FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THOUSANDS TO MARCH IN SAN DIEGO “PEOPLE’S CLIMATE MARCH” APRIL 29
Marchers will call for resisting Trump’s climate-denying policies and urge strong local action, including 100% clean energy, in solidarity with Washington DC and sister marches
San Diego, CA – On April 29, thousands of San Diegans will join the People’s Climate March (PCM) under the slogan “Healthy People, Healthy Communities, Healthy Earth”. They will call on local leaders to support a just and rapid transition to 100% clean energy and to oppose federal efforts to rollback climate policies that protect our families. The local march, organized by a coalition of environmental, social justice, labor, and faith organizations, takes place in solidarity with the People’s Climate Mobilization on the same day in Washington DC. Hundreds of other sister marches will also be held around the country and the world.
The San Diego PCM will run from 10 am to 2 pm, beginning with a rally at Waterfront Park, in front of the County Administration Building. Speakers include Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, San Diego Councilmember David Alvarez, and Rev. J. Lee Hill, Jr., Senior Pastor of the Christian Fellowship Congregational Church (United Church of Christ). Live music, a Native American ceremony, and a Kid’s Zone with games and facepainting will be featured. The opening speeches will be followed by a short loop march, and after regrouping at the park, additional speakers and a call for action. The event will conclude with live performances, information booths, and other activities.
According to SanDiego350’s Mark Hughes, the People’s Climate March is a call to action. “We’re all in this together,” he said. “We must protect our health and be good stewards of our planet. San Diego can lead the state and the nation. We will march on April 29 for climate justice, clean energy jobs, and the health of our communities. And as we must, we will be louder and stronger than ever before.”
Organizers say that the administration’s failure to take climate change seriously denies San Diegans - and their children and grandchildren - the nation’s enshrined freedom to pursue the American dream. Coming on the 100th day of the Trump administration, this march rejects the policies that threaten our freedom, future, health, and communities: policies that reject climate science and strip protections based on gender, race, immigration status, religion, sexual orientation, and disabilities.
The People’s Climate March is a call to action to stand up to the Trump administration and Congress, to protect loved ones and the Earth and support our fundamental human rights: to live, survive, and thrive. These rights are threatened when we are denied access to clean air and water, healthy food, as well as access to housing, education, and jobs. Organizers affirm the right to access not only clean air, clean water, and healthy food, but also affordable, convenient public transportation, and housing; a living wage; and justice and equality for all.
The fossil fuel economy and the looming climate crisis directly impact San Diegans’ quality of life, and communities of color are disproportionately and unjustly affected. Diane Takvorian, Executive Director of Environmental Health Coalition, a key organization involved in planning the event stated “All parents want opportunities for their children. Sadly, low income communities of color in San Diego are hit first and worst by the harmful effects of pollution and climate change. Children in the communities of Barrio Logan, Logan Heights, and southeastern San Diego go to the emergency room for asthma-related causes at almost 3 times the rate of San Diego children overall. We must take action to protect all children.”
PCM organizers support policies that reduce energy consumption, defund fossil fuel projects, minimize pollution from transportation, and invest in 100% locally-made clean energy that creates green jobs. The march endorses legislation in the California Senate to achieve 100% clean energy by 2045, and supports the water protectors in North Dakota and their rallying cry: “Water is life!”
To prepare for the PCM, the organizers are holding multiple art and volunteer outreach events that are open to members of the public, details of which are available at https://sandiego350.org/events/. PCM organizers are also supporting the Science March on April 22nd and the Labor Justice march on May 1st.
College students Mukta Kelkar (UC San Diego), Willow Lark (SDSU) and Eduardo Moncada (Mesa College), who are working to mobilize a large student contingent for the PCM, said in a joint statement “As college students majoring in environmental and political sciences, we strongly feel that climate change is a pressing issue, and we have to act as soon as possible in order to prevent the worst case scenarios. We must defend the Environmental Protection Agency, champion funding for climate research, support clean energy initiatives, and we must build coalitions with others who share our values. Everyone concerned about the environment must step up and speak out in defense of a healthy, sustainable future for our communities, our land, air, and ocean. Together, we can turn this threat around - there is still time if we act NOW.”
September 2014 People's Climate March San Diego - photo courtesy of Dan McCormack
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SanDiego350 is an inclusive volunteer organization devoted to inspiring a movement to prevent the worst impacts of climate change and climate injustice. We strive to create a future that supports a livable planet and just society through education and outreach, public policy advocacy, and mobilizing people to take action. We are affiliated with 350.org, the international climate organization, whose work inspires us.
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