fusclimate Mailing List: Fwd: You Can Help Double the Impact of our Divestment Campaign in Minnesota!!

[Scott Jackson (sjackzen46]

Yo Climate Change Agents!

I'm not adding this message to the MN350 fundraising appeal I received
earlier today to urge you to give generously to MN350 (though you may do
so, of course), but in support of my proposal that the Climate Change
Changers and MUUSJA/EcoMinds take up divestment as an organizing issue.

As you can see, MN350 has added a part-time Divestment Organizer, Patty
O'Keefe, and the organization is hoping to make the position full time in
2014. If you click on the Divestment Campaign link, you can see that Patty
offers 'one on one collaboration and coaching' and '2-5 hour campaign tool
trainings at the location of your choice', which I propose that we take
advantage of. I'm confident she would also agree to speak at an FUS Forum
if we asked.

MN Interfaith Power & Light also has a Divestment Team. The contact is
Dwight Wagenius (dwagenius [at] gmail.com), whom I met at Be the Spark. At its
'On Ramps for Action', MNIPL adds this information: "*Divestment from
Fossil Fuels*  The UCC Church as already done this nationally. A number of
Minnesota churches have been part of that process.  In Minnesota there are
many individual churches and denominations exploring this process.  See the
“Do the Math” video, and link in through 350.org and their Fossil Free
program <http://gofossilfree.org/%20>.   Contact us <julia [at] mnipl.org> if
you’d like to get started at your church, or within your larger
denomination." So the resources are at hand, awaiting our request.

As some of you know, divestment has been a contentious topic of discussion
within the UUA. Earlier this month the UU Ministry for Earth issued 'Fossil
Fuel Divestment and Socially Responsible Investment', found here:
http://uuministryforearth.org/fossil-fuel-divestment. The time is ripe for
CCC/EM to join the discussion and to take the concrete steps necessary to
divest FUS and other UU congregations in Minnesota of their fossil fuel
holdings. As I said in an earlier email to Nancy, Marcy, Mary Ann, and
David, "Like selling LED light bulbs, promoting a 'green footprint', and
working to make our building as carbon-neutral as possible (along the lines
of Mayflower UCC in Minneapolis), this is a question where the rubber meets
the road when it comes to putting our money where our mouths are (to mix my
metaphors)."

I propose that we agree to make divestment an important organizing issue,
that we set up a divestment team; and that the team meet with Foundation
members to request a list of our fossil fuel holdings and a timetable for
divesting those holdings, organize a Forum and other discussions within the
congregation, and advocate for an up-or-down vote by the congregation in
the spring.

Scott Jackson
sjackzen46 [at] gmail.com


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: MN350 Leadership Team <mail-server [at] 1skymn.usnpo.org>
Date: Fri, Dec 27, 2013 at 10:46 AM
Subject: You Can Help Double the Impact of our Divestment Campaign in
Minnesota!!
To: sjackzen46 [at] gmail.com








Greetings,

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year!

As we are on the cusp of 2014, MN350 is poised for a very powerful and
impactful year.
In addition to having seen a significant increase in our volunteer base, we
have solidified and expanded our staff.

** Kate Jacobson, as our full-time Lead Coordinator.

** Andy Pearson, as our new full-time Tar Sands Organizer.  This position
is funded by 350.org, which reflects the support we are receiving
nationally.  Andy will be working both in Minnesota AND in the Midwest
Region.  And, his work will support our contested case at the Minnesota
Public Utilities Commission against the expansion of the Alberta Clipper
pipeline across northern Minnesota.  We will send you an update on this
hearing in early January.

** Patty O'Keefe, as our part-time Divestment Organizer.



*Our appeal to you is to contribute an end-of-the-year gift to allow us to
hire Patty full-time for 2014. *


*It's that simple, and direct.  Strong financial support by
next Tuesday will allow us to hire Patty full-time for the full year.  This
support will allow MN350 to double our impact on the Divestment Campaign
across colleges, universities, local governments, and businesses in
Minnesota. *
You can contribute by writing a check to the Alliance for Sustainability,
MN350's fiscal agent, and adding "MN350" to the memo field, and sending the
check to MN350 at 2104 Stevens Ave, Minneapolis, 55404.  You can also
contribute on-line at
http://www.mn350.org/make-a-donation<http://1skymn.usnpo.org/?resource=http://wwwmYdOtmn350mYdOtorg/make-a-donation>
.

The success of both our Tar Sands and Divestment campaigns, as well as
everything else we do, depends on our organizing and mobilizing across
Minnesota.  Last week, the MN350 Leadership Team agreed upon the following
Strategy for 2014:

*MN350 believes that the advancement of its vision and mission is most
likely to be achieved through activated volunteer efforts that
simultaneously engage more Minnesotans in the climate change movement.
Accordingly, MN350’s primary strategy is to organize, support, and inspire
local MN350 groups as well as aligned, autonomous groups, in both climate
change organizing and mobilizing.  *
Our success in organizing and mobilizing an expanded network of volunteers
will be greater if we have solid staffing.  We are on the cusp of making
this a reality.  Again, a strong showing of financial support means that we
will double our impact on our Divestment Campaign.

You can learn more about the Divestment Campaign here --
http://www.mn350.org/what-does-divestment-look-like<http://1skymn.usnpo.org/?resource=http://wwwmYdOtmn350mYdOtorg/what-does-divestment-look-like>/


Thank you for considering an end-of-year gift to help make this possibility
a reality. Please contribute on-line at
http://www.mn350.org/make-a-donation<http://1skymn.usnpo.org/?resource=http://wwwmYdOtmn350mYdOtorg/make-a-donation>
.

Thank you for your past and future support, both financially and with your
time.  We, together, are making a very tangible impact on the climate
change movement in Minnesota.

Gratefully,

 Tom McSteen
For the MN350 Leadership Team






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