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Stand with us as we prepare for the Pacific Climate Warrior Journey!
an article by 350 Pacific
Video: Pacific Climate Warriors
Every morning, we wake up and the ocean is there,
surrounding our island. But now the ocean, driven by climate
change is creeping ever closer. Unless something changes,
many of our Pacific Islands face losing everything to sea level
rise. 
click on photo to enlarge
For 20 years we’ve asked world leaders to take action to stop
polluting the atmosphere. We cannot wait longer. Now,
warriors of the Pacific are rising peacefully to protect the
Pacific Islands from climate change.
This October, we’re standing up to those blocking action on
climate change. We’ve been building traditional canoes across
the Islands. Pacific Climate Warriors will journey to Australia,
where they will use the canoes to peacefully lay down a
challenge to the fossil fuel industry.
We must act now to protect our culture, our land and our
oceans, and we need people all around the world to stand
with us. Make us powerful in this fight, by chipping into our
Pacific Warriors journey crowdfunder.
Five years ago, our network of young Pacific Islanders began
to form under the name of 350 Pacific, to join with the global
climate change movement, 350.org. Active in 15 of the Pacific
Island Nations, we have a unique approach of empowering
young people to understand the issue of climate change and
to take action to protect and enrich our islands, cultures, and
oceans.
We know that this project is beyond what we can deliver on
our own. We don’t have big bank accounts, big funders, or big
email lists. That’s why we’re asking the international
community to stand in support with the Pacific Warriors.
What we do have is the network of courageous young Pacific
Islanders – from Niue to Tuvalu – that have been learning the
skills of canoe building from their elders, are clued up about
how climate change is affecting their Islands, and are ready to
stand up peacefully but powerfully as warriors for their
Islands.
As Pacific Warriors we will journey to Australia to tell the fossil
fuel industry in person to stop their radical plans that are
destroying our island homes.
This journey will be epic. From across 13 Pacific Islands, our
Pacific Warriors will travel to Australia, carrying with us
traditional hand-made canoes decorated with symbols of
support from our homelands. We will use these canoes to lay
down a challenge to the fossil fuel industry, and to highlight
what we will lose if their reckless contribution to climate
change continues. This will be a means of telling the industry,
the Australian public, their Government, and the global
community that climate change is having a real impact and is
threatening the culture, health and environment of our Pacific
Islands.
Following this, our Pacific Warriors will travel the country,
bringing our story of struggle directly to the Australian
people. This will be a call-to-arms, a request that Australians
take up the fight to the fossil fuel industry to save our
homelands.
We know that many Australians are ready to stand with us. As
we arrive, Australians around the country will stand in
solidarity because our fight is their fight too. From those
fighting against the construction of new coal mines at Maules
Creek and in the Galilee Basin, to those working on essential
policy changes, Australians will collectively stand up to say
“we will not let our neighbours drown.”
[Thank you to Kiki Chauvin, the CPNN reporter for this article.]
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DISCUSSION
Question(s) related to this article:
How can polluting industries be made responsible?, Can this be done without government intervention?
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Latest reader comment:
In her article Julia Millstein suggests that we go to www.uspirg.org and find out how your government is affecting our life, and find out how to defend our right to healthy forests, sustainable economy, and clear air.
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