Green Groups Plan For D.C. Climate Rally

HARRISONBURG — Local environmental groups are meeting Sunday to prepare to attend what they say could be the largest climate rally in history.

 

Occupy Harrisonburg, the Climate Action Alliance of the Valley, the Sierra Club and Kids vs. Global Warming/iMatter Campaign are putting together a group to attend the national event in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 17.

 

The group invites the public to an informational session about the upcoming trip from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday in the social hall of the Community Mennonite Church at 70 S. High St. in Harrisonburg.

 

This weekend’s session will feature music, several short videos and presentations about topics related to the climate rally on the National Mall.

 

Environmental advocacy groups 350.org and Sierra Club are joining civil and human rights organization Hip Hop Caucus to sponsor the national event in mid-February.

 

Organizers say the goal of the event is to urge President Barack Obama to uphold a commitment to “respond to the threat of climate change.”

 

According to the national event’s website, the first move in that direction would be for Obama to reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline from Canada through the Midwest to oil refineries in the Gulf of Mexico, which will be the main focus of the rally.

 

For more information on the local Sunday event, call Michael Snell-Feikema at 830-1431, or email sniekema@yahoo.com .

 

Contact Candace Sipos at 574-6275 or csipos@dnronline.com