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Canadian Groups Fight for Covid-19 Recovery That Prioritizes Human and Ecological Health
26 May
Climate
Nearly 200 Canadian organizations rolled out their demands for a "just recovery." DKosig / Getty Images
By Andrea Germanos
Nearly 200 Canadian organizations on Monday rolled out their demands for a "just recovery," saying that continuing business-as-usual after the pandemic would prevent the kind of far-reaching transformation needed to put "the health and well-being of ALL peoples and ecosystems first."
<p>The choices we make now about how to recover from this pandemic will shape not only our health and economic future, but also the future of human life on this planet," Canadian Labour Congress president Hassan Yussuff said in a statement.</p>
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<p>"This moment is a reminder that the status quo can and must be disrupted," the new Just Recovery for All website declares. "We are standing on the threshold between the old world and the next and we must choose to build the future we want."</p><p>A just recovery—which would enable the government and civil society to "build back better"—rests in six key principles:</p><ol><li>Put people's health and well-being first, no exceptions. Health is a human right and is interdependent with the health and well-being of ecological systems.</li><li>Strengthen the social safety net and provide relief directly to people. Focus relief efforts on people—particularly those who are structurally oppressed by existing systems.</li><li>Prioritize the needs of workers and communities. Support must be distributed in a manner consistent with Indigenous sovereignty, a climate resilient economy, and worker rights, including safe and fair labor standards and a right to unionize. Improved conditions for essential service workers must be maintained beyond this crisis.</li><li>Build resilience to prevent future crises. We cannot recover from the current crisis by entrenching systems that will cause the next crisis.</li><li>Build solidarity and equity across communities, generations, and borders. In a globalized world, what happens to one of us matters to all of us.</li><li>Uphold Indigenous rights and work in partnership with Indigenous peoples. A Just Recovery must uphold Indigenous Rights and include the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples, in line with the standard of free, prior, and informed consent.</li></ol>
<p>The principles were endorsed by progressive groups focused on a broad range of issues including 350.org, the Canadian Federation of Students, Oxfam Canada, and The Leap.</p><p>"The huge collaborative effort that brought these principles to life over many weeks of rich, challenging discussions exemplifies the kind of action we expect of political leaders as we move through this crisis," Catherine Abreu of Climate Action Network Canada said in a statement.</p><p>"It's going to take a massive and diverse community of voices to encourage governments to be bold in the face of corporate lobbies, and to put people and communities first," she said.</p><p>"Our goal was to capture the immense amount of care work happening throughout Canadian civil society right now and present a vision of a Just Recovery that leaves no one behind," Abreu explained. "We know this is a vision the majority of Canadians support, and millions of people are ready to take action."</p>
<p>As for the inevitable question—How are you going to pay for it?—the groups say the money is already there. It's just a question of changing who's on the receiving end. From the new site:</p><blockquote>The government currently gives billions of dollars in handouts to industries that harm our environment and communities, including the oil and gas industry. Canada also loses billions of dollars to offshore tax havens every year.<br><br>Right now, the government is working on a plan to rebuild our economy. It is likely that they will unveil a stimulus package, but it's on all of us to ensure that money goes directly to workers and communities, not corporations. By bailing out people, not big businesses, and closing tax loopholes, we can start to build a sustainable and just future for all.<br></blockquote><p>Dr. Courtney Howard of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment says it's clear from what she's witnessed amid the global pandemic that people are willing to use moments of crisis as turning points for positive change.</p><p>"To feel safe," she said, "we need to manage two planetary health emergencies at once—Covid-19 and its economic fallout, and climate change."</p><p>"We've shown that when pressed, we prioritize health. We take care of one another," said Howard.</p><p>"We have a generational opportunity to use this time of crisis and reflection to bring to life a vision of planetary health for all," she continued. "We've stayed home to save lives. By working together on a just and healthy recovery, we'll save more." </p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/05/25/nearly-200-groups-canada-vow-fight-covid-19-recovery-puts-human-and-ecological" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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M_a_y_a / iStock / Getty Images Plus
By Tonya Russell
A few years ago, my fiance and I got into an argument on our way to spend Christmas with my family.
As we drove through unfamiliar territory, we began to notice a lot of people who appeared to be without a home. This started to break up the tension as we turned our thoughts to this bigger issue.
<p>It made us realize that what we were fighting about was simply petty.</p><p>When we returned home, we decided to get cooking. We prepared some hot soup and ham sandwiches, then circled back to the men and women hovering over manholes to stay warm.</p><p>It became a ritual of ours after fights, and then on a weekly basis. Planning and preparing those meals brought us closer and allowed us to bond over a desire to work together to help others.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Healthline</em></a><em>. For detailed source information, please view the original article on </em><em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/8-ways-to-volunteer-virtually-in-quarantine" target="_blank">Healthline</a></em><em>.</em></p>
<p>We've expanded over the last seven years, and our passion projects have been mostly geared toward helping veterans and children experiencing homelessness.</p><p>Shutdowns and physical distancing have prevented us from giving back the way we'd like, so we've searched for other ways to volunteer without risking exposure to <a href="https://www.healthline.com/coronavirus" target="_blank">COVID-19</a>.</p><p>Physical distancing doesn't have to prevent us from keeping up our ritual and making a difference for those who need it most.</p>
Shifting Priorities
<p>Many have trouble volunteering because of hectic schedules. With virtual volunteering, it's easy to find opportunities that fit your terms.</p><p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0164027504271349" target="_blank">Studies show</a> that those who volunteer report higher levels of happiness, likely due to an increase in empathy and a resulting sense of gratitude for what you have.</p><p>It can also boost self-confidence and give individuals a <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-helping-people-affects-your-brain" target="_blank">sense of belonging</a> and purpose. I've personally felt idle sitting at home, and a sense of purpose is just what I need.</p>Ways to Give
<p>Whether you want to take the lead on a project or jump in and help, here are tips to find the right volunteer opportunity for you while physical distancing:</p><p><strong>Find Virtual Opportunities</strong></p><p>Databases are a great first step in finding the perfect volunteer opportunity. You can filter by categories, hours, and locations. That way, you can pick somewhere nearby in case you want to volunteer in person later.</p><p><a href="https://www.volunteermatch.org/virtual-volunteering" target="_blank">VolunteerMatch</a> and <a href="https://www.justserve.org/" target="_blank">JustServe</a> offer virtual opportunities to volunteer for nonprofit organizations, charities, and businesses with heart.</p><p><strong>Grant a Wish</strong></p><p>If you have extra cash or a way to raise funds, you can fulfill <a href="https://gooddler.com/Landing" target="_blank">charity wish lists</a>. Many organizations accept items year-round.</p><p>You can choose from different categories like animal welfare, environmental organizations, health services, and the arts. Whatever moves you, you'll find a cause to give to.</p><p>Items range in price from low cost to high ticket, so you'll still have something to offer if you're on a budget.</p><p><strong>Network on Social</strong></p><p>
Quite a few organizations are asking for help via their social pages. For instance, <a href="https://www.cathedralkitchen.org/" target="_blank">Cathedral Kitchen</a> in Camden, New Jersey, asked for sandwiches to be dropped on their doorstep so they could continue their efforts of feeding the homeless, even after quarantine.
</p><p>
Network on your town's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BuyNothingProject/" target="_blank">Buy Nothing</a> page on Facebook and ask about opportunities. If there's interest, you can start a community drive. You can set up a giving box for people to donate canned goods, or collect cat food and feed the local stray colony.
</p><p>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/215433826365119/?ref=share" target="_blank">A group in New Jersey</a>, with the help of local restaurants, used crowdfunding to have meals delivered to COVID-19 wards in hospitals. These efforts not only generated income for local businesses, it showed appreciation to frontline workers, too.
</p><p><strong>Remember Older Adults</strong></p><p>
Considering that their age group is the most vulnerable, many older adults are inside their homes or in nursing facilities by themselves, unable to see their families.
</p><p>
Many are craving connection and appreciate volunteer efforts.
</p><p>
Luckily, some facilities are connected. You can take <a href="https://www.today.com/popculture/matthew-mcconaughey-plays-virtual-bingo-seniors-t177815" target="_blank">Matthew McConaughey's lead</a> and play Bingo. Other options are reading, playing virtual chess, or giving a musical performance.
</p><p>
To find out about these opportunities, reach out to a local assisted living facility or nursing home to learn what their needs are.
</p>
<p><strong>Use Your Talents</strong></p><p>
Create opportunities with your skills and hobbies. A New Jersey-based runner, Patrick Rodio, <a href="https://www.collscares.org/2020-fund" target="_blank">organized a fundraiser</a> to honor the class of 2020 who won't be attending their graduations.
</p><p>
The money will go to buying the student's yearbooks. Any extra will go toward college scholarship funds. Rodio has already far surpassed his goal of $3,000.
</p><p>
If fitness is your thing but you don't want to fundraise, providing low cost or free online fitness classes can be a rewarding way to give back.
</p><p>
If you're a musician, share it! You can play an instrument or sing to individuals who live alone over video, or offer free live virtual jam sessions for anyone to join in.
</p><p><strong>Be a Caregiver</strong></p><p>
Virtual babysitting is another great way to help. Occupying someone's children for an hour may be just the break <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/its-not-just-you-working-from-home-with-kids-is-impossible" target="_blank">homeschooling parents</a> need.
</p><p>
As a certified trauma-focused kids yoga teacher, I enjoy offering meditation or kid-friendly yoga sessions. Creative individuals can offer art lessons, Lego building sessions, or even puppet shows.
</p>
<p><strong>Teach Your Favorite Subject</strong></p><p>
Tutor students on subjects that are your strong suit. If your job requires a lot of writing, offer to proofread papers for middle and high schoolers.
</p><p>
If you're a math whiz, walk some students through word problems. Engineer? Offer coding classes for those looking to expand their job skills.
</p><p><strong>Find Shared Language</strong></p><p>
If you speak another language, now is a great time to flex that muscle.
</p><p>
Have Zoom conversations in French or offer translation services. This could mean helping a high schooler pass a class, or it could mean helping an exchange student practice their English.
</p><p>
You can also reach out to local hospitals and organizations in case they're in need of translators for patients and their families.
</p>
Adapting to Our New Day to Day
<p>We aren't quite certain when things will go back to normal, or if quarantine <em>is</em> the new normal. While we may be limited in what we can do, that doesn't need to stop our ability to give.</p><p>So many — from those experiencing homelessness to the neighborhood kids — depend on our generosity right now.</p><p>My fiancé and I look forward to seeing familiar faces when we can return to volunteering in shelters.</p><p>Until then, we've partnered with an assisted living facility to offer virtual art classes and music hours to keep their residents entertained.</p><p>Our hope is to inspire others to step outside their situations and look after someone to connect with anyone who has also been affected by COVID-19.</p><p>We're grateful that technology has made altruism easier, so we can continue our ritual of giving back.</p>
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Lee Raymond testifies before a joint hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee on energy pricing and profits on Capitol Hill Nov. 9, 2005 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
By Andrea Germanos
Author and climate activist Bill McKibben welcomed Friday evening what he called "a milestone moment in the history of climate action" after JPMorgan Chase announced it was ousting former Exxon Mobil CEO Lee Raymond from his longtime leadership position on the bank's board of directors.
<p>"A truly huge win today," McKibben said in an earlier tweet. "Power is starting to shift."</p>
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<p>The change was revealed in new SEC filing <a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/19617/000001961720000288/proxysupplementalmaterials.htm" target="_blank">documents</a> in which JPMorgan touts its "focus on refreshment" that includes having a new lead independent director by the end of this summer.</p><p>Raymond, who's earned the monikers "<a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/global-warming/exxon-and-the-oil-industry-knew-about-climate-change/exxons-climate-denial-history-a-timeline" target="_blank">the Darth Vader of global warming wars</a>" and "<a href="https://addup.sierraclub.org/campaigns/tell-jpmorgan-chase-remove-americas-1-climate-denier-from-your-board-of-directors" target="_blank">America's #1 climate denier,</a>" was a <a href="https://addup.sierraclub.org/campaigns/tell-jpmorgan-chase-remove-americas-1-climate-denier-from-your-board-of-directors" target="_blank">target</a> of the Stop the Money Pipeline climate coalition, which <a href="https://stopthemoneypipeline.com/earth-day-wall-street/" target="_blank">urged</a> the bank's biggest shareholders to vote Raymond off the board entirely when they meet later this month.</p><p>Their demand was buoyed by New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer.</p>
<p>"On Earth Day last week, we launched a campaign urging JPMorgan Chase & Co shareholders to vote against the re-election of Lee Raymond to the board, based on his role as lead 'independent' director, long tenure on the board, and ties to fossil fuels," Stringer said in a <a href="https://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/statement-from-new-york-city-comptroller-scott-m-stringer-on-behalf-of-nycers-trs-and-bers/" target="_blank">statement</a> Friday.</p><p>Raymond's removal as independent leader of the board marks "a tremendous victory for shareholders and for the planet," Stringer said, adding that it stands to "ensure improved oversight of the board and the company's long-term strategy when it comes to transitioning to a low carbon economy."</p>
<p>"But our work does not stop here," he continued. "JPMorgan has been the largest global lender and underwriter to the fossil fuel sector, providing $269 billion in financing to fossil fuel expansion from 2016 to 2019. The company needs to move away from financing the dirty fossil fuels of the past and toward the big, strategic clean energy investments of the future. There must be no place for a climate change denier and former Exxon CEO on JPMorgan's board."</p>
<iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-1256606978278936576" id="twitter-embed-1256606978278936576" lazy-loadable="true" src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-1256606978278936576&created_ts=1588433424.0&screen_name=StopMoneyPipe&text=Send+an+email+directly+to+%23BlackRock%2C+%23StateStreet+%26amp%3B+%23Vanguard+--+tell+them+to+vote+%23LeeRaymond+off+%23JPMorgan%E2%80%A6+https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FJsCqTTIZHC&id=1256606978278936576&name=Stop+the+Money+Pipeline" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="69ff3095032b1b09869054cde09ee5ff"></iframe>
<p>Eli Kasargod-Staub, executive director of shareholder advocacy organization Majority Action, concurred.</p><p>"Shareholders have demanded that JPMorgan Chase be held accountable for its failure to address the systemic risks presented by climate change, and the announcement to remove Raymond from the lead independent director position is a clear victory for long-term shareholder value and the mitigation of climate risk," said Kasargod-Staub.</p><p>But, he stressed, "JPMorgan Chase shareholders will be best served when Raymond is removed from the board entirely."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/05/02/milestone-moment-jpmorgan-chase-announces-former-exxon-ceo-no-longer-be-lead" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>. </em><em></em></p>
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Amazon and other tech employees walk out during the Global Climate Strike on September 20, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. Karen Ducey / Getty Images
By Sarah Sax
At the end of February, thousands of cleaning workers in Minneapolis marched in what's believed to have been the first union-authorized climate strike in the United States. The protesters, many of them immigrants and people of color who have seen their communities harmed by everything from air pollution to drought, wanted their employers to take action on climate change.
<p><br/></p>
<p class=""><em>This story originally appeared in</em><em> <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/" target="_blank">HuffPost</a> </em><em>and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.</em></p>
<p>Employed by more than a dozen subcontractors, these workers clean corporate buildings that are home to major companies like Wells Fargo and United Health Group. Their demands ranged from a guarantee of more environmentally friendly cleaning products to funding for a "green technician janitorial training program," which could help them push for more substantial changes during their day-to-day operations rather than wait for top-down measures.</p><p>Employee activists like those in Minneapolis are on the rise. And unlike the traditional union focus on better pay, benefits and working conditions, they're pushing for something even bigger ― for companies to <a href="https://press.ext.hp.com/content/dam/hpi/press/press-kits/2019/earth-day-2019/HP%20Workforce%20Sustainability%20Survey.pdf" target="_blank">align with their values</a> when it comes to <a href="https://www.webershandwick.com/news/employee-activism-age-of-purpose/" target="_blank">one of the world's biggest issues</a>. Namely, climate change. </p><p>As public concern about global warming has risen, companies had already come under pressure from <a href="http://www.climateaction100.org/" target="_blank">investors</a>, <a href="https://www.unpri.org/pri-blog/shareholder-activism-and-firms-disclosure-of-their-exposure-to-climate-change-risks/5142.article" target="_blank">shareholders</a> and <a href="https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/consumer-activism-global-warming/" target="_blank">consumers</a> to adopt more ambitious climate-related targets for their operations and products. But now that pressure is also coming from within. A <a href="https://www.herbertsmithfreehills.com/latest-thinking/the-new-world-of-work-report-warns-of-an-unprecedented-rise-in-workplace-activism-v2" target="_blank">recent survey</a> of 375 global executives found that 4 out of 5 companies expect an "unprecedented rise in workplace activism" over the next three to five years ― with sustainability and climate change <a href="https://www.gallup.com/workplace/257786/millennials-worry-environment-company.aspx" target="_blank">an increasing concern</a>. </p><p>While <a href="https://qz.com/work/1765339/nike-employees-march-to-protest-its-failure-to-support-women/" target="_blank">strikes</a> and <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/google-walkout-sexual-harassment_n_5bd9bbdbe4b0da7bfc15e15d" target="_blank">walkouts</a> may still be the most high-profile forms of employee protest, workers are also taking their efforts online and connecting with those in other departments to amplify their voices. In November, thousands of Google employees <a href="https://medium.com/@googworkersac/ruth-porat-497bbb841b52" target="_blank">signed a letter</a> circulated online demanding that the company take more aggressive action on climate change. </p>
<p>Physical protests with signs and chanting workers are obviously not wise during the COVID-19 crisis ― and more immediate concerns like health and job security are likely taking priority ― but employees' climate demands have not disappeared.</p><p>"I don't think [the coronavirus pandemic] will halt employee activism. Not being prepared for a major crisis like COVID-19 has demonstrated how ill-prepared we will be for extreme weather events due to climate change," said David Levine, co-founder and president of the American Sustainable Business Council.</p><p>Climate activists and advocacy organizations hope this new wave of activism from inside companies, driven largely by millennials, could be the key to getting businesses to do more than just "green" their operations. It could force companies to support ― rather than oppose ― serious government action on climate change or else risk losing valuable employees.</p><p>"We need companies to be really ambitious in what they're doing in their operations. And we need employees to push them to be more ambitious in that work," said Bill Weihl, a former Facebook and Google sustainability executive who now runs the nonprofit advocacy group <a href="https://climatevoice.org/" target="_blank">ClimateVoice</a>, which pushes companies to go "all in" on climate change issues. </p><p>"But the thing that we really need them to step up and do," Weihl said, "is add their voice on the side of science-based climate policy everywhere." </p>
Corporations Speaking Out
<p>Advocates like Levine and Weihl argue that in the absence of U.S. leadership on the federal level, companies need to step to the front on climate change.</p><p>In 2015, nations agreed to limit temperature rise this century to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) under the Paris climate accord. Since then, the number of Fortune 500 companies pledging to reduce their carbon emissions has quadrupled, according to <a href="https://www.naturalcapitalpartners.com/news-resources/article/deeds-not-words-new-research-reveals-the-climate-action-of-fortune-500-glob" target="_blank">a 2019 report</a> from the consultancy firm Natural Capital Partners ― with employee demands identified as a key driver behind much of this corporate action.</p><p>Microsoft and Google parent company Alphabet, for instance, recently<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/microsoft-raises-stakes-in-corporate-climate-pledge-race-11579195800?mod=article_inline" target="_blank"> made climate pledges</a> in part prompted by employees demanding more action.</p><p>But according to Weihl, the companies leading on climate tend to focus on their own operations, while remaining almost entirely silent on the bigger public policy changes that are needed. There is a political risk in speaking out. Without public policy changes, however, "we are not going to decarbonize anywhere near fast enough," he said. And if other companies don't get involved, Weihl added, "that means the energy companies that are pushing in the wrong direction will continue to dominate the discussion."</p><p>Over the next decade ― the timeframe that the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says is crucial for avoiding catastrophic global warming ― corporate action will need to focus not only on operational measures like installing more solar panels but also on pushing for smart, science-based climate policy. Fred Kruger, president of the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund, implored CEOs in an <a href="https://medium.com/@timetolead/its-time-to-lead-on-climate-policy-6f849eb114ba" target="_blank">open letter last year</a> to "unleash the most powerful tool they have to fight climate change: their political influence." </p><p>Employee activism is critical to driving this shift, Weihl said.</p><p>He contrasts it with consumer activism. "If a company has 10 million customers, you have to move a lot of people before the company really notices and cares," he said. But most companies have far fewer employees than that ― which means smaller numbers of workers speaking up can have a big impact. Throw in the need for companies to recruit and retain employees, and workers' voices become that much more powerful.</p>
Engaging With Employees
<p>Perhaps no company's employee activism has been more in the spotlight recently than Amazon's.</p><p>Last September, along with several other corporations, Amazon made its "<a href="https://press.aboutamazon.com/news-releases/news-release-details/amazon-co-founds-climate-pledge-setting-goal-meet-paris" target="_blank">climate pledge</a>," committing to net zero carbon by 2040 and 100% renewable energy by 2030, ahead of a massive planned <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-climate-pledge-employee-walkout/" target="_blank">employee walkout</a>. Then in February, the online giant <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jeff-bezos-climate-change-richest-man-in-the-world_n_5e4af0aac5b65f25da4daace" target="_blank">announced a $10 billion fund</a> to fight climate change.</p><p>While <a href="https://medium.com/@amazonemployeesclimatejustice/amazon-employees-share-our-views-on-company-business-f5abcdea849" target="_blank">broadly supportive </a>of CEO Jeff Bezos' pledge and the climate fund, employees continue to push Amazon to embrace climate action across its entire business, protesting its role in providing oil companies with the technology to <a href="https://t.co/D5YKfDnOR2?amp=1" target="_blank">find drillable oil faster</a> and in <a href="https://twitter.com/AMZNforClimate/status/1229504923194183680" target="_blank">funding climate change denial groups</a>. The relationship between Amazon and its employees remains contentious, as criticism rises over its response to both climate change and working conditions during the pandemic.</p><p>In April, the company <a href="https://grist.org/justice/amazon-fires-employees-who-spoke-out-about-coronavirus-and-climate-change/" target="_blank">reportedly fired</a> two employees who had been outspoken about climate change. During a virtual webcast organized by Amazon Employees for Climate Justice on April 16 ― which the company <a href="https://medium.com/@amazonemployeesclimatejustice/amazon-sick-out-3d61b5a7ebfa" target="_blank">reportedly tried to thwart </a>― the two urged their former co-workers to stage a virtual walkout to protest their firings and the treatment of warehouse workers amid the COVID-19 crisis.</p><p>Some companies have been proactive in accommodating their employees ― such as <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/9/20/20876098/brands-global-climate-strike-closing" target="_blank">Patagonia and Ben & Jerry's</a>, which closed their shops for the Global Climate Strike last September ― but Amazon has done the opposite. It recently <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jan/27/amazon-workers-climate-protest" target="_blank">introduced a policy</a> barring employees from publicly criticizing the company without prior approval. </p><p>When asked about the rise in employee activism and the firing of the two workers, an Amazon spokesperson told HuffPost that "we support every employee's right to criticize their employer's working conditions, but that does not come with blanket immunity against any and all internal policies.</p><p>"The price of ignoring or dismissing employee activism could be huge. According to a survey by law firm Herbert Smith Freehills, employee activism could cost organizations up to <a href="https://www.herbertsmithfreehills.com/latest-thinking/the-new-world-of-work-report-warns-of-an-unprecedented-rise-in-workplace-activism-v2" target="_blank">25% of their global revenue</a> each year due to the disruptive nature of strikes and reputational damage leading to lost business.</p><p>"Today the purpose of a company has to align with climate change and employees are calling really strongly for that," said Farid Baddache, the CEO and co-founder of the sustainability consulting and impact investing firm <a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=ksapa" target="_blank">Ksapa</a>.</p>The Future Workforce
<p>Figuring out how to navigate a world in which employees expect businesses to operate with a purpose beyond the bottom line may not be easy for companies, but it is critical because this new wave of activism is connected to the shifting demographics of the workforce.</p><p>Millennials now make up <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/04/11/millennials-largest-generation-us-labor-force/" target="_blank">over a third</a> of the U.S. workforce, constituting the largest share of any generation. They are more likely than older generations to be employee activists, according to one <a href="https://www.webershandwick.com/news/employee-activism-age-of-purpose/" target="_blank">survey by Weber Shandwick</a>. And according to <a href="https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.linkedin.com%2F2018%2Fjune%2F26%2Fworkplace-culture-trends-the-key-to-hiring-and-keeping-top-talent&data=02%7C01%7COQuadri%40globeandmail.com%7C9101bc35bcb54d3ecc1c08d73d36827b%7C44376110425e46ab942e26c9518bfd03%7C1%7C0%7C637045176640937982&sdata=dG6zumFzWGrTSL6eJQpeZhVyoytwKb7Rn25nBmCGMcI%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank">LinkedIn's 2018 Workplace Report</a>, 86% of millennials would consider taking a pay cut to work for companies whose values aligned with their own.</p><p>For Jake Elliott, 34, who specifically chose to work for Vermont solar power company SunCommon because the firm shared his values, climate change is "the number one most important thing."</p><p>"When you look at global carbon emissions, the majority of carbon emissions are <a href="https://www.cdp.net/en/articles/media/new-report-shows-just-100-companies-are-source-of-over-70-of-emissions" target="_blank">coming from businesses</a>, so it is an obligation and requirement of business to address the climate crisis," he told HuffPost.</p><p>Younger generations "don't want to commit to work for a company that is contributing to climate change," said Baddache, "or if they believe that the company is part of the problem rather than the solution."</p><p>Corporate America is increasingly aware of this. "The talent Adobe wishes to recruit and retain expects us to set meaningful climate goals and work to meet them," Vince Digneo, sustainability strategist at Adobe has <a href="http://media.virbcdn.com/files/5c/aa8193f038934840-Dec2019RE100ProgressandInsightsAnnualReport.pdf" target="_blank">said previously</a>. "Our employees want to see us take good action but not just among a flurry of other companies doing the same thing ― it has to have a meaningful impact."</p><p>This sentiment is true not just among current employees but also future ones. A group of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/climatechange-lawyer-protests/yale-harvard-law-students-boycott-paul-weiss-over-exxon-ties-idUSL1N2A71XR" target="_blank">law students at Yale and Harvard</a>, for example, are boycotting internships with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison because it represents Exxon Mobil. They're <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/climatechange-lawyer-protests/yale-harvard-law-students-boycott-paul-weiss-over-exxon-ties-idUSL1N2A71XR" target="_blank">accusing the law firm</a> of enabling the destructive impact of the world's largest oil company in the climate crisis. </p><p>"Companies need to hire people and they need to retain people," Weihl said. This will all become more difficult "if they are on the wrong side of an issue that many of their employees see as an existential threat to their future."</p>From Your Site Articles
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A display commemorates the 25th Earth Day in Washington, DC on April 22, 1995. Jeffrey Markowitz / Sygma via Getty Images
This April 22, Earth Day turns 50.
The world's largest secular holiday approaches its golden anniversary in the shadow of two global crises. This year's day is dedicated to climate action, and the celebration has moved online in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
But Earth Day has a history of uniting people around the world to solve the major problems facing our planet. Here's a look back on some of the most important Earth Days in the celebration's 50-year history and what they helped accomplish.
<h3>1970: The First Earth Day Sprouts a Movement</h3>
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<p>By 1970, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/environmental-victories-2561818321.html" target="_self">decades of rampant pollution</a> had dirtied America's air, set rivers on fire and led to major disasters like the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/01/28/688219307/how-californias-worst-oil-spill-turned-beaches-black-and-the-nation-green" target="_blank">Santa Barbara oil spill of 1969</a>. So on April 22 of that year, <a href="https://www.earthday.org/history/" target="_blank">20 million Americans</a>, or 10 percent of the U.S. population, came out to demand a clean, healthy environment. The day had many organizers, but the idea came from Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, a staunch environmentalist.</p><p>"The objective was to get a nationwide demonstration of concern for the environment so large that it would shake the political establishment out of its lethargy," Nelson said, <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-first-earth-day" target="_blank">according to History</a>, "and, finally, force this issue permanently onto the national political agenda."</p><p>He succeeded. The day is widely credited with encouraging the formation of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a> and the passage of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/clean-air-act" target="_self">Clean Air</a>, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/clean-water-act" target="_self">Clean Water</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species-act" target="_self">Endangered Species Acts</a>.</p>
<h3>1990: Earth Day Spreads Earth-Wide</h3>
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<p>One of the original Earth Day organizers and <a href="https://www.earthday.org/" target="_blank">Earth Day Network</a> founder Denis Hayes was asked by a coalition of environmental leaders to organize a big event for the day's 20th anniversary. Hayes told <a href="https://time.com/5570269/earth-day-origins/" target="_blank">TIME in 2019</a> that the 1990 Earth Day was "probably the second most important Earth Day."<br></p><p>In some ways, Hayes conceded, the day was not a success. It tried to raise awareness about <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate change</a> and the need for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/" target="_self">renewable energy</a>, but without a groundswell of popular concern around those issues.</p><p>"We were trying to create a wave from basically nothing but intellectual discourse," Hayes told TIME. "Did we succeed? The answer to that nearly 30 years later is pretty obvious, though I'm not sure there was a way it <em>could </em>succeed."</p><p>However, the day did "[give] birth to what is known as the modern Earth Day movement," as <a href="https://theyearsproject.com/learn/news/the-evolution-of-earth-day/" target="_blank">The Years Project put it</a>. The day was celebrated by 200 million people in 141 countries, according to the Earth Day Network. It raised global awareness about <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/recycling" target="_self">recycling</a> and helped lead to the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.</p>
<h3>2010: Earth Day Launches a Billion Acts of Green</h3>
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<p>Earth Day continued to grow through the new millennium and continued to push for climate action and clean energy. On its 40th anniversary, it gathered more than 250,000 people in Washington, DC for a <a href="https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-network-announces-the-climate-rally-in-washington-dc-on-april-25/" target="_blank">climate rally</a>, according to the Earth Day Network. Internationally, the day was celebrated in 192 countries. It coincided with the <a href="https://pwccc.wordpress.com/support/" target="_blank">World People's Conference on Climate Change</a> held in Cochabamba, Bolivia and saw the first community trash pick-up in Kolkata, India, as <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/4/100422-earth-day-40-40th-anniversary/" target="_blank">National Geographic reported at the time</a>.<br></p><p>The Earth Day Network channeled that energy into launching <a href="https://www.earthday.org/billion/" target="_blank">A Billion Acts of Green®</a>, which it says is the "<a href="https://www.earthday.org/worlds-largest-environmental-service-campaign-reaches-halfway-point/" target="_blank">world's largest environmental service campaign</a>." The organizers asked participants to do "just one thing that will help our planet," from making their homes more energy efficient to biking to work. The initiative is still going strong, with now more than two billion acts registered.</p><p>"The idea that we can all belong to something is what's exciting people and what's making them want to join," Earth Day Network President Kathleen Rogers told National Geographic when the campaign was first launched.</p>
<h3>2016: The Paris Agreement Is Signed</h3>
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<p>In a testament to the symbolic power of Earth Day, then-United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/on-earth-day-150-world-leaders-to-sign-paris-climate-agreement-1891117805.html" target="_self"> chose it</a> as the day when world leaders would sign the landmark <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement" target="_self">Paris climate agreement</a> at a ceremony in New York City.<br></p><p>The Paris agreement was the first international agreement pledging all countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35084374" target="_blank">BBC News reported when it was first announced in December 2015</a>. Countries committed to limiting global warming to "well below" two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with an ideal aim of stopping warming at 1.5 degrees. The Earth Day ceremony saw 175 leaders sign the landmark agreement — the most to ever sign an international agreement in one day.</p><p>"The participation by so many countries today, and the attendance by so many world leaders, leaves no doubt that the world is determined to take climate action," Ban <a href="https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/press-encounter/2016-04-22/secretary-generals-remarks-joint-press-conference-his" target="_blank">said at the time</a>.</p><p>While the agreement has been undercut somewhat by President Donald Trump's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-begins-withdrawal-paris-agreement-2641223963.html" target="_self">decision to withdraw the U.S</a>. and the fact that, if countries stick to their current pledges, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/greenhouse-gases-climate-change-un-2641459291.html" target="_self">we will still see</a> 3.2 degrees Celsius of warming, its record-setting Earth Day signing is still an important reminder that world leaders can choose to come together for the sake of our common home.</p>
<h3>2020: Earth Day Fights for Climate Action on Lockdown</h3>
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<p>As Earth Day's 50th anniversary approached, organizers found themselves in a situation not unlike the one that led to the first Earth Day.<br></p><p>"The social and cultural environments we saw in 1970 are rising up again today — a fresh and frustrated generation of young people are refusing to settle for platitudes, instead taking to the streets by the millions to demand a new way forward. Digital and social media are bringing these conversations, protests, strikes and mobilizations to a global audience, uniting a concerned citizenry as never before and catalyzing generations to join together to take on the greatest challenge that humankind has faced," the Earth Day Network <a href="https://www.earthday.org/history/" target="_blank">reflected</a>.</p><p>Hayes <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/earth-day-will-fight-for-climate-action-on-its-50th-anniversary-2635345330.html?rebelltitem=4#rebelltitem4" target="_self">said</a> he wanted Earth Day 2020 to do for climate change what Earth Day 1970 had done for other environmental issues. But then organizers were faced with something they did not have to deal with 50 years ago — the coronavirus pandemic.</p><p>With <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/countries-on-lockdown-coronavirus-italy-2020-3?r=US&IR=T" target="_blank">more than a third of the planet</a> under some form of lockdown order, Earth Day is going digital for the first time in its history, with <a href="https://www.earthday.org/campaign/digital-earth-day/" target="_blank">24 hours</a> of virtual talks, action calls, teach-ins and performances. Find an event <a href="https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-live/" target="_blank">here</a> or register your own to be part of Earth Day's ongoing history.</p>
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By Ken Kimmell
The COVID-19 crisis has upended the world, threatening the health and lives of millions, shattering the global economy, and imposing an unprecedented physical isolation upon us. It has changed so much almost overnight, including how we advocate for action on an even bigger long-term threat — climate change.
<p>For this upcoming 50th anniversary of Earth Day, youth and other climate activists had planned on holding a massive worldwide strike and thousands of public demonstrations to demand that leaders in the public and private spheres take action on climate change. Of course, in-person gatherings are not possible right now. But in a remarkable showing of agility and creativity, the US Youth Climate Strike Coalition has transformed the event into the largest online mass mobilization in history — Earth Day Live, which will take place April 22–24.</p>
<p><em><a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/author/ken-kimmell#.Xpxv0JNKiu4" target="_blank">Ken Kimmell</a> is president of the Union of Concerned Scientists and has more than 30 years of experience in government, environmental policy, and advocacy.</em></p>
Get Ready
<p><a href="https://www.earthdaylive2020.org/" target="_blank">Earth Day Live</a> is a three-day event focused on climate action and participation in our democracy. Its centerpiece is a non-stop 72-hour livestream that will include performances, training sessions, and a wide range of events designed to engage, inform, and inspire millions of people nationwide.</p><p>Thousands have already RSVP'd, hundreds of local livestreams across the country have registered, and the event will feature many high-profile celebrities and other public figures. If you haven't yet RSVP'd, <a href="https://www.earthdaylive2020.org/?source=union-of-concerned-scientists-2&referrer=group-union-of-concerned-scientists-2&emci=8906248a-8d73-ea11-a94c-00155d03b1e8&emdi=ea000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&ceid=" target="_blank">definitely do so today</a>!</p><p>For more information on the event, you can watch and share a short promo video on your social media channel of choice, whether it's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thefuturecoalition/videos/397330511150137/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_A0eFtHuaB/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, or<a href="https://twitter.com/FutureCoalition/status/1250510801720532993" target="_blank"> Twitter</a>. Or you can <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1AYWMGAmIuvQsl5YELjMVz1VDxgEu25k6" target="_blank">download the video</a> to make your own posts. Also check out the work of the <a href="https://stopthemoneypipeline.com/" target="_blank">Stop the Money Pipeline Coalition</a>; their work will be central to activities on Day 2 of Earth Day Live and they have produced <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D4zIJeRYBXVEaI95-HK1Qqn_8VqkGs9I_CH27B4Fw5c/edit" target="_blank">#PeopleNotPolluters art</a> that you can use and share.</p><p>What else can you do to support Earth Day Live? <a href="https://www.earthdaylive2020.org/?source=union-of-concerned-scientists-2&referrer=group-union-of-concerned-scientists-2&emci=8906248a-8d73-ea11-a94c-00155d03b1e8&emdi=ea000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&ceid=" target="_blank">Sign up</a> and tell your friends to sign up. Add a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profilepicframes/?selected_overlay_id=2544581619124458" target="_blank">Facebook frame</a> or <a href="https://twibbon.com/Support/earth-day-live-april-22-24" target="_blank">Twibbon frame</a>. Use and follow these hashtags on social media:<strong> #EarthDayLive, #EarthDay, #StrikeWithUs, </strong>and <strong>#ClimateStrike. </strong>Or simply follow and amplify the <a href="https://twitter.com/FutureCoalition/lists/youth-climate-strike-co" target="_blank">Youth Climate Strike Coalition on Twitter</a>.</p>United for Action
<p>At UCS, we stand united with the youth-led movement that is organizing Earth Day Live and the next generation of science and climate advocates who are participating in it. We aim to support them as they help boost and elevate the need for climate action, and are active members of the youth climate strike's adult coalition.</p><p>We are also members of the Stop the Money Pipeline coalition and calling for the financial institutions that fuel climate change by funding and insuring fossil fuel companies to end their support of climate destruction. And we are working on increasing voter registration and turnout of pro-science voters in the 2020 election by building the <a href="http://www.sciencerising.org/" target="_blank">Science Rising movement</a> to help empower students, scientists, and science supporters with opportunities to participate in civic engagement and democratic activities in their communities.</p><p>The past weeks have taught us all some hard lessons: having the best available science is not just important — it is a matter of life and death. And there is no substitute for effective action by governments at the national and international level to address crises at the scale that is needed.</p><p>We are also learning — yet again — that when disaster strikes, it exerts the highest costs on the most vulnerable. These lessons from the COVID-19 crisis apply forcefully to climate change as well — and I am heartened by the powerful way that the youth-led movement will remind us of these vital truths over the next several days, and inspire all of us to act upon them.</p>From Your Site Articles
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'We Need People's Bailout, Not Polluters' Bailout': Climate Groups Move to Preempt Big Oil Giveaway Amid Pandemic
05 April
Politics
President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable meeting with energy sector CEOs in the Cabinet Room of the White House April 3 in Washington, DC. Doug Mills-Pool / Getty Images
By Andrea Germanos
A coalition of climate organizations strongly criticized President Donald Trump's in-person Friday meeting with the chief executives of some of the biggest fossil fuel companies in the world, saying the industry that fueled climate disaster must not be allowed to profiteer from government giveaways by getting bailout funds or preferred treatment during the coronavirus pandemic.
<p>The CEOs attending the White House <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/02/moving-rob-us-blind-broad-daylight-trump-hold-person-meeting-big-oil-ceos-discuss" target="_blank">meeting</a>, scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday, have been <a href="ttps://twitter.com/jamieclimate/status/1245833208828014592" target="_blank">dubbed</a> "the seven oily henchman of the climate apocalypse" and reportedly include ExxonMobil's Darren Woods, Chevron's Michael Wirth, and Energy Transfer's Kelcy Warren, as well as billionaire and fracking pioneer Harold Hamm, who recently stepped down as CEO of Continental Resources CEO.</p>
<iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-1245830362174902277" id="twitter-embed-1245830362174902277" lazy-loadable="true" src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-1245830362174902277&created_ts=1585864079.0&screen_name=greenpeaceusa&text=Where+the+rest+of+the+world+sees+a+global+health+and+economic+crisis%2C+fossil+fuel+CEOs+see+an+opportunity+to+line+t%E2%80%A6+https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FIt14306Bif&id=1245830362174902277&name=Greenpeace+USA" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="575447fe0d2868ff4f1624d4c7bae8af"></iframe><p>The summit comes on the heels of a month in which more than 10 million Americans <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/02/never-seen-anything-it-economists-warn-66-million-new-jobless-claims-portend" target="_blank">lost</a> their jobs, and millions of Americans <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/03/unacceptable-trump-administration-says-millions-may-have-wait-5-months-receive-1200" target="_blank">may be stuck</a> waiting weeks to receive their one-time stimulus check while big businesses stand ready to <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/03/27/there-should-be-shame-watch-ocasio-cortez-excoriate-gop-over-massive-corporate" target="_blank">reap</a> <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/02/coronavirus-corporate-bailout-deal-161374" target="_blank">benefits</a> of their share of $500 billion in corporate bailout funds that were part of the coronavirus relief package passed last week.</p><p>"If corporations are people, they shouldn't be getting more financial assistance than the American people," said Mary Gutierrez, executive director of Earth Ethics. "This isn't the time for bailouts, it's the time for transitioning. We need to be transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources."</p><p>Earth Ethics is part of the <a href="https://stopthemoneypipeline.com/" target="_blank">Stop the Money Pipeline</a> coalition, which advocates for financial institutions to stop funding and investing in projects the group says amount to "climate destruction." </p><p>The big oil summit, the coalition warned, must not lead to a bailout for the industry, especially at a time working Americans' needs must be centered and as the climate crisis necessitates huge investments away from dirty energy towards renewables.</p><p>The meeting's agenda "is reportedly expected to include discussions about federal storage of oil, tariffs on foreign oil, and drilling on public land," CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/02/trump-seen-as-moderator-in-world-oil-talks-as-he-prepares-to-meet-us-oil-ceos-over-price-collapse.html" target="_blank">reported</a> Thursday. CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/stock-market-news-today-040220/index.html" target="_blank">added</a>, "The American Petroleum Institute, the industry's biggest lobby, has said oil companies aren't seeking a bailout from Trump."</p><p>But the climate coalition isn't convinced of that API claim.</p><p>"Let's not be fooled by these CEOs' claims that they don't want bailout money: if they're going to the White House, it's either to ask for yet another spigot of federal government money for corporations or for yet another relaxation of environmental protection rules," said Moira Birss, Amazon Watch's climate and finance director.</p><p>"It's unacceptable that Trump is more focused on serving corporate interests that are destroying our climate than responding to the urgent needs of workers, the unemployed, and the sick. We need a people's bailout, not a polluters' bailout!" she added.</p><p>New polling also indicates the American public has little appetite for bailing out the fossil fuel industry.</p><p><a href="https://morningconsult.com/2020/04/02/energy-bailouts-coronavirus-pandemic/%20" target="_blank">According to</a> a Morning Consult poll released Thursday, just 38% of voters support a bailout for the oil and gas industry, while 54 percent back a renewables industry bailout.</p><p>Jamie Henn of the Stop the Money Pipeline Coalition <a href="https://twitter.com/jamieclimate/status/1245718326069751812" target="_blank">said</a> the fossil fuel sector has been up to "terrible things" amid the pandemic. As one example, he pointed to the industry getting "the Environmental Protection Agency to stop enforcing environmental and public health protections indefinitely."</p>
<iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-1245779765400932354" id="twitter-embed-1245779765400932354" lazy-loadable="true" src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-1245779765400932354&created_ts=1585852016.0&screen_name=billmckibben&text=One+of+the+more+important+twitter+threads+in+a+long+time.+The+fossil+fuel+industry+is+dirty+in+every+way+https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FD1eymMRkr7&id=1245779765400932354&name=Bill+McKibben" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="7f49bb64ae83d203086da14f9f34c1e1"></iframe><p>The industry has friends in Congress helping it get its wishes. Twelve Senate Republicans <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/02/pandemic-paralyzes-global-economy-world-awash-seas-oil-nowhere-left-store-it" target="_blank">urged</a> Interior Secretary David Bernhardt this week to give the industry help during the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis by suspending federal royalty payments for fossil fuels.</p><p>"Oh, so we have to pay our rent, but now Big Oil doesn't have to pay anything for destroying our public lands? Cool, cool," <a href="https://twitter.com/jamieclimate/status/1245103901759528960" target="_blank">said</a> Henn.</p><p>Janet MacGillivay, executive director of the Indigenous women-led group <a href="https://seedingsovereignty.org/" target="_blank">Seeding Sovereignty</a>, said it's clear who needs to get help right now.</p><p>"Sending a financial liferaft to failing fossil fuel corporations while so many are losing jobs and hope for recovery is a slap in the face to hardworking American families," said MacGillivay.</p><p>"While many are struggling to breathe, oil fat cats are looking for yet another handout for their businesses that pump pollution into our finally clearing air and lungs. With EPA pollution enforcement sidelined during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Trump administration's rollback of health-based fuel efficiency standards during a climate crisis, now is the time to put the brake — not the gas — on oil company handouts. Let's invest in renewable, safe energy jobs," she added.</p><p>There may be an even bigger prize than a bailout on the table.</p><p>"The biggest win the fossil fuel industry could receive during the coronavirus crisis," <a href="https://heated.world/p/whats-better-than-a-bailout-silencing" target="_blank">according to</a> Emily Atkin, who writes the Heated newsletter, is "the ability to silence their most effective political opponents — climate activists — by threatening them with hefty financial penalties, felonies, and prison time for protesting their operations."</p><p>That's because other states could follow in the footsteps of three states that have passed so-called "critical infrastructure bills" since the coronavirus outbreak that bar climate activists from engaging in civil disobedience.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/03/we-need-peoples-bailout-not-polluters-bailout-climate-groups-move-preempt-big-oil" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em><em></em></p>From Your Site Articles
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The "Earthrise" photograph that inspired the first Earth Day. NASA / Bill Anders
For EcoWatchers, April usually means one thing: Earth Day. But how do you celebrate the environment while staying home to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus?
<p>Luckily, the <a href="https://www.earthday.org/" target="_blank">Earth Day Network</a> has you covered. The organization <a href="https://www.earthday.org/press-release/coronavirus-announcement-digital-earth-day/" target="_blank">announced in March</a> that it would celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day with its first ever Digital Earth Day April 22.</p>
<p>"At Earth Day Network, the health and safety of volunteers and participants in Earth Day events is our top concern. Amid the recent outbreak, we encourage people to rise up but to do so safely and responsibly — in many cases, that means using our voices to drive action online rather than in person," Earth Day Network President Kathleen Rogers said.</p><p>Here are three things you can do from the safety of your home to celebrate the Earth throughout April.</p>
1. Join EARTHRISE
<p>On Earth Day itself, the Earth Day Network is organizing 24 hours of "global digital mobilization" called <a href="https://www.earthday.org/coronavirus-drives-digital-striking-movement/" target="_blank">EARTHRISE</a> after the famous picture of our planet from space that inspired millions to agitate for the first Earth Day in 1970.</p><p>"The coronavirus pandemic does not shut us down," the organizers wrote. "Instead, it reminds us of what's at stake in our fight for the planet. If we don't demand change, our current state will become the new normal — a world where pandemics and extreme weather events span the globe, leaving already marginalized and vulnerable communities even more at risk."</p><p>You can participate using the hashtags #EarthDay2020 and #EARTHRISE.</p><p>The Earth Day Network is asking participants to speak up for the planet, vote for leaders who promote environmental policies or contact their representatives and educate others about the importance of taking care of the Earth. It is also organizing 24 actions that you can take from your home, one for each hour of the day.</p><iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-1244671199717871618" id="twitter-embed-1244671199717871618" lazy-loadable="true" src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-1244671199717871618&created_ts=1585587713.0&screen_name=EarthDayNetwork&text=When+life+gives+you+lemons%2C+make+lemonade%21%0A%0ATo+amid+the+COVID-19+outbreak%2C+we+are+switching+to+a+digital+%23EarthDay.%E2%80%A6+https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FmVF7vx1j1J&id=1244671199717871618&name=Earth+Day+Network" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="ac14aa56ede490310290063150cea127"></iframe>2. Take the Earth Day Daily Challenge
<p>You don't have to wait for April 22 to start making a difference. The Earth Day Network is also organizing <a href="https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-challenge/" target="_blank">22 daily challenges</a> you can take to fight the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> from lockdown.</p><p>The challenge began <a href="https://twitter.com/EarthDayNetwork/status/1245413619636019200" target="_blank">April 1</a> with a "plastic audit". Simply look for ways you can reduce your plastic usage and share your techniques.</p><p>Yesterday's challenge was to <a href="https://twitter.com/EarthDayNetwork/status/1245780953622069249" target="_blank">"compost creatively"</a> if you can't use all the food you brought home in your latest grocery store haul.</p><p>You can follow @earthdaynetwork's social media channels for each day's challenge.</p><iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-1245413619636019200" id="twitter-embed-1245413619636019200" lazy-loadable="true" src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-1245413619636019200&created_ts=1585764720.0&screen_name=EarthDayNetwork&text=%23Challenge+Day+1+-+Do+a+plastic+audit+%0A%0AWe+know+avoiding+plastic+completely+is+almost+impossible%2C+but+you+can+still%E2%80%A6+https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FPC7MnjnldA&id=1245413619636019200&name=Earth+Day+Network" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="fc070ae37babee43660310efcdc00d48"></iframe>3. Be a Citizen Scientist
<p>You don't need a fancy laboratory or a white coat to be a scientist. All you need is a mobile device.</p><p>As of April 1, the Earth Challenge 2020 mobile app has been made available at the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.earthday.ec2020app" target="_blank">Android</a> or <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earth-challenge-2020/id1494183525" target="_blank">Apple</a> app stores. You can download it now and begin collecting data on plastic pollution and air quality.</p><p>That data will be part of <a href="https://earthchallenge2020.earthday.org/" target="_blank">Earth Challenge 2020</a>, a joint initiative from the Earth Day Network, the U.S Department of State's Eco-Capitals Forum and The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars to create what they say will be the "world's most accessible and transparent citizen science database portal ever created."</p><p>The database <a href="https://earthchallenge2020.earthday.org/pages/research-community" target="_blank">will include</a> more than one billion data points combining existing citizen scientist projects with the information submitted via the app. The priorities for the challenge were globally crowdsourced in 2017 in a call for the "most important questions in human and environmental health."</p><p>The call turned up six focus areas:</p><ul><li>Plastics</li><li>Air Quality</li><li>Insects</li><li>Climate</li><li>Food Security</li><li>Water Quality</li></ul><p>The challenge will begin with plastics and air quality data, and move on to all six areas over the course of 2020.</p><iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-1245456176206266368" id="twitter-embed-1245456176206266368" lazy-loadable="true" src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-1245456176206266368&created_ts=1585774866.0&screen_name=EarthDayNetwork&text=Are+you+excited+to+be+a+part+of+our+%23EarthChallenge2020+Research+Community%3F%0A%0ATogether+we%27ll+record+over+1+billion+d%E2%80%A6+https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2Ft5iHrkPBhj&id=1245456176206266368&name=Earth+Day+Network" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="05e869bb3d47daeff4014787bb37a3fb"></iframe><p>Citizen science is a fitting way to celebrate Earth Day because the original Earth Day was all about mobilizing around science, one of its key organizers Denis Hayes pointed out.</p><p>"When 20 million Americans participated in the first Earth Day, they believed the warnings of scientists, as did the U.S. Congress," Hayes said. "In a decade of bipartisan support for science, Congress passed a set of forward-thinking laws that protected human health, species and the planet."</p><p>Now, governments and people have a chance to follow that example in response both to the climate crisis and COVID-19.</p><p>"Our current pandemic demonstrates that governments must embrace science early. As we see now, many governments were slow to respond or even indifferent about the science of the coronavirus pandemic," Rogers said. "But the last few weeks have also demonstrated that our society, even at the international level, is capable of mass shifts across all sectors to meet a crisis head-on. We must apply the same scale and urgency of our response to climate change."</p>
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Protesters face off against security during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. ROBYN BECK / AFP / Getty Images
Update, April 20: This article has been updated to include the fact that the final Kentucky bill was amended to narrow the scope of the new penalties.
In just two weeks, three states have passed laws criminalizing protests against fossil fuel infrastructure.
<p>Between March 16 and March 25, the governors of Kentucky, South Dakota and West Virginia all signed laws designating <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oil-and-gas" target="_self">oil and gas</a> <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pipelines" target="_self">pipelines</a> and facilities "critical" or "key" infrastructure and imposing new penalties for anyone caught tampering with them, <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/pipeline-protest-laws-coronavirus_n_5e7e7570c5b6256a7a2aab41?ri18n=true" target="_blank">HuffPost reported Friday</a>. The laws came as much of the nation was absorbed by the spread of the new <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a>, which has killed <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/coronavirus-maps.html" target="_blank">more than 2,000 people</a> in the U.S. so far. </p>
<p>"While we are all paying attention to COVID-19 and the congressional stimulus packages, state legislatures are quietly passing fossil-fuel-backed anti-protest laws," <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/" target="_blank">Greenpeace USA</a> researcher Connor Gibson, who alerted HuffPost to the laws' passage, told the news site. "These laws do nothing new to protect communities. Instead they seek to crack down on the sort of nonviolent civil disobedience that has shaped much of our nation's greatest political and social victories."</p><p>The push to criminalize anti-fossil fuel protests predates the coronavirus pandemic, however, and is part of a broader conservative movement to pass legislation that makes civil disobedience more difficult, as <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/anti-protest-legislation-2636409012.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1" target="_self">Greenpeace pointed out last year</a>.</p><p>Since 2015, bills have been introduced that target particular movement tactics like boycotts, strikes and traffic blockage and increase the penalties for already-illegal activities. In the case of anti-pipeline protests, the laws have sold themselves as protecting "critical infrastructure" but follow a very specific playbook, as Greenpeace explained:</p><blockquote>Generally, critical infrastructure bills share several common elements. (1) They create new criminal penalties for already illegal conduct — for example, turning misdemeanor trespass (a common charge for civil disobedience) into a felony. (2) They broadly redefine the term "critical infrastructure" to include everything from cell phone towers to trucking terminals; far greater than the fossil fuel pipelines the bills purport to protect. (3) The bills also seek to create liability for organizations that support protesters by treating such support as a criminal conspiracy.</blockquote>
<p>To date, 11 states have enacted similar "critical infrastructure" legislation, according to the <a href="https://www.icnl.org/usprotestlawtracker/?status=enacted&type=legislative" target="_blank">International Center for Not-for-Profit Law's U.S. Protest Law Tracker</a>.</p><p>So what exactly do the three most recent laws say?</p>
Kentucky
<p>The Kentucky <a href="https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/20rs/hb44.html" target="_blank">law</a>, signed by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear March 16, designates "natural gas or petroleum pipelines" as "key infrastructure assets." The area designated as key infrastructure is not limited to areas that have been fenced off or marked with "no entry" signs. The law creates a new felony offense for "tamper[ing] with the operations of a key infrastructure asset... in a manner that renders the operations harmful or dangerous." The final Kentucky bill was amended to <a href="http://kyconservation.org/2020-house-bills/" target="_blank">narrow</a> the scope of the new penalties from targeting "impeding" or "interfering" with a pipeline to focus only on "tampering." It also got rid of liability for groups or people who funded pipeline tampering and restricted it to those who intentionally caused it.</p>South Dakota
<p>South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) signed two laws this month that could have a chilling effect on protests, according to HuffPost. The <a href="https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/69887.pdf" target="_blank">first</a>, signed March 18, counts all oil and gas facilities and equipment as critical infrastructure and increases the charges for "substantial interruption or impairment" of these facilities to felonies. The <a href="https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/69658.pdf" target="_blank">second</a>, signed March 23, defines a "riot" as "any intentional use of force or violence by three or more persons, acting together and without authority of law, to cause any injury to any person or any damage to property" and creates a new felony offense for "incitement to riot," according to the U.S. Protest Law Tracker.</p>West Virginia
<p>The <a href="https://legiscan.com/WV/text/HB4615/2020" target="_blank">West Virginia law</a>, signed by Gov. Jim Justice (R) Wednesday, also designates a wide range of oil, gas and utilities as "critical infrastructure" and increases fines and sentences for trespassing, trespassing with intent to "vandalize, deface, tamper with equipment, or impede or inhibit operations," and actually vandalizing equipment or impeding operations, according to the U.S. Protest Law Tracker.</p><p>These bills are not the last on the horizon, according to HuffPost. Another passed the Alabama Senate in March, and similar legislation has been introduced in Illinois, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio and Pennsylvania.</p>From Your Site Articles
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- One of the most significant, yet ignored, impacts of climate change is its disruption of the water cycle.
- The youth-driven climate movement provides examples of how to incorporate water into the climate agenda by raising awareness, encouraging advocacy and promoting innovation.
- World Water Day 2020 is focused on the interconnectedness of water and climate change.
<p>This year, World Water Day is focused on the interconnectedness of water and climate change. Water is the <a href="https://www.unwater.org/water-facts/climate-change/" target="_blank">primary resource affected by climate change</a>, with repercussions on the supply of drinking water, sanitation, and water used for food and energy production. Or in other words, as suggested by climate-change experts, "If climate change is a shark, <a href="https://www.watercalculator.org/footprint/climate-change-water-resources/" target="_blank">then water is its teeth</a>."<em></em></p>
<p class=""><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/world-water-day-how-to-put-water-into-the-climate-agenda/" target="_blank">World Economic Forum</a>.</em></p>
<p>Against this backdrop, young people are increasingly recognized as the driving force for action behind the climate movement – and for injecting water into the climate agenda. Currently, more than half of the global population is under the age of 30, making it the largest youth population in history and the ones who will be most affected by the climate change induced disruption of water resources.</p><p>One active youth group is the World Economic Forum's <a href="https://www.globalshapers.org/" target="_blank">Global Shapers</a>, an impact-orientated network of young people, who listed water as the number one social risk in the Forum's Global Shapers survey.</p><p>Having launched several initiatives linking both water and climate change, here are three key lessons from global youth to advance an inclusive and effective climate action agenda:</p>
1. Raise Awareness
<p>Not enough is understood and communicated about the devastating risk of climate change to the world's water resources. Currently, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3674533?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents" target="_blank">50% of our drinking water comes from glaciers</a>, which are melting at an unprecedent speed. Higher air temperatures are causing increased flooding – <a href="https://www.zurich.com/en/knowledge/topics/flood-and-water-damage" target="_blank">which is affecting more people globally than any other natural hazard</a>. If no measures are taken, water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change, is expected to cost some regions <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/water/publication/high-and-dry-climate-change-water-and-the-economy" target="_blank">up to 6% of their economic growth</a>.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjg4ODQ1NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMTIxODQ1MX0.qJ4_h03eH2s3D_6FnWaae2eoUC_2dU4EvoaADlwnha0/img.png?width=980" id="77940" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fcd44dcbca3778d12738b067737eaf05" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>With water and climate change being complex topics in and of themselves, not to mention how they intersect, much remains to be done to raise awareness in a comprehensive, accessible and action-oriented way. The World Youth Parliament for Water (WYPW), a globally-recognized youth network, has therefore dedicated one of its three main working pillars towards awareness-raising. Noting the need to mainstream the unique role of water throughout the climate agenda, the WYWP is currently broadcasting "The <a href="https://soundcloud.com/climatereadypodcast/sn3episode3" target="_blank">ClimateReady Podcast</a>", sharing stories of youth action on combatting the climate crisis and reaching thousands of people.</p><p>All sectors can learn from these efforts, as an increased awareness of the water and climate change link will lead to an enabling environment for change and corporation, and more so, safeguard our water resources.</p>
2. Be an Advocate
<p>Young people are organizing and uniting around the world to raise awareness through climate strikes – bridging political differences and linking separate sectors. Rather than confronting one environmental issue at a time, they are holistic in their advocacy, recognizing the strength in combining efforts.</p><p>During the 2020 Annual Meeting in Davos, Global Shapers engaged in climate work and discussions on the future of water. Their participation, enthusiasm and conviction to further incentivize young people to scale up water innovation, resulted in the stakeholder proposal to develop an award. Rather than being a one-off entrepreneurial activity, this prize aims to be a milestone in a long-term water advocacy agenda.</p><p>While having a Corporate Social Responsibility programme is common, more companies could push the cause. An example is Heineken's "<a href="https://www.theheinekencompany.com/newsroom/heineken-announces-every-drop-water-ambition-for-2030/" target="_blank">Every Drop</a>" campaign, dedicated to lowering water usage to combat water scarcity.</p><p>Choose to be a champion, mobilize for the climate-water cause and implement what you advocate!</p>3. Seek Innovation
<p>Since 2012, the rise in smart phones has been dramatic (to date, there are more people with a mobile phone than access to a flushable toilet). Today's youth is the generation most accustomed to technology from an early age. With the increase of artificial intelligence, smart sensoring and blockchain, the possibilities for tackling water issues have multiplied.</p><p>In the run-up to COP 21, youth representatives released a white paper with recommendations in four key areas on how to address climate change – all of which included water. This led to the creation of the <a href="https://youthwaterclimate.org/project/ahiafor-yahovi-amedzape-danyi-apeyeme-togo-tonfuturtonclimat-project-to-support-the-young-people-for-the-protection-of-environment-water-and-land-in-togo/" target="_blank">Youth for Water and Climate</a> (YWC) initiative. Similar to the World Economic Forum's <a href="https://www.weforum.org/uplink" target="_blank">UpLink</a>, the YWC is a platform connecting young, innovative solution providers with solution seekers that are able to offer technical and financial resources to help scale up the projects.</p><p>By providing the means and the mentoring, the chances for these projects to develop increase, while offering tangible solutions for companies in return. Companies such as AB InBev have launched <a href="https://www.ab-inbev.com/sustainability/100-accelerator.html" target="_blank">sustainability accelerators</a>, enabling start-ups to grow, while learning from their breakthrough water innovations. In line with stakeholder capitalism, more companies aim to be inclusive – and what better way to do that – than by getting insights into innovative solutions for water challenges and climate change.</p>From Your Site Articles
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Students from various institutions take part in a protest in support of the global action against climate changes Friday for Future, in Guwahati, Assam, India on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019. Recently, more than 40 organizations in India have come together to co-operate on climate solutions. David Talukdar / NurPhoto / Getty Images
By Nivedita Khandekar
After decades of concentrating on economic development and insisting that global warming was mainly a problem for the more industrially-developed countries to solve, Indian industry is at last facing up to dangers posed to its own future by climate change.
<p>More than 40 organizations — including major industrial corporations such as <a href="https://www.tata.com/" target="_blank">Tata</a>, <a href="https://www.godrejproperties.com/" target="_blank">Godrej</a>, <a href="https://www.mahindra.com/about-us" target="_blank">Mahindra</a> and <a href="https://www.wipro.com/" target="_blank">Wipro</a> through their various philanthropic organizations, plus academic thinktanks, business schools, aid agencies, and the government's scientific advisers — have come together to co-operate on climate solutions.</p><p>The umbrella organization, called the <a href="https://indiaclimatecollaborative.org/" target="_blank">India Climate Collaborative</a> (ICC), also includes international institutions such as <a href="https://www.bloomberg.org/about/" target="_blank">Bloomberg Philanthropies</a> and the <a href="https://www.macfound.org/" target="_blank">MacArthur Foundation</a>.<em></em></p>
<p class=""><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://climatenewsnetwork.net/india-climate/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Climate News Network</a>.</em></p>
Climate Disasters
<p>Although there have been many individual initiatives in India on climate change, and there has been government support for renewables, particularly solar power, efforts so far have been fragmented.</p><p>State and national governments, individual departments, businesses, non-governmental organizations, and academics have all worked separately, and sometimes in opposition to each other.</p><p>The scale of the task facing India is underlined by the fact it has taken two years to get the ICC up and running. However, with India <a href="https://germanwatch.org/sites/germanwatch.org/files/20-2-01e%20Global%20Climate%20Risk%20Index%202020_10.pdf" target="_blank">ranked fifth in the Global Climate Risk Index 2019</a> and facing one climate disaster after another — sometimes simultaneous extreme weather events — these organizations have agreed that the issue can no longer be ignored.</p><p>At the opening ceremony for the organization, Anand Mahindra, chairman of the Mahindra Group, said: "It is clear that the world cannot continue to pursue a business-as-usual approach, and nobody can solve the problem on their own. Business, government and philanthropy must collaborate within and among themselves themselves to drive results quickly and at scale. The India Climate Collaborative can make this happen."</p><p>The ICC has identified <a href="https://indiaclimatecollaborative.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/CC_INFO1.pdf" target="_blank">three critical risk factors</a> for India:</p><ol><li>The first is that an astonishing 700 million people are still dependent on agriculture and they are the most vulnerable to an erratic climate.</li><li>The second is that around the country's approximately 7,500 km coastline are several major cities. Many of these important economic hubs, which include all the country's main ports, are a metre or less above current sea level.</li><li>Third, even with the increasingly rigorous focus on renewable energy, there is continued heavy reliance on fossil fuels for producing electricity, which is still in short supply.</li></ol>
<p>According to the <a href="https://www.dasra.org/resource/india-philanthropy-report-2019" target="_blank">India Philanthropy Report 2019</a>, private funds in India, mostly raised through non-government philanthropy, provided about Rs 70,000 crore ($9.5 billion) in 2018 for the social sector, mostly focusing on key aspects such as health, education and agriculture.</p><p>However, only a small proportion was spent on climate change, and so the ICC aims to raise the current spending of about 7 percent to at least 20 percent.</p><p>Another hindrance to India's many plans for adaptation or mitigation is the lack of capacity among government departments. Something as basic as preparing workable proposals for funding action is a tough task for many state governments.</p><p>The ICC plans to conduct technical training as "there are gaps to be filled to take care of the talent shortfall, and there is overall lack of capacity."</p><p>One of the first training exercises is planned for state-level bureaucrats from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and in the western state of Rajasthan.</p>
Cross-Purposes
<p>There is some concern that while the India government is represented on the ICC by <a href="https://www.icts.res.in/news/prof-k-vijayraghavan-appointed-principal-scientific-advisor-government-india" target="_blank">Prof K. VijayRaghavan</a>, its Principle Scientific Adviser, there is no representation from the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEFCC), which represents the country at the climate talks.</p><p>Critics claim that this is particularly worrying because the various government departments are already seen as not working together, or often working at cross-purposes.</p><p>There are also fears that there is lack of community involvement, particularly the farmers, who are the largest single group most affected by adverse weather conditions caused by climate change.</p><p>However, <a href="https://idronline.org/contributor/shloka-nath/" target="_blank">Shloka Nath</a>, executive director of the ICC and head of Sustainability and Special Projects at the Tata Trust, says the ICC plans to work with the MoEFCC to reach representatives of civil society and bring them into the process.</p><p>"It is through them [the ministry] that we plan to reach out to the community," she says. "The people will be very much involved."</p><p>Despite these shortcomings, <a href="https://www.chandrabhushan.net/" target="_blank">Chandra Bhushan</a>, President and CEO of the <a href="https://www.iforest.global/" target="_blank">International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology</a> (iFOREST), welcomes the idea. He says: "It is for the first time that Indian companies are understanding climate change and willing to invest in it."</p>
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