 This is not a vigil. It's a rally. It's a ready. This song is called Change. It was written as we were on our way down to the inauguration in D.C. of President Obama. And what we need now more than ever is change. And that's why you all are here. So thanks for being here. Singing and swinging in the Montpelier streets. Life would finally have a soft little heartbeat. And drums be drumming while we move our feet. And inspiration would be making the news. Instead of always singing them blues. But it's just a prayer for a change. For a change of the pace. Heart has got no time to waste. And the fields are calling for a brand new day. We'll be making a new body. It's just a, just a praying for a change. Hey for a change. It's about you and people that care about Mother Earth. Thank you so much for being here today. And for then, once you leave here today, it does not end. There is something going on here. Something pretty serious. And as long as you guys keep bringing the message that we're bringing about here today on this beautiful day tomorrow, the day after that, the week after that, the year after that, in 10 years, 20 years, 50 years from now, you've passed it to your children and your grandchildren. That's what it's all about. So thank you, thank you, thank you. This song was written for Mother Earth with my good friend Aaron Flynn from Charlotte Vermont, an amazing songwriter. This is called One World Free. People see these wonder, thousands of years. Still be found down drowning to see what falls from the sky. The simple truth of our time. Simply survive, survive. She's coming down by faith. Grace, these tears. Can our fears still be found down? Drown in the sea. One world bound. Frown in the sea. One world bound. The dogs are barking. Look at that. The dogs like it. Hey, it's pretty clean. All of your signs, by the way. Thank you. Amazing. This beautiful 87-year-old woman, Carol, has one that says, Love your mother. She has the biggest smile on the earth on her face. Scientific fact. Snow. Mix. I do like that one. In Washington, D.C., three years ago, just a couple weeks back, it was not like today. It was rainy. It was wet. The band Cheap Trick was very angry because it was so wet. And instead of 10, 50,000 people, there were 100. That would never have happened in Vermont. Ever. Does a little bit of rain from Mother Earth stop you, Vermont? I didn't think so. I opened with this one. And I want, this is my last song of the day after this. We're going to bring on the wonderful Chris Gruen, one of my favorite singer-songwriters in the world. You will hear why in a moment if you do not know him. This is, I want you to sing this with me. It is one of my favorite songs and I feel it to be very pertinent today. And here it is. So, notified that you could see just a little bit like me. See, walking in, that's you, that's you, come on out. Walking in your footsteps. Mr. Donner so said you really couldn't ask for more. You were God's favorite creature, but you didn't have a future with me. Walking in your footsteps. Footsteps. See you're right with me. Walking in your footsteps. Come on, round to source. Don't you have a lesson for us? You thought you would always last. There were no lessons in your past. You would be three stars high. See, you would not hurt a fly. If we explode the atom bomb, would they say that we were dumb? We're walking in your footsteps. That's you. See you're walking in your footsteps. They say in a place that you'll see. Walking in your footsteps. Walking in your footsteps. See you're right with me. See you're walking in your footsteps. Walking in your footsteps. See you're walking. Thank you so much. My name is Chad Hollister. Thank you for listening. Thanks for supporting Mother Earth and helping everybody in the world. Not just this group right here, but the groups that are not here today. Those are the people that we truly want to reach. We all understand, we need to help others understand what is going on and how real it is from our administration and beyond. So thank you for your time. Stay tuned for the brilliant Chris Gruen. Stick around. In music at Chris Gruen, I just wanted to make a reference. The musicians have all donated their time to us today. So please support their music outside of here. Musicians make a lot of money. So please support your local music. See, the rest of my family did it, so I don't feel guilty, but I'm glad to be here with you. Forces and come out and speak about what we want, what we love, what we need. We should be meeting each other like this. We should join forces like this. You see all of these tents behind you. This is a coalition of non-profits. I'm the director of WGDR, Goddard College Community Radio. Right over there. Your independent media resource. Tune in. 91.1 FM. 91.7 FM. It's our pledge drive. Go back there. We've got tons of gifts for you. Onion River Sports donated a bicycle for you for your mouth to water and want a gift to us. This song is called Part of It All. It's about being together. Give us one second. And choose for the rules. And I'm found granted. I see. We'll talk about wanting to change the Beltway and D.C. and we really do need to do that, but before we can ask them to change, we have to change here at home. There's a lot of things that we can do in Vermont. We can take more responsibility right here. So hopefully our representation is listening and make sure you tell them what you want. By the summer shivers through by what it passed by what it passed by what it passed by what it passed by what it passed by what it passed by what it passed by what it passed by what it passed by what it passed by what it passed by what it passed by what it passed by what it passed by what it passed by what it passed be honest kids think about what that might mean if you don't want other people to control you then be self-responsible take control of yourself with good choices and bring those good choices to your community this life is serving one machine there's 10 times worse than prison let's hear it for Chris Bruin! Thank you to Chris Bruin's wife Gael who volunteered him to perform here today she was a big part of this event but she is in Washington D.D.C. Resisting! Thank you to Gael so anybody who ever knows her thank her and honor her so ready Justice Jobs! Call him Justice Jobs! Call him Justice Jobs! Come on! Now it's my pleasure! Here is the phone! It's a news! Hey! To be out here today, thank you to Chad Hollister and Chris Bruin. We're gonna mix it up a little bit for you here. We got Chris Vonsatz on guitar to help out this first song is called idealist. Dealist oh idealist I'm a realist trying to change where real is feel this realness that leaves my lips desperate to send a message that's ever pressing and it's depressing when we see so few expressing anything with this is addressing everything so i'm addressing what is vexing me i guess i'm just vented but i'm an activist staying active and passionate the passion and hate and i'm in it for the average against the average and the bad habits it's enough to battle the we're trying to grapple with coming up like scaffolding we don't have to live as we live that's why i have to give all i have to give no additives or preservatives let's keep it natural back to the basics before there was capital i'll never give up because i'm continuing a great struggle even if i can make magic like a bugle i'll do what i can that's all i can do and if you make an honest effort i'm proud of you too i'm nowhere near greatness probably never will be but i'll keep trying to improve until the day it kills me what wills me is the people who brought the passion to what they believe and i'd like to be a fraction as noble as these people always reaching high towards the sky like a steeple i don't need hope to be as dope as these men and women who have shown what we can do when we bring our passion and skills let's keep rising up like windmills i don't need hope to be as dope as these men and women who have shown what we can do when we bring our passion and skills let's keep rising up like We must demand answers and raise standards We can get power without getting cancer I only hope to be as dope as these Men and women who have shown what we can do When we bring our passion and skills Let's keep rising up like women I only hope to be as dope as these Men and women who have shown what we can do When we bring our passion and skills Let's keep rising up like women His name is Van Jones, his plan goes And a man grows some plant grows Which rise up beside windmills Out of poverty, thereby solving two ills Fossil fuel drills in minor hats are not needed Imagine they're in a city fully seated Imagine these kids free from poverty It's ingenious, I mean this The scene is that we see the threat But you can bet you buy the dollar, it's not over yet And I want to slay My stuff become complacent Releasing my potential, I am no longer late I only hope to be as dope as these Men and women who have shown what we can do When we bring our passion and skills Let's keep rising up like women I only hope to be as dope as these Men and women who have shown what we can do When we bring our passion and skills Let's keep rising up like women Attacking companies to which we're all victims She's got a vision, that's not to give in On a mission, and I'm on it with him If that vestment makes us restless This deception by universities Teaching us lessons on sustainability Now practicing what they preach Stacking down these corporations like a leech They're trying to squeeze every last drop of oil Take every last bit of natural gas From beneath the soil Let's look at the math here and have fear Cause the answer is clear and the air could be too Invest in renewables is what we gotta do CO2, rebels should be down to 350 ppm But it isn't easy when we're invested in companies And profit from releasing greenhouse gases As fast as something's sneezing I only hope to be as dope as these Men and women who have shown what we can do When we bring our passion and skills Let's keep rising up like women I only hope to be as dope as these Men and women who have shown what we can do When we bring our passion and skills Let's keep rising up like women Alright, it's all the idolists, it's about some of my idols That includes everybody here And this next guy, he's gonna be speaking later on today Right this system that's all wrong Goin' against the grain when so many play along Independent of a party, cause she's a free thinker Not feelin' till these corporations, cause she's a bigger man than that man I tip my hat to these four year olds Each one of them chose a unique way to go About making change in a world that's deranged And for each one of them, there's a dozen others From Martin Luther King to my own mother To brother, I'll lead to everybody in this crowd You're the reason that I say this I only hope to be as dope as these Men and women who have shown what we can do When we bring our passion and skills Let's keep rising up like women I only hope to be as dope as these Men and women who have shown what we can do When we bring our passion and skills Let's keep rising up like women We've got a few more songs to play for you all We're gonna bring it down a little bit with this next one This song's called In and Out It's important sometimes to just address how serious this is And that's what this song's about We're runnin' into trouble We're runnin' out of time Humans are out of line Out of sync with mother nature We're out of touch But it's not out of our hands Invert always we must All things are interconnected We must keep that in mind Think outside the box It's insane what you'll find We introduce invasive species They run out of control Outcompetent indigenous populations Taken at all We're inputting pollutants into the atmosphere Including ones that indefinitely remain Out there sometimes I doubt whether we're intelligent In a century or less A species could be irrelevant Inventions I've led to extensive extraction Digging into the ground without regards For impacts on the earth and our health Is that not insane? We're out of our minds Out of our heads Out of our brain We're runnin' into trouble We're runnin' out of time Humans are out of line We're out of sync with mother nature Out of touch But it's not out of our hands Invert always we must Our generation inherited Outstanding problems were outmatched So I feel wanted to act In my own outcast Intrinsic value helped with it But not without We need to expand The things we care about Out of our inner circle Let's include all beings And not saying no to this destruction We're seein' Our children need clean hands And breathin' in healthy food For feeding toxins Causes lactic disruption Like in breeding We're runnin' into trouble We're runnin' out of time Inherently wrong Humans are out of line Out of sync with mother nature We're out of touch But it's not out of our hands Invert always we must Invert always we must Chris Honest out on the guitar Humans are out of line Out of sync with mother nature We're out of touch But it's not out of our hands Invert always we must Thank you Thank you so much, everyone Who's here today And like Rob said, this is This is a climate movement Here's another song about Environmental Marxism We're gonna pick it up a little bit Do I believe in change In light bulbs and ride in a bike? Yes But do I really think That'll take us where We need to get help? No, we need to organize Collective movements What I'd like to emphasize We've got numbers on our side Let's make it happen And the world will never again Have to listen to me rapping Just kick it in a cypher With my friends about some stupid shit Other than that This contest rapping I'll quit We need to fight together Alone we can't do shit About the climate or the weather So let's band together And plan a better Plan it where there is Blander weather And plants don't wither Do I believe in change In light bulbs and ride in a bike? Yes But do I really think That'll take us where We need to get help? Collective movements What I'd like to emphasize Whether or not The weather is hot or cold It don't matter I'm working around Till I'm old I will never fold At this point I'm all in Never stalling Cause I never ram an engine I'm down with marks to blend in But never stalling Political views constantly evolving I'm definitely calling For a complete overhaul In this system We could use some revolving Does that make me revolutionary? Recognizing that the status quo Is what's really scary Fairly, apparently But not carelessly This is something for which My parents didn't prepare Do I believe in change In light bulbs and ride in a bike? Yes But do I really think That'll take us where We need to get help? No We need to organize Collective movements What I'd like to emphasize Energy production Is the issue at hand But it goes much deeper Than that Like oil from tar sands The impediment is evident And has been ever since The evidence of how The change was presented The impediment Is the precedent Of a president In Congress Who's elected on the premises Of lobbyists Of presidents Pressing them to perpetuate This ineffectiveness And breathlessness They're not representing us In this form of capitalism And this growth on a finite planet Something has to give in Fractus form of capitalism Something has to give in Do I believe in change In light bulbs and ride in a bike? Yes But do I really think That'll take us where We need to get help? No We need to organize Collective movements What I'd like to emphasize Thank you Alright, we're gonna do One more quick one And then get out of here This next song Is called Get Motivated I'll put a thing out And encourage everyone To keep fighting Every single day Thanks again for having me And thanks for everybody For putting this on Now's the time No more waiting It's yours for the taking Time to stop flaking Time to start waking Time to start making Improvements for yourself And others Through your actions You will discover That you can get motivated Let go of hatred Sackles and break them Don't expect changes Make them successes are waiting It's yours for the taking No more hesitating Get motivated Let go of hatred Sackles and break them Don't expect changes Make them successes are waiting It's yours for the taking No more hesitating You can do A lot more than you think The more shots you take The more shots you're sick The more passes The more assists And dropping the balls A lot worse than a miss So you gotta keep moving Otherwise you're dead weight But also take some time When you need it to get your head straight What gets you going? What do you believe in? What gets you up in the morning And keeps you breathing? For me it's beating We're trying to prove That we're capable Of changing the world So keep racing towards your goals And hopping those hurdles Let's get motivated Let go of hatred Sackles and break them Don't expect changes Make them successes are waiting It's yours for the taking No more hesitating We gotta get motivated And hop in on his song Sometimes you gotta tap Got into your soul Grab a hold of the passion Grab a handle into action And channel it to action Let's both Cause, cause, cause Change doesn't happen on his song Sometimes you gotta tap into your soul Grab a hold of the passion Channel it to action Let's both Hop in on his song Sometimes you gotta tap into your soul Grab a hold of the action Channel it to action Let's both Thank you Wow, that's really hard to follow Those are some great acts I'd like to thank Chad Hollister, Chris Ruin And Head Phone Jack For kicking the event off today And wow to all of you for showing up This is amazing My name's Mark Nelson And I chair the Vermont CR Club And I just wanted to say a few words To kick off the event today Before we get into our speakers Without a lot of really important and good things to say First of all, welcome everybody To the People Climates Rally here in Vermont We're one of many local climate rallies Across the U.S. supporting the larger Rally in Washington, D.C. today It's important that we're here today And you might wonder Why is it important to be here versus in D.C. Couple of reasons By coming today You're showing that you are concerned About what's happening nationally But willing to act locally And locally is where we can work to fight A lot of the negative things That are coming out of Washington, D.C. At this point in time By coming today You're showing that you care about clean air Clean water Healthy forests And healthy wildlife All things we need to protect here in Vermont And by coming today You're showing that you care about the planet We leave for our children And for future generations We need to send a message To our governor, his administration And our legislators To protect clean air, clean water Healthy forests and healthy wildlife And resist what's coming out of Washington, D.C. So that's why we're here today We're supporting the national effort But we're acting locally It's not a one-day initiative Again, it's not a one-day action It's good that everybody's here But we need to keep working As a group There's a lot of organizations That work together to put this on today Please visit their tents, their booths Learn about what people are doing Get engaged If you don't feel good about what's happening Get engaged Find something you believe in And fight for it And keep fighting That's what we have to do as a group To change everything We need everyone We have to remember them So I want to say to everybody Have a great day Thanks for coming out Enjoy the day Enjoy all the conversations that are going on Some fantastic signs out there Please stay for all the speakers I don't know if you know it But we're wrapping up the day With Congress and Welch Lieutenant Governor Zuckerman And then Senator Bernie Sanders As opposed to wrap up our event today So we appreciate everybody coming out today It's been a bit of a more beautiful day Let's work hard and protect our mother earth And take care of her So I'm supposed to introduce Kathy Blue next I don't know And here she is She's the board chair for 350 Vermont That she's going to be our emcee today So again, thank you all for coming And for your hard work Climate champions Welcome to the people's climate mobilization march For jobs, climate, and justice For this, but when we say people We mean each and every one of you No matter who you are No matter how old you are No matter what you know Or what you can do This is a movement for you When we say solidarity We are talking about solidarity Not just with the folks marching in DC And in hundreds of cities around the country And around the world But in solidarity with every single being On this planet affected by climate change We say justice We're not just talking about climate justice Or environmental justice We're talking about all justice We're talking about economic justice Racial justice Justice for all genders and sexual orientations Justice for people of different abilities And wellnesses We're talking about justice for immigrants Justice for indigenous people Justice for workers Justice for women and their reproductive rights Features who share this planet on this planet Which means climate justice Is justice for all Justice, what do we do? They've all got tables in the back by the street And they include the Vermont chapter of the Sierra Club 350 Vermont V-Pur Rights and democracy The NRC Vermont in those seasons Get involved because of our friends at rights and democracy Always tell us together If you're hashtagging pictures It's hashtag People's Climate March And if you're on Snapchat There's a geo filter for PCM VT So spread the images Spread the word And remember this is a zero waste event So clean up your stuff And since it's almost green up day Clean up somebody else's stuff as well What's happening in Washington DC right now All of the thousands and thousands of people Who have traveled to the capital Have encircled the White House What they're doing is they're sitting on the ground Around the White House And they're tapping beats over their heart That when it comes to climate change As Brother Bill McKibben says Winning a little bit is the same as losing And we have only won a little bit So they're sitting in silence And they're tapping And they're reminding us that we resist We build But a different world view Connecting racism, inequality And environmental vulnerability Can be our salvation I care about you We have capacity to keep compassion Come on first speaker He's on the board of Interfaith Power and Light You'll be screening merchants of doubt All over the state If you want to come to your community Go check out their table He's the pastor of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church In Jericho Please welcome the Reverend Arnold He after me The people are united The last shall soon be burst Your judgment day is coming fast Your bubbles bout to burst As an African-American growing up in the 60s Whenever one mentioned state rights It often triggered negative memories States and local governments Usually colluding with commerce To prevent the upward mobility Of black people and people of color We often found recourse In judicial branches of government Or the executive branch of government When the Congress reflecting their regional biases Would not advocate on our behalf Brothers and sisters I didn't have an affirmative impression Of states' rights until I came to Vermont I said this was a state well advanced Beyond the national norm As an African-American living today I fear that our nation has placed its trust In false guise In ravenous wolves in chief's clothing Pursuing paths contrary and hostile To the advances we as people together Have tried to achieve Chemical and oil industry executives Along with their advocates Whose companies contributed to the cancer-causing Pollutants poisoning our air Our water and our ground Now occupy the offices of the EPA The FDA The Department of Interior The Department of Justice The State Department The Supreme Court And yes, even the White House Officers, we once entrusted With the responsibility to protect us Against them We are all contaminated by their acts Of corporate callousness and greed But the most contaminated are those Who are poor and people of color Who live in the proximity of fossil fuel Burning plants, toxic waste sites And factory farms Who breathe the foul air Drink, bathe, swim, and baptize their children In filthy water Brothers and sisters, none of us None of our hands are clean We are all responsible for the present day But we can wake up from this nightmare Steal holding fast to a dream Of what our nation and world can be When corporate capital is overwhelmed And defeated by communal compassion The present administration in Washington Cannot have the final say Monsanto, Dow, DuPont, and Exxon Must not have the final say Is your day This is your time And when we confront these principalities of power Let's do so singing The people are united The last shall soon be first Your judgment day is coming fast Your bubbles bout to burst One more time The people are united The last shall soon be first Your judgment day is coming fast Your bubbles bout to burst One more time The people are united The last shall soon be first Your judgment day is coming fast Your bubble is bout to burst God bless you The attendance rise a lot At the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Jericho Rob Kitt tells me this is the moment In solidarity with D.C. It's our beautiful photo opportunity Everyone take a seat It's gonna be quick We're gonna have ten with the marchers in D.C. And when we have a delegation that we have If you haven't taken a pass around the steps here You gotta look at the crowd It's just great And most of what I want to say Is already set on all these great signs I've taken pictures of most of them Senator Lay, he is on Capitol Hill today You have the honor of the other two members Of the delegation a little later This morning, the Senator and Marcel Welcomed over 200 Vermonters Who rode all night to get to Washington To get to Washington For the demonstrations there So there's plenty of Vermonters there Look around Look at all the people Some of you may know I thought I'd go to everybody I know only a few There's people you may not see every day Small business owners Bus drivers, farmers, students, teachers And so many other walks of life But today we've all come together Our lives we might not cross the pathways We came together today for one reason And that's for climate change To work to prevent climate change And to send this very strong message We're here today to send a signal The Vermonters care about the climate And we care about the future of our planet By gathering together today We're also sending a signal of solidarity That we will embrace the future together And we're sending it to an administration That gleefully embraces ignorance It's an administration that's our way He has recently referred to An administration of know-nothingism Their self-serving policies Are based firmly on Wichita Lincoln And their heads are planted firmly In the sand I saw that sign over there There's other things you can gather here today Now more than ever we need to send this signal To the rest of the country and the world So that they know the people of Vermont Are fighting to save our planet We're fighting for those among us The poor, the weak, the vulnerable Who will be hurt most by climate change We're also fighting to conserve the species The beautiful biodiversity of this planet And the fragile ecosystems Whose existence, very existence Is threatened by climate change Climate change is not just about us There's lots of kids here today And we are fighting for our children And it's not just about the human race For a single generation It's a problem that will span generation And impact all of us And it means all of us need to be involved In the solution Senator Leahy understands That most importantly by gathering We're sending this signal of solidarity To each other. Every day in Washington The senator is working on So many fronts Against congressional leadership And administration who are seeming Tent on voiding Voiding the social contracts Of this country And shredding our social safety nets While at the same time They void our bedrock environmental laws And Shred our contract with future generations This rally shows The people here today and those at other marches Across the country in Washington That we are united front This is what normal looks like We're in stuff right here and now This is where momentum is created And change happens. This rally can be Our source of hope and motivation And of energy and propel us forward To the challenges ahead And know that on all fronts Vermont's own Senator Patrick Leahy will be with you The whole way. As we fight for the future For the climate, for jobs And for justice. Because There is no planet need. Thank you. 99th day from the women's march When many of us were gathered on this 100th day is that it's 100 fewer days We'll have to deal with Donald Trump Celebrate than that in these last 100 days. Thousands of you have taken to the streets Have gone to detention centers To airports to say not One more to keep all Americans Here and welcome. Country have said they are resisting And we are better fit anyway Regardless of who is president You know I grew up In a place where there were Lots of communities where the air Was breathing the air was Equivalent to smoking two packs of Cigarettes a day. And if you drank the tap water it would double Your likelihood of getting certain types of Cancer. And you were more likely To live here a brownfield site Than you were a public park It's called Los Angeles You may have heard of it. Really blessed to be here And to breathe clean air with refugees Who face natural disasters and floods And rising waters. And I wouldn't go So far as to say that but I came here Because I'm a climate immigrant. I want My kids to breathe cleaner air. I want Them to have a better healthier community Than I did and that's what we all want For our children. And we shouldn't have to Move to find it. And that's the spirit That I've always carried with me. When I Was in high school and I was fighting For a recycling program recognizing That most of my friends were worried Because of gang activity. I met A man who was working to make Oakland Carbon neutral Poverty free and crime free At the same time. And he argued You could not do one without the other. His name was Van Jones Just like we're gathered here today But if the social justice movement And the environmental movement Don't meet in the middle Then we will never have a light at the crossroads We will never be as strong As we need to be to overcome these Dark forces in this country. We need to be that light at the crossroads I invite you to think about The mobile home park residents Who don't have access to clean drinking water In Vermont. Who are 8% of the state Population but were 40% Of those devastated by Hurricane Irene. I invite you to think Of the migrant farm workers who are Fighting every day for dignity and for Justice and to step out of the shadows And speak for what they need. Think about the children who are most Defected by lead poisoning And how lead, the budget for cleaning Up lead has been cut in the federal budget Think about two and we need to invite Into this space as we gather here today And we go forward. And I think a lot About how we do that together And when I feel most Disparing and need hope, I turn to A friend of mine. He's an Iraq war Veteran and the last speaker of Abenaki. His name is Brent Reader And Brent reminds me That the same word for village Or community in Abenaki is also The word for watershed Or bowl. That water Is truly life. And we were all In this together. And we're stuck In the same bowl. So we better Learn how to live with each other And see one another as humans And with dignity. And that's the only Way we're going to be able to move forward. Apology of the sequoia tree. And I'm not sure if any of you have seen Or heard of the sequoia tree. They are the largest, tallest living Things on land. They are beautiful, Ancient, elegant, majestic trees. And you will never Find one alone. They don't Stand in the middle of a field And take nutrients from other trees To survive. Their roots don't go Deep into the ground and cling and get stuck. They reach outward And they hold on to each other. And that is how they grow Strong and tall and powerful Together. And that's why I'm optimistic. Thank you. Thank you, Keisha. Now we're going to have a good theme Of justice for all. So let me hear y'all say justice for all! Justice for all! Justice for all! Justice for all! And I welcome back Chris Groen with Justice for all! Thank you, Rob. I'm actually with WGDR. And I'm the director of WGDR. We're right over there. We've got a tent up. And right next to us is justice for all. Mark Hughes, the director of justice for all. There's a recent Programmer of ours. Having a round of applause for WGDR And volunteer media in your community. So while Bennett's working on the sound there I'm going to ask everybody to do something. I've got a little Cell phone here. I'd like to Ask everybody to stand up and hold up your signs. I want you to hold all your signs up Really high in the air. I'm going to see if I Can't get a pano of all of you beautiful people. Those of you behind me, come on up. Get your signs up. You're ready? Here we go. Shout while you hold them. When Kim said, I may be going with it. He said, if this administration Did anything for us It was to make weekends for the resistance again. We're working so hard Making minimum wages Preaching to the choir from the same old Stages Do as few the rich But Chris I need to switch I give it how I live No time for talking Only time for walking Give me my sisters Let's face the music together Before the ocean's right For the soil dries We got us This is for all free from so many cages Kids can see the stars They'll be strong and courageous For the change we all deserve Who you choose is up to you This is how we begin Let's face the music together Before the ocean's Before the soil This is justice for all Energy Vermont is looking for folks To testify at some upcoming Public service board hearings They've got a role which would effectively Ban the folks at Rev. Who is the executive director Of justice for all. They're working for racial justice Within Vermont's criminal justice system They've got a huge one To give an extra special love to Mark Hughes To focus on four things today The first reason that I'm here You might find it surprising But I'm here to celebrate Of the 45th's failure You want to say nothing The first reason I came today So that's done, check And so the second reason I'm here today Can you guys hear me back there To represent a climate revolution Somebody say revolution The second reason you're happy about The third reason I came today Is to bring you some racial Intersectionalities to what it is That we're talking about here Can everybody give something up for that Just take a moment here I just want to tell you what I brought So here's what we know 8% of African Americans live In the house of a coal-fired power plant The zone of maximum exposure To pollutants that cause an array of ailments From heart disease To birth defects Ain't that a damn shame Aren't you saying to me, that's a damn shame Don't you see it Here's something else, communities air the whites That's a damn shame That's a damn shame African children are three times as likely To suffer from an asthma attack That's a damn shame The United States race interacts With class that creates special Environmental and health vulnerabilities Face elevated toxic exposure levels Even when social class variables Such as income and education And occupational status Are held constant Racism forms to be an independent factor In predicting the distribution Of air pollution Contaminated fish consumption The location Of abandoned toxic waste dumps And lead poisoning In children and that Is a damn shame That's a damn shame The justice for all We came to stand in solidarity For solutions that protect Those who are on the front lines Who are affected by this Catastrophic assault On our people and on our planet If that copper from me I'd be okay but it's not about me This is about the climate, what did you say? Stand with you all In this revolution, yeah? Yeah? Yeah? This is a revolution This is a revolution, right? Which brings me to the fourth reason That I came Because I want you just to join me Really quickly and just a couple of verses In a little song that we have here And it goes kinda like this It says what a time to be alive What a time to be alive The revolution has come Can you say that? I love you What a time to be alive What a time to be alive The revolution has come I want you to see me like black people in church What a time to be alive What a time to be alive The revolution has come Keep singing it, keep singing it again What a time to be alive What a time to be alive The revolution has come Keep singing it, just you guys over here What a time to be alive What a time to be alive The revolution has come Keep singing that, keep singing that, you guys here? The revolution Dismissed by fellow Vermonters But they are truly older And by 2030 it is projected that 3D affected by natural disaster Weak destruction that harms people with disabilities Destructive pathways behind the souls Of those who are often forgotten When Hurricane Iroquino was flooded And people who have psychiatric disabilities Were displaced and moved to different locations Throughout our state Some people were moved to second springs In Williamstown where I live These people who were just displaced From their state hospital Settled in And then they asked what they could do to help The people who many often dismiss Or make fun of Is it a stereotype associated with Psychiatric disabilities We're asking to help others And they did The assistance cleaning up their homes They picked up the glass in broken homes They shared their story Nationally Reach out to communities of color People who are in the LGBTQ In our marches with This phrase called Nothing About Us Without Us And I want to share that slogan With you today in solidarity That there will be Nothing About Us Without Us So let me hear you My name is Enrique Balcázar And I'm a member of the immigrant community in Vermont And we all pull up the state's dairy industry Today we are being attacked By an administration that does not respect Human rights We find ourselves under attack From a presidential administration That has no respect for our human rights Today I'm here representing my community Because Vermont is also our second home And we want a better world And respect the rights of the land Because Vermont is our second home And we're going to stay here to fight For our rights and for a better world From the state of Tabasco, Mexico Where thousands of us have been displaced By fracking and by floods Caused by extreme weather events And this is why, as a 17 year old Teenager, I had to come to the United States I was forced to immigrate because of poverty Because of the flooding in our state That took away everything that my family My friends and I had And that's why I'm here in the United States today Today we're going to demand to Ben & Jerry's That two years ago, it's a commitment To ensure the rights of us workers In the ranchers that have bad conditions On May 1st, we're going to be in Burlington, Vermont From midday and we're going to go To Ben & Jerry's store to demand That it's time to implement the program And so being here, we continue to fight For our human rights We continue to fight for the rights of the earth And that's why we're calling on Ben & Jerry's Ice cream to make good on the commitment They made to immigrant dairy workers Nearly two years ago That they would take responsibility For the poor conditions in their supply chain In which we work and live And join the Milk with Dignity program Hitting the streets again in Burlington, Vermont Marching to the Ben & Jerry's scoop shop To demand milk with dignity Thank you very much for being here And defending the rights of all of us We want a better world, thank you very much For being here And for standing in solidarity As we all fight By the bravery and heroism And spiritual dignity of the water protectors At Standing Rock Those people in the middle of winter Fighting the forces of injustice We've got one of those people here today Sunshan says he's just a guy who does stuff But I don't believe it Please welcome indigenous activists Sunshan! I just want to start by noting that we're standing on land Stolen from Abenaki people People who still live here today They're not gone This is not my land And the colonial violence Still directed at Abenaki and other indigenous people Is the same colonial violence that cracks gas That builds pipelines That on a macro systemic level Continues to invest in fossil fuels Even though sustainable alternatives exist I was talking to my housemate this morning about kinship And I'm sorry if I'm giving away a big gay secret But it's nothing you couldn't Google anyway But LGBTQ people are all family I went to Lampman supermarket today And I saw a family member there As a gay trans man I'm here also because even the If the best legislative gains we make For our LGBTQ youth Ensuring access to confidential counseling Gender neutral restrooms and marriage equality Those gains mean little If there's no clean water to drink Or clean air to breathe As a person who grew up in Miami I'm here because my hometown will soon be underwater As a Sibonite Taino A native Cuban I'm here because the land of my ancestors Will also soon be underwater Enough about me though I want to get to know you a little bit So give me a cheer If I say something that resonates With why you are here today How many people are here are parents Concerned for their kids future Kids and young people Concerned about the planet we're leaving you How many people here are for wind power To seek climate change as a human rights issue It's here because you're a peacenik And you can see the direct connection Between climate change, violence and war How many people are here are concerned About animal and plant extinction I see you People love skiing People love snowboarding Maple syrup Those things go away because of climate change For Ron will not be the same How many people here want to stop pipelines It's going to take this energy That we're building and growing today And take it to their home We need all of us to make this work We need the grandma with her snow planet B sign We need the people getting handcuffed Over at Jeep Drax Park in Hinesburg We need people praying We need legislators legislating We need kids marching So whatever it is that you're doing today Whatever brought you here However you fit into this Thank you for being here We're going to sing a few songs for you And we hope that you will join with us We're going to start with a verse I'm going to sing it by myself And then we're going to try to lead everybody We're going to keep on moving forward Keep on moving There are lyrics in the verses Because I think everybody knows the first verse We shall not give up the fight We have only started We have only started We have only started We shall not give up the fight We have only started We have only started We have only started So the second verse is Together we'll have victory Hand holding hand That goes on like that And the last one is Never ever put to flight We are bound to win So never ever put to flight We are bound to win And we're going to alternate And join in with harmonies if you want We shall not give up the fight We have only started We have only started We have only started We shall not give up the fight We have only started We have only started We have only started Together we'll have victory Hand holding hand Give up the fight We have only started We have only started We have only started We are bound to win We are bound to win We are bound to win We are bound to win We are bound to win We are bound to win, we shall not give up the fight. We have only started, we have only started, we have only started. distance to apartheid. And we meet at the UU Church Red Cross Library in Montpelier first and third Sundays from 12.30 to 2.00 if you want to join us. Thank you very much. In Congress of all places, fighting for Vermont and justice for all. He is fresh from Washington, DC. He is hosed off all the swamp water for to share today with you. Climate change. He should be afraid of us. Because you know what? We're going to prevail. He's going to lose. 100 days. 100 days trying to roll back the progress we've been making on climate change. But we are here today to make sure we succeed. The planet survives. Our kids thrive. And he does not get his way with big oil and big carbon. Here's some of the things that President Trump has done. The first day he's in office, January 20, he removes all references on the White House website to climate change as if you can erase it. He followed up with a gag order that nobody in federal government could speak outside of the White House on climate change. Well, let me say what you know is true. President Trump, you may clean off the website and you may gag some federal employees, but you cannot stop us from our signs and you cannot stop us from speaking out who's just getting rolling. President Obama stopped the Keystone Pipeline. And President Trump is trying to get that rolling again. But our friends and our neighbors in Nebraska are saying no to the Keystone Pipeline. It is an attack on science. This is pretty astonishing, even for Trump. He said that any studies that came out of the EPA by scientists had to be reviewed by political appointees before they could be published. President Trump took away the regulation that we passed at the end of the Obama administration to make certain that coal companies couldn't dump their coal sludge into the rivers and streams of Appalachian coal country where people need jobs, but they also need clean water. We're going to fight back on that. We are not going to let those coal workers suffer from polluting water. They deserve clean water and clean air, like all of us. From being wrong, the President Trump policies are just plain stupid. Let me tell you why. Anybody notice where the new jobs in Vermont are coming from? Anybody notice where the new jobs in America are coming from? Solar installers, 26 bucks an hour. That's a good job to get started. We've got 600% increase in the number of clean energy jobs in this country in the past 10 years. And what it tells you is you don't have to be motivated because you do or don't believe in climate change. We know there is climate change. But how about this for motivation? If you lead into the challenge that you face, you're actually going to create jobs and create opportunity and create a stronger economy. And every one of you knows right here is we've got challenges in this country, in this world with the forces of globalization that don't care what's going on. They don't care what's going on in our neighborhood. We care about what's going on in our neighborhood. And the more we can generate clean, renewable power in our neighborhoods, in our community, the stronger we are, the better the jobs we have, and the stronger and more vital our communities will be. So President Trump, get over it. Clean energy is on the way. It's like a wave from Montpelier to Washington to Des Moines, Iowa, out through the West in Montana and into San Francisco. People are rallying because they want to save the planet. They want to create strong jobs in good communities. And they know that our common obligation to one another is to do everything that we can to leave this planet cleaner than we found it. And I'll tell you, you look around here and you see the kids, the young people, the future. They get it. President Trump, throw out Scott Pruitt. Get rid of those advisors. Talk to some of these kids here and let's make clean energy the reality of the future. Thank you all for being here. To the global justice and national organization, to the Climate Accord, COP 21 in Paris, and from the US, a frontline community as people. These were made up of queer people, trans people, immigrants, and refugees. We threw up here to discussion and have been left out of the movement. And each and every day from here went forward that we will not continue to allow that to our choices benefiting and someone is always profiting and drive our hybrid cars with me out there. Tribute to the overall climate and justice that it does not reach the root. You're great, but if these things do not address the root of our problems, they do not move our movement forward. I met people from around the world, around the world, and even people from Vermont. Forgot their stories, airmuffs, young kids. They heard stories about how people came into villages and took people's lands and took out their crops, their plants for the survival, not only for the soil for the land that they live off, but to give the new treatises. They took away their men from their regular jobs that they would do because they no longer existed. They poisoned their communities. They poisoned their water, and they raped their young women and children. So the stories that people have to hear, and I have this stage to tell you the truth that though you may not see it here in Vermont, does not mean it doesn't exist. And justice is deeper than what we see on the surface. We must not only divest from all the resources that continue to destroy us, but to reinvest in the people and the systems that work. We have people dying. Right now, while we rally, people are dying. We're lucky enough, if we call it luck, to live in Vermont, to live in the North, to live more green. But as many of the other speakers said, they're coming for us, and they're already here. I listened to people's stories around the world, what they shared. These were people living it. These weren't people who came to do a speech that was sent by somebody. These were people who were coming from their own communities of devastation. People that were pleading for help, asking for change, and needing our solidarity. When I came back to Vermont, I realized that that wasn't just some story books, the mystery over in Global South, when all those other countries, the stuff that I heard was happening right here in Vermont. To our indigenous lands here being taken to an infrastructure of a pipeline when there's a law that says we have, we're not supposed to have any pipeline to Bennington's water. This is real. It is here. It is not just the Global South. It's not just the inner city, and it's not just the coastlines. It's well in life here in Vermont. You want to invite us to understand how racism, patriarchy, and classism are neatly, neatly woven thread in the foundation for what we see here today. Give me an amen if you agree with me. I can't hear you. Give me an amen if you agree with me. I want you to say it with me. We must understand how racism, patriarchy, and classism is at the root of our climate injustice. Say it with me. How racism, patriarchism, and classism is at the root of our climate injustice. One more time. Say racism, patriarchism, and classism is at the root, at the root, at the root, at the root of climate injustice. This is not about climate change. For me, what this is really about is systems change. We're together and understand that that neatly threaded woven system is what plays against us. We will forever be divided if we do not stand up for our immigrant brothers and sisters, our refugee brothers and sisters, our queer and trans brothers and sisters, our women, our youth, our POCs, people of color. We will always, always fall short. It is imperative that we understand that this is about systems and that we must change the systems of racism and capitalism for all of us to survive. It is not up to you to show up here today because it might be something you wanna put on your resume. It's a laugh, you can laugh because for some of us it's true. All of you, to mark up your resume with a lot more than coming to this rally and being a part of this movement, I ask you to join the revolution and to put that on your resume. Just showing up, it's about how you show up. It is all of our job in this movement to help change the system that does not work and to replace it with what does. It is our job to listen to the frontline communities that are the most impacted and the knowledge and have been working on this issue since day one. Why? Because they have no choice and to be with us in closing to say when I say systems, you say change. Systems, systems, you say change. That was not so great, let's do it one more time. When I say systems, you say change. Systems, systems. For the well-being of the world, we have the most progressive lieutenant governor in the country. She has been such a champion activist on climate change and she was very sick last year and I'm so happy and full of love to see her back at the podium rallying people the way she has. Thank you, Kathy. So many great groups helped put this together. I get to be a sponsor, but it's really the legwork folks that make it happen. Sierra Club, 350.org, renewable energy Vermont, VPIR, Vermont into faith power, rights and democracy and so many others and all the groups that are out there tabling and giving information and I list them to thank them but also to ask you to join them, join us, join us in the act of constant vigilance in our system of democracy. Because we do need to upend it. We've got some great leaders here, but not enough. We've got some great legislators here who sometimes need a little support from you, calling them, urging them to do more, urging them to make climate change and racial justice and economic justice and so many of the issues we've been talking about front burner issues. And I want to say just quickly with respect to Sheila, I don't know about you, but I've been on the campaign trail before and I sure think she'd be a pretty awesome governor, don't you? Another so spoken to get involved in this system and change it and here in Vermont, you can do that. You can run, you can run for local office, you can run for your school board and try to get environmental agendas into the classroom and education. You can work together on your local select boards so you can help work with your law enforcement to make sure that they're unbiased in their policing practices. You can get involved and you must and if you don't run for office, that's okay. You can also call your legislators. How many people here, please raise your hand if at some point in the last three months you reach out to your legislator on an issue. That's pretty darn good, better than most crowds so I'm really pleased to see it but some of you are new to that idea, some of you haven't done that yet and I'm sorry I talk so fast. Are we doing okay? I'm speaking quickly because there's a big, big name coming up and he's already here so I'm trying to get through my notes as fast as I can. But seeing so many of you here who can be involved and pick up the phone, most legislators only hear from constituents five or 10 times on a few issues. Look how many thousands we have here today. If you all picked up the phone and called every couple weeks and instead of making it a spectator sport, you made democracy a participation sport. We would change what's going on in this building. We've been noted by the Union of Concerned Scientists as one of the best states in the country on clean energy. But I have to tell you, I was just on the phone on the radio to WGDR and they said, what could people call now in the last week on climate change? And I said, you know, there's not really a bill right now in the state house around climate change. We need more leadership out of the fifth floor of that building, the governor's office on climate change. We need more leadership here in this building on climate change but that's only gonna happen with your involvement. And I'm gonna tell you two or three quick things you can do to be involved. And I'm gonna let you know about a few other reps and senators who are here today that are here standing with you. But just this coming week on, there are public hearings about wind energy and about sound levels that right now are proposed at the public service board to really put the brakes on wind energy, not compromise, not some things that can be worked out but levels so low they're lower than basically anywhere else in the world. That's gonna stop our tread forward on renewable energy. One in Bennington on Monday at one o'clock, six o'clock optional dinner at the Bennington Free Library. See, they don't even want me telling you about the meetings. There's a meeting in Lowell at the Lowell Grade School, 52 Gilo Park Road on Tuesday at May 2nd at seven o'clock. And here in Montpelier on Thursday at seven p.m. Again with dinner at six o'clock and optional strategy session at the Renewable Energy Vermont Office, 33 Court Street. The public hearing is up on Piliar High School. Going to those kinds of public hearings, submitting comments, calling your legislators, that's what's gonna change our future. Are you in it with me? And I was gonna wax on about farming and how life has changed in farming with climate change but you know it. But I do want to give a shout out to a few legislators who are here from around the state who are part of the climate caucus which has grown, I believe, to over 60 members which is a pretty big number in Vermont in any state. It's the biggest caucus we have. Representative Jay Hooper, Molly Burke, Sandy Haas, Mike Gintoshka, Trevor Squirrel, Dave Gacavone and Valerie Stewart are all here. Let's give them a round of applause and I believe if I missed anybody I'd apologize. I know there's at least three senators here. Allison Clarkson and two members of the Natural Resources Energy Committee, Mark McDonald and Chris Pearson. All those three senators give them a shout out and I want to give my friend Chris an extra shout out. He years ago when he was in the house co-founded the climate caucus. Years before there were climate caucuses in any state. He thought of having one here. It was one of the first in the country and it's now the biggest caucus. I'm giving up again for Chris for thinking ahead. So my final call, stay involved. If you can go for a jog three days a week, you can have a book reading club, you can have a poker group, whatever it is you make time for in the week. Can you make 15 minutes for democracy and our mother earth and all of the injustice issues? Can you do that? I'm doing it, you're doing it, we're gonna do it together. Thank you so much. Climate change is not options and who prop our campaign for energy and emotional resources and it powers our communities to solve our climate crisis system that allows our natural energy resources to be financially stripped mind for the owners. Because wouldn't we rather see the powers be kept local to benefit all of us here in Vermont? It doesn't matter what cutting edge technology we have if we're not working to disrupt the status quo that extends to each other so that we can't see the thing that we all have a budget that fails to meet the needs of working and low income Vermonters when it comes to a failure to provide livable wages or universal health care for everyone. And too often, the people who profit the most are the ones who are calling the shots and making the policies. And most of them are not just going to give us what we want and need out of the kindness of their hearts, fans of the people and our communities who have the most to lose and also the most to gain. No choice but to turn this around and we have a lot of work to do before we get to an economy that puts people in the planet first. So today we rally and tomorrow we get to work to launch Democracy Summer from protest to power and tour to build unity across movements and across our communities to take the energy from all of these national mobilizations back into our neighborhoods to create change on a local level right here in our state. And I hope that you will join us because together we win and to build a massive grassroots movement, a pollution of millions of people have joined that call. And even since the election, he hasn't stopped helping build this movement and we are thrilled to have him join us here today. Air Club 350, Vermont, V-PURG, Rights and Democracy, DNRC, and the Vermont Interfaith Power in Light for helping to organize this event. And let me thank all of you who are here, the hundreds of thousands who are marching in Washington, DC, people all over this country and all over the world who are demanding that we are gonna have a planet that is healthy and habitable for our children and our grandchildren. Since today is simple and straightforward, we will fight Donald Trump who thinks climate change is a hoax who is trying to dismantle virtually every environmental regulation that protects our air, our water, and our food. We will fight the fossil fuel industry which is more worried about their short-term profits than the future of this planet. We will fight the Koch Brothers, the second wealthiest family in America who make most of their money from fossil fuel and who are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into candidates who refuse to acknowledge the reality of climate change. Our job today, tomorrow, and every day is to transform our energy system away from fossil fuel to energy efficiency and sustainable energy. Our job is to create millions of new jobs in wind, solar, geothermal, and other clean technologies. Our job is when we get rid of fossil fuel to have clean air that does not cause asthma and other health problems. Right now, in terms of the fight for our climate and for our planet, there is bad news and there is good news. The bad news, as all of you know, is that the global average temperature has risen two degrees Fahrenheit since the late 1800s. The bad news is that according to NASA, the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide is today over 400 parts per million for the first time. The bad news is that most global warming has occurred in the past 35 years with 16 of the 17 warmest years occurring since the year 2000. The bad news is that the Koch brothers and the fossil fuel industry are spending hundreds of millions of dollars trying to prevent states and communities from transforming their energy systems. That's the bad news, but there is a lot of good news. And the good news is in this country and around the world, we are winning the fight. Today, wind and solar are now the cheapest sources for new electric power. The average cost for new solar power in 2016 was 13% less than the year before, while wind dropped 11%. And corporate America even understands this reality. They are investing in new renewable capacity, double what was the case with fossil fuel in 2016. Listen to this, wind power accounts for more than 80%, 80% of the new electric generating capacity built in the Midwest and the Great Plains in the last five years. In Iowa, 40% of the electricity comes from wind. Texas is producing enough wind energy to power over five million homes. Solar energy has grown 100 fold in the past decade. In Chile, solar is now delivery or will soon deliver the cheapest electricity any place anywhere in the world. In February, Denmark generated enough wind energy on a windy day to power the country's entire electric needs. And right back here in little old remarks, more families are investing in geothermal and air source heat pumps, which can save 70% on heating and 40% on cooling bills. Listen to this, since 1989, despite good growth in Burlington, Burlington is now consuming 4% less electricity than it did in 1989. Green mount power is one of the most innovative and progressive private utilities in the entire country. Brothers and sisters, this is a fight not just for ourselves. This is a fight for our kids, our grandchildren, and the future of this planet. This is a fight that we cannot afford to lose as things are committed and others have mentioned. In order for us to win, we need to bring in this state and in this country millions of people into the political process. People who are prepared to take on the fossil fuel industry, who are prepared to take on the insurance and drug companies, who are prepared to take on Wall Street and the big body interests. Our fight is for clean energy. Our fight is for democracy. Our fight is for a government that represents all of us, not just the 1%. Thank you all. Senator Sanders is leaving. We all want to give him a really big hand. Thank you for all you've done, Senator Sanders. The endorsements of this particular rally today are all for partner organizations. All the 30 other groups that we're here presently here, thanks to our sponsors, Clean The Elasm Management, Vermont State Employees Association, WGDR, Solar City, Main Street Landing, Renewable Energy Vermont, The Lithuox Foundation, Lake Champlain Committee, Catamount Solar, Tony Kline, and Bill Stettin. Without their support, you wouldn't be able to do this. And without, remember, you, all of you, this revolution is dependent on you. This is not one day. It's a movement to bring this movement home.