CONTACT
Kelsey Crane, Conservation Program Coordinator, Sierra Club Virginia Chapter
(703) 438-6246, kelsey.crane@sierraclub.org
Dozens of Environmental advocates rally in support of plaintiffs of Juliana v. United States
Virginians support youth climate leaders in “Trial of the Century”
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia – Earth Guardians, Climate Reality Project Northern Virginia, the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter and youth climate leaders from across Virginia hosted a rally with around 90 climate justice advocates in Alexandria on Sunday in support of the 21 young people suing the federal government and demanding a Climate Recovery Plan in Juliana v. United States. The young activists filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Oregon, stating that the government’s inaction to climate change violates their human rights to life, liberty, and property.
The rally was one of dozens held across the U.S. under the banner “Trial of the Century” to show broad Americans support for a fossil free world that works for all of us. Speakers at the demonstration included Larry Schweiger, member of the Board of Directors for Climate Reality and former president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.
“Rallying peacefully and respectfully in front of federal courthouses everywhere in support of this case is more important now than ever before,” Schweiger said. “Whether the trial begins on October 29 or not, we still stand in support of the core message– our government has a responsibility to take all necessary action to address climate change.”
Other speakers included Scott Emery with Zero Carbon VA, Jean Su with the Center for Biological Diversity, Laura Anderko, Director of the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment, Jerome Foster II with Zero Hour, Opal Boyer, activist and member of Yavapai-Apache Nation and Isabella Bennett, Miss New England Earth United States and trained Climate Reality Leader. Live music from M4TR, an indie "resistance rock” band and Uptown Boyz an intertribal Powwow drum group, entertained the enthusiastic crowd.
The rally presented the importance of the outcome of the trial and that a feasible, viable science-based climate recovery plan will keep our country’s air and water safe. Such a plan would inform how to build a fossil fuel free world that works for all of us, as well as hold accountable those at fault for the climate crisis.
The climate crisis is not a political issue but a crisis that threatens the existence of mankind on earth. Ordinary people across the United States and the rest of the world––led by our youth––are rising up to demand bold action to protect our climate, our communities, and our collective future,” Jerome Foster II, Zero Hour Team Member, said. “The youth climate revolution to solve the climate crisis is not fueled by the silence of inaction but by the sounds of impassioned assertiveness”
The historic case, filed in 2015, argues that over the course of at least 10 presidential administrations, the federal government has violated the plaintiff’s constitutionally protected right to live in a safe and healthy climate.
“From extraction to combustion, fossil fuel operations put human health at serious risk,” Dr. Laura Anderko, PH.D. RN, Director of the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment, said. “We need climate action now more than ever. The world’s top climate scientists and health experts are in clear agreement. We know from the recent extreme weather events that we need forward-looking policies that take steps to reduce the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.”
Anderko is a nurse, scholar and educator in the fields of epidemiology, public health and environmental health, including serving on the Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee, the National Drinking Water Advisory Committee, and the National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee’s Research Workgroup. In July 2013, Dr. Anderko was honored by the White House for her work in climate change and public health.
The groups involved in planning and promoting the event included Our Children’s Trust; Earth Guardians; The Climate Reality Project; 350; Miss Earth USA; League of Women Voters; Sierra Club Virginia Chapter; Environment Virginia; Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions; Electric Vehicle Association of Greater D.C.(EVADC); Indivisible Northern Virginia; Climate Reality Project: NOVA Chapter; 350 Fairfax; 350 Loudoun; Network NoVA Action; Greater Prince William Climate Action Network; ORNOVA; Mason VSEC; Climate Action Alliance of the Valley; Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action; Uptown Boyzdc and M4TR.
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Photos, which can be credited to Chris Tandy, can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gKQmVI_lJDrMD1zJoR4X56VgMGDgGRCU/view?usp=sharing