Climate is changing. Why isn’t PECO?
Yesterday, over 60 adults and elders descended on PECO’s headquarters with a pressing question: “Climate is changing. Why isn’t PECO?” These activists, including educators and grandparents, were moved to action by the tremendous call of youth leaders around the world, and in particular the thousands of children who poured into the streets of Philadelphia this past Friday, for the #YouthClimateStike.
EQAT member Stephanie Judson wrote, “‘We are here in love. And hard love for PECO.’ Monty spoke out of a silent centering time as our feet held down the huge banner on the sidewalk in front of the PECO building ‘Climate is changing. Why isn’t PECO?’ I held in my heart and in love my two toddler-age grandsons. And tears came as I wondered about, and feared, for their future.”
Answering the call of young people across the world to take action, 12 people faithfully risked arrest yesterday, attempting to get an answer from PECO about its plans. They were not arrested, and PECO’s answer was clear: PECO doesn’t have a plan beyond business as usual.
Yesterday PECO chose to close down its own plaza rather than give us an update on its plans for addressing climate crisis and inequality. We gave PECO ample opportunity to prepare and share its plans, and rather than using that time to develop a plan for getting to 20% local solar by 2025 in a way that prioritizes community-ownership and good paying local jobs to the communities who need it most, PECO used that time to figure out how to keep us away from its building.
We’re committed to campaigning until our local utility commits to a reasonable plan for addressing inequality and climate crisis. Join us on Tuesday, October 1, at 6:30 pm at Friends Center to discuss what comes next.
This fall we will continue our campaign of escalated nonviolent direct action. Donate to join us in keeping the pressure on.
Photos: Rachael Warriner
