JANUARY 2020
Greetings!

SURELY, YOU NOTICED the amazing developments during 2019 in the fight to stop Climate Change.

We saw a massive outpouring of activists demanding action, with the September 20 Global Climate Strike in which over 7.6 Million came into the streets across the globe.
For this, we credit our youth and their organizations School Strike for Climate, The Sunrise Movement, Future Coalition, Zero Hour, and others.

They were effective! Cities, countries and corporations around the world have announced significant commitments to reduce carbon emissions. There is now broad support for a Green New Deal. With this dramatic rise in youth activism, we heard their growing calls for adults and elders to stand with them.

ELDERS CLIMATE ACTION WAS BORN FOR THIS MOMENT .   We agree with our young activists that it’s time for Elders to rise up and commit their most vigorous efforts to stop Climate Change and avoid the great harm it threatens for our children and for all the children of the planet.  

AND WE ARE HERE, JOIN US TODAY .   If you recognize the threats that Climate Change presents for future generations (and our own generation) and want to help the cause, we have a role for you regardless of the time you can give or your willingness to join public protests. Here are links to our website where you can find a range of actions you can take. We believe that our best chances for success in this fight will come from our vote, our voices, our collective actions and our dollars, but we need everyone to join in with anything they’ve got to offer.
2020 is a big opportunity for climate action. Happy New Year!

For the grandchildren, future generations and all life,
Geri Freedman
ECA Co-Chair
Thank you to everyone who made a donation in 2019 to support ECA. We couldn't do it all without your support!
Get INSPIRED
Elders Promote the Vote is working to get out the vote in 2020!
Elders Climate Action is committed to increasing the power of pro-climate, pro-environment voters in the 2020 election and all future elections. It's an important cornerstone of the movement to put lawmakers at all levels of government on notice that the voters care deeply about meaningful climate action. That is why ECA has formed Elders Promote the Vote, a partnership with the Environmental Voter Project - to contact millions of these pro-environment voters with a clear get-out-the-vote message.
We are doing this because research shows that people with strong environmentalist priorities are not always the most consistent voters, but they are very persuadable to vote. Promote the Vote is forming and training teams of volunteers to text, call and canvass to encourage strong pro-environment voters to get to the polls. We have gained experience in 2019 with some critical races. This will help us to amplify our efforts in 2020. We will message prospective environmental voters in twelve key states. To do this we need your help. This is a volunteer-driven initiative with high potential impact on pro-environment voter turnout.

We are very proud of ECA's work on voter turnout in 2018 and 2019. Our members sent more than 248,388 text messages to non-voting individuals in 2019, 645,147 text messages in the pat two years. Our Promote the Vote initiative is well on its way to contacting several million voters before the 2020 election, with the potential to turn out tens of thousands of votes. We mostly text because the experts tell us it's really effective, but we also knock on doors and make phone calls to potential environmental voters.

Please join us, sign up for the project, attend a Promote the Vote training call , Your phone number and other personal information will never be disclosed to the voters whom you contact. We will provide training, technical support, and regular updates keeping you informed of when we have new voter lists to work with.
Join the January ECA National Call to hear from Nathaniel Stinnett, Executive Director of Environmental Voter Project. RSVP Now or See details in the Get Engaged section below .
ECA Chapters are also getting involved in Promote the Vote. It is a great way to make a real difference while building your community of action. If an active ECA chapter does not exist in your area, invite a few friends to join Elders Promote the Vote project with you. Before you know it, you may have the beginnings of a chapter. As a group you can participate in training and get started texting, phone calling, and even door-to-door canvassing if you live in a project state. We are currently recruiting team leaders to keep the momentum going. Contact us to learn more about becoming a team lead.

Promote the Vote will host a number of training calls in January. If you haven't already done so, please sign up for the project to receive a full volunteer briefing and an invitation to the trainings.
Elders Declare a Climate Emergency with the Climate Mobilization Project

ECA is collaborating with Climate Mobilization Project to work with local municipalities (cities, towns and counties) to declare a climate emergency. We are seeking volunteers to work locally to get their elected officials to join other municipalities that have already passed a Climate Emergency Declaration.  

Why Start Locally?
Any Climate Emergency program passed by Congress will need to be implemented by cities and states. Working at this level helps to build the consensus needed to trigger the change we are all working towards.

 How can I help?
We have several members already signed up to work in their local municipality to assist in getting a Declaration passed. Please sign up on the project page or contact David Freedman at DavidF@eldersclimateaction.org (321) 549-8587 for information on how you can help.  
Congratulations Greta!

We are so excited to see Greta as Time Magazine's Person of the Year! This brave young woman has brought global attention to the climate crisis, amplifying the urgent need for global action. It's refreshing to hear the power of her words and to see her personal commitment to action.

“We can’t just continue living as if there was no tomorrow, because there is a tomorrow,”

Greta, you inspire us and move us to action. We are with you all the way! Honor Greta and all the youth fighting for their future by becoming more involved in taking action in 2020.

Above: We're always proud to stand with our friends and allies at Moms Clean Air Force , from Houston, TX, Dec 6th Climate Strike.

Thank you to all the Elders who joined the youth at the November 29 & December 6 Climate Strikes!

We will continue to work closely with Future Coalition in preparation for the Global Earth Day events coming in the spring.
Tell us what you have been doing for climate action. Send a 150 word (max) summary of what you've been doing and we'll share it in a future newsletter. Send to info@eldersclimateaction.org .
Get INFORMED
My 2020 Resolution   by Melanie T. Pinkert, new ECA member

My growing distress over so much plastic in the world led me to start using sustainable produce bags for grocery purchases and food storage. The bags are both a practical solution and a way to engage with others about climate change, when other grocery shoppers see me using them. Hanging them prominently on the rim of my cart has sparked curiosity and conversations in the midst of choosing broccoli crowns or a bunch of green onions. I even got a bookseller at my local bookstore interested in the bags, after our conversation on global warming. My 2020 resolution has now extended to composting and compostable trash bags. As we come together at ECA to push for the big picture – supporting climate legislation and impacting fossil fuel use – each of us can also take small steps at home to help sustain the environment and our earth.

Avoid plastic (wherever you can)

We can see that plastics, produced by fossil fuels, have found their way into our oceans, waterways, roadsides, cosmetics, clothing and even our bodies. The convenience of plastic has made it appear in nearly every aspect of our lives from toothpaste tubes, toys, food storage, to medical devices and more. The ease of using plastics while alluring, presents major challenges to our environment. There is a close connection between our global plastics addiction and the changing climate. At every phase of their life plastics emit greenhouse gases. Avoid plastics wherever you can. Here are a few quick suggestions
  • Install a home in-line water filtration system
  • Glass or stainless steel reusable water bottle
  • Reusable Coffee Cup
  • Reusable storage containers for your next carry out meal.
  • Reusable Bamboo Cutlery set & Straws
  • Reusable grocery and woven produce bags
  • Reusable Beeswax wraps (in lieu of plastic wrap)
  • Reusable Fabric or Silicone food storage bags (in lieu of Ziplock)
  • Glass food storage containers
  • Purchase toys made of natural materials for the grandkids!
  • Purchase clothing and household goods made of natural materials. (organic cotton, bamboo, hemp)
Get ENGAGED
Find more ways to take action in our Take Action with ECA Section of our website. Learn more about Upcoming Events Here .
Sign the Petition to AARP

We are calling on AARP to join the conversation about Climate Action. Add your name and demand AARP’s action!
ECA National Call
4th Tuesday of Each Month

January 28
7:00 PM (ET) | 4:00 PM (PT)

With Special Guest Nathaniel Stinnett from Environmental Voter Project will join us to discuss our joint efforts with the Elders Promote the Vote Project.
Join Us for Climate Tea & Talk

Join us for monthly casual climate conversations and talk with other Elders about the climate issues, solutions and strategies that matter most to you.

Second Tuesday of Each Month
Next Call - January 14
6:00 PM (ET) | 3:00 PM (PT)
Join Us for an ECA 101 for New Members Call

Join our monthly call to learn more about the mission, vision and action opportunities at Elders Climate Action.

Next Call (Special Date) January 21
5:00 PM (ET) | 2:00 PM (PT)