By Massachusetts Peace Action, May 9, 2023
Climate catastrophe and nuclear war are two existential threats that could end human civilization as we know it. Both of these threats have been exacerbated by the ongoing war in Ukraine, but nuclear war could happen at any moment, whether on purpose or by accident. And global carbon emissions continue to rise despite all the many efforts to reduce them. How do we convince the general public to take these threats more seriously? How do we get politicians to address these threats with the urgency and boldness they require? Can we be more effective working together, for instance in pushing for divestment from both fossil fuels and nuclear weapons? This webinar brought together some of the leading organizations and activists working on these two crucially important issues to discuss how we can better collaborate and coordinate our efforts to save the planet from these existential threats before it is too late.
Program
4:00 Welcomes and introduction
4:05 Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis of the Poor People’s Campaign will introduce the urgency of addressing climate change and nuclear weapons within the context of crushing inequalities, the scourge of racism and so many other pressing issues that need to be addressed.
4:10 Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton of DC will introduce her 2023 Nuclear Weapons Abolition and Conversion Bill, H.R. 2775
4:15 Timmon Wallis of NuclearBan.US will introduce the newly revised and updated report: Warheads to Windmills: Preventing Climate Catastrophe and Nuclear War
4:20 Medea Benjamin of CodePink will discuss how rising tensions with Russia and China are increasing the risks of nuclear war and undermining international collaboration to address the climate crisis
4:25 Natalie Mebane of Greenpeace will talk about the need for climate and anti-nuclear activists to work together to address these two existential threats
4:30 Roundtable discussion on how we can better collaborate and coordinate efforts to address these two issues and the links between them, featuring: Kevin Martin, President, Peace Action Ivana Hughes, President, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation David Swanson, Executive Director, World Beyond War Jill Stein, Green Party Jim Rine, Veterans for Peace Christian Ciobanu, Reversing the Trend Nicholas Mele, Pax Christi Joe Hodgkin, MD, Back from the Brink Alex Rafalowicz, Fossil Fuel Treaty Susan Theberge, Climate Action Now Jackie Cabasso, Mayors for Peace
5:00 Break-out Rooms giving participants an opportunity to speak, ask questions and discuss some of the on-going and proposed projects that focus on addressing these two existential threats. Room 1: Collaboration between climate and anti-nuclear activists – Continuation of the discussion in the main room Room 2: People Over Pentagon – follow-up webinar program – Jonathan King Room 3: Pressuring the Profiteers – Vicki Elson Room 4: Lobbying Congress to support Norton bill – Timmon Wallis Room 5: Campaign for a Nuclear Weapons and Climate Commission in Mass – Kathleen Hamill Room 6: Mayors for Peace and other efforts at municipal level – Jackie Cabasso Room 7: National Back from the Brink campaign – Joe Hodgkin Room 8: VFP Climate Crisis and Militarism project – Jim Rine Room 9: Nonviolent Direct Action and the Plowshares Movement – Patrick O’Neil and Steve Dear Room 10: Other ideas welcome
5:30 Conclusion and end of the webinar This webinar is being co-sponsored by: Mass Peace Action NuclearBan.US Greater Boston PSR World BEYOND War CodePink Peace Action Kairos Center
