Michiganders will march on the nation’s capital and rally in cities around the state April 29 to call on elected leaders to take bold action now to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
Contacts: Kate Madigan, Michigan Climate Action Network, (231) 633-5353, Andy McGlashen, Michigan Environmental Council, (517) 420-1908
Michiganders will march on the nation’s capital and rally in cities around the state April 29 to call on elected leaders to take bold action now to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
Buses will carry activists to the People’s Climate March in Washington, D.C. from Ann Arbor, Detroit, Flint and Traverse City. Media contacts for each bus are listed below.
Sister marches are slated for Bay City, Detroit, Ferndale, Holland, Kalamazoo, Marquette, Newaygo and Traverse City. Times and locations for the sister marches are at peoplesclimate.org/#map or miclimateaction.org/events.
“At a time when we need serious action on climate change, the Trump administration is rolling back climate protections and slowing down our transition to clean, renewable energy,” said Kate Madigan, director of the Michigan Climate Action Network and climate and energy specialist for the Michigan Environmental Council. “Scientists and the rest of the world’s leaders tell us that we need to be rapidly moving off fossil fuels right now to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, and doing so will reduce pollution, save lives, create jobs, and bring many other benefits. We cannot allow the Trump administration—with its deep ties to the fossil fuel industry—to delay our progress toward a cleaner, safer future.”
The Michigan Climate Action Network (MICAN) was formed by activists who took buses to the People’s Climate March in New York in 2014. Since then the group has worked to build and mobilize a strong climate movement in Michigan, and has been working to grow the list of Michigan communities committed to 100 percent renewable energy, among other priorities. MICAN helped spread the word about the marches, and provided travel stipends for some of the buses to the Washington march.
Michigan is already feeling the impacts of climate change, including reduced Great Lakes ice cover, more frequent and dangerous heat waves, increases in tick-borne disease and flooding caused by more extreme rain events. The groups point to scientific consensus that these impacts will get much worse unless there is a rapid shift off fossil fuels.
"Climate justice activists, organizers and families will gather together at noon at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History for a march to the trash incinerator," said Tawana Petty with Detroit People's Climate March. “The incinerator is a source of pollution and illness in our communityIn and threatens human life.”
***
Media contacts for Washington climate march and sister marches:
The following activists are available to talk with state and local media to discuss why they’re traveling to Washington or to share their experiences at the People’s Climate March.
DC from Ann Arbor: Mara Herman, 313-673-4705, [email protected]
DC from Detroit: Andrew Sarpolis, 248-924-4857, [email protected]
DC from Flint: Linda Berker, 810-348-8664, [email protected]
DC from Lansing: Andy McGlashen, 517-420-1908, [email protected] (Traveling on Ann Arbor bus.)
DC from Traverse City: Kate Madigan, 231-633-5353, [email protected]
Sister March in Detroit: William Copeland, 313 556-1702 x717, [email protected]
A video featuring Michigan residents discussing why they’re marching, and other information about Michigan’s participation in the People’s Climate March, is online at bit.ly/miclimatemarch.
###
Be the first to comment
Sign in with