Brooklyn Enviro-Activists Will Head to Philly for Democratic Convention

By Andrea Karshan/Kings County Politics News Service

GOWANUS, BROOKLYN — Brooklyn protesters will travel to Philadelphia on Sunday, July 24 — the eve of the Democratic National Convention — to demand that gathering politicians include a transition to 100 percent clean, renewable energy as one of their platform planks.

The March for a Clean Energy Revolution is an effort to show politicians the public’s feelings on climate change and fracking.

According to Eric Weltman, Senior Organizer at Food & Water Watch, a nonprofit environmental agency, close to 800 organizations are endorsing the march.

Groups from Brooklyn endorsing the march include Gowanus-based 350 Brooklyn, Brooklyn for Peace and Peace Action of Bay Ridge.

“We are calling for a just and rapid transition from dangerous energy to 100 percent clean, safe, renewable energy," Weltman said. "Our intention, our goal, is to show the tremendous public support for making the transition from dangerous energy to clean renewable energy."

"We are also highlighting the impact of fracking, particularly in Philadelphia, where the convention is," he said.

And on a local level, Weltman said, "even though fracking was banned in New York, thanks to the leadership of [Gov. Andrew Cuomo], Brooklyn residents and all New Yorkers face the catastrophe of climate change based on our nation’s reliance of dirty and dangerous fossil fuels."

Laura Landau, a Brooklyn resident aligned with the Jewish Climate Action Network who is joining the march, said climate change is an important issue to tackle in an election year.

Landau attended the People’s Climate March in 2014, which was scheduled just ahead of the U.N. Climate Summit. Similarly, she said the March for a Clean Energy Revolution is a way to keep climate change at the forefront of public discussion.

“Seeing a ban on fracking and a carbon tax is something that’s been discussed a lot, but doesn’t exist on a national level," Landau said. "We want that on the politicians' minds."

A version of this article originally appeared on the Kings County Politics news site.