SierraScape Spring 2020
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BY TIM ELWELL
EMG Executive Committee Member

Former Sierra Club intern Grace Tedder helps lead the St. Louis chapter of the Sunrise Movement, which is a youth-led political movement that advocates for climate action. Grace and her fellow volunteers, Matt Anderson and Sam Jonesi presented at the General Meeting on February 27 about The Green New Deal. Grace shared some points of emphasis about the effort.

Why is advocating for the Green New Deal as a policy change an effective tool for solving climate crisis concerns?

The Green New Deal is the only plan we've seen so far that addresses the climate crisis at the scale that we actually need. It's time to start mobilizing to transition our country and our planet off of fossil fuels, but also to ensure we are engaging in a just transition. The Green New Deal views climate change as part of the same system of oppression as socioeconomic and racial injustices in our country. Climate change is far from the only emergency we're dealing with. And we can't isolate it from the other major problems in our society. Black, brown and indigenous communities (among other vulnerable communities) have been through centuries of oppression, exclusion, and environmental injustice. They're the Americans who have done the least to cause global warming, and yet they're often hit first and worst by climate chaos. The Green New Deal will guarantee a job with a livable wage for all, provide all people with high-quality healthcare and adequate housing, and ensure access to clean air, water, and food, which are essential parts of combating the climate crisis.

What are you most excited to work on in your role as a volunteer with the Sunrise Movement this year?

Right now, I'm really fired up about the Earth Day climate strike. We're just getting started planning locally, but we're working to partner with other grassroots organizations to build stronger coalitions and networks for pushing for the type of transformative climate action that the Green New Deal outlines. The really exciting thing about this is not just the strike itself, but the larger plan that it's a part of; across the country, Sunrisers will be staging a series of strikes and actions alongside our electoral work to build people power. Our north star as a movement is to get 11 million people in the streets calling for the urgent climate action we need after the election. No matter who's elected, we will be there to make sure that climate action cannot be ignored.

Sunrise Movement Volunteers Matt Anderson, Grace Tedder, & Sam Jonesi present at February's EMG monthly meeting.

How can Sierra Club members be involved in/support the Sunrise Movement?

Sierra Club members can join us in actions and at meetings and other events. We're hosting an Earth Day Climate Strike (details to follow) that we'd love to have Sierra Club members at! We also are engaging in electoral work and voter registration efforts, and welcome Sierra Club members to join in with that as well; and as a grassroots youth-led organization, we can of course always use donations!

HOW YOU CAN HELP
For more information visit www.sunrisemovement.org.