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We’re witnessing big oil companies continue counting the billions in profits, while extreme climate impacts are hitting the headlines day in and day out. As you know, in November we are taking to the streets with Global Power Up. We’re taking action because we are outraged, but also because we are hopeful, and determined to use our anger and our hope to resist and to build a better future for ourselves and our planet.
Think about it: our movement has the power to flip the script. We can make fossil fuels become part of history once and for all, and build a world powered by the sun and the wind. And to make this possible, we need you to be part of it. If you haven’t yet, join us!
Why don’t you join our Fossil Free mailing list for all the latest stories on climate organizing from around the world? Stories that matter. Campaigns that inspire. All delivered directly to you every month!
In Case You Missed It
Banking on change
We’ve got some thrilling news from our friends in Australia. After a solid year of campaigning, Commonwealth Bank, one of the nation’s top banks, has just turned the table on the fossil fuel industry. They’ve unveiled a fresh lending policy that slams the brakes on ALL new oil and gas projects. Can you believe that? But wait, there’s more!
Come 2025, they’re going all fossil free and won’t be giving a single dollar to those companies dead set on expanding fossil fuels. The cherry on top? This victory marks the first of its kind for many dedicated volunteers. It is a true game changer moment, where you understand and appreciate the incredible power of coming together. It’s nothing short of amazing. Anyways, here’s a sneak peak.
Protests telling CommBank to rule out fossil fuel lending. Photo-credit: 350 Australia
Unearthing Argentina’s fracking scene
Our documentary “This is Fracking”, diving into Argentina’s fracking scene, is finally hitting public screens🇦🇷. The production reveals the real story behind oil exploration in Patagonia, and how it affects people, communities and the national economy.
The global premiere landed at the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival in Vermont, in the United States, on August 26. It’s a special spot for us – Vermont led the US in banning fracking, and Middlebury is the birthplace for 350.
And it gets better! The festival’s jury awarded it the Gaia Prize for the Best Environmental Film. And the highlights keep coming, because the Patagonia International Film Festival (September 1 to 5) has picked our film too. Argentinian premiere, here we come!
Now, onto film parties – we hear you, and they’re coming soon. Stay tuned for details. For now, you can watch the teaser here:
In Ikizköy, it’s about life
It’s not just about the land – it’s about life.
Since the end of July our friends in the Turkish region of Muğla have been facing repression in their fight to protect their land and the ancient Akbelen Forest. Forestry clearance workers operating on behalf of Turkish energy company YK Energy destroyed 780 acres of the forest located near the town of İkizköy, to make room for the expansion of the company’s nearby coal mine.
Villagers and activists have maintained an around-the-clock presence in the forest in an attempt to prevent YK Energy from destroying it. For 40 years, Muğla has been living under the grip of three coal power plants and the mines that supply them. The presence of the coal industry in the region is responsible for 45,000 premature deaths since 1982 and threatens the region’s centuries-old olive groves, which are a vital part of the local economy and cultural heritage.
We stand in solidarity with the İkizköy villagers, and condemn violence towards people who are trying to protect their lives, their homes, their livelihoods and the planet. 🌍🌳🌱
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The Amazon Resists!
Gather around folks, we’ve got the insights on what happened at the Amazon Summit. It drew presidents from eight South American countries in Belém do Pará, in Brazil, on August 8-9. The main topics on the agenda: saving the Amazon and joining forces for climate action.
Deforestation is messing with that entire system, and releasing carbon like there’s no tomorrow. Illegal activities like cattle ranching and gold mining have already cleared out 20% of this lush forest. To add salt to the wound, some governments – like Brazil – are considering oil and gas projects right in the heart of the forest, or on the shores close to it.
If things get worse, this magnificent rainforest could turn into a dry savanna, which is bad news for our global climate and the innumerous Indigenous and traditional communities who call it home. That’s why we got to the streets during the Summit, demanding no more deforestation by 2030, an end to fossil fuel extraction, and a ban on oil and gas in the Amazon.
Sadly, the final commitments from the Summit failed our expectations. But our movement managed to make headlines all around the world and raise awareness over this issue. The Amazon has a huge potential for clean and distributed energy – and our fight to protect it from fossil fuels keeps stronger than ever! The Amazon Resists!
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An Indigenous activist holds a banner demanding ‘An Oil-free Amazon’ during a march at the Amazon Summit, in Belém, Brazil in August 2023. Photo-credit: @nayjinknss @anamendes_anamendes
One to Watch
Mark your calendars for the BIG POWER UP MOMENT in November 3-4, 2023.
As wildfires rage, heatwaves scorch the earth, and storms intensify worldwide, the fossil fuel companies are rolling in incredible profits: BP made $2.6billion in the last quarter, and Shell made an obscene $5 billion in profits – and these are just two examples. But here’s our trump card: we know we don’t have to dance to their destructive tune.
With the fate of our planet hanging in the balance, settling for anything less than decisive actions isn’t an option. To steer clear of a disastrous above 1.5 C of heating and prevent the escalation of the climate crisis, we must take a bold stance. We’re not alone in this. We’ve got our community, and we’ve got the solutions. Now, it’s time to shift the power – both money and influence – from those fossil fuel giants to a clean and equal future for everyone.
Use Your Power
Get ready to rock the world with a global energy revolution! We’re flipping the script – out with coal, in with community-centred solar and wind energy. Renewable energy sources are producing record amounts of clean electricity year after year, and the best part? They’re getting more affordable by the day.
Our plan is to shine a spotlight on fossil fuel giants, exposing their insatiable greed, and to rally governments to use every financial means possible to reclaim the excessive profits of the fossil fuels industry and reinvest them into renewable energy systems.
There will be dozens of exciting actions happening all over the world – and you can join both in person or online. Let’s power up the future we want. Secure your spot in this sizzling surge of change by signing up now!
Skill up your activism
350 Asia have launched their newest eBook called Connecting the Dots.
It’s all about investigating the links between climate-destroying fossil fuel projects in Asia and the big shots funding them. You’ll find gripping stories from communities, cool scientific insights, and real solutions you can act on.
Best part? It’s totally free to download!
Download it now, and together, we’ll expose the culprits fueling the climate crisis and support positive change-makers.
IN OTHER NEWS
Quote of the month
“In a historic referendum, Ecuador just voted out fossil fuels from the Amazon rainforest, from Yasuní.
This sets an incredibly important precedent for the country because it shows that we are ready for a transition, even though we are a country that’s considered dependent on oil. We have shown that we want a different future for the Amazon, for Indigenous People.
This is a moment for the world to learn and follow in Ecuador’s footsteps as we are making this very brave decision as a country to move on from fossil fuel dependency ”
— Helena Gualinga, Indigenous rights and Amazon Defender, reflecting on recent referendum decision to halt oil drilling in Ecuador’s Amazon
