halifax Mall with the 25+ organizations tabling.

SPEAKERS ~12:45 -1:20 pm
Emcees — Yume Iwakura, Apex Friendship HS, Youth Climate Strike Organizer and Karen Bearden, 350 Triangle Coordinator
Blessing, Crystal Red Bear Cavalier, Occaneechi Saponi and Jason Crazy Bear Keck, Choctaw
Michelle Rouse, Cary Academy, Sunrise Movement
Rachel Weber, Forests & Climate Campaigner for Dogwood Alliance
Elijah King, Riverside High School and Aissa Dearing, Early College HS at NCCU
Raging Grannies
Hallie Turner, Enloe HS
Bobby Jones, Down East Coal Ash Coalition
William Barber III, Co-Chair of the Ecological Devastation Committee for the NC Poor People’s Campaign
Youth leading us in singing Sing for the Climate

~2:2:30 pm –  March around Halifax Mall for art visual and group photo. We have over 30 posters we’ve created, plus, will add yours. Paperhand Puppets will be there. We’ll end by singing the official anthem of the strike that was just released this week, encouraging people to sing it at their rallies. Here’s the link to the awesome video by Peace Poets. https://youtu.be/8g0vKM9otco

Song lyrics

Sing for the Climate

https://singfortheclimate.com/events/time-for-the-climate-sheffield/

we need to wake up

we need to wise up

we need to open our eyes

and do it now, now, now

we need to build a better future and we need to start right now

we’re on a planet,that has a problem

we’ve got to solve it, get involved

and do it now, now, now

we need to build a better future and we need to start right now

make it greener,

make it cleaner

make it last and make it fast

and do it now, now, now

we need to build a better future and we need to start right now

no point in waiting

or hesitating

we must get wise and no more lies

and do it now, now, now

we need to build a better future and we need to start right now

we need to build a better future and we need to start right now

We’re gonna strike for you, Will you strike for us?

https://youtu.be/8g0vKM9otco

Lyrics:

We are all your children

If you hear us, join us now

We’re gonna strike because the waters are rising

We’re gonna strike because our people are dying

We’re gonna strike for life and everything we love

We’re gonna strike for you

Will you strike for us?

We’re gonna strike for you

Will you strike for us?

September 22
Thanks for attending the Triangle Climate Strike yesterday!!! While we had 864 people who registered, estimates of the crowd were around 1,500.
What a treat it was to see the wave of beautiful signs and people from the stage! Thanks so much to our awesome speakers Crystal, Jason, Michelle, Rachel, Aissa, Elijah, Raging Grannies, Hallie, Bobby, and William. Thanks to the great work of our organizing team after months of conference calls and preparation. Some of us met each other in person for the first time yesterday! Thanks to Yume for emceeing with me. Much appreciation to Bett and Bill for setting up and monitoring the speaker system, and to Bett for her songs. Thanks to the organizations who shared the work they are doing. The parade around Halifax Mall at the end was extra special thanks to Jan and the Paperhand Puppets, with Jodi, Connie, Ayo, and Omari leading us with drumming, and ending in a circle surrounding the art quilt of beautiful posters.
By following #TriangleClimateStrike on Twitter is was great to see the awesome photos and videos, plus, more on Facebook, from our event. The photos and videos from the across the world were beautiful, with an estimated 4 million people or more attending the strikes!! The people are rising!!
We received some good media attention. Articles and videos below. Predict some of you will see yourselves in these videos!  Please share with me if you see more media!
 
Lost and found! Please let me know if you lost purple sunglasses and/or a canvas sign that says, Our World is on Fire.
Below I will attach a copy of the letter many of you signed that we delivered to Sen. Berger and Speaker Moore’s offices, the NC Public Utility Commission, Gov. Cooper’s office (met briefly with Jeremy Tarr, his Policy Advisor) and to Sec. Mike Regan at NC Dept. of Environmental Quality, who came to the lobby to accept the letters. We also included the many letters you personally wrote in the envelopes we delivered.
Here’s the Stay Involved link again.  Hopefully many of you picked up the business card Sally created with the link to remind you of the suggested calls and actions you can take through the Global Week of Climate Action and beyond!! Some of us in NC will be traveling to Roanoke, VA to attend the Climate Emergency: Tri-State Pipeline Strike on Monday, joining with activists from VA and WV, calling on Wells Fargo, Suntrust, and Bank of America to stop funding the toxic Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley Pipelines and other fossil fuel projects.
On September 27 join us for a climate emergency intervention in Raleigh as the Governor receives the state’s new Clean Energy Plan, which has lots of good recommendations, but does not adequately address the risks of the natural gas or wood pellet industries. More info here.  
Some of you met Linda at the Pachamama Alliance RTP table. On the 28th she and Camille will be leading the workshop Reversing Global Warming: Introduction to Drawdown, at the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh. More info and registration here.
On September 28 and 30 join the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival in Greenville and Greensboro, for Mobilizing, Organizing, Registering and Educating kicking off the 22-state We Must Do M.O.R.E. national tour.
There is much work to be done to make sure our leaders take action on the climate emergency NOW!! Thanks again!!
Peace and love for our beautiful Earth,
Karen, on behalf of the Triangle Climate Strike organizing team