Picture
this: You see an infant out in the
street, with a truck just a block away headed straight for her. Your impulse is
to run out in the road and scoop the baby up. A crowd of people looking down
from an overhead bridge urges you on, but one naysayer hollers out, “She’ll be
OK, just leave her there.”
What do you do?
Well, the answer
is obvious, isn’t it? Or at least it should be.
Sad
reality is that we see an actual disaster—an existential threat—Climate
Catastrophe, looming larger every day. Yet those making the rules in our
nation’s seat of power, Washington, DC, are not just saying, “Don’t worry, we
can ignore this.” Rather they are actively dismantling the inadequate, but
somewhat helpful, steps taken toward the end of the Obama administration.
Our
question for you: Are you going to sit
on the sidelines, or are you going to step out to take action commensurate with
the urgency of dealing with the Climate Crisis?
Walk for the Climate on September 16
Walk
5 kilometers? Why bother? Does it really do any good? Aren’t there more
important things to do?
These
are all good and valid questions, and we, here at Peaceworks, are happy to
share our answers.
First,
for those who haven’t heard, Peaceworks is holding our fourth annual 5K Walk for the Climate on the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 16. We’ll be gathering
starting at 1 p.m. at Courthouse Plaza, and kicking things off with music by
Band of Brothers followed by a short rally. All Boone County area candidates
for legislative seats—state and federal—have been invited to participate in a
Candidate Open Mic to share their views on climate change.
We
then will walk as a group, carrying signs and banners, through downtown CoMo
and the MU campus. The walk is 5K, which is approximately three miles.
Why Walk? This is a visibility event, not a race. Its
primary purpose is putting the Climate Crisis front and center and insisting
that we move forward as quickly as possible to address this immanent threat.
The more of us who turn out to rally, to hear the candidates and to walk, the
more attention we will bring to bear.
We
have all observed the melting polar ice; the unprecedented fires; the rising
seas; the increasing frequency of extreme weather events including
super-storms, floods, droughts, heat waves and more. We know that what we’re
seeing is exactly what the climate scientists have predicted for decades and
that things are going to get worse.
Prompt
action, however, holds the potential for avoiding some of the worst
consequences of climate change. But this requires responding ASAP, which, in
turn, will only happen if politicians decide that they can’t afford to ignore
climate change any longer.
Even
though addressing climate change is arguably the most significant issue facing
humanity this century, the media mainly treats the climate as a third tier
issue. And most politicians tend to ignore it unless we hold their feet to the
fire.
That’s
why we need YOU to join us on September 16; rally with us to demonstrate broad
support for prompt and effective climate action.
Does a Climate
Walk Really do any Good?
Events like this help in several ways:
● First of all,
elected officials and candidates are invited to the event. Those who don’t
attend will hopefully hear about it through the media. Either way, they will
know there are concerned citizens speaking out.
● Likewise many
of our fellow citizens will either see our event firsthand or will catch it on
the news. They, too, will likely recognize that something is up, and perhaps
start asking questions or speaking out themselves
● And those who
participate will be buoyed by the sense of solidarity that we feel when we come
together with likeminded folks around a shared objective. Participating, we
breakout of our sense of isolation and recognize we are not alone in caring for
the Earth and grieving for the fate of future generations.
● Finally, each
of these impacts is magnified if our numbers are larger. Should you choose to
participate you not only have an impact yourself, but you amplify the impact of
others who have come out for the rally and the walk. And, by the way, if you
are not able to walk the 5K route we encourage you to come to the rally. Then,
if you can walk part of the route, that would be great, and, if you can’t,
being part of the rally is most appreciated.
Is this a
Walkathon?
Those who choose to are invited to also help us raise money for our climate
advocacy work, but the fundraising piece is optional. If you’d like a sponsor
sheet, you can CLICK HERE to access one. Peaceworks does need funding support
and your support is most welcome, but, again, this is not the main purpose of
this event. There are free T-shirts and prizes. Details on this are on the
sponsor sheet.
For More Info: We really hope you’ll join us on Sept. 16. If
you plan to attend or want more info and are on Facebook you can find our FB
event if you CLICK HERE. You can also use the event to invite your friends. You
can also call us at the Peace Nook at 573-875-0539 or e-mail us at mail@midmopeaceworks.org. Together,
we can make this one powerful event advocating for climate sanity. Please be
part of it and help us build it. The future is in our hands. Let’s not blow it.
There’s Also an
Informational Seminar: In addition to the Climate Walk on Sept. 16, there
will also be an informational seminar on Climate, Jobs and Justice taking place
from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8, in conjunction with Rise for Climate events
around the country. Peaceworks is joining our climate allies in co-sponsoring
this event. We encourage you to attend both. Come learn on Sept. 8 and come
demonstrate on Sept. 16. Details on Facebook at CLICK HERE, or give us a shout.
