Baytown, Texas, September 12, 2019 — Below please find new images of the twenty-two Greenpeace USA climbers who have formed a blockade from the Fred Hartman Bridge in Baytown, Texas, shutting down the largest fossil fuel thoroughfare in the United States ahead of the third Democratic primary debate in nearby Houston. In addition there is a new quote from activist Irene Kim, who made news earlier this year when she donned a swamp monster mask to photobomb David Bernhardt during his confirmation hearing. Kim and the other climbers intend to remain secured in place for 24 hours, preventing the transport of all oil and gas through the channel. Their action is a bold call to leaders to imagine a world beyond fossil fuels and embrace a just transition to renewable energy.
NEW photo and video: https://media.greenpeace.org/collection/27MZIFJ886WM5
Tweets with images:
https://twitter.com/greenpeaceusa/status/1172110668939563009
https://twitter.com/greenpeaceusa/status/1172143018553405440
https://twitter.com/greenpeaceusa/status/1172122093737193472
https://twitter.com/greenpeaceusa/status/1172118925888434177
Live updates:
https://www.facebook.com/greenpeaceusa
https://twitter.com/greenpeaceusa
Greenpeace USA Activist Irene Kim, one of the 22 climbers blocking the Houston Ship Channel, said:
“I’m here because we are in the middle of a climate emergency. We need our leadership to take bold action. I want to show people that we have power to pressure our politicians and change our system. We know there’s a better world out there, but we have to demand it. It’s a privilege to be able to do this action. In a time when people feel hopeless and they don’t know what else to do, I am putting my body on the line. It’s scary but I fear the climate crisis more than anything. I see so many communities hurting because of the fossil fuel industry.
“We are running out of time to prevent the worst impacts of the climate crisis. We can either take the bold measures required to stave off climate catastrophe today, or face the radical impacts of climate change tomorrow.”
Greenpeace USA Executive Director Annie Leonard said:
“We’re in a climate emergency created by fossil fuel CEOs and made worse by Trump. We can either take bold action to combat the climate crisis today or suffer the consequences — more floods, more mega-storms, and more fires — for years to come.
“Here’s what can happen when we finally choose renewable energy over fossil fuels: We can create millions of high-paying, union jobs. We can keep our air and water clean and safe. And we can safeguard our climate against catastrophe. We can’t afford to screw this up, and we won’t let oil executives do that for us.”
The action comes as presidential candidates gather in nearby Houston for the third Democratic primary debate. The climate crisis has emerged as a top issue in the 2020 election. A majority of registered voters now say climate change is an “emergency” and 67 percent believe that the United States under the Trump administration is not doing enough to address the problem [2]. In recent weeks, multiple Democratic candidates have released plans to phase out fossil fuels, hold industry executives accountable for their role in the climate crisis, and create jobs and opportunity in the renewable energy economy [3].
The action also sets the stage for next week’s youth climate strike. On September 20, three days before the UN Climate Summit in New York City, millions of people across the US and the world will participate in youth-led strikes to demand transformative action to address the climate crisis. Youth leaders are calling on elected officials to say yes to a Green New Deal and no to fossil fuel expansion.
ENDS
Notes:
[2] https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=3639
[3] https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/climate2020/
Photo and video: https://media.greenpeace.org/collection/27MZIFJ886WM5
Media location:
Bayland Marina, 2651 TX-146, Baytown, Texas 77520. Interviews are available in English and Spanish.
Contacts:
For interviews with the activists:
Ryan Schleeter, Senior Communications Specialist, Greenpeace USA: +1 (415) 342-2386, [email protected] (in Baytown)
Valentina Stackl, Senior Communications Specialist, Greenpeace USA: +1 (734) 276-6260, [email protected]
