Climate Happenings

For more background on climate change and the upcoming People’s Climate March, see my article Climate Change and You.

Here is The Tree’s list of major upcoming events.

19 Sep – From the heart of the Amazon: Ecuadorian voices and solutions (NYC)

• Ecuadorian youth and indigenous leaders—including representatives from Yasunidos and Amazon Watch—will gather to discuss the threats to the Amazon and give their perspective on the movement for environmental protections in Ecuador. Learn more here.

19 Sep – Educational Forum: Today’s fossil fuels and the future of children’s health (NYC)

• This forum is intended to provide information on climate change’s impacts on one of the world’s most vulnerable populations: children. It is organized around the topics of “The Science,” “The Mothers’ Voices,” and “The Policies.”

• The event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by The Mothers Project; ClimateMama; The Center for Environmental Health; and The John Jay College for Criminal Justice, Sustainability and Environmental Justice Minor. Learn more here.

19-21 Sep – NYC Climate Convergence (NYC)

• The Climate Convergence is a conference, skill-share, and festival. It’s billed as an exploration of the causes of the climate crisis and an opportunity to strengthen the movement.

• Speakers and attendees will include author Naomi Klein, activist Chris Williams, and Vandana Shiva, founder of Navdanya. Learn more here.

20 Sep – People’s Climate March Youth Convergence (NYC)

• Thousands of students and young people will come together before the People’s Climate March to share strategies, attend workshops, build the fossil fuel divestment movement, and prepare for the big march. Learn more here.

20 Sep – Arctic meetup hosted by Greenpeace (NYC)

• Join Greenpeace staff, volunteers, and supporters for a meetup of those who care about the Arctic as a critical place in the climate change conversation. Greenpeace’s new Executive Director, Annie Leonard, will give a short talk, which will be followed by the screening of short films on the Arctic and a basic training on how people can bring the campaign back to their community. Learn more here.

20 Sep – A global treaty: Why the US must lead (NYC)

• This panel discussion will focus on why the world needs an international climate treaty and why it is critical to mobilize support demanding that the US assume a leading role in the treaty negotiations.

• Panelists include Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org; Lester Brown, founder of the Earth Policy Institute and the Worldwatch Institute; and Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and UN Special Envoy for Climate Change. Learn more here.

21-22 Sep – Social Good Summit (NYC)

• The Social Good Summit will unite a dynamic community of global leaders and grassroots activists to discuss solutions for the greatest challenges of our time. Our theme, #2030NOW, asks the question, “What type of world do I want to live in by the year 2030?”

21-22 Sep – Interfaith Summit on Climate Change (NYC)

• The World Council of Churches and Religions for Peace are organizing the Interfaith Summit on Climate Change in New York City.

• One of the objectives of this summit will be to convey the faith communities’ concerns and proposals to the Secretary General’s Climate Summit as part of long term efforts to influence the climate negotiations and the contributions countries bring to the table. Learn more here.

21 Sep – This Changes Everything: A conversation with Naomi Klein (NYC)

• The Nation’s executive editor Betsy Reed will have a conversation with Naomi Klein about the myths that cloud the climate debate and our current economic model which is waging a war on the Earth. The discussion will take place on the Brooklyn Book Fair’s main stage at 10am. Learn more here.

21 Sep – The People’s Climate March (NYC & Global)

• The March, which is being billed as the biggest and most diverse climate action ever, will begin at 11:30am at Columbus Circle. Participants will be marching to demand climate action and to secure a world with good jobs, clean air, and healthy communities for everyone.

• To sign up, click here. For transportation options to New York City, click here.

• Solidarity marches and events will be taking place around the world, including in  London, Paris, Berlin, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro,   Johannesburg, Lagos, Istanbul, Delhi, Melbourne, Hong Kong and elsewhere.

21 Sep – The Future of Energy film screening with filmmakers (NYC)

• The Future of Energy is a powerful documentary that captures the movement across the United States to transition to renewable energy and what everyday people are doing to help foster that shift. Join the filmmakers for a special screening; learn more here.

22-23 Sep – The People’s Climate Justice Summit (NYC)

• The Climate Justice Alliance, along with allied organizations, is hosting this event, which will feature the voices, strategies, and solutions of climate-affected communities around the world.

• The summit will focus on a just transition away from fossil fuels and features panel discussions on a variety of topics, from climate smart agriculture to the corporate root causes of climate change. Learn more here.

22-23 Sep – World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (NYC)

• The high-level plenary meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, to be known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (WCIP), will assemble on September 22 and September 23 at the UN headquarters.

• By invitation only. Learn more here.

22 Sep – #FloodWallStreet (NYC)

• Thousands of people are expected to gather in Battery Park in Lower Manhattan to confront the root causes of the climate crisis—an economic system based on exploiting frontline communities, workers, and natural resources.

• After hearing from speakers including Naomi Klein, Rebecca Solnit, and Chris Hedges, protesters wearing blue will ‘flood’ the steps of the New York Stock Exchange. Learn more here.

22 Sep – Women leading solutions on the frontlines of climate change (NYC)

• For this event, a group of women leaders will gather to speak out against environmentally and socially destructive activities and policies, and to present the diverse array of visions and strategies with which they are working to shape a health and equitable world.

• The WECAN Women’s Action Agenda will also be shared and discussed as a tool for systematic change. Learn more here.

22 Sep – Carbon supply cost curves: Evaluating coal capital expenditures report (NYC)

• Carbon Tracker Initiative and ETA will present the second report of the series “Carbon Supply Cost Curves” to investors, asset managers, investment bankers, analysts and coal companies representatives.

• Following on the heels of Carbon Tracker’s recent oil report, this study will be focused on the global coal sector. The release is by invitation only. Learn more here.

22 Sep – Island climate leadership: Driving clean energy transformation (NYC)

• This event will showcase examples of Small Island Developing States (SIDS)’ climate leadership in deploying renewable energy, reducing emissions, and enhancing energy security. It will also feature a panel discussion on past successes and future opportunities to stimulate further on-the-ground action.

• This event is by invitation only. Learn more here.

22 Sep – Africa Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance (NYC)

• On the eve of the UN Climate Summit, the Africa Union Commission, the NEPAD Agency, and partner NGOs present a special event on Africa Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance. This offers an opportunity to network and share practical and innovative strategies and actions that support rural and farming communities in implementing climate smart agriculture practices in Africa. Learn more here.

22 Sep – Action in Climate Change and Health (NYC)

• Global Climate and Health Alliance, the American College of Sports Medicine, and Public Health Institute are co-hosting this event, where major health leaders including US Surgeon General Boris Lushniak and The Lancet’s Richard Horton will address the intersection of climate change and health, and offer a pathway towards a sustainable and healthy future.

• This event is by invitation only. Learn more here.

22 Sep – New York and International Labor celebrates the People’s Climate March (NYC)

• The day after The People’s Climate March, union members and labor groups will gather in honor of those in New York and around the world who are leading the effort to build an international climate justice movement. Sponsored by 1199-SEIU, 32BJ-SEIU, NYSNA, and IBEW Local 3. Learn more here.

23 Sep – UN Climate Summit (NYC)

• United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has invited Heads of State and Government along with business, finance, civil society and local leaders to a Climate Summit in New York City.

• This Summit is aimed at catalyzing action by governments, business, finance, industry, and civil society in areas for new commitments and substantial, scalable and replicable contributions to the Summit that will help the world shift toward a low-carbon economy. Learn more here.

23 Sep – Global Climate Strategy Launch (NYC)

• On the day of the UN Climate Summit, Citizens’ Climate Lobby will be releasing a Global Strategy Whitepaper, and launching its effort to pull together a coalition of stakeholders, thought-leaders, businesses, nonprofits and governments, to achieve an economically efficient, value-building plan to price carbon and transition to climate-smart economic and investment policies. Learn more here.

24-26 Sep – Rising Seas Summit (NYC)

• The Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO) is hosting this summit, which will convene decision makers from national and local government, industry, academic institutions and environmental NGOs to highlight the interrelationships between sea level rise, climate change and extreme events.

• The program will include plenary sessions, panel discussions, facilitated working groups, hands on workshops, scenario planning roundtables, 101 sessions, and collaboration with practitioners. Learn more here.

24 Sep – The morning after: A civil society reportback (NYC)

• At this event, civil society leaders will report back from the UN Climate Summit on what they heard from our world leaders on the one hand, and, on the other, what they heard from the people these leaders represent.

• The meetup will be held on the second floor of the Church Center for United Nations (corner of First Avenue and 44th street) from 8:45 to 10:45am.

24 Sep – Global Canopy Program: What approaches can help meet targets to reduce deforestation and associated emissions? (NYC)

• On 24 September, the Global Canopy Programme, Code REDD, IETA, NWF and UNEP Finance Initiative will be holding a roundtable discussion. The discussion will focus on investment in REDD+ activities and new approaches to meet deforestation targets in the period to 2020. Learn more here.

25 Sep – Corporations leading climate resilience around the world (NYC)

• This event will explore what’s new in corporate adaptation, including global adaptation innovation and best practice.

• Attendees will meet the winners of ND-GAIN’s Corporate Adaptation Prize and engage in a lively discussion with winners and judges addressing water, health and infrastructure solutions in the face of a changing climate. Learn more here.

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Peggy O’Mara is the editor and publisher of peggyomara.com.  She was the editor and publisher of Mothering Magazine from 1980 to 2011 and founded Mothering.com in 1995. The author of Having a Baby Naturally; Natural Family Living; The Way Back Home; and A Quiet Place, Peggy has conducted workshops at Omega Institute, Esalen, La Leche League, and Bioneers. She is the mother of four and grandmother of two.