On September 8th, over 30,000 of Mama Earth's warriors came together to Rise for Climate, Jobs, and Justice at the People's Climate March in San Francisco. All over the US, and in 90 countries around the world, activists and non-activists hit the streets urging government leaders to step up on climate action, phase out fossil fuels, and push for a just transition towards 100% renewable energy. Audiopharmacy's Desirae Harp led the march with prayers, songs and chants, alongside prominent environmental leaders such as Tom Goldtooth of the Indigenous Environmental Network and Corinna Gould of Indian People Organizing for Change, to name a few.
The People's Climate March kicks off It Takes Roots Solidarity to Solutions Week from September 8-14, 2018, a parallel event that challenged the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS), which according to It Takes Roots, "is a trade show where global business leaders and public officials tried to sell their market-based schemes as the ONLY viable response to climate change, in hopes of profiting off of climate disasters, climate change and the resulting harm brought to our communities from it".
The It Takes Roots (ITR) Solidarity to Solutions week will spotlight frontline community solutions to the interlinked economic, democratic and climate crises currently threatening humanity. Frontline community leaders from the Bay Area, across the U.S. and around the world will share and discuss place-based solutions that serve to simultaneously decarbonize, detoxify, demilitarize and democratize our economy through critical strategies such as Indigenous land rights, food sovereignty, zero waste, public transportation, ecosystem restoration, universal healthcare, worker rights, housing rights, racial and gender justice, and economic relocalization. "ITR is a multiracial, multicultural, multi-generational alliance of networks and alliances representing over 200 organizations and affiliates in over 50 states, provinces, territories and Native lands in the U.S. and Canada, and is led by women, gender nonconforming people, people of color, and Indigenous Peoples. It is an outcome of years of organizing and relationship building across the Climate Justice Alliance (CJA), Grassroots Global Justice (GGJ), Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN), and Right To The City (RTC) alongside Center for Story-Based Strategies and The Ruckus Society" (https://ittakesroots.org/).
A personal highlight from this year's People’s Climate March was to see so many neighbors, friends, and loved ones who came out in loving activation amidst the sea of over the 30,000 #EarthWarriors. It was powerful to see so many people who care about climate change and its life-threatening impacts. It will take all of us to change the course of climate disaster. We must prioritize the end of fossil fuels and a just transition into 100% renewable energy that would sustain our planet and offer a future for generations to come.
If you are interested in learning more about the It Takes Roots Coalition and how to get involved with real solutions to climate change, please visit www.ittakesroots.org.
Be a part of real climate solutions! #ittakesroots #sol2sol
📷 by love/speak productions #lovespeakproductions
Written by Jo "love/speak" Cruz, love/speak productions