FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 22, 2014, 5:00 a.m. CST
Contact Ki Coulson at (805) 270-5232 or ki@climatemarch.org
Great March for Climate Action Joins Reject and Protect
On April 22, 2014, the Great March for Climate Action joins the Cowboy Indian Alliance with a series of solidarity actions spanning five days leading up to the Reject and Protect march which will be held in Washington, D.C. on April 26, 2014. The Cowboy Indian Alliance consists of tribal communities, farmers, and ranchers along the Keystone XL pipeline route who will ride into Washington, D.C. on April 22 and set up camp near the White House.
The goal of the Reject and Protect multi-day event is to send a clear and united message to President Obama to reject the Keystone XL pipeline and protect our climate, land, air, and water. The Great March for Climate Action will participate in daily actions to demonstrate the dedication to the organization’s mission to inspire the American people to act now for climate action. Hundreds of virtual marchers from around the country are expected to join in the five-day call to action, along with those marching in eastern Arizona headed for Washington, D.C.
The series of solidarity actions begins on April 22 with a Day of Video Appeals. Subsequent days include a Pledge Day on April 23, a Letter-Writing Day on April 24, and a Day of Silence on April 25. Marchers will participate in a Day of Solidarity Vigils on April 26 as the Reject and Protect supporters converge and march in Washington, D.C.
“The Great March for Climate Action is proud to support the Cowboy Indian Alliance in their opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline,” said Jerry Stewart, who is marching from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. “We’re marching across the country to generate some of the spiritual energy needed to catalyze the transition to a more sustainable and just world. The communities along the pipeline route, struggling for their health and happiness, need this kind of energy right now. I think of our solidarity actions as a way to turn the love and appreciation we feel in our hearts for these communities into something that can be seen, heard, and felt.”
Over 2 million comments about Keystone XL were submitted to the State Department last month amid growing concerns for effects of transporting toxic tar sands across thousands of miles of land, several rivers, and over the Ogallala Aquifer threatening families, communities, wildlife, and agriculture. The Great March for Climate Action and the Cowboy Indian Alliance’s Reject and Protect event come at a time when Americans demand to be heard by taking to the streets to address the urgency of action required to protect our climate, our natural resources, and our health.
President Obama delayed making a decision on Keystone XL until after mid-term elections by extending the review period, but pressure to reject it has not decreased. The Great March for Climate Action is recruiting marchers to join and they will cross the Keystone XL pipeline in Nebraska this July.
For more information on the Great March for Climate Action events visit www.climatemarch.org/events/reject-and-protect. To learn more about Reject and Protect visit www.rejectandprotect.org.