Leaders From Across the Nation Join MomentUs Summit to Take Action on Climate Change
A diverse group of high-profile leaders including climate scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, named one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People,” are joining more than 140 leaders from faith, business, health, education and communities to develop actionable solutions to climate change at the MomentUs Leadership Summit on May 21 and 22 in Chicago.
“We need American leadership to meet the challenge of climate change with innovative strategies. MomentUs is a platform to bring leaders together, harness powerful ideas, foster collaboration and inspire action for climate solutions,” said Bob Perkowitz, president of ecoAmerica, an organization which grows popular support for climate action in America.
The leaders are gathering from 26 states to discuss the accelerating impacts of man-made climate change, and how Americans can respond. The group includes Dr. Georges Benjamin, head of the American Public Health Association, who has testified before Congress that we act “to address the growing threat that climate change poses not just to the environment but also to the health of the American public and the entire global community.” Other leaders involved in the Summit included Dr. Antonio Flores, President of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and former Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, who created the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.
They are gathering under the MomentUs banner to explore ways to move climate change into the American mainstream. The group wants to inspire and empower a diversity of new leaders to build the public support needed for climate solutions, including clean technology, policy and political efforts.
Responding to the challenges in the U.S. National Climate Assessment, released May 6th, the MomentUs leaders are announcing a Path to Positive plan for their sectors and the nation. This is a commitment to lead by example on climate change and to engage others in reversing the impacts of climate pollution on our health and economy. To support their efforts, the group will launch specific programs and websites to support faith, health, higher education, business and other communities to provide them with the information and tools they need to address climate change. The first of these programs, Blessed Tomorrow, was launched just prior to the summit. The MomentUs Summit marks the first time this diversity of leaders come together to share their expertise, catalyze cross-sector actions and develop ideas for engaging their communities in climate solutions. ecoAmerica plans to hold special meetings for each sector, and bring them all together annually.
About MomentUs
MomentUs is a new strategic organizing and communications initiative to build a game-changing increase in personal and institutional support for climate change solutions by using local and regional impacts and preparedness to engage more everyday Americans. MomentUs will lead from behind, fill in strategic gaps and empower sector-based American responses to the economic health, security and moral challenges brought by climate change. It has been designed to help bring together the strategies, partners and funders needed to ignite successful progress on a new path for climate solutions in America.
About ecoAmerica
ecoAmerica starts with people to genuinely understand and address Americans’ core concerns and how they relate to climate and sustainability. We seek greater effectiveness in the way we engage with people, always with the goal of growing the base of support. Our vision is of a coalition of the whole. As Americans, we can join across our differences to solve the biggest problem that affects us all: climate change.