Transcripts For CSPAN2 Climate State Of The Union 20180202

Sen. Sanders thank you. Let me begin by thanking all of you here and folks watching livestream all over this country for standing up for our environment, for standing up for the fossil fuel industry and telling them shortterm profits are not more important than the future of our planet. Thank you all, very much. [applause] sen. Sanders i want to give a special thanks to the Howard University gospel choir for that great performance. [applause] sen. Sanders and i want to thank 350. Org and the other organizations involved in this event. I will tell you why. It is not just Bill Mckibben is a neighbor of mine in vermont. It is that i am inspired. I am truly inspired by the work that you are doing. And you are understanding that while donald trump wants to divide us up, you are helping to bring people from all walks of life together. [applause] sen. Sanders and not only all walks of life in the United States of america, when we talk about Climate Change, it goes without saying we are talking about a Global Crisis and that it is imperative we bring people all over the world together to fight to save this planet. [applause] sen. Sanders last night, we heard president trumps state of the union address. [crowd booing] sen. Sanders it is my job as a United States senator to have to be there. [laughter] sen. Sanders it is what i ought to do. But among the many other dishonest and ugly things he said, there is one interesting reality. If you go to the Scientific Community and you say to them, what is the major Global Crisis we face . The vast majority of them will say it is Climate Change, and they will say it is absolutely imperative and a lifeanddeath issue that we have got to transform our Energy System away from fossil fuel to Sustainable Energy. [applause] sen. Sanders and yet, donald trump spoke last night for over an hour. He talked about many things. But somehow he forgot to mention the words Climate Change. What an outrage. [applause] but we should not be surprised, because donald trump, one of the great scientists of our time, [laughter] has determined after years and years of exhaustive study that Climate Change is a hoax brought to us from china. Based on the brilliant analysis, not only does he not talk about Climate Change, but horrifically and dangerously, he has appointed administrators of the epa, of the department of energy, who are doing everything they can to stop the Movement Toward Sustainable Energy. About here tonight and all over this country and what we will be about tomorrow as we knock on doors, as we get involved in grassroots politics. [applause] sen. Sanders what we are about is telling donald trump and the Koch Brothers and all these people that their days are numbered, fossil fuel days are numbered. We are going to transform our Energy System. [applause] sen. Sanders if donald trump does not know it, i know that you do. That this planet is warming at an alarming rate. 2017 was the second hottest year on record behind only 2016. 17 of the 18 hottest years have occurred since 2001. Yes, mr. Trump, Climate Change is real. [applause] sen. Sanders and what you have seen and people all across this country have seen, sometimes in very tragic ways, are the kinds of extreme weather disturbances that have impacted so many people, the type of flooding that is impacting not only areas of the United States, but places all over the world. Drought, wildfires, heat waves, extreme storms, mudslides, rising sea levels, and much, much more. In terms of Climate Change, the debate is over. What we now have to understand is the issue in front of us is not a scientific debate. It has everything to do with political will. [applause] sen. Sanders some of you may have noticed the other day that the Koch Brothers and their billionaire friends are planning to spend some 400 million on the 2018 elections. [crowd booing] sen. Sanders 400 million coming from a handful of billionaires. That tells me and tells you that not only do we have to take on the fossil fuel industry, we also have to take on this disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision. [applause] sen. Sanders because whether the issue is Climate Change, whether the issue is health care and the need to move this country to a medical for all, singlepayer system [applause] sen. Sanders whether the issue is daca and the need for comprehensive Immigration Reform [applause] sen. Sanders whether the issue is raising the minimum wage to a living wage [applause] sen. Sanders whether the issue is making public colleges and universities tuition free [applause] sen. Sanders whether the issue is protecting a womans right to choose and establishing equal pay for equal work, all of those issues and many more are issues that the American People want resolved. They want a government, they want an economy, they want an environment that works for all of us, not just the few. [applause] sen. Sanders now, the good news, as all of you know, is notwithstanding trump in our country and cities and towns and states and all over this world, we are making significant progress in transforming our global Energy System. [applause] in chile, the lowest cost electricity ever produced is coming from solar. [applause] sen. Sanders and in our own country, we are seeing hundreds of thousands of good paying jobs being established through wind and solar and geothermal and other Sustainable Energy. There is no doubt in my mind and, by the way, no doubt in corporate americas minds, who are investing more in Sustainable Energy and less and less in fossil fuels there is no doubt the future is with us. We will create an Energy System which is clean, nonpolluting, and sustainable. [applause] sen. Sanders now, that is what we will do, and the question is how quickly we will accomplish that. So my request of you is please get involved in the political process. [applause] sen. Sanders start running for office. You can do it. You can run for school board, city council, state legislator, congress, or the senate. Trust me, i work in the senate. I know that you could do it. [applause] sen. Sanders brothers and sisters, we got a lot of work in front of us, but i am honestly so inspired by seeing people all over this country do extraordinary work, and i know you are going to get involved in that process. Let me conclude as a father of four and a grandfather of seven. What we are talking about is nothing less than the future of this planet. [applause] sen. Sanders and in this struggle, we cannot, we must not fail, and with your hard work, i know we will succeed. [applause] sen. Sanders and now, i want to emceesce to you your for the evening. Reverend and bill from 350. Org. Thank you all very much. [applause] you tell him. Tell em. You can do better than that. Make some noise for senator Bernie Sanders. [applause] so, before we get started, let me say this. As you can see from my hat, i actually want to start by giving honor to one, all of the amazing climate activists, like one who gave their lives for this movement. [applause] and for an amazing equity Freedom Fighter warrior, my friend erica donner. [applause] and those things are connected, for those who are watching who may not know erica gardners father was killed by the new York Police Department in an illegal chokehold. His last words were, i cant breathe. Erica sprung up. Even if he had not been choked, regarding the pollution, eric eric gardner and all his children had asthma. I want to lead off with that because these things are connected. With that, i want to thank all of the activists who are watching around. There are over 300 house parties. Make some noise for the house parties. [applause] who are fighting this fight on the local level, and even groups here, like ccan. I know they have boost in their background. They are fighting the pipeline running through here locally. As you know, i am the rev. If you all know from standing rock, it is time to get fired up. Are yall ready . [applause] they cannot hear you. Are. You. Ready . [applause] if you are ready and if you are ready to be a part of the fossil free plan, somebody make some noise. [applause] brother, i brought you a present from vermont. [laughter] thank you very much for that. Take a bite and see what you think. Now, there is a reason the reverend here is eating the apple tonight. Vermont apple. They asked me to come up with a name for this thing tonight. I think they asked because i was a writer. They said write a script, come up with a name. I said we will call it possible fossil free fast because it has three fs in a row. Im a writer, the alphabet is our jam. I thought it was terrific but i forgot just how zealous to move colleagues it really were. I started hearing from people around the country saying, when am i supposed to stop eating . What . [laughter] so i am glad that everybody is so committed that they would go without food if need be. And we will let you know if the need arises for this, ok . But if there is anybody out at any of these house parties or something sitting there with a glass of water in front of them, now is the time to go get the doritos, you know, and bring them forward. Because we need you strong. Because we have to go swiftly. Rapidly. [laughter] with dispatch, ok . And the reason and here i am reminded my job in the world is basically to bomb people out the reason we have to go fast is because we are behind. Because things are not going well. Think about the last six months in this country, and this country only covers 2 of the planets surface. But think about this country. Rainstorm inggest american history. We had the longest stretch of extreme wins. 4. 5 feet of water fell on houston. The longest stretch of wind with hurricane irma. Hurricane maria brought utter devastation, the longest blackout in american history. A third of the island, fellow americans, still without power now. Then, we have the deadliest wildfire in california history killing 32 people in napa and sonoma. Then, we have the largest then, we have the largest wildfire in california history, and it happened in december, two months after when wildfire season was supposed to end because we have changed the world. Because we are breaking it. In january, epic rains fell on n byland made baron barre those fires, in the mudslides killed 25 people. I didnt know we were supposed to be depressing people. If that is the case, then i can do better than that. [laughter] [applause] yes, and a few boos, but the reality is that he has the power right now. He is using that power for the fossil fuel industry and big oil and gas and coal. He is using that power to damage our communities. But here is a chart of new solar installations worldwide. Next to that chart not that guy. Next to that chart, you have new solar installations here in the u. S. [laughter] remember that chart. The big blue spike was the Obama Administration and then and then, that is the thing. After that big blue spike you saw, we fell off a cliff. A cliff called trump, koch, and exxon. Our job beginning tonight is to turn that around. We are not going to turn it around in washington. Even if trump left, that men the men around him would keep the same course. The big marble buildings here in d. C. Are not the only power there are. [applause] we have got some other ways to wipe that smug grin off his face. Three ways to be specific. Three arms of this campaign that we are unveiling tonight. Number 1, a fast, Just Transition to 100 Renewable Energy. To newtwo, and an end fossil fuel projects. [applause] 3, not one penny more flowing for dirty energy. [applause] those three pieces together represent a full scale shift away from the old fossil fuel economy to a new Renewable Energy economy, one that works for everyone. Three pieces that we can drive from the local level to the National Level to the interNational Level. All three underway already in beautiful bits and pieces but it is time to bring them together. That is what fossil free fast means. It begins with job one, a commitment to 100 Renewable Energy. [applause] the first of these campaigns is already underway across america. Our colleagues at the sierra club and elsewhere have been making great progress. They have already paid the way by helping to bring thousands of people into the Climate Movement. Fighting for cities and towns to be at the forefront for faster transition to 100 renewable. Here is jameka. Give it up for her. [applause] she is the lead organizer with sierra club which has been publishing local organizers. Make some noise for my dear sister. Jameka whoo it is a little bright. So, thank you all for coming. I am here to share the news that the transition to 100 Renewable Energy is underway. Already, yes. Already, 56 cities in six counties have committed to transition entirely to 100 Renewable Energy. That is a lot guys. [applause] jameka even more importantly, a wave of momentum is building as an unprecedented number of people join in social movements. A movement of communities demanding cleaner energy has has made a just in equitable transition to the new bar of leadership. [applause] jameka as a lead organizer for the ready for 100 campaign, i coach and campaign for local organizers in atlanta, pittsburgh, and cleveland. I help organizers create and execute campaigns. The work to advance a transition to 100 clean energy is about more than just metrics. It is about supporting local Environmental Justice groups, housing justice advocates and living wage advocates and organizations. [applause] it is about asking what communities need and crafting a plan based on the communitys response. I want to be clear. These 100 Clean Energy Commitments mean little if we leave low income, black, brown, and indigenous communities in the same conditions [applause] jameka in the same conditions that an economy based on fossil fuel extraction and burning have left them in. We must Work Together to ensure that a shift to 100 clean energy addresses the injustice and inequality of the fossil fuel economy. [applause] jameka now is the time to hold ourselves, our organizations and our movements accountable. That requires work. Work at self transformation. Work with our families. What i have learned is that to do it is truly inspiring, we cannot separate climate and Environmental Justice from other struggles for justice. [applause] jameka we have seen examples across the country where this can be done right. We have seen this in pueblo, colorado. A community with the local Utility Company has wrongly shut off electricity for thousands of people. [applause] jameka we have seen this in atlanta where there has been a communitywide engagement strategy and planning process to ensure that commitments to 100 clean energy will create jobs and reduce air pollution. And we are seeing this right here in the Nations Capital where there is an ambitious commitment to power 100,000 low income homes with solar by 2032. [applause] jameka this moment in history, our moment, is a critical turning point requiring multiissue movement building. We have the tools we need to get the job done and if we do so in sync, we will win. Thank you. [applause] ameka, thank you so much. Ok, you get the message. Someplace here we have a map, a map of the 56 cities and six counties that have so far agreed to go 100 renewable. That is good. There is a list of some of them. That is tremendous. There are all of the communities that have not yet agreed. Our job, and there are tens of thousands of them is to get them and fast. All of you out there watching, in your communities we have model legislation available. We have templates for how to convince City Councils and town courts. How to convince them that this is good news, not just for the climate but for the local economy. We need everyone to start fighting for this change right in your community. The first task that you might want to do is text the phrase fossil free to this number. This gets everyone absolutely on the same page. We have the list that we need to be sending out the coordinated action when we need to and so that you can let us know how things are going. You will get some more chances to do that in the course of the evening. Now, an advocate is someone who argues for change. To give us some sense of how to argue effectively, because it is not just getting up and shouting, but give us some sense of how to argue effectively. I want to introduce you to one of the best advocates in the entire country. Jacqueline patterson, the first person the naacp ever hired. To work specifically on Environmental Justice. [applause] jacqueline thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. It is good to be here with you. What is happening in communities across the country, resulting from the drivers and impacts of Climate Change is an urgent call to action to eliminate fossil fuels from our energy mix. With the naacp we note children know children like eliza who elijah who live near coal plants and have such severe asthma that he is dependent on taking a handful of drugs every day so that he can get through the day. We know families like the hendersons who live across the fence line from an oil refinery in the middle of the petrol chemical corridor in southern louisiana. They have a Family Member with cancer from living in the toxic doughnut that they call home and community. We know that 76,000 coal miners that have lot died of black lung disease since 1968. We are paying the price. We have families in houston, texas, and san juan, puerto rico, and florida who are still displaced after Hurricane Harvey, maria, and irma. We know women like denise who was sexually assaulted in the aftermath of hurricane katrina. The choctaw tribe who has already been displaced by the over rising sea levels that has already taken over their land. They can tell the tale of the impacts of fossil fuel change. Anyone who isnt a rich, white, heterosexual, american male. [applause] jacqueline as such, we are in a situation where the powers that s onre decreasing regulation corporation with the aim of protecting profit well increasing regulation on people. Especially women. Especially people who are lgbbtqqi. Corporations get a free pass to pollute and others have protections withdrawn. At best, or criminalized at worse with fatal effects. The u. S. Pulled out of the Paris Agreement and abandon all responsibility for being 4 of the global population, but 25 of the emissions that drive Climate Change. Simultaneously, this administration tightened immigration laws. People are being driven from their homelands. In the words of a somaliborn kenyan poet, and no one puts their child in a boat unless the water is safer than the land. [applause] jacqueline at the same time the resistance is rising, communities are reclaiming our rights. Groups like for the love of water are pushing back against privatization. To uphold our rights to this basic resource. Communities are pushing back against corporations that would snatch the bottle out of a babys mouth to turn a profit. They are instead planting and harvesting natures bounty. Communities are pushing back against corporate greed. Generating their own energy through the godgiven some that we have to take us off this path toward catastrophic Climate Change. They are replacing systems rooted in extraction, explication, and domination with principles and practices of regeneration. Communities are rising up, coming together, and practicing [applause] jacqueline thank you. Communities are practicing dr. Martin luther kings revolutionary love. [applause] jacqueline in this uprising, in this practice of revolutionary love, lies our hope for a fossil free future. Thank you. [applause] come on now, you can do better than that. [applause] you can do better than that. [applause] make some noise for jackie patterson. [applause] so you know your first assignment. Local resolutions across the nation calling for no new fossil fuels and a fast and Just Transition to 100 Renewable Energy. Fast because we are running out of time. This is a crisis. With a time limit. Just because that is not simply the right way. It is the only way. We have to do this together. We have got a deadline. There is a conference in San Francisco in september where mayors, governors, and regional leaders from all over the planet will present plans on how to keep the climate fight going. That is your target date. September. If in the process you are able to inspire a lot of voters, respect my vote for the follow election, so much the better. [applause] if you need some inspiration, anyone need some inspiration . [applause] lets make this very real. Running a remarkable project in puerto rico called El Departamento de la comida. It was wiped out by hurricane maria. They are putting their own project back together. Helping to coordinate relief to through the puerto rico Resilience Fund. Theyre going to tell us about a vision for a new puerto rico. Make some noise for them yall. [applause] tara [speaking spanish] the island you know as a rich portrait. I am a queer, person of color. We are a network of people building resilience, not bureaucratic relief. Hurricane maria increased our food dependency from an 85 towe building resilience, not 98 , while the jones act made it impossible for other nations to directly provide aid to our people. The work of grassroots organizers is what many of us are relying on right now, well while our Government Systems are failing. We launched the Resilience Fund and it has become an example of what locals on the island can do together. We started immediately supporting Sustainable Food projects for the next 24 months through seeds, farming, reforestation, rainwater collection, Renewable Energy, and community wellness. All actions that will ensure a decolonize future for puerto rico. [applause] we have birthed an intersectional collaboration with groups all over the United States and the world. Fighting outdated models of extractive economy in our own neighborhoods and ecosystems. The plan for puerto rico has been for centuries one of exploitation of labor and land, extraction of resources, impartation of food and corporate subsidies. We are the perfect example of how colonialism and Climate Change have is proportionately disproportionately affected low income communities of color. [applause] tara these injustices and secondclass citizen treatment should be understood as a violation of our human rights. [applause] tara we all know that hurricanes unveiled for many of us the ugly consequences of extractive economy. So why would we rebuild the same destructive, unsustainable system that caused this crisis in the first place . [applause] tara if we rebuild and harmony in harmony with our islands ecosystem, we have everything we need to feed ourselves, generate our own power, and take care of each other. [applause] tara if we make this succeed in puerto rico and other frontline communities, everybody is included in this success. [applause] tara chemical agriculture is completely related to fossil feels and reminds us that diversity is what creates stability. To me, fossil fuel free fast means if it is not renewable, owned by the people, and for the people we dont want it. [applause] tara the u. S. Government continues to silence our voices and allows others to pretend they represent us. We demand sovereign entity. , and we demand reparation. We are creating our own projects. It is our responsibility to help ourselves thrive in the face of adversity. [applause] tara do you want to help our islands . Back us up. Do not buy us out. [applause] tara big environmental groups redirect more resources toward supporting and mobilizing grassroots action. We have no time to wait for politicians, laws, to be kept. We have begun to do it ourselves. [applause] if we adopted Renewable Energy, we would create 10 times more jobs. We would be able to heal our lands. Puerto ricos colonial history i not allow for political sovereignty immediately, but we will achieve our freedom now through food and energy independence. [applause] such good work. By the way, i notice you are on hat three for the evening. If there were any justice in the world, those of us with no hair be wearing the hats. Here we are. Look, time now to talk about job 2. Just as important there it is. [applause] just as important as the energy we do want is the energy we cannot have. That energy is fossil fuel. The math is so simple. If we dig up the current reserves of coal and oil and gas, we will cook the planet five times over. It is exactly that simple. That is right. I know what you are thinking. We are losing the fight right now. That is true. Trump is trying to open up National Monuments to drilling for oil. He has opened up the arctic, he is opening up our entire countrys coastlines. Thus right. One. An boo on that booing] a dangerous rise in american oil and gas extraction that has begun under the past few administrations seems likely to accelerate. But Something Else began during the obama years to. That was the full on resistance to new fossil fuel projects. [applause] from the fight against the keystone xl pipeline, from that grew so many more fights. We want tons of them. We won tons of them. No fracking in new york. No fracking in maryland. Now in a dozen countries around the world. [applause] shell got chased out of the arctic by the activists. We have beaten six new coal ports in the pacific northwest. We are going to win many many more of these battles. Every time we fight one of these battles, we cost this industry time and money. There is not a carbon tax coming from the Trump Administration anytime soon. But once upon a time, we can impose a de facto carbon tax with our resistance. [applause] let me introduce you to another of my friends. A dear friend. A hero of many of those fights. One of the leaders of the remarkable stand at standing rock. From the indigenous network, my dear brother dallas goldtooth. [applause] dallas hi everyone. How are you . I have to say, i greet each and every one of you with a good heart and i have apologize to apologize because i cannot be there right now to join you. I know that each and everyone of you are beautiful because this movement that we are part of is beautiful. Keep on rocking with your beautiful self. Lets get into this. The fight to keep fossil fuels in the ground was born out of it indigenous struggle to end Oil Development in the amazon and arctic and has grown into this Global Movement to stop fossil fuel projects across the planet. In this movement, we saw in full force against the Dakota Access pipeline. That fight against the Dakota Access pipeline Parent Company was and continues to be a fight that has invigorated and inspired thousands of others to step up to the plate and hold ourselves accountable to our for our addiction to fossil fuel regimes. The fossil fuel regime. There you go, that is the word. We are now seeing dozens of communities stepping up to the plate across this country. Taking action, often being led by Indigenous Leaders and that is something amazing to see. Now we know this fight to build a more sustainable, better world is a multifaceted struggle. One approach is to see an a justadvocate transition. Based on Real Community solutions. Another approach is to keep our government, our communities, and municipalities, our tribes from locking ourselves into more of beastnnical east that is called the fossil fuel economy. The only way, the only proper way to accomplish that goal, is to stop all new coal, oil and projects, period. [applause] to stop the fossil fuel industry while trump is an office merely means that we will have to organize better. We will have to be braver and we will have to take bolder actions. The first thing that trump did when he came into office was to approve the keystone xl and Dakota Access pipelines. Now, now he wants to get access to more of our sacred sites and access to offshore waters for more drilling. It is bananas. But year after years of fighting and winning, in the struggle to keep fossil fuels in the ground. We are not backing down. We are standing up. So im going to ask you. Stand with us. Help us in this fight against keystone xl pipeline. Join communities, tribes, ranchers and farmers to make the promise to protect. The promise to protect is a commitment to join these join communities, tribes, communities along the proposed route of the keystone xl pipeline if and when the time comes. You can check out more information. I want to introduce our next speaker here. She is a magnificent woman a beautiful human being. A close dear friend of mine. I do not have i dont know the proper words to explain how vital her voice is to this movement. How powerful her voice is for all of us to hear. So, i want to ask you to give a round of applause and a show of appreciation to my good Sister Holding it down in southwest louisiana. [applause] cherri thank you. And thank you, dallas. When i was asked to speak with you tonight i thought long and hard about what to say. A lot of things went through my mind considering that my state is losing a football field of land every 45 minutes. We have lost one million football fields to date. I could go into how the rising floodwaters entered my home in august and the following may. The storms are getting more frequent, more intense, more costly, and more deadly. I could tell you how the photo behind me is of the chapel. It is the largest natural swamp in north america. I would certainly throw in it is one of the most beautiful laces places on earth. That is my swamp. It also contains some of the 700 waterways. They are trying to ram their bayou bridge pipeline through. They are endangering the Drinking Water of 30,000 people. This industry has taken hundreds of land owners to court and take and taken their land through eminent domain. They continue to engage in acts of racism. They have the worst spill record in u. S. History. I decided that i would rather tell you about is how we are building a Sustainable Community in south louisiana. [applause] cherri we will have chickens and a coop garden and we will teach kids how to can and we will teach oil workers how to build solar panels. [applause] a want cherri i would let know that we you have a camp, which means water is life. It is a resistance camp for the pipeline. The more and more people are standing up to be water protectors as well. I would tell you that the free st. James community that they are standing tall. The people in the basin are fighting back. Landowners all across louisiana are raising their voices. Every day, more and more people are saying no more. Brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers. The resistance in louisiana is strong and growing. [applause] cherri because we the people we the people must not yield to agencies or administrations or corporations that do not serve us. [applause] cherri rather, we must rise like the waters. We must melt together like the cypress trees. We must be fierce and we must be unafraid. Mainly, brothers and sisters, we must believe. Believing is the only way that change and injustice has ever been created. We can do this with faith and courage and i believe in you. I believe that we will win and i will need you to help me because sometimes, it gets hard. You know it gets hard. Sometimes we are too tired and we dont think we have the will to go on. But we have to tell each other, hold each other, and say i believe we will win. I want you to say it like you believe it from your heart. Say it. I believe that we will win. Cherri again. I believe that we will win. I believe that we will win. Hold it in your hearts and in your hands and keep it. Whenever you see someone get tired, say it again. I believe that we will win. Because we will. We will win. [applause] i know what some of you are thinking right now. I live in the suburbs, or there is no coal mine near me. No pipelines. How do i help . You helped by signing the promise to protect the dallas that dallas told us about. May be, that you show up when our indigenous brothers and sisters call for help. So now, you can do that now by texting fossil free to 83224 and you can help even closer to home as well. Cities and towns and states are starting to ban new fossil fuel projects. If we are going to be 100 renewable, what do we need with new pipelines going through our communities . We have got to get rid of the stuff and get rid of the stuff right now. We are doing it now. We could not be prouder of the work of the roughly 158 local 350 groups throughout the the u. S. We know about their amazing work to build the Climate Movement, advanced solutions. Tonight as we speak, the pipeline fighters in minnesota are preparing for a decision on line three and we have a fighting chance. Let me introduce someone to you now who has shaped the model for how to get this done. Last year, activists in portland, oregon passed one of original fossil fuel ordinances ever. It is a precedent that portland could set and become a model for cities everywhere. Adriana of 350 pdx has been right at the front of all this work. [applause] adriana a few years ago my sisterinlaw told me about Bill Mckibben and his do the math tour. I had just spent years finishins finishing my medical degree while raising four Young Children with my artist has husband. As a mother, it was hearing you speak, bill that inspired me to switch my path entirely and cofound 350pdx out of my Family Living room. [applause] adriana a lot has happened in the four years since then. We grew from a handful of volunteers to now over 300 core activists, 10,000 active supporters and not to mention the diverse coalitions that are at the heart of our local movement. We have had some amazing successes in portland. Against all odds, we stopped a large fossil fuel export terminal from being built. We got our city to divest from fossil fuel. [applause] adriana we removed Climate Change denial from our Public School textbooks. [applause] adriana we allied against White Supremacy and immigrant deportation. [applause] adriana and we organized a activist blockcade. We also passed one of the strongest 100 renewables resolutions and tired of federal inaction, we got our cities to pass the nations most comprehensive and on new fossil fuel infrastructure. [applause] adriana big industry tried everything to challenge the ordinance in court, but just earlier this month the court of appeals ruled that the did not really the interstate Commerce Clause of the constitution and is legal, paving the way for others to do the same. [applause] we are working. You ahead and we are working to hold our statewide elective oldresentatives to h polluters accountable and say no to lng pipelines. 350pdx has also worked with the portland naacp. This initiative would help transform Portlands Energy future by generating tens of millions of dollars annually to invest in Renewable Energy while providing Economic Opportunities for those who have been left out of our economy. [applause] adriana as the old world order begins to crumble, there is a growing awareness that we are all interconnected. Many of our struggles share the same struggles. From mass incarcerations, the erosion of our democracy, to mass pollution factory farms, animal cruelty, im a change, Climate Change and extinction of life on our only planet. Trump is but a symptom, although a pathologically dangerous one, of a very broken system of a systemic illness. Our movement is part of a collective immune system essential for fighting for the change we need. Trump and his sickening agenda have aroused our system like a booster shot. With hundreds of thousands of people signing up to resist in communities across the country. [applause] adriana we have a historic opportunity right now to correct the path of disruption taken over past generations and turn the tide for generations to come. Lets forge a new path. Compassion, justice, and renewed connection. With cities and local committees in the lead, lets fight together for all that we love. [applause] come on, you can do better than that. [applause] come on, you can do better than that, now. [applause] now youve got your second homework assignment. We are going to keep it in the ground and we are going to do it by passing fossil free resolutions locally. And by coming together nationally, with the promise to protect. Sorry to interrupt. We know that you mostly wanted to focus on the u. S. We know how tough it is for you out there right now. But a huge part of what makes this fight work is that we are all in it together. We in the pacific wanted to let you know that we have your back. We are already seeing major changes in places like the marshall islands. But the fight for a fossil free world is connected everywhere. The work you do in the u. S. Directly impacts us here in the pacific. We are fighting for a fossil free world. We are getting closer in africa, from kenya to ghana, from south africa to nigeria. We are challenging the problem. Solar panels are going up at new rate. We alone can stop Climate Change. That is why we are looking to you in the u. S. Because country produces so much carbon. We are doing our part to protect the planet. Bill. , lots of love to the whole 350 family. I just want to remind you, that we do not just need to watch the carbon, we have to watch the money. The money. It is always about the money. Bye. [applause] bill naomi is right. She usually is. For many years, 350 has focused on the money that is powered fossil fuel corporations. Naomi helped birth the divestment unit. 6 trillion have divested. [applause] bill gw, our host tonight has begun the process, getting out of coal. Students are fighting to make sure they go further. Thank you, guys. Because, lots of people are going much further. In december, norways sovereign wealth fund, the largest pool of Investment Capital in the world, began divesting from fossil fuels. [applause] rev. Yearwood and is not just stocks. Banks and Insurance Companies are starting to do the right thing. Last month, a huge european insurance axis said it would stop insuring or funding tarzan pipelines. It is an overheating planet, the ceo said it is not sustainable and therefore not insurable. [applause] bill that very same day, that the Insurance Company did that, the world bank, after 20 years of campaigning the world bank announced that in 2019 it was going to stop funding all new oil and gas exploration. [applause] bill that is a big deal. That is a big deal. We need not just the world bank, we need every bank around the world to do the same. [applause] bill and, rev, do you know what happened earlier this month . Do you know the reasons that despite the president , i have been in a pretty good mood for weeks . New york city, which is no offense to the district, new york city may be the most vital and diverse city in the face of the earth, they decided it would divest from fossil fuels thanks to the unyielding work of local organizers, nyc took a leap from the district and then did one better. Not only divesting, but joining cities across the country in suing the five biggest oil companies. [applause] bill we thought you might want to hear from a leader bill de blasio. Last night, the city of new york filed a lawsuit against five investor owned fossil fuel companies most responsible for global warming. City leaders are taking the fight against Climate Change to oil companies. Says the industry has been aware for this for decades. I want to thank everyone in washington and watching all over the country. You are leading a fight for our lives. It is a tragedy that the Trump Administration and the gop led congress does not admit the truth about Climate Change. We cannot and will not wait on them. That is why new york city took bold steps this month. Two we have begun to divest our Pension Funds from companies that own fossil fuel reserves. Ultimately, we will divest 5 billion. That my friends, will get the industrys full attention. We are suing five major oil companies, exxon, bp, shell, clinical phillips and chevron. And chevron. Llips , they endanger our people. They must pay for what they have done. People like you inspired us to make this happen. You asked for it. You demanded it. You can make other cities and states follow. Big oil think they are living in trumps america. They are wrong. They are living in your america and they should be scared out of their minds. By engaged, intelligent, relentless activists like you, cities, states, and the people will defend ourselves. We will do it ourselves. Thanks, everyone and onward. [applause] rev mr. Mayor, thank you so much. It is truly true that organized people need organized money every time. So we have three dots that are all parts of the fossil free campaign. Nobody has to do everyone. But you all have to do something. Some communities have already crossed one off of the list and can go to the next. Other places, one strategy will make more sense than the other. Bill but everybody by this point should be able to see what specific task they can take on together. One, demand a fast Just Transition. Two 100 renewables in your community. Two, make sure fossil fuel stay in the ground. Three, turn off the spigot of dollars that keeps the spigot of oil and gas flowing. Lets drive this home. Time for the audience here to do a little bit of work. Are you guys willing to chant . Its not going to tax you. I know many of you are highly educated and incredibly skilled. This really shouldnt tax you too much. On this side, we are going to talk about job one. The transition to Renewable Energy. The word you are going to yell is son. On this middle part, we will talk about job two. Which is keeping things in the ground. There are many ways to do it, but one of them is sitting in. Your word is sit. And over here, were going to talk about turning off the money. Your word is sell. Remember how i said we like alliteration. Three ss in a row. Rev, lead us here. Rev are you already. Get to your feet. If you are watching, if youre watching at home on your livestream, get up also. Bill stretch. Time to stretch. Rev here we go. Son. Sits. Cell. Rev sit was very good. Lets try that again. Sun, sit, sell sun, sit, sell sun, sit, sell [applause] bill all right, your turn. Rev thank you all so much. Back home, sit down to. Too. I know youre in your living room sitting right now. Were almost done here. But we have to talk about how we are going to do it. Bill not what we are going to do, but how. The key word is together. Rev this is a multiracial movement. It requires all of us, black, white, latino, asian bill young and old, indigenous and immigrant. Blue state and red state. Urban and rural. Every single one of us. [applause] rev so i want to put these cards to the side here. This introduction is very important to me. I want to introduce a leader who understands better than most of us. Jessica works in houston and pasadena, texas. She works on behalf of undocumented communities. As many as half a Million People who were severely affected by Hurricane Harvey and had little to no support in recovery. I want to take a moment to note how deeply disturbing it is for the Trump Administration to stoke dangerous antiimmigrant flames. We in the Climate Movement will not stand for this. We know all of our work is interconnected. I say to you now, loud and clear, the Movement Stands with immigrant communities. We stand with dreamers. We stand against deportation, border walls, and the current administrations attempts at deciding who is worthy of being in our country. [applause] rev it is my honor to welcome jessica to talk about the impact of disaster on communities like hers. [applause] jessica hello, everybody. My name is jessica and i am undocumented and unafraid. [applause] jessica as an undocumented person, i know firsthand what my community has been after. I know the fears they have been facing and i know exactly what it feels like because we are constantly being under attack with the Trump Administration. I also know ways in which the issue of Climate Change impacts the vulnerable Communities Just like mine. Hurricane harvey, which came in and tore apart houston and surrounding areas, dropped a total of 33 trillion gallons of water. To put that into his perspective, that is a total of the flow of the Niagara Falls for 509 days nonstop. In the news, you saw families being evacuated from their homes with motorboats and kayaks. The reality was much more different. Our community does not have kayaks and motorboats hanging out in their garages. We were hiding in attics out of fear for deportation. Our communities were not coming out seeking for help. Harvey left 39,000 people out of their homes in a total of 180 billion of damages. Instead of focusing on this, our beautiful president is focusing on that 25 billion wall that we are doing instead of putting in the efforts where they should be, in houston. [applause] jessica it became very evident that our communities were not taken into consideration in making the Natural Disaster preparation plans and are still not being taken into consideration. That has to change. [applause] jessica our communities were the last ones to get food on their supermarkets. The last ones to get any aid and our children were exposed to floodwaters filled with chemicals, but you did not see that in the news. You did not see the petrochemical plant spilling these chemicals into the floodwaters. Nobody was talking about it. It was something that needed brought to their attention. Even now, months later, we have undocumented communities that are living in homes where there is mold growing on their walls with the same carpet that was filled with floodwaters and they are scared to bring that to the attention of the landlords cut because the landlords will threaten them and say if you continue to complain, i will call immigration customs enforcement. That has to change. [applause] jessica the undocumented community, the community that brings houston its culture and economically it thrives. We deserve better. To address these issues, and their social consequences, we must get to the root of the problem. Those are fossil fuels. We must shutdown all fossil fuel projects and build 100 Renewable Energy for all. Our communities deserve a fossil free future where we live free and are treated with respect and dignity. [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] thank you. [applause] bill magnificent. Thank you. Thank you so much, jessica. While we are on the subject of extremely powerful young women, i want to introduce you to the last speaker of the evening. She is the definition of a fierce leader. She let the entire university of massachusetts to invest from fossil fuels. Divest from fossil fuels she is now one of the chief architects of the sunrise movement, an army of young people to elect candidates who will look toward the future and not toward the past. [applause] varshini hello everyone. In june 2016, my university divested from fossil fuels after a twoweek long epic escalation. It was one of the most pivotal moments of my life. It led me to support development divestment campaigns around the country for years. We even worked here. Gw administration, if you are listening, you should seriously consider supporting your Student Leadership here and divest. [applause] here and everywhere. The Divestment Movement has been so powerful. It put fossil fuel ceos on the defensive and they will fight tooth and nail to protect their corrupt industry. In this political era, when we suffered so many losses, we need to take the next step and bring the logic of divestment into the political arena. As young people we need to contest for power and get involved in the political system where fossil fuel executives are currently calling all of the shots. Sunrise has a fouryear plan to break the hold and elect leaders to office to actually care about the health and wellbeing of all people, not just the 1 . [applause] in 2018, young people are drawing a line. We are making it the year when no politician can claim to care about our generation and still take money from the fossil fuel executives and lobbyists who jeopardize our lives. [applause] fossil fuel billionaires stand to lose billions of dollars if we leave oil and gas in the ground. So they have been buying off of both parties for decades to politicians for decades bail out there dying industry and stop the transition we need. You could say that some of our leaders in washington and around the country have a really bad coke problem. [laughter] not that kind of coke problem. That kind of koch problem. [applause] in 2016, charles and david koch spent millions of dollars on the elections to sway them in their favor. Almost as much as the democrats and republicans spent each. 750 million to sway them in their favor. Politicians who are bought out by those guys cannot be counted on to do what is right and get us fossil free fast. [applause] this year young people around the country will shine a light on the corrupting influence of people like the kochs. We will force hundreds of candidates to choose whether they are citing with big oil or the American People. They can prove that they are with us by signing onto to the no fossil fueled money pledge which states that politicians will not take contributions from the oil, gas, and coal industry and prioritize the health and wellbeing of our families, climate and democracy. Almost 200 have signed to date. [applause] if candidates sign they will be in good company. Just backstage, Bernie Sanders , rumor him . Remember him . Renewed his pledge to reject contributions from these that actors and he is calling on politicians and candidates from every corner of the country to join him. [applause] grow our numbers. Sunrise is speaking to over 12,000 young people this spring. When june comes, we are putting a volunteer army of hundreds of young people on the ground fulltime until the midterm elections in november to help elect candidates who stand up for my generation. [applause] so if you are a young person in the crowd and want to join the growing army of young text sunrise to 4243639329. We call ourselves sunrise because we know this dark time in america must come to an end. The sun will rise again and with it we will usher in a better world. One where the color of our skin and how much money we have in our pocket dont determine our worth and value. [applause] it is an honor to walk together with all of you toward the dawn and fossil fuel free world. Thank you. [applause] that was fantastic. Just fantastic. So good. She said it that are then better than i could ever say it. This is not about changing lightbulbs, it is about changing politics. Together, we are going to show everywhere across this country that there is a movement demanding fast transition. When you pass the fossil free resolution locally you are helping to create an up swell toward that vision at the National Level. It does not matter that it is your city council, it comes up to the top. You are building a movement that can ensure that as the pendulum the naturally begins to swing back, it swings far back. We do not any longer want politicians who believe in Climate Change. That is too low of a bar to do us any good. [applause] we want leaders who will do something about it. We want leaders who are ready to pass bold plans and new deals that will create millions of fair, good paying jobs. It all starts at the local level and it starts with you here in this room, and all of you across the country. You are the organizers who will either make it happen or not. And we need you. We really, really need you. Every single one of us has a role to play. If you are just jumping onto this at home, you can text fossil free to 83224 to learn more, because we really need you. There is one thing left to do. It is the thing we have talked about for a long time. Right. Look. A movement to be a Movement Needs to be about more than statistics. Environmentalists have done a good job appealing to the part of the brain that appeals to high charts and graphics. We need to be about culture. Our goal is nothing less than changing be zeitgeist. If we reach into peoples hearts as well as their heads, then the legislation and the laws and the regulations will follow. Which means amongst other things, art and music. Art and music. I should just interrupt. Long enough to thank the arts crew at 350 for these banners and signs. [applause] the best parts of my day is when the sun comes up in the morning, when we get another day to do the work of making the planet a better place. Thats right. [applause] and the sun is more or less our symbol tonight. I spent part of last year in ghana and the ivory coast and some of the countries that trump was disrespecting. They are great places and full of great activist. It was so good to see my colleague and brother landry of their talking to us from africa. They are coming live. Africa did not cause this crisis and africa cannot solve this crisis. Look, if you are watching this at home you are the engine of , our grassroots movement. Tonight you might already be actively fighting. Case, you will and these watch parties by talking about how to bring your campaign to the next level. Maybe your group is brandnew to this. Maybe you dont know the other people in the room or where you are gathered. You will have time in a minute when we are done to talk about how youre going to kick off a fresh campaign. What fossil free looks like where you live. We know because we have watched it with so many people. We know that you can do this. So we are going to leave you with one last gift. I think we need some music now. Would you say . What do you say . How about music with the sun . Music about the sun . I have been researching. I have discovered there are lots of songs to choose from. I have been going through them. Since i am older i tried hard to pick one for the younger crowd. Im excited. Sunny days, leaving the clouds away thats too young. Too young . How about this one . You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. That one is too old. I think i can help. Nominatedhe grammy singer. I had to be here with you guys. I could not miss this moment. Come on now. I know what we should saying. Sing. Joined by the howard gospel choir. [applause] here comes the sun. Here comes the sun. I said, its all right. Little darlin it has been a long cold lonely winter little darlin it feels like a long time since youve been here here comes the sun here comes the sun i say, its all right little darlin smiles returning to their faces. Little darlin like years since youve been seemslike years since youve een here here comes the sun, little darlin here comes the sun i said, its all right sun, sun, sun, here we come sun, sun, sun, here it comes sun, sun, sun, here it comes little darlin sun, sun, sun, here it comes little darlin i feel the ice is slowly melting [laughter] little darlin it seems like years since its been clear here comes the sun little darlin here comes the sun i say, its all right. Sun, sun, sun, here it comes sun, sun, sun, here it comes [applause] here it comes [cheering] [applause] thank you. Thank you all so much. Thank you. [applause] [applause] online advertising, Digital Innovation and more. [inaudible conversations] welcome everybody. Welcome