Climate Emergency Campaign: Elevating Advocacy Efforts

2. Climate Change: Is the time right to elevate our advocacy efforts? • 9-1-1 Climate Resolution “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

3. Climate Resolution: • Is the time now? The Climate Emergency Campaign The goal of the Climate Emergency Campaign is to compel governments, starting at the local level and building upward, to adopt an emergency response to climate change and the broader ecological crisis. Entering emergency mode is the critical first step to launching the comprehensive mobilization required to rescue and rebuild civilization. The Climate Emergency Campaign officially started in the city of Darebin, Australia—whose city government passed the first declaration of climate emergency in December 2016. Because of our work, Hoboken New Jersey became the third city in the world and the first city in the U.S. to declare a Climate Emergency in November, 2017. Since then, bolstered by a growing number of organizations and individuals, this campaign has spread to nine countries and has been adopted by multiple organizations as a rallying cry for the next phase of the climate movement.

4. Current Strategic Priorities: • 1. Pass declarations of Climate Emergency with commitment to reach zero emissions and begin carbon drawdown at emergency speed (10 years or less). • 2. Local elected leaders become advocates for emergency Climate Mobilization to the public, to other cities, and to state and national gov’ts. • 3. Develop and implement mobilization policy locally, after declaration is passed.

5. “There are around 70 million Americans under the age of 18 today. The 1999 New Millennium Report, issued by the National Association of League of Women Voters of Illinois Climate Emergency Resolution 5/19/19 “Whereas on October 8, 2018, the United Nations released aspecial reportthat projected that limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius this century will require an unprecedented transformation of every sector of the global economy over the next 12 years; and “Whereas on November 23, 2018, theU.S. Fourth National Climate Assessmentwas issued, which detailed the massive threat that climate change poses to the American economy and underscored the need for emergency climate action at all levels of government; and Resolution

6. “Whereas the death and destruction already wrought by global warming of approximately 1.1 degrees Celsius above late 19th century levels demonstrate that Earth is already too hot for safety and justice, as attested by rising seas, increased and intensifying wildfires, floods, diseases, droughts and extreme weather; and “Whereas one million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction, according toa sweeping new United Nations report, driving the sixth mass extinction of species and – if reached – would require 10 million years for recovery; and “Whereas the impacts of climate change and ocean acidification include increasingly devastating wildfires, a rise in sea levels resulting in flooding and the displacement of thousands of coastal businesses and residences, damage to marine ecosystems and food sources, extreme weather events, severe harm to the country’s agriculture, forestry and tourism industries, and introduction of new vectors for infectious disease, increased asthma and other human health-related problems; and

7. “Whereas atmospheric levels of CO2 are already at 415 ppm, in order to decline to a target of 350 ppm and limit temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, we will need to remove CO2 using natural and technological sequestration methods, none of which are currently close to sufficient; and “Whereas climate change has a disproportionate effect on certain communities, such as indigenous tribes, rural communities, coastal communities, workers, low-income households and people of color, who typically have fewer resources for adapting to climate change and so consequently are the most vulnerable to displacement, adverse health effects, job loss, property damage and other effects of climate change; and

8. “Whereas the world’s leading climate scientists predict that serious impacts of climate change will catastrophically worsen if prompt action is not taken to curb emissions; and “Whereas restoring a safe and stable climate requires a “climate mobilization” at all levels of government on a scale even larger than that seen for World War II to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions; and “Whereas in the absence of effective federal engagement, it is the responsibility of the individual states, counties and cities deemed to be the laboratories of progress, to take immediate leadership actions to address climate change; and

9. Therefore, be it resolved, We as delegates of Illinois local Leagues assembled at the 2019 LWVIL Convention call upon the LWVIL Board, Action Committee and local Leagues to advocate for ‘Climate Emergency Declarations’ and urgent relevant action by state, county, and local governments.

10. Resources: It’s not Climate Change; It’s a Climate Crisis Ireland and Britain Declare Climate Emergencies UN Calls Upon Member States to Pursue Ambitious Climate Action UN Chief says total disaster if warming is not stopped Climate emergency declarations in 528 councils cover 52 million citizens World Wildlife Fund Demand Action on the Climate Emergency

11. Other Groups! • Sierra Club: Caution with conflicts in YOUR area • Climate Reality Project: Deadline June 15 • Environmental Defense Club • Evanston: Climate Action Online • ComEd • Encourage Coalitions; College Consortium

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13. Thank you! Heidi Graham President info.lwvah@gmail.com