Oakland, CA — Today, a coalition of nearly 800 organizations, including 350.org, released a letter to California Governor Jerry Brown, urging him to take immediate action against fossil fuel extraction in the state before his term ends. In addition to delivering the letter to Brown’s office in Sacramento, the ‘Brown’s Last Chance’ coalition sponsored billboards in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, placed a full-page ad in The Sacramento Bee, and launched a thermal airship over the Bay Area with a message challenging Brown to “Say No to Fossil Fuels.” Author and 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben published an op-ed in The Los Angeles Times noting, “With his time in elective office winding down, Brown has the rare chance to set an example that truly will never be forgotten: He has it in his power to begin the strategic phase-out of the oil and gas industry.” Press conferences are being held in San Francisco and Los Angeles this morning.
“For too long, Governor Brown has let the fossil fuel industry off the hook with his climate policies,” 350.org Executive Director May Boeve said. “But with a massive problem like climate change, the science is clear — we have to move rapidly to stop new fossil fuel development and transition our energy economy to 100% renewable sources. This means standing up to Big Oil, something Brown has the unique opportunity to do on a global stage at California’s climate summit this September. With the Trump administration clearing the way for more drilling and pipelines, it’s a time like no other for state and local elected officials to help us build a just and equitable fossil-free world.”
The Brown’s Last Chance coalition includes a broad range of organizations and groups, from the local to international, many of which represent communities living on the frontlines of fossil fuel extraction. The coalition is deeply concerned about the fossil fuel industry’s danger to the climate and disproportionate impact on low-income communities of color. As Governor Brown prepares to bring together public officials from across the world for the Global Climate Action Summit in September, the coalition is imploring him to set the bar high for climate leadership by taking a stand against all new fossil fuel projects and urging his international colleagues to do the same. To learn more visit brownslastchance.com.
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Contact: Dani Heffernan, [email protected], +1 (305) 992-1544