Next, climate activists talk about Grassroots Efforts to adopt tougher policies on climate provider. Change. Programanders opens the ghich was moderated by 350. Or president. It is about 90 minutes. Sen. Sanders thank you. Thank you. Let me begin by thanking all of you here and folks watching live stream all over this country for standing up for our environment, for standing up for the fossil fuel industry, and telling them that shortterm profits are not more important than the future of our planet. Thank you all very much. [applause] sen. Sanders i want to give special thanks to the Howard University gospel choir for that great performance. 350. Org ando thank the other organizations involved event. It is not just that Bill Mckibben is a neighbor of mine in vermont, it is that i am event. Inspired, i am truly inspired by the work that you are doing. And your understanding that while donald trump once to up, you are helping to bring people from all walks of life together. [applause] sen. Sanders not only all walks of life in the United States, but when we talk about Climate Change, it goes without saying we are talking about a Global Crisis and it is imperative we bring people all over the world together to fight to save the planet. [applause] sen. Sanders last night we heard President Trumps state of the union address. It is my job as United States senator to have to be there. [laughter] sen. Sanders it is what i have to do. Among the many absurd and dishonest things and ugly things he said, there is one interesting reality. If you go to the scientific them,ity, and you say to what is the major Global Crisis we face, the vast majority of them will say it is climate thate, and they will say it is absolutely imperative in a lifeanddeath issue, that we have got to transform our Energy System away from fossil fuels to Sustainable Energy. [applause] sen. Sanders 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. Not be surprised , one of theld trump great scientists of our time [laughter] has determined over years of exhaustive study that Climate Change is a hoax brought to us from china. Based on that brilliance analysis, not only does he not talk about Climate Change, 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 Towards Sustainable Energy. Tonightare about here 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] sanders what we are about is telling donald trump and the Koch Brothers and all of these people that their days are daysred, a fossil fuels days are numbered, we will transform our Energy System. [applause] sanders if donald trump does not know it, i know that you do. 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 israel. Climate change is real. Seen and people all across this country have seen, sometimes in very tragic ways, are the kinds of extreme weather disturbances that have impacted semipeople, the type that have impacted so many people. The type of flooding that is impacted places all over the drought, wildfires, heat waves, extreme storms, mudslides, rising sea levels, and 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 400 million on the 2018 elections. 400 million coming from a handful of billionaires. Thattells me and tells you 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 ,he issue is Climate Change whether the issue is health care and the need to move this country to a medicare for all , whether thesystem and the need for comprehensive Immigration Reform , whether the issue is raising the minimum wage to a living wage, whether the issue is making public colleges and ,niversities tuition free whether the issue is protecting a womans right to and establishing equal pay for equal work. [laughter] [applause] sen. Sanders 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] sen. Sanders 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. [applause] sen. Sanders 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 him that 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 introduce to you your mcees for the evening. Reverend lennox of the hiphop caucus, and bill from 350. Org. Thank you all very much. [applause] you tell them. You tell them. 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 garners father was killed by the new York Police Department in an illegal chokehold. His last words were, i cant breathe. Erica sprung up. With the connection to climate even if he had not been choked, regarding the pollution, eric garner and all his children had asthma. Even for him, and when eric died, he had an asthma attack which put him in a, in which he died at 27. 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. They are fighting the pipeline running through here locally. Now, 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] oh. Oh. 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, 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 fossil free fast because it has three x three fs in a row. Im a writer, the alphabet is our jam. I thought it was terrific but i how zealous to move her how zealous some of our colleagues where. 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. [laughter] 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 something sitting there with a them forward. Because we need you strong. We have to go swiftly. Thats right. [laughter] rapidly. With dispatch, ok . And the reason and here i am reminded my job in the world is basically the bum 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. Think about this country, we had the biggest rainstorm and american history. 4. 5 feet of water fell on houston. We had 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 42 people in napa and sonoma. 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 the land made baron by those fires, in the mudslides killed 25 people. It is a different world. 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 or the 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 three months of that administration, and 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 will not turn that around in washington. Not for the moment. Even if trump left, that men around him would keep the same course. The big marble buildings here in d. C. Are not the only power there are. [applause] thats right. 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 Renewable Energy. [applause] number two, an end to new fossil fuel projects. [applause] 3, not one penny more flowing for dirty energy. [applause] those three pieces together represent a full scale chipped 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 helped pave the way by bringing new people into the Climate Movement. Fighting for cities and towns to be at the forefront for faster transition to 100 renewable. Here is tameka. Give it up for her. [applause] she is the lead organizer with sierra club which has been publishing local organizers. How to do this work effectively in their community. Make some noise for my dear sister. Jameka 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 and six counties have committed to transition entirely to 100 noble energy. That is a lot. [applause] jameka even more importantly, a wave of momentum is building as an unprecedented number of people join in social movements. A movement of community demanding cleaner energy has made a just and equitable transition to the new bar of leadership. [applause] jameka as a lead organizer for the ready for 100 campaign, i coach and support local organizers in cities like atlanta, pittsburgh, and cleveland. I help organizers create and execute campaigns. For the benefits are just and equitable. The work to advance eight 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] housing justice advocates and jameka 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 and 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 seen this in pueblo, colorado. A community with the local Utility Company has wrongly shut off utilities for people. And where an Upcoming Community Solar Project will largely be dedicated to low income residents. [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] jameka, 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 boards, 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. 83224 is the number. 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 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 fuel from our energy. With the naacp we know children like eliza 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. So his airway passages are open so he can survive. 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. In the middle of the petrol we know the 76,000 coal miners that have died of black lung disease. We are paying the price for the nations addiction to fossil fuel. 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 has nightmares after being sexually assaulted in the aftermath of hurricane irma. The choctaw tribe who has already been displaced. They can tell the tale of the grim impacts of fossil fuel change. This, we have an intensifying atmosphere of increasing hate against other, which is often defined as anyone who isnt a rich, white, heterosexual, american male. [applause] jacqueline as such, we are in a situation where the powers that be are decreasing regulation on corporation with the aim of protecting profit well while increasing regulation on people. Especially women. Especially people who are lgbbtqqi. Especially immigrants. Especially black males. As they roll back protections on human rights. Corporations get a free pass to pollute and others have protections withdrawn. At best, or criminalized at worse. With fatal effect. The u. S. Pulled out of the Paris Agreement and abandon all responsibility for being 4 of the population but we are responsible for 25 of the emissions that drive Climate Change and harms communities. Simultaneously, this administration tightened immigration laws as people are being driven from their homelands. By disasters and by floods as they think as they seek sanctuary. In the world of a somali warned 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. Sanctuary churches, cities, and campuses are springing up all over the country. Groups like for the love of water are pushing back against privatization and claiming Community Control water system 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. Backnities are pushing against corporate greed. Generating their own energy through the sun. They are replacing systems rooted in extraction, exploitation, and domination with principles and practices of regeneration, cooperation, and residents. Immunities are rising up, coming together, and practicing [applause] jacqueline thank you. Communities are practicing dr. Martin luther kings vision of revolutionary love. [applause] jacqueline in this uprising, thisis resistance, in 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 lots of voters, respect my vote for the fall election, so much the better. [applause] if you need some inspiration, anyone need some inspiration . [applause] lets make this very real. She runs a remarkable project in puerto rico called El Departamento del comida. Meeting the department of food. It is a sustainable restaurant and Grassroots Organization that develops markets for local farmers. What do you know . It was wiped out like hurricane rita. Tyra is putting their own project back together. They are helping to coordinate relief to the puerto rico Resilience Fund. Theyre going to tell us about a vision for a new puerto rico. A vision for us as well. Make some noise for tyra, yall. [applause] tara [speaking spanish] the island you know as a rich port. I am a queer, person of color. I am committed to a just recovery. We are a network of people building resilience, not bureaucratic relief. Hurricane maria increased our food dependency from an 85 to 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 the diaz brought and islanders can do together. The day after the storm 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] tara we have birthed and 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 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 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. Diversity is what creates [applause] tara the u. S. Government continues to silence our voices and allows others to pretend they represent us. We demand sovereignty, 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 would 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. You can boo on that one. [crowd 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 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 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 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 and advocate a Just 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 this tyrannical beast 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 gas 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 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. Ii 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 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 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] cherri i would let i want to let you know that we 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 that dallas told us about. It 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. Adrianne 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 finishing my medical degree while raising four Young Children with my artist husband. [applause] mother, it was hearing you to switch inspired me my path entirely and cofound 350 pdx out of my living room. A lot has happened in the four years since then. We grew from a handful of coreteers to over 300 activists, 10,000 active supporters, not to mention the many diverse coalitions at the heart of our local movement. We had some amazing successes in portland. Against all odds, we stopped a large terminal from being built. We got our cities to do vest from fossil fuel. [applause] we removed Climate Change to from our Public School textbooks. [applause] [applause] we allied against White Supremacy and immigrant deported nations. [applause] adriana and we organized a activist blockcade. We also passed one of the strongest 100 renewables resolutions and tired of federal in action. 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 violate that the did not violate. Paving the way for others to do the same. [applause] adriana in 20, we are continuing. Ahead and we are working to hold our statewide elective representatives accountable. 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 into 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. From mass incarcerations, the erosion of our democracy, to mass pollution factory farms, animal cruelty, im a 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 new system essential and fighting for the change we need. Trump and his sickening agenda have aroused our system like a booster shot. [applause] adriana we have a historic opportunity right now to correct the path of disruption taken over past. It turns the tide for generations to come. As forge a new path. The cities and local committees in the late, 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. 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 right now. A huge part of what makes this site 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 and 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 working in africa, from kenya to ghana, from south africa to nigeria. Solar panels are going up at new rate. We can stop Climate Change. That is why we are looking to you. Your country produces so much carbon. Hey, 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 it. Bye. [applause] bill naomi is right. She usually is. For many years, 350 has focused on the money that is powered fossil fuel. Naomi helped birth the investment unit. 6 trillion have divested. [applause] bill gw, our host tonight has begun the process, getting out of coal. [applause] students are fighting to make sure they go feud to go further. 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 it 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 good nude for weeks a 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 live investor owned fossil fuel companies most responsible for global warming. City leaders are taking the fight against. Change to feel companies. Male de blasio says the city will seek aliens of dollars 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 gop led congress does not admit the truth about Climate Change. We cannot and will not wait on them. That is white new york city took to bold steps this month. We have begun to divest our Pension Funds from 70s who own fossil fuel reserves. Ultimately, we will divest 5 billion. That will get the industrys full attention. We are suing five major oil companies, exxon, bp, shell, phillips, and chevron. 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 living in your america and they should be scared out of their minds. Activists like you, cities, states 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. What 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 specific task they can take on together. One, demand a fast Just Transition. Two, make sure fossil fuel stay in the ground. Three, turn off this big it 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 heard are you guys willing to chance . Its not going to tax you. I know many of you are highly educated and incredibly skilled. This should not tax you too much. On this side, we are going to talk about job one. The transition to renewable nergy. The word you are going to yell is son. On this middle part, we will talk about job to. Which is keeping things in the ground. There are many ways to do it, but one of them is to sit n. 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. Ev are you already. 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. Ev sit was very good. Sun, sit, sell sun, sit, sell ill all right, your turn. Rev thank you all so much. Back home, sit down to. I know youre in your living room sitting right now. Were almost done here. But we have to talk about how we re going to do it. Bill not what we are going to do, but how. The keyboard is together. The key word is together. Rev this is a multiracial ovement. It requires all of us, black, white, latino, asian bill young and old, indigenous and immigrant. Blue state and red state. Every single one of us. T requires all of us, black, 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 urricane 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. Loud and clear, the Movement Stands with immigrant communities. E stand with dreamers. We stand against deportation, border walls, and the current administrations attempts at deciding who is worthy of being n our country. Rev it is my honor to welcome jessica to talk about the impact of disaster on communities like ers. Jessica hello, everybody. My name is jessica and i am undocumented and unafraid. Jessica as an undocumented person, i know firsthand what my community has been after. I know the fierce 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 e, in houston. Jessica it became very evident that our communities were not taken into consideration in making the Natural Disaster separation plants and are still not being taken into consideration. That has to change. 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. No one 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 the landlords will threaten them and say if you continue to complain, i will call immigration customs enforcement. Hat has to change. 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. Mi gente, si se puede. Thank you. Bill magnificent. Thank you. Hank 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 ossil 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. 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 Campaigns around the country for years. We even worked here. Gw administration, if you are listening, you should seriously consider supporting your student eadership here and divest. [applause] here and everywhere. Here and everywhere, the Divestment Movement has been so powerful and put fossil fuel c. E. O. s on the defensive and made them fight tooth and nail to fight their corrupt industry. Now in this political era when we suffered so many losses, we need to take the next step and bring the logic of divestment in the political arena. As young people we need to contest for power and need to get involved in the political system where fossil fuel executives currently calling all of the shots. Some of us have a fouryear plan to bring the hold of Oil Executives and elect leaders to office who 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 who seems to care about our generations future and take money from lobbyists and fund groups who jeopardize our lives. Fossil fuel billionaires stand to lose billions of dollars if we leave oil and gas in the ground. So they have been buying off politicians for decades of both parties to bail out their dying industry. You could say that some of our leaders in washington and around really bad have a koch problem. Not that kind of coke problem, that kind of koch problem. In 2016, charles and david koch spent 750 million on the elections to sway them in their favor. That is almost as much as the democratic and republican peafert spent each. 750 million to sway them in their favor. Politicians were bought out by those guys cannot be counted on to do what is right. [applause] so this year young people around the country will shine the light of the corrupting influences like people of the koches. We are asking candidates if they are standing with big oil or American People and sign onto the no foes i will fuel money pledge which states that politicians will not take from the fossil fuel energy and prioritize our wellbeing. Almost 200 candidates have signed today. [applause] if a candidate signs they will be in big company, because just back stage, Bernie Sanders remember him Bernie Sanders renewed his pledge to reject contributions from these bad actors and calling on politicians and candidates from every corner of this country to join him. [applause] numbers to grow our and speaking to over 12,000 young people just this spring. When june comes around, we are putting volunteers on the ground until the midterm elections to help elect the candidates who stand up for my generation. [applause] so if you ar young person in the crowd and want to join the growing army of young people, day. Unrise to 4243 new 4243639329. We call ourselves sun rise because we know this dark time in america must come to an end. The sun will rise again. And with it will usher in a better world, one where the color of our skin and how much money we have in our pockets dont determine our worth and our value. [applause] it is an honor to Work Together with all of you towards the dawn and a fossilfree world. Thank you. [applause] that was fantastic. Just fantastic. So good. Now, she said it better than i could ever say it. This isnt about changing light bulbs at this point but about changing politics. Together, we are going to show that everywhere across this country, there is a movement demanding fast and a Just Transition. When you pass a fossilfree resolution locally, you are helping create this upswell toward that vision at the National Level. Doesnt matter if it is at your city counsel. It comes up to the top. You are building a moment that as the pendulum swings back, it swings far back, because we do not any longer politicians who believe in Climate Change. That is too low a bar to do us a bit of good. [applause] we want leaders who will do something about it. We want leaders ready to pass this new green deal that creates jobs. Nd fairpaying it starts at the local level and it starts with you here in this room and all of you out across the country because you are the organizers who will make it happen or not. We need you. Every single one of us has a role to play. If you are jumping on to this at home or wherever. Xt fossil free to 83224 to learn more because we really need you. Now theres one thing left to do and as they we have talked about this for a very long time. A movement, to be a movement, needs to be about more than statistics. Environmental iferts have done a good job of appealing to the brain that likes bar gaffes and pie charts, not so good with the rest. We need to be about culture because our goal is nothing less than quhanging. If we change, if we reach into peoples hearts as well as their heads, then the legislation and the laws and the regulations will follow. Which means among other things, art and music. Art and music. And i just will interrupt to thank the arts crew at 350 for these banners and signs. [applause] the best part of my day is when the sun comes up in the morning. When we get another day to do he work of making the planet a better place. Thats right. [applause] the sun is more or less our symbol. I was in ghana, ivory coast, some of the countries that trump was deposit respecting. They are great places and full of great activists. It was so good to see my colleague and brother landry up there talking to us from africa. They are coming alive with the sun. But africa did not cause this crisis and africa cant solve this crisis. Look, if you are watching this at home or with neighbors, you are the engine of our grassroots movement. Tonight you might already be fighting an export terminal or lobbying for strong legislation, and end these watch parties by talking about bringing your ampaign to the next level. Maybe your maybe your group is brand new to this. And maybe you dont have people in your church basement, you will have time about how you are going to kick off a fresh campaign, what fossil free looks like where you live. We know because we have watched it so many places and with so many people. We know that you can do this. And so we are going to leave you with one last gift. I think we need some music now. What do you say some music about the sun. I like that. I have been researching music about the sun. And i have discovered there are lots of songs to choose from. I have been going through them. I tried to pick one for the young people in the crowd. Ok. Im excited. That is too young. No. No. Thats a little slow. I think i can help. Oh clam look who it is. I thought you were filming on netflix. I could not miss this moment. Om come on, now. And i know what we should howard choir. The here comes the sun , i say es the sun its all right this sun, its followed by a long lonely winter, little darling, feels like since you have lonely even been here here comes the sun here comes the sun i say s all right returningling, smiles to the faces little darling ems like you since been here here comes the sun, little darling here comes the sun i say s all right oh, oh h sun, sun, sun here we come sun, sun, sun here we come sun, sun, sun re we come un, sun, sun re we come oh little darling, i feel the ice s slowly melting [laughter] little darling it seems like here nce has been here comes the sun little darling ere comes the sun and i say , sun, sun ht sun sun, sun, sun [applause] here we come and its all right. Thank you so much. [cheers and applause] and its thank you so much. Cheers and applause] [captions Copyright National satellite corp. 2018] captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org more live coverage of President Trump speaking at the Republican National Committee Meeting at the trump hotel in downtown washington, d. C. ,. Our live coverage is at 8 00 p. M. Eastern. Nd live on cspan two, Justice Ginsburg in discussion with the editor of forbes meeting talking about law and jewish life on cspan2. Sunday night, author bill jane talks about his book the man from the train in which he investigates one of the deadliest serial killers. Many of the times happened within 100 yards of the Railroad Track and one of the things that helps us identify his crime as opposed to someone else it usually happened at the intersection of two Railroad Tracks. And its at the intersection of two Railroad Tracks because after he committed his crime, he had to get out of town before dawn and didnt want to wait for come through. Being at the intersection of multiple Railroad Tracks gave him more opportunities to get out of town before the crime wa. Discovered. Sunday night at 8 00 eastern for nearly 20 years, in depth on book tv have featured best known nonfiction writers for live conversations. This year as a special project, we are featuring fiction writers for in depth fiction edition. And author of the 2016 novel the underground railroad. His other novels include zone ne saying harbor. Tv on hitehead on book cspan2. Admiral John Richardson is chief of operations for the navy and discussed strategy and readiness at the Heritage Foundation and he said while the u. S. Enjoys superiority there are constraints when budgets are not passed on time. This is about an hour
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