Five years ago, our city was hit by Superstorm Sandy, more dangerous than anything we’d ever seen: 43 New Yorkers lost their lives, the subway system was flooded, homes were destroyed, hundreds of thousands lost power, and tens of thousands of families were made homeless. The worst impact was felt by our city’s most vulnerable: people of color, low-income people, and the elderly.
Today, extreme weather conditions are only getting worse. Hurricane Harvey devastated the Gulf region of Texas and parts of Louisiana, and Hurricane Irma ripped ripped through Florida and brought unprecedented damage to islands in the Caribbean. While climate disasters threaten communities around the country and world, the Trump administration – bought and paid for by fossil fuel billionaires – continues to deny climate science.
Join our call for New York to be a model of a just transition away from the extractive fossil fuel economy to a 100% renewable energy economy. We want to live in a city where we can all breathe clean air, where our economy is powered by good jobs and renewable energy, and where our families are safe from dangerous floods and heat waves.
It is time for our elected officials to move beyond the nice speeches and take the bold steps that are so urgently needed:
Mayor Bill de Blasio
➤ Get Sandy survivors back in their homes and repair damaged NYCHA and affordable housing, including addressing mold concerns. Halt developments on waterfront areas until cohesive climate assessments can be integrated; create a flood protection plan for the entire NYC shoreline that prioritizes vulnerable communities; and meaningfully work with communities for emergency preparedness and resiliency.
➤ Divest New York City’s pension funds from the over $3 billion invested in fossil fuel companies driving climate change. Invest in the just transition to a renewable energy economy that works for all New Yorkers.
➤ Create good union jobs by requiring all public and private buildings to upgrade to modern energy efficiency standards, while preserving affordable housing.
Governor Andrew Cuomo
➤ Pass the NYRenews policy platform in 2018. Commit New York State to 100% renewable energy, thousands of good union jobs and true environmental justice by making polluters pay for the climate-destroying pollution they dump into our air.
Senator Chuck Schumer
➤ Stop Trump’s disastrous climate-killing agenda by fully funding the EPA, blocking McConnell’s dirty energy bill, and supporting legislation for 100% renewable energy.
On October 28th, we will march to remember what was lost to Hurricane Sandy, and to resist and rise up together. The Peoples Climate Movement NY is one of the 65 groups from throughout NYC that are already part of the growing coalition working to make sure our march on Oct. 28th sends a powerful message.
Help us build this day of action.
We Remember. We Resist. We Rise.