About the Convergence

THREE RIVERS CLIMATE CONVERGENCE: United for Environmental Justice seeks to unite community voices to address the connections and solutions to the growing environmental and economic crisis. Through public education and action, we aim to use the opportunity of the Pittsburgh G-20 Summit and the International Coal Conference to tie local and global climate issues together, and amplify efforts to create a just and sustainable world.

Downtown Pittsburgh will be the site for the International Coal Conference, on September 21-23 as well as the G-20 Summit on September 24-25.

September thus presents a great opportunity to amplify the voices and visions of communities directly impacted by the global environmental and economic crises. And here in the Three Rivers, the birthplace of Rachel Carson, we have plenty of our own stories to tell.

In our region, we’re struggling to stop longwall mining, mountain top removal, marcellus shale gas, the industrialization of the Allegheny National Forest, the construction of the Beech Hollow PowerPlant in Robinson Township, and the harms from North Shore development, among others.

At the same time, our region has some creative solutions to showcase. Landslide Community Farm, the One Hill Coalition and Free Ride are just three examples of the many progressive efforts that are sprouting up as alternatives to corporate solutions for climate change and sustainability.

A new partnership of groups and individuals concerned about climate change, environmental justice and true sustainability has come together to collaborate with regional and national groups in order to:

  • Amplify the voices, issues and efforts of local, regional and global communities adversely affected by fossil fuel extraction, along with environmental racism, urban development and climate change.
  • Connect the climate crisis to the economic crisis while challenging false corporate-based solutions that perpetuate environmental injustice, such as carbon (cap and trade) markets, clean coal, industrial biofuels, and nuclear power.
  • Project positive alternatives & initiatives to create localized, low-carbon sustainable communities and economies.
  • Promote the kick-off to the New Voices for Climate Change, the Oct. 16-18 Bioneers Conference, the Oct. 24 Int’l national day of climate action, the Mobilization for Climate Justice across the US and at the UN Climate Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, and the developing "Climate Pledge of Resistance."
  • Expand local & regional environmental justice, climate action and sustainability efforts by cultivating collaborations and partnerships over the course of the convergence.

To meet those goals, 3RCC are focusing on three activities:

  1. A climate justice convergence where people from all walks of life can share ideas, make friends, plan actions, discover what communities are doing to safeguard our air, water and land, as well as learn practical stuff such as constructing a wind turbine, composting your waste and fixing your bicycle. There will be everything from tents featuring the voices of the region's coal-impacted communties, Katrina survivors (such last year's Thomas Merton Center Award-winner Malik Rahim), as well as people from the Global South who are being impacted by climate change.
  2. Protests and creative actions around the International Coal Conference in Downtown Pittsburgh.
  3. Public education events, including environmental justice film/video screenings, workshops and displays as well as helping to promote environmental justice voices in the many public summits and gatherings that are taking place.

Set up begins this Sunday at 4pm at the Schenley Park Overlook - join us to help get things up and share a community dinner!

For more information email g20climatepittsburgh@gmail.com.