Climate Crisis Parade Announces Speakers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 21, 2020 — 1:00 p.m. CT

Contact: Samantha Kuhn, Climate Crisis Parade Coalition, 847-682-2924
Contact: Jonas Magram, Climate Crisis Parade Coalition, 641-919-5464

Speakers Set For February 1st 65-Organization Climate Crisis Parade

DES MOINES, IOWA — Organizers of the 65-organization Climate Crisis Parade on February 1 in Des Moines, Iowa, have announced the four speakers who will kick-off the parade. The speakers will call upon the hundreds of members of the US and international press who will be in Des Moines to cover the Iowa Caucuses to step up their coverage of the climate crisis.

“Despite its prolific coverage of the conflagrations in Australia and California, and other natural disasters that the world’s scientists have directly linked to climate change, the press does not emphasize this connection nearly enough,” according to one of the parade’s organizers, Steve Shivvers. “This has to change. The media is where people get their facts and, as such, it has a critically important responsibility to let people know that, without bold action on the part of our leaders, the future of their children, grandchildren, and all future generations of life on our planet is in serious jeopardy.”

Among the four speakers making this plea will be two Indigenous youths, Tyler LaMere and Keely Driscoll. LaMere is a Winnebago activist from Nebraska and the daughter of Michelle Free-LaMere. Driscoll is a member of the Meskwaki nation and a student of international studies at the University of Iowa. They will be joined by Isabelle Brace, co-state Iowa lead for Iowa Climate Strike, inspired by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, and Ako Abdul-Samad, the director of Creative Visions, an Iowa non-profit serving the greater Des Moines area.

Driscoll sums up her message, saying, “Indigenous ecological knowledge, public education, and the media are tools we must mobilize in the face of the current climate emergency.”

Shivvers adds, “With its 65 organization sponsors, the Climate Crisis Parade will be one of the most widely sponsored Iowa events in memory. We invite all Iowans concerned about the growing climate crisis to join us.”

Parade participants will gather at Cowles Commons in Des Moines, at 12:00 noon. Individuals and organizations interested in participating may visit the coalition’s Facebook event page or RSVP on Eventbrite.

Organizational members of the coalition (as of Jan. 20) are 100 Grannies for a Livable Future, Ames Climate Action Team, Ames United Church of Christ, Bold Iowa, Boundary Waters Action Fund, Care of Creation Group (Cathedral Church of St. Paul), Catholic Peace Ministry, Central College SCATE (Students Concerned About The Environment), Central District United Methodist Women, Citizens’ Climate Lobby (Des Moines), Citizens’ Climate Lobby (Iowa City), Citizens’ Climate Lobby (Mason City), Climate Action Iowa, Climate March, Climate Reality Project (Des Moines Chapter), Code Pink, Creative Visions, Des Moines Faith Committee for Peace, Des Moines Intentional Eucharistic Community (Social Justice Committee), Des Moines Valley Friends (Quaker), Des Moines Order of the Sacred Earth, Drake Environmental Action League, DSM Intentional Eucharistic Community-Soc. Justice Committee, Environment Iowa, Farmers & Ranchers for a Green New Deal, First Unitarian Church of Des Moines, Green Boat Team, Urbandale UCC, Homes 4 My Peeps, Indianola Green Team, Indigenous Iowa, Interfaith Green Coalition, Iowa Climate Strike, Iowa Interfaith Power and Light, League of United Latin American Citizens (Council 307), LENA Project, Methodist Federation for Social Action (Iowa Chapter), Millennials for Climate, Moms Clean Air Force, NAACP (Des Moines), National Wildlife Federation, Occupy the World Food Prize, Organic Consumers Association, Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Catholic Church of Ankeny, Oxfam, Physicians for Social Responsibility (Iowa), Physicians for Social Responsibility (US), Plymouth Church Creation Care and Justice Coalition, Progressive Action for the Common Good’s Environmental Forum, Regeneration International, Sage Sisters, Seeding Sovereignty, STAR*PAC, Student Climate Strike (Iowa City,) Sunrise Movement, Swap Society, The Collective, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities, Unitarian Universalist Society of Iowa City, United Methodist Trinity Las Americas — the Earth Guardians, University of Iowa Environmental Coalition, Urban Ambassadors, VegLife, Vote Mob, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (Des Moines Branch).

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