To help assess the engagement of UUFC members and friends in faith-based climate action and to encourage such action, please anonymously share the number of the actions below you take this week using this google form. Optionally, you may anonymously also share other recent climate action.
National Resources Defense Council
ConocoPhillips’ Willow oil drilling project in the western Arctic will add hundreds of millions of metric tons of carbon pollution to our atmosphere. These jaw-dropping emissions are virtually guaranteed to accelerate the climate crisis, resulting in more harm to communities already in distress from unnatural floods, droughts, wildfires, and storms. And it’d be a disaster for Arctic wildlife like polar bears, caribou, and migratory birds. Construction work in the Arctic has stopped because ice roads melt during the spring and summer. No roads mean no heavy machinery. This is our chance to overwhelm ConocoPhillips with letters of opposition they can’t ignore. Demand ConocoPhillips Stop Arctic Drilling.
People vs. Fossil Fuels
At a hearing on an emergency motion filed by the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa on May 18, Western District Court Judge William Conley stated that it was only a matter of time before the 70-year-old Enbridge Line 5 crude oil pipeline that runs across the Bad River Band’s territory would be shut down. (Judge declares Line 5 pipeline will be shut down:”It’s just a question of when”). The Bad River is eroding fast, which will expose the pipeline. Stand with the Bad River Band and join us in making calls for an immediate shutdown! Call the Pipeline Hazardous Materials and Safety Line National Response Hotline 800-424-8802
Stop the Money Pipeline
Most new fossil fuel projects require insurance. If it can’t get insurance, the project can’t be built. That’s why it’s so important that insurance companies end their support of oil and gas expansion. The Hartford is one of the biggest insurers of new oil and gas projects in the country. Tell top decision-makers and executives at The Hartford and make it clear: if they want to be a climate leader, they must stop insuring new fossil fuel projects. Send Email
Do petitions work?
Petitions can help advance a cause by:
- Raising awareness and signaling public opinion to decision-makers, influencing their decisions;
- Showing the media that there is a story worth covering;
- Helping organizations gain supporters and identify people who may want to get more involved on an issue; and
- Providing an accessible avenue for activism and civic engagement, inviting people who might not otherwise get involved in those spaces to participate.
Are Petitions ‘slacktivism’?
Critics have often labeled online petitions as another form of “slacktivism,” pointing to their low-risk nature that doesn’t commit its signers to any further action other than the click of a button. But it’s exactly that ease and accessibility which make petitions powerful tools, Clark-Parsons says. “Both research and anecdotal evidence tell us that most people will not take part in activism that requires great risk or high levels of commitment,” Clark-Parsons said. “What critics refer to as ‘slacktivism’ can actually create an alternative outlet for those who would typically not get involved in any movement at all.” With the help of petitions, organizers and movement leaders can visualize who their supporters are and who are “the people who agree with their mission but aren’t willing to take major actions to support it just yet,” she says.
