February 2017, vol. 2 
Climate Crisis in Washington!

Immediate Need:
A Congress Which Cares About Our Environment &
The Survival of Future Generations

The past few weeks have made it crystal clear:  The new administration has ZERO interest in addressing the threat that climate change poses to the well-being of our grandchildren and subsequent generations.  They want to roll back steps taken by previous Republican and Democratic administrations.  The President is threatening to back out of the Paris Climate Agreement, which would end any effective international effort to combat climate change.

Any hope that the US Congress would stand up for environmental justice and the welfare of future 
generations disappeared with the confirmation of Scott Pruitt to head the EPA.  In his position as Oklahoma Attorney General, Pruitt, at the bidding of fossil fuel companies, opposed all efforts of the EPA to enforce the Clean Air Act.  All the facts about Pruitt and hundreds of thousands of letters and phone calls against his nomination made no difference to a majority in the US Senate!
                   
Four years of abandoning and reversing every effort on climate change would cause irreparable harm.   We cannot allow that to happen.  Our only real hope is a US Congress elected in 2018 that is committed to justice for future generations.  

Elders Climate Action Now!

ECA is calling on our members to lead an effort to demand that our Members of Congress commit to making action on climate change a priority!

This campaign will move into full gear at ECA's Elders Climate Action Conference in Washington on April 27th and 28th.  We will provide inspiration and step-by-step action plans for bringing our demands to Members of Congress in their home districts.  We will visit the offices of all 535 members of Congress to let them know that elders are demanding action on climate.

We will act in concert with other groups organizing similar
campaigns.  These joint efforts will increase our impact.  Our voices as elders will be especially important as we emphasize the moral responsibility of Congress to protect future generations.


Elders Climate Action Day

Marilyn Price, Mill Valley, CA

Since joining ECA last April, I have really  enjoyed reading the newsletter, following ECA on FaceBook, and participating in the Climate Candidates Project. But things have changed.  
I need  to do more.  In the face of a new administration that threatens to eviscerate our environmental protections  and disavow the Paris Climate Accord, we hurtle towards the climate change tipping point.  I know many others of my generation feel the same.

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and have decided to travel to DC to attend the Elders Climate Actio n Day Conference on April 27 and 28 and participate in the April 29 People's Climate March.  I am excited to meet ECA members from throughout the country and especially to find local members so that we can work together to address climate change in our own communities.

I encourage you to attend the conference to become educated and inspired and to participate in visits to our Members of Congress.   As a grandmother, I firmly believe there is no more important work to b e done for my grandchildren and all people on our earth.  Together we can create a more sustainable future!





Join Us for the Monthly 
Member Call!  

February 22, 2017
7PM (Eastern) /4PM (Pacific)

Join from your Computer --

Join from your Phone --
Dial: +1 646 558 8656 (US Toll)
or +1 408 638 0968 (US Toll)
Meeting ID: 640 182 419



CHAPTER NEWS from Massachusetts

Elders Climate Action Massachusetts is gaining momentum as evidenced by a $5,000 grant from the New England Grassroots Environmental Fund !  The grant will provide support for our 2017 vision: fostering self-sustaining elder communities committed to addressing climate change in 10 Massachusetts communities that presently have no climate change advocacy.  

To identify candidate communities, we've consulted with 3 Massachusetts organizations: 350Mass for a Better Future, Toxics Action Center and Massachusetts Climate Action Network.  We will give priority to communities with significant low income populations, districts represented by influential state legislators, and communities where there is little or no membership in climate change groups.  To gain entry, we will contact the Council on Aging in each community and Continuing Care Retirement Communities. We will also reach out to "at home" groups, with membership from elders who wish to remain in their homes as they age.  In reaching out to plant seeds in targeted communities, we will draw on our experience in delivering presentations to over a dozen elder communities, resulting in a significant expansion of membership.  

We look forward to collaborating with our brand new "sister" chapter in Ann Arbor, Michigan and exploring together how we can expand our reach.  We will also work with the ECA Engagement Committee to form new chapters in other areas.

ECA SEEDS ARE GERMINATING IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA!  

By Margo Frank

A small but enthusiastic group of Elders Climate Action members is exploring how to build a movement of elder climate activists in the North, South and East Bay region. Building on our successful Congressional Candidates Climate Project, we're looking for more ways to be involved.  Some of us have joined ECA leadership committees and a number of us will be attending Elders Climate Action Day in DC this April.  We're planning ways to start doing outreach to elder communities and facilities, building our confidence and connections as we go. We welcome others to join us!  

If you're interested, please contact Marilyn Price at 


"The Next Generation Takes a Stand"        
Geri Freedman,  Elders Climate Action Co-Chair

Forty seven years ago I attended my last march.  It seems so
Geri & Diana at March in DC
long ago but I remember well those days when both young and old marched with the hope of making a change in public policy to end a war.  On January 21st, 2017 I travelled from Florida to Washington, DC to put on my marching boots to take a stand that climate change must be addressed now. 
I attended the Women's March accompanied by two magnificent women with whom I was proud and honored to march-- fellow ECA member Leslie Wharton from Bethesda, Maryland and my daughter-in-law Diana from North Carolina. We left NC at 3 am on Saturday and travelled by bus to DC. This was Diana's first march and was an opportunity for both generations, allied in purpose, to make sure our voices were heard.  

We were accompanied by hundreds of thousands of people, some very old with walkers, some very young in strollers, men, women, and people from every walk of life. The love and support were amazing!  During the walk, we thanked 3 officers holding back traffic for marchers to cross the street and they said "Thank you for being here for us."

I will march until I can no longer walk.  I will march with my children.  I will march with my grandchildren.  I will continue to raise my voice in support of a livable earth for all.    




Our Children's Trust Lawsuit Update

Our Children's Trust continues to advance action by naming Donald J.Trump as a defendant in their landmark climate case on pace for a full trial this fall. In their news release on February 9, Trump is substituted as a named party in place of former president Barack Obama under federal rules. As reported previously in our December newsletter, Our Children's Trust elevates the voice of youth to secure the legal right to a stable climate and healthy atmosphere for the benefit of all present and future generations. In Juliana vs. United States , 6:15-cv-1517-TC, 21 young plaintiffs sued the federal government for violating their constitutional rights and their rights to vital public trust resources. The complaint alleges the government locked in a fossil-fuel based national energy system for more than five decades with full knowledge of the extreme dangers it posed. The plaintiffs have been further emboldened by President Trump's blatant climate denialism, inspiring them in their fight to secure climate justice and a safe future. Please follow this inspiring action by these brave and committed young people on their website.




BOOK RECOMMENDATION



by Ellen Moyer, Ph.D., P.E., Principal, Greenvironment, LLC
P.O. Box 556, Southampton, MA 01073

Amazon Bestseller and #1 Hot New Release in 3 Categories: Nature Conservation, Green Business, and Environmentalism




VALENTINE'S DAY WISHES FOR A GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE PLANET - SHOW THE LOVE

MAKE, WEAR AND SHARE A GREEN HEART  Click Here
 


                   I wish for you...                
JEREMY IRONS VIDEO LETTER TO HIS GRANDDAUGHTER




Find out up-to-date climate news at  http://climatenexus.org




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Elders Climate Action 
is  a Project of the 
Conscious Elders Network

The Conscious Elders Network (CEN) is an educational, non-profit organization fostering a budding movement of vital elders, dedicated to growing in consciousness while actively addressing the demanding challenges facing our country.


Do you shop online? Here is a way to help Elders Climate Action!

If you shop on Amazon you can sign up for Amazon Smile and every time you make an eligible purchase a donation is made.  All you have to do is sign up and select Conscious Elders Network as your organization to receive the funds.  These donations will help Elders Climate Action.  What an easy way to contribute and it costs you nothing. To sign up and read about the program go to Amazon Smile.  After you sign up you will use smile.amazon.com to make your purchases.  



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