As the Coal Free Future Tour made its way into New York City, we passed the Statue of Liberty with a banner reading “Still Yearning to Breathe Free. Quit Coal.” The banner was a tribute to Emma Lazarus’ The New Colossus, displayed inside the statue.
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”
At Greenpeace, we often find ourselves making ambitious plans. And this coal campaign is no exception. We’re working to fundamentally transform the way we use and produce electricity, to hold some of the richest and most powerful corporate criminals accountable for the destruction they create, and to minimize the corrupting influence of dirty money on our democracy.
However, at the end of the day, we are asking for something quite simple. Anyone should be able to step outside his or her front door without being forced to breathe toxic pollution. No one should fear that their water has been contaminated with mercury or arsenic because a company is burning coal near their home. It’s unbelievable that such basic human rights are denied by the actions of coal industry executives and their friends in Congress.
For all the liberties we enjoy in this country, hundreds of thousands of Americans are still waiting for the opportunity to breathe free. We chose to share that message with the world by creating this image. Check out the fully gallery here.
Thankfully, the tide is turning. Communities from coast to coast are working to build a coal free future, and Greenpeace is gearing up to join this effort. It’s time to demand liberty from coal.
