Date: Nov 12, 2019
Author: Antonio Saadipour Sellés
Countless people took to social media in September to express their outrage over and raise awareness about the fires laying waste to the Amazon — planet Earth’s most biodiverse region. Though media coverage on this climate catastrophe has dwindled, fires continue to raze parts of the rainforest to the ground.
What’s Going On?
Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) and Chuy García (D-IL-4) are trying to get members of the House to sign onto a letter they’ve circulated condemning the role of corporate actors in this crisis and calling on these companies’ biggest investors to take meaningful public action to protect the Amazon and the indigenous peoples who inhabit it.
TAKE ACTION
Do not be fooled. Just because you’re not seeing it on TV or your Instagram feed doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Bolsonaro will take advantage of the lack of coverage in order to advance his administration’s agenda of rolling back protections for the environment. But we can stop them before it’s too late.
CALL
You know the drill. Call your representative in Congress and let them know that we won’t sacrifice our future on this planet to satisfy the corporate greed of a select few. <<Find your representative here.>>. The deadline for co-signers is Friday, November 15th, so call NOW to make sure your representative makes the cut in time.
Sample script:
“My name is _____, and I am a constituent from _____. I urge Representative _____ to sign onto the letter circulated by Representatives Tlaib and García, which calls for an end to investments in climate destruction. The Amazon is home to countless species and indigenous groups, hosts approximately 20% of the planet’s flowing freshwater, and helps stabilize the global climate. We should be doing everything in our power to preserve one of Earth’s most important lifelines. Corporate greed is responsible for this mess, so it’s time for corporations and investment giants to take accountability for their actions and commit themselves to significant and sustainable change.
We can’t afford to let momentum wane. Many of the biggest investors in companies contributing to massive deforestation in the Amazon are U.S.-based. We have an opportunity to mount some serious pressure on them. And we should, because we’re well past the point of words on paper. Now is the time for action!
In solidarity,
Antonio for the LAWG Team—Lisa, Mavis, Daniella, Antonio, and Lauri
