Media Advisory: Ohio River Rising Climate Rally and March in Huntington, WV

Media Advisory                                                                                 September 5, 2018
Contacts: Robin Blakeman, 304-840-4877, robin@ohvec.org

What:  Ohio River Rising, a “Rise for Climate, Jobs and Justice” Sister Rally and March in Huntington, WV

When:  Saturday, September 8
Tabling and community gathering at 10:00; rally 10:30 a.m.; march to follow 

Where:  Heritage Station, 210 11^th Street, Huntington, WV

Who:   
Organizers of this event include:

— OVEC (Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition)
— Huntington Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL)
— Marshall University Native American Student Organization (NASO)
— Tri-State Indivisible
— Four-Pole Creek Watershed Association

Speakers include: 

— Bob McCollister, certified by the Climate Change Project in climate change presentations
— NASO’s Genenahgehneh Lee and others
— Lynn Goodman, Aquatic Biologist
–OVEC, MU NASO, Four-Pole Creek Watershed Association and other participating group leaders will speak briefly on local issues associated with climate change

Find the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/338056580264182/

What else:     

Family friendly activities, speakers, information on local, regional, national, and global climate issues. Come out to Heritage Station and join in the march around the downtown area. Come celebrate your love for Huntington, the Ohio River, and the Earth!

Why: 

In solidarity with people gathering around the world for other Rise for Climate, Jobs and Justice events, we are holding a locally focused sister rally and march in downtown Huntington, WV. Solidarity marches are taking place around the nation, and internationally.

Here are some others happening in our region:
Ohio: https://www.facebook.com/events/1625470990913921/
Kentucky: https://www.facebook.com/events/654050051647432/

West Virginians and Tri-State area residents are urged to find the march nearest to their homes and join in. Carpool with friends and family.

The Huntington march has the potential to send a powerful message to our elected representatives, especially in light of recent decisions made by our elected leaders on the Clean Power Plan and other regulatory protections.

We are all threatened by climate change, and the only way to avert the worst consequences is to halt new fossil fuel projects, and transition rapidly to a clean, renewable energy economy—which will also generate more jobs than the deadly fossil-fuel-based business as usual.

We in Appalachia know all too well what it is to have safe drinking water threatened—or destroyed—by fossil fuel projects. We know how it feels to watch our elected officials and agencies scramble to defend the energy corporations—not us. We know how it feels to be regarded as a low-class, low-population culture whose health is a low priority. We, therefore, stand in solidarity with people worldwide who are demanding an end to climate denial and immediate, widespread climate change action, especially for those who are already experiencing dramatic, even catastrophic effects of climate change in their communities.

Flier:  
Ohio River Rising/ Huntington Rise for Climate, Jobs and Justice flier is available via a PDF link here: https://ohvec.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Ohio-River-Rising-Flyer-2018.pdf

Note:
OVEC hosts its annual meeting and Treehuggers’ Ball on September 15th. Details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1958686907528479/ and here: https://ohvec.org/events/ovecs-annual-meeting/

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