Thousands of participants gather in support of solar and renewable power, calling for the legislature to pass a Climate Accountability Act
MADISON, Wis. – On Sunday, September 28, 350 Wisconsin, Citizen Action of Wisconsin and Sierra Club, along with dozens of other Wisconsin-based community, clean energy and environmental organizations, hosted the Wisconsin Climate March, where a large crowd marched in support of solar power, affordable clean energy, better-paying jobs, environmental justice, conservation and democracy here in Wisconsin.
Participants gathered on Library Mall and at the Wisconsin State Capitol before and after the march down State Street to hear speeches from state organizers, advocates and elected officials calling on Wisconsin to protect the environment, our scientific institutions and democracy, reinforcing the march’s rallying call, Climate Can’t Wait.
The event included line-up of clean energy-advocate speakers, community leaders and representatives, including:
- Attorney General Josh Kaul, Wisconsin Department of Justice
- Former Lt. Gov Mandela Barnes, President, Forward Together Wisconsin
- Rep. Francesca Hong, State Representative, 76th Assembly District
- Sen. Chris Larson, State Senator, 7th District
- Gregory Nemet, Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison LaFollette School of Public Affairs
- Bob Lindmeier, Former Chief Meteorologist at WKOW-TV in Madison, WI
- Andrew Lewandowski, DO of General Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, UW-Health, Board Member of Healthy Climate Wisconsin
- Jonathan Patz, Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Population Health Sciences
- Tony Wilkin Gibart and Skylar Harris, Midwest Environmental Advocates, Mr. Gibart and Ms. Harris will be joined onstage by the youth plaintiffs filing the case the against Wisconsin utility regulators
- Chuck Anderas, Policy Director, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute
- Reverend Jonathan Barker, climate advocate and author of Jesus Would Demand a Green New Deal
“My job as attorney general is to protect Wisconsinites, and that includes protecting the health and well being of the people of our state. And one of the ways we need to do that, not only for future generations but for today, is by working to protect our climate by working to fight against climate change,” said Attorney General Kaul. “We need to acknowledge that climate change poses major challenges to our future, and we need to act, because we are seeing the impacts here today, in Wisconsin and in states around the country.”
The march called for the legislature to pass a Climate Accountability Act (Assembly Bill 145/Senate Bill 150), authored by Rep. Supreme Moore Omokunde and Sen. Chris Larson, requiring Wisconsin to adopt an accountable climate action plan.
“The Climate Accountability Act commits the legislature to create a viable plan to reduce our carbon emissions by 52% by 2030 and to achieve carbon neutral emissions by 2050, all while maximizing our effort to improve economic equity so no one is left behind in the progress,” said Sen. Larson. “As we reject the national tidal wave of division, greed and manufactured fear and hatred, we unite to take care of each other in Wisconsin.”
The Wisconsin Climate March closed out Climate Week, a series of nationwide events gathering government, science and academia leaders worldwide to discuss their plans for our climate future.
To learn more about the Wisconsin Climate March, visit wisconsinclimatemarch.org
ABOUT THE WISCONSIN CLIMATE MARCH
The Wisconsin Climate March is a part of a national clean energy movement during Climate Week, aiming to advocate for solar power, clean energy jobs, science, environmental justice, conservation and democracy. The march aims to promote environmental justice, support science and academic freedom, and guarantee fair treatment and rule of law. Official partners to date include: 350 Wisconsin, Blacks for Political and Social Action, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Clean Economy Coalition of Wisconsin, Clean Wisconsin, Couillard Solar Foundation, Dane County Youth Environmental Committee (DCYEC), Elevate, Environmental Justice Infrastructure Initiative, Forward Together Wisconsin, Great Lakes Business Network, Healthy Climate Wisconsin, Indivisible Madison East, League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, Madison BCycle, Midwest Environmental Advocates, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, Mom’s Clean Air Force, Moore Consulting MKE, Native Lives Matter Coalition, Native Lives Matter Great Lakes, North Central Wisconsin Indivisible, NAACP Wisconsin State Conference, Progressive Dane, Progressive Victory Wisconsin, RENEW Wisconsin, SEIU Wisconsin, Sierra Club, Slipstream, The People’s Farm, Third Act Wisconsin, TL. Electric, Union of Concerned Scientists, Walnut Way, Welfare Warriors, Wisconsin Conservation Voters, Wisconsin EcoLations, Wisconsin Environmental Initiative, Wisconsin Green Muslims and Wisconsin’s Green Fire.
