Join us on Thursday, June 1st at 6 pm.

We’ll start with an inspiring presentation by Veterans for Peace, then we will continue with local, state and federal climate action updates, requests for action, and upcoming events.

Here is the Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86424017290?pwd=aaKsSSUyfCbjg7RDH5IUNouHdt0dNb.1

On Thursday, June 1st at 6 pm, we will start with a presentation by the Veterans for Peace Climate and Militarism project local and national leaders. They will tell us about the “Climate Disruption and U.S. Militarism” project and how we can support their national and local campaigns.

This will be the start of a longer, larger campaign event on Thursday, July 20th to expand to the climate and community groups to help stop military air shows and demilitarize community events e.g. Sea Fair. Other anti-war, peace and climate groups will be invited to endorse and attend these events.

The Climate Crisis and Militarism Project of Veterans for Peace (VFP) shares our concerns and our activism in seeking to end the Climate Crisis, and in working for a sustainable and equitable world. Their group builds upon many years of combined peace and environmental activism by Veterans for Peace, including the Agent Orange and Iraq Water Project campaigns.   Little attention has been paid within the climate/environmental movement to challenging war and militarism in spite of:

1) The Pentagon being the world’s largest institutional user of fossil fuels and thus the largest emitter of greenhouse gasses (GHG emissions).

2) The huge additional environmental impacts from manufacturing, shipping and using weapons and equipment, and the intense bombing of infrastructure and natural environments of other countries. 

3) The trillions of dollars of our money that have been spent on endless wars, nuclear weapons and some 750 overseas US bases – none of which defend us against climate disruption and money which could be redirected to human needs and healing our planet.

4) The deep complicity between the military-industrial complex and the fossil fuel corporations.

One factor in the neglect of the US military’s carbon footprint is the US-imposed omission of military contributions to GHG emissions in the Kyoto Protocol of 1997; this omission continued with the UN Conference of Parties (COP) annual negotiations.

We recognize that ending this existential threat to our survival requires transforming the organizing principle of our society from greed to sustainability, equity, community and regeneration.  This will require the collaboration of many groups: frontline communities, racial and climate justice advocates, youth, labor, and environmentalists.  Working together to end war and militarism must be a central part of this effort. It is past time for climate and other progressive groups to challenge the Pentagon’s operations, expenses and wars.

For climate justice and peace,

Beth,

From: Veterans For Peace Climate Crisis and Militarism Project https://www.veteransforpeace.org/take-action/climatecrisis

Veterans For Peace is a 4000-member 501(c)3 organization of military veterans and allies working to build a culture of peace. www.veteransforpeace.org

To join meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86424017290?pwd=aaKsSSUyfCbjg7RDH5IUNouHdt0dNb.1