Greetings Friend!
This summer I had the incredible opportunity to travel through thirteen states and see the beauty of many of our national parks. But I couldn't help but feel great sadness knowing that my grandchildren’s children may never have the opportunity to see such beauty if we are not able to make a significant impact on climate change. Throughout my travels, I saw the effects of climate change in each state and each community and some of the ways communities are responding. While there is currently no action on climate change at the federal level it is abundantly clear that on state and community level there is conversation, strategy and action. Examples of these strategies are: community education in a very public way such as signage and informational signs in downtown areas; increased recycling and composting programs; mitigation strategies such as sea wall construction; new stormwater practices to reduce flash flooding from increased storms as a result of climate change. What is clear is people, communities, counties, state and local government all recognize climate change and are developing strategies to respond to these changes in the hope of preserving those communities for future generations. Certainly action on a federal level is critical but in the absence of that communities can make a difference by their actions and the aggregate of those actions across the country can produce a significant impact. It is the responsibility of each of us to act now for all of the grandchildren and future generations.
For the grandchildren, future generations and all life,
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Geri Freedman
ECA Co-Chair
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Meet an Elder Climate Activist
Jane Hughes Gignoux, a native New Yorker, currently lives in Keene, NH. She has enjoyed participating in the Elders Climate Action webinar series, as well as Tea and Talk sessions this summer, finding them engaging and inspiring.
Jane has been an active member of the Conscious Elders Network and has co-hosted a session on Social Justice. She has been inspired by the commitment to justice of her ancestor John Jay, our first Chief Justice. Jane has written and published two books to help change our relationship to death:
Some Folk Say, Stories of Life, Death and Beyond
and
An Insistence on Life, Releasing the Fear of Death to Fully Live.
Jane notes, “We’ve neglected our environment and are paying for it now. If we don’t pay more attention it will be our own death.”
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Washington, D.C. Play- In for the Climate with Mom's Clean Air Force
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On July 11, David Mog and Leslie Wharton joined Moms Clean Air Force on the National Mall for their annual Play-In for Climate Action. It was a wonderful event! Twelve members of Congress (among others) spoke to the assembled participants, who ranged in age from infants and toddlers to their grandparents. We were able to connect with members of environmental and social justice groups and talked with parents and teens about getting the grandparents involved in climate change action. It felt very good to be there with so many others working together to insist that Congress take action on climate change.
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What Do The Kids Want?
Climate
Action: Youth across the world took to the streets on Saturday for the Zero Hour march, as part of the a youth-led movement to pressure governments to move faster on climate change. At a rally in Washington, DC, Zero Hour organizers and others, including groups from Standing Rock, shared their experiences of the impacts of carbon pollution on their generation and marched from the National Mall to demand leadership and action. More than two dozen Zero Hour sister marches and day of action events took place in the US and across the world. "The march is a launch. It isn’t, '
That’s it, we’re done
,'" Jamie Margolin, the founder of Zero Hour, told the New York Times. "It means it doesn’t give them an excuse to be like, 'I don’t know what the kids want.' It’s like, 'Yes, you do.'"
A number of ECA Elder Activists took part in the Zero Hour marches within their communities to support a livable future for their grandchildren, future generations and all life.
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Climate Day of Action is Coming Soon!
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Do you have the tools you need to get out and join climate action events in your community? Look no further. ECA has all the resources you need to be visible and represent the elders standing for a livable future for our grandchildren, future generations and all life.
- Be Visible
- Wear your green ECA t-shirt or hat
- (if you have one)
- Bring a sign or banner -- you can make your sign at home or use one from the ECA website. Homemade signs have a lot of impact and save money
- Ask friends, family and neighbors to join you!
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We've created a new series of print at home posters (8.5 x 11 and 11 x 17) for the Climate Day of Action on September 8th! Print, Use & Share!!
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Additional ECA Posters, Banners and More!
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Find Climate Actions in your Area on September 8th from our friends at
Rise For Climate
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Shirley McGrath (middle) at the USCAN Conference June 2018
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Update from USCAN Annual Meeting from Shirley McGrath, ECA Member
"What an extraordinary experience! It was so meaningful and everyone was so gracious to me! Every time I sat down at a small group or a meal or a large gathering I made a connection with whomever I was sitting next to!" 162 organizations were represented.
Below are the Action Teams which won the most votes and will guide next year's agenda.
- Building Power from Grassroots Up
- Equitable and Ambitious Climate Vision and Sharing
- Social and Economically Just Adaptation and Mitigation Policies and Practices
- Just Social and Economic Transition
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Come join a deep examination of our elderhood and our needed, pivotal role in restoring the life-sustaining legacy for our grandchildren, future generations, and all life. We will explore our passions and skills to effect change and to build relationships for a thriving future.
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Join us in
San Francisco, CA.
Sept. 15, 2018
9 AM - 4 PM
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We are announcing our new four-part
WEBINAR SERIES: Elders Standing for a Sustainable and Just World.
Join us and hear from incredible guest speakers as well as Elder Climate Activists. We will explore how we as elders can take action on climate change.This exciting series will include the guest speakers and elders demonstrating the many ways we can have our voice heard on climate change. You will not only be inspired but will also have the tools to take action now in your hometown.
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Wednesday
August 8
6:00 PM ET
3:00 PM PT
Our Voice, Our Vote, Do Environmentalists Vote?
Special Guest Nathaniel Stinnett will amaze you with the actual facts about who votes and how that influences the political agenda. With an election in November, the ECA Candidates Pledge Climate Action Project is going into full swing by asking candidates for office to sign a pledge that they acknowledge climate change and will take action. Margo Frank and Jen Chandler will introduce the project and give you all the tools to take it to your candidates in your city and state.
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Wednesday August 22 6:00 PM ET 3:00 PM PT
For the Grandchildren, Future Generations and All Life
The dynamic,
renowned Katharine Hayhoe will join us to bring climate change to the local level. In such a politically charged environment, are we still able to act on climate? Or is it too late? ECA's Jen Chandler will give you all the tools in our ECA Action Toolkit to take action on a local, state or national level.
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Join us a few days after the webinars for
Climate tea & talk
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Make yourself a cup of tea and connect with us for an “elder hour” of casual discussion about climate change.
Make new friends across the country and learn from one another new ways to engage in climate action.
We hope you will join us for climate tea & talk!
Find out more about "Climate tea & talk" on ou
r
Events page
.
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Our Monthly National Call will be on hiatus until September.
JOIN US INSTEAD FOR OUR FREE WEBINAR SERIES!
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Elders Climate Action, a project of Conscious Elders Network
www.eldersclimateaction.org | info@eldersclimateaction.org
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