The People's Climate March will be the largest climate march in history. Marchers are traveling to New York City from 50 states. While there are dozens if not hundreds of satellite marches throughout the world (I'll be marching at the other end of the country in a place as vulnerable to sea level rise as New York), all eyes will be on New York. Who's marching?
Climate Hawks Vote has a new kind of scorecard measuring not just votes, but also leadership in confronting the greatest challenge facing the next few generations of humanity. We've scored every Democratic member of Congress, looking at their records since January 2011, to see who's engaging the public on climate change. We score bills authored and cosponsored (including bills that have no chance of passing this Congress), websites, press releases, and internal work groups joined, but we weight public engagement far more than any of the other factors. Have you spoken on the House floor? Have you held a community roundtable with concerned business owners? Have you done a photo-op at a local wind farm's ribbon cutting ceremony? If so, you'll score well.
Sadly, most of the New York City members of Congress have ducked the climate change issue. That may have worked in pre-Hurricane Sandy days. But the storm has blown a gaping hole in the myth of the city's ability to triumph over whatever the world threw at it. There's no excuse for silence any longer.
Will Congress march in the streets? Or will the Democratic members of Congress representing New York City maintain their silence?
Democratic stalwarts Steve Israel (NY-03), Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04), Grace Meng (NY-06), Nydia Velasquez, Charlie Rangel (NY-13), and Joe Crowley (NY-14) all have scores of zero in the public engagement column. They've never made a public statement on climate change or clean energy. Gregory Meeks (NY-05) earned a -3 score by questioning the connection between Sandy and climate change. Jerrold Nadler (NY-10) and Jose Serrano (NY-15) have earned above-average scores by fighting against Keystone XL and Republican budget shenanigans, respectively, as has Carolyn Maloney (NY-14). Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) has connected dots between a local water issue and climate change, but otherwise is not engaged. The New York member of Congress with the highest score on our very tough scorecard is upstate Paul Tonko (NY-20).
Do New York City members of Congress think that urban environments are somehow disconnected from the natural world? Sandy changed that. Do they think that climate change should be placed on the back burner while they fight for jobs and shelter? They can do both; and who do they think will suffer the tax burden of building $20 billion worth of sea walls at the New York City harbor? The People's Climate March will demonstrate to the leaders that ordinary citizens of New York want change. Climate Hawks Vote intends to change the leaders who don't listen to the people.
Sign up For the People's Climate March Now!
New York City, Sunday, September 21
Just three days remain until the historic Peoples' Climate March. The September 21 March is being held two days before the UN Climate Summit, where government and corporate leaders will convene to discuss taking action to address climate change.
Estimates project over 250,000 will march in New York City, with huge marches also scheduled around the world. Over 1000 groups and organizations are participating.
Join the PCM Sprint on Twitter #PeoplesClimate and help amplify the messaging.
Sign up here!!! --> People's Climate March