Texas climate activists target Wall Street
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(Texas News Service) Environmental activists from across the country, including from Texas, are spending the summer protesting on Wall Street to highlight the effects the financial markets have on climate change.
Katherine Hahn, coordinator for the Gulf South Fossil Finance Hub in Houston, said many people do not realize the connection between their money and environmental changes.
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"Any financial institution that's providing the funding, whether that's funding to a company in general that participates in fossil-fuel projects or whether that's direct financing or that could be insuring a fossil-fuel project, oftentimes we have pension funds that are taking folks' pensions and investing those funds in fossil-fuel projects," Hahn outlined.
Hahn pointed out the purpose of the "Summer of Heat on Wall Street" campaign is to educate bankers and hopefully reduce fossil-fuel financing. Because of the protests, some of the bankers have agreed to meet with members of their organization.
The group wants Wall Street, and namely Citigroup, to increase financing for renewable energy, make changes to improve the lives of people who live in front line communities, which are often communities of color, indigenous and low-income areas, and pay into a climate reparations fund.
Hahn noted as a person of faith, she feels compelled to save the Earth.
"God's earth is this extension of His love for us, and right now we are abusing it," Hahn contended. "When really, we're called to be shepherds and caretakers of God's creation. And especially when it comes to Christianity, we know that Jesus spoke for the most vulnerable among us, and increasingly those are the people that are most impacted by the climate crisis."
Hahn pointed out there have been arrests during their nonviolent protests but participants feel the issue is worth it. In a statement, Citigroup said it has a goal to supply 100 percent renewable energy to power Citi's facilities globally by 2020 and their goal reflects the need to transition while also continuing to meet global energy needs.
