December 6: Youth Climate Activists Strike and Sit-In to Demand Action on Climate Change

We invite you to support us in our strike and sit-in to demand action against the destruction of our home and to fight injustice.

Rochester, Minnesota — December 6 — The September 20th Climate Strike was the largest day of action for climate justice ever. On Friday, December 6, as world leaders gather at the UN’s annual climate conference, hundreds of thousands of youth activists in the U.S will take our momentum and specific demands to our elected officials. While our movement in September earned a lot of praise, that praise wasn’t followed through on with action and policy. Our elected officials have let us down once again. This time, we are not going to be content with words of encouragement. We will show up to the offices of our political leaders and ask them if they are ready to take the action they promised.

Rochester, a leading city in healthcare, has failed to take action against, or recognize, the greatest threat to our health—climate change. This hypocrisy will not be allowed anymore. In our city, we have a large population of vulnerable adults and youth who have health conditions that will be worsened by the effects of climate change. Further, the United Nations has said that minority groups and low-income communities are the hardest hit by climate change. This injustice against those with disabilities, health conditions, minorities, and low-income groups is unacceptable.

We make the following demands:

• The Rochester City Council declares a climate emergency.

• The City of Rochester eliminates city-wide greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2030.

• The City of Rochester immediately initiates an effort to safely sequester carbon dioxide.

• The Rochester City Council holds an all-staff meeting within two weeks after December sixth, covering the latest climate science and the mobilization of resources needed in response.

• All City and County Departments, proprietaries, and commissions create reports within sixty days of the all staff meeting which outline the maximum emergency greenhouse gas emission reductions from their operations by the end of 2030, as well as the steps required to accomplish these reduced emissions.

• The Rochester City Council reports back within ninety days on the feasibility of the rapid phase-out of fossil fuel production, power generation, and use within city limits, accounting for immediate changes to building codes, local ordinances, and permitting processes to prevent the construction of new local fossil fuel infrastructure.

• The Public Works, Public Utilities, and Community Development departments report back on opportunities for extensive greenhouse gas and co-pollutant emissions reductions drawdown opportunities through updates to the Rochester City general and community plan.

• The City Council directs the Rochester City Administrator and the Emergency Management Department to report on opportunities and funding to address the climate crisis and its impacts through existing hazard mitigation programs;

• The City Council Directs the City Clerk, Anissa Hollingshead, to work with the existing sustainability staff to include greenhouse gas and co-pollutant impact, reduction, and drawdown statements in all relevant Council motions, much as it currently includes fiscal impact statements.

• The City Council directs the Office of Administration to report back within 90 days on the establishment of a Climate Emergency Mobilization Department Task Force to oversee the city-wide mobilization effort, with all necessary powers to coordinate City climate and environment programs including the development of a 10-year Climate Mobilization Action Plan to guide the climate emergency response, as well as all climate mitigation, resilience, adaptation, engagement, education, advocacy, and research and development programs.

• The City commits to engaging our residents in public deliberations on the climate emergency, which will directly inform the creation of the Rochester City Climate Mobilization Action Plan in order to accomplish this city-wide climate mobilization effort and to ensure a just transition with the full democratic participation of the residents of Rochester.

• the City commits to keeping the concerns of frontline and marginalized communities central to Climate Emergency Mobilization program.

• The City includes in its 2019 and 2020 Federal Legislative Program, support for H.Con.Res.52 and S.Con.Res.22, as well as any legislation that would initiate a national emergency-speed mobilization to reverse global warming and the ecological crisis.

Rochester Chapter - Minnesota Youth Climate Strike

WHERE: Rochester City Hall (inside)

WHO: Youth climate activists, we are poised to have 100+ attendees

WHEN: 10:00-12:00

We will continue to share information about actions on Instagram @mnclimatestrike