FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9:00 a.m. CST
Wednesday, January 20th, 2016
Contact:
Ed Fallon, (515) 238-6404 or fallonforum@gmail.com
Keystone Fighter to Keynote Climate Emergency Caucus
Nationally-acclaimed activist, Jane Kleeb, to headline model caucus
DES MOINES — Jane Kleeb, the Nebraska activist who fired-up the national effort to stop the Keystone XL Pipeline, will be one of two keynote speakers at the Climate Emergency Caucus on Friday, January 29th from 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the auditorium of Central Campus at 1800 Grand Avenue in Des Moines.
Jane Kleeb on the cover of July/August 2015 Omaha Magazine
Kleeb is the founder and director of Bold Nebraska. She was instrumental in the grassroots effort to build the powerful coalition of farmers, ranchers, Native Americans and environmentalists that helped stop the Keystone XL Pipeline.
Kleeb’s work extends far beyond the borders of Nebraska. Rolling Stone dubbed Kleeb the Keystone Killer, and Kleeb wore the badge proudly as she went on MSNBC, Fox and other national media outlets to take-on oil industry pundits. Kleeb is the former Executive Director of the Young Democrats, and fought health insurance companies in order to get eating disorders included in the Mental Health Parity bill.
Jane Kleeb and Tom Genung. Photo by Mark Hefflinger / Bold Nebraska
“I’m excited to visit Iowa on the verge of the Iowa Caucuses, and to have this chance to speak with Iowa pipeline fighters and climate activists,” said Kleeb. “This is a critical moment in the movement to protect our farms and rural communities from the corporate fossil-fuel giants who simply want to take whatever they can, enrich themselves, and leave us to clean up the mess.”
The model caucus portion of the event invites attendees to stand up for the presidential candidate they believe is most committed to stopping the Bakken Pipeline and leading a full-employment, WWII-scale mobilization to retire all fossil fuel infrastructure, drive the U.S. economy to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, and restore a safe climate for humanity. The program for the evening also includes remarks from The Climate Mobilization’s founders, Margaret Klein Salamon and Ezra Silk, and a call to further action in the lead-up to the February 1st Iowa Caucuses.
The model caucus is organized by The Climate Mobilization in conjunction with a growing list of business, non-profit and individual sponsors, including 100 Grannies for a Livable Future, American Friends Service Committee, Be A Climate Voter, Bold, Citizens’ Climate Lobby (Des Moines), Des Moines Family Psychiatrist Dr. David Drake, Earth Made Clean, Green Light Renewable Services, I’m A Climate Voter, Iowa 350.org, Iowa Citizens For Community Improvement, Iowa Physicians for Social Responsibility, Methodist Federation for Social Action (Iowa Chapter), Sierra Club (Iowa Chapter), Silent Rivers Design+Build, and Story County Veterinary Clinic.
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