FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 7, 2019, 11:00 a.m. CT
Contact: Ed Fallon at (515) 238-6404 or [email protected]
Bold Iowa Climate Hall of Fame Awards
Six candidates to receive awards for positive (or not-so-positive) action on climate
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA — On Sunday, June 9, at 1:00 p.m., Bold Iowa will host the Climate Hall of Fame Awards in front of the DoubleTree by Hilton Cedar Rapids, 350 1st Ave NE. The event coincides with the Iowa Democratic Party Hall of Fame Celebration at the same venue. That event begins at 2:00, and 19 presidential candidates are scheduled to appear.
Bold Iowa’s partners in this event are: Sage Sisters, Seeding Sovereignty, Iowa CCI, Sunrise Movement Cedar Rapids, 100 Grannies, and Greenpeace USA.
Bold Iowa will present climate awards to six candidates. Award recipients will not be announced in advance, though three of them have indicated they are likely to appear at the event. Three awards go to candidates offering positive contributions on climate, the other three to candidates who aren’t there yet.
1. MVP (Most Vocal Proponent) Award (presented by Josie Ironshield of Sage Sisters to JAY INSLEE)
2. Rookie of the Year Award (presented by Miriam Kashia of 100 Grannies to MARIANNE WILLIAMSON)
3. Most Improved Politician Award (presented by Mike Wilcox of Bold Iowa to ELIZABETH WARREN)
4. Friend of Fracking Award (presented to STEVE BULLOCK)
5. DAPL Dodger Award (presented by Kathy Byrnes of Bold Iowa to AMY KLOBUCHAR)
6. Both Sides of Mouth Award (presented by Jason Snell of Sunrise Movement Cedar Rapids to JOE BIDEN)
“The Iowa Caucus season is long,” noted Bold Iowa director, Ed Fallon. “Candidates have plenty of time to improve their performance. We sincerely hope every one of them becomes a climate champion between now and the Iowa Caucuses on February 3rd.”
Since January, Bold Iowa’s Climate Bird Dog campaign has signed up 260 Iowans to encourage candidates to embrace urgent action to address the climate crisis. Supporters have attended over 100 events to monitor candidates’ speeches, question them on climate and related concerns, display signs, and dramatize the threat of extinction by dressing as penguins.
Bold Iowa’s mission is to build rural-urban coalitions to (1) fight climate change, (2) prevent the abuse of eminent domain, (3) protect Iowa’s soil, air, and water, (4) defend the rights of farmers, landowners, and Indigenous communities, and (5) promote non-industrial renewable energy.
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