The Urgency of Now: A Path to Justice 100% Renewables Campaign

WE ARE PROCEEDING - BLESSED BY SNOW.
We wanted to personally invite you to the important event we are hosting along with Earth Care, Retake Our Democracy, NM Climate Action, and the National Council of Elders:

The Urgency of Now: The Launch for the 100% Renewables and a Just Transition Campaign will take place this Saturday at 3:30PM at El Museo Cultural and it would mean a lot if you'd join us.

On Saturday millions across the globe will march and take action for the People's Climate Mobilization which was called this year for the 100th day of the Trump Presidency with the theme climate, jobs, and justice. Having just marched for climate justice at the Science March, we wanted to bring the community together in a different way - to shape the principles and strategy of our movements work for a just energy transition in New Mexico - rooted in the moral imperatives of social, economic, and generational justice.

We want to urge you to join us and movement leaders from throughout the state in a deep dive into the the important issues and guiding principles at the heart of the opportunity and responsibility we face: to steward a just and 100% renewable transition for New Mexico.

After a moving and thought-provoking panel and examples from our creative arsenal, we'll break out into work groups, roll up our sleeves and begin building the 100% renewables campaign TOGETHER, with the moral and ethical principles developed through the first part of the event, as our guides.

Panelists include:
Eric Griego, the Director of the Working Families Party, former Director of NM Voices for Children and NM Legislator
Kathy Sanchez, Founder of Tewa Women United and NM Rep for the National Council of Elders
Rashid, Veterans for Peace and Social Justice Advocate
Ruby Lopez, Sustainability Educator with Earth Care
Hazel James, San Juan Coordinator for the Health Equity Partnership and Diné community leader
Adriann Barboa, Field Director of Strong Families, former Executive Director of Young Women United
Mariel Nanasi, Executive Director of New Energy Economy

Contributing Artists include: Angele B. Kunkowski, Fatima van Hattum, Rulan Tangen
The just transition is urgent. Climate disruption is upon us, our political system is hostile, our state is in chronic crisis and deficit caused in large part by our economy's vulnerability to the boom and bust of the fossil fuel business. It's time for us to build the systems we need, from the ground up, at the local level.

The transition of our energy system to renewables is a huge opportunity and responsibility - and we need all hands on deck.

The format of the event is a little bit different then typical climate justice forums. We are drawing inspiration from a series that is being organized in honor and remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King's speech Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence, that has its 50th anniversary this month. This speech was significant because Dr. King applied his moral teachings from the civil rights movement to the question of economic injustice, materialism, war and the colonial mindset of our country.

He delivered this speech at Riverside Church on April 4th and the following year on April 4th he was assassinated.​
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Kathy Sanchez, resp​ected Elder and founder of ​Tewa Women United, was asked to organize the reading out loud before audiences of the speech, in segments for the impact and action it must engender. ​We had the privilege to be at the first reading in Santa Fe. The last performance will be at the Lorraine Motel where King was killed - a reclamation of that space.
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We were struck by the degree to which our energy system is its own kind of war waged by​ fossil fuel companies who​ ravage and destroy the Earth, Mother Nature and see workers and local communities, especially communities of color and Native communities as disposable or collateral damage​. They ​extinguish humanity for short-term profit.
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Fossil fuels are the wealthiest companies on the planet and are destroying everything, including democracy.
“We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late....We may cry out desperately for time to pause in her passage, but time is adamant to every plea and rushes on....There is an invisible book of life that faithfully records our vigilance or our neglect…These are the times for real choices and not false ones. We are at the moment when our lives must be placed on the line if our nation is to survive its own folly. Every man of humane convictions must decide on the protest that best suits his convictions, but we must all protest….”

- Dr. Martin Luther King from his speech Beyond Vietnam A Time to Break Silence