If you’ve been reading the news lately, you have probably noticed a trend: all across the planet, a wave of right wing politicians with authoritarian tendencies have been rising to power — often using fear and hate to fuel the movements behind them.
And if you’ve been reading closer, you might notice that a lot of those politicians who spout hate also tend to spout climate denial, and keep close ties with the fossil fuel industry. This is not a coincidence. Right now the fossil fuel industry and their powerful allies in government are backing a global right-wing revolution in a desperate bid for power.
And to be honest, it’s been working. Sometimes it feels like we’re entering a dark age of violent, dangerous politics: corporate-owned politicians on every continent keep seizing power under dubious circumstances, and cracking down on movements who oppose them.
But ultimately all of this is a sign that the fossil fuel industry is going down — with a fight. It’s a desperate bid for power and profit by a declining industry. Renewable energy is more affordable and accessible than ever, thanks in part to the relentless advocacy for climate action by people across the globe, which means their days are numbered.
In 2017, we have a chance to halt their momentum by growing our movement to accelerate the transition that will end the fossil fuel industry before they can do more damage.
On May 5-13, the Global Divestment Mobilization will build the moral momentum for a post fossil fuel world and keep clearing the way for ambitious action by pushing our institutions out of investing in climate disaster and into building a renewable future. There is no room for fossil fuel investments in the just future we want.
In the US, Trump has put the fossil fuel industry in charge — but his grip on power is loosening daily. The best way to defeat Trump’s agenda is by putting forth our own — and then mobilizing behind it. The Peoples Climate March on April 29 will put forth a powerful vision of a 100% renewable energy economy that works for everyone with a massive action in Washington DC and across the country.
And in Canada, we will draw the connections between how climate impacts the most vulnerable and ongoing tar sands expansion to get PM Trudeau to keep fossil fuels in the ground and respect both Canada’s climate goals and promises to First Nations.
The fossil fuel industry’s plan is to lie and try to divide us. We will build a movement that unites the globe around a future that works for all people and the planet.