Tokyo, Japan July 10, 2018 — Catastrophic rainfall over the past weekend has caused floods and landslides in western Japan that has led to the death of over 130 citizens and have left tens of thousands displaced. Shin Furuno, 350.org Japan Divestment Campaigner issued the following statement in response to this disaster:
“The record rains that have fallen on Western Japan cannot be disassociated with the worsening impacts of climate change.
Disaster prevention and adaptation measures are critical for the communities most vulnerable to climate change, but to reduce the risk of future climate related disasters we must commit to immediate steps to tackle the root of the problem – rapidly reducing our dependence on fossil fuels that are the primary source of global greenhouse gas emissions and moving promptly toward a renewable energy future.
We have known for too long that fossil fuel consumption drives climate change and that a fossil-free economy is the only viable solution to this problem. While our hearts go out to those affected, tragedies such as these should galvanize us to challenge governments and corporations that continue to ignore the stark warnings of climate science before it is too late.
On September 8, we call on Japanese citizens to mobilize for the global Rise for Climate day of action and join us in calling for Japan’s banks to stop funding climate change and support a rapid and just transition to a 100% renewable energy future.”
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Contact: Marie Tanao, [email protected], +81-90-2183-2113