Washington, DC — The international climate campaign 350.org will be reaching out to hundreds of thousands of its members around the country to encourage them to join senators leading tonight’s climate all-nighter. Dozens of senators will give consecutive climate action speeches on the senate floor through the night as supporters join them using the twitter hashtag #Up4Climate.
“Thank heaven these Senators are taking up the gauntlet here!” said 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben. “Scientists and ordinary people have been up all night worried about climate change for years, and maybe we’ll get a chance to sleep tonight, knowing that some of our leaders are on the case.”
The all-night Senate talkfest is another sign that politicians are beginning to recognize the growing political strength of the grassroots climate movement, according to 350.org policy director, Jason Kowalski.
Over the last year, a campaign urging universities and public institutions to divest from fossil fuels has become the fastest growing student campaign in the country. Meanwhile, the fight against the Keystone XL pipeline has turned tens of thousands of people into the streets and sent thousands to jail after acts of civil disobedience. Just over a week ago, 398 students were arrested at the White House during a Keystone XL protest.
“Each member of congress has a choice to make: accept boatloads of cash from the fossil fuel industry, or side with the majority of American voters ready to take climate change seriously,” said Kowalski. “It’s an absolute tragedy that climate denial is still an acceptable political position to some in Washington, but I think it’s a sign of the times that over a quarter of the U.S. Senate is prepared to side with the people over the polluters tonight.”
350.org will be encouraging its members to follow along with #Up4Climate on Twitter and Facebook and send in messages of support to the members of Congress who are taking part.
###
More information on #Up4Climate from the Senate Climate Action Taskforce: