Billie Eilish, Dave Matthews, Wilco, NITO, Wasserman and more join for #CodeRedClimate day of action next week
Next Wednesday 9/22, musicians, celebrities and influencers with tens of millions of followers are joining together for a day of social media action to push Congress to pass the climate provisions in the current “Build Back Better” budget legislation.
UN Secretary General Guterres recently called this moment in the fight to reverse climate change “code red for the planet.”
So on Wednesday, a giant red exclamation point, alternating with scenes of extreme weather and alternating hashtags #CodeRedClimate and #CodeRedCongress will be posted across social channels with a link to send an email to Congress demanding passage of the largest climate protection bill in American history.
Congress plans to vote on the bill the week of September 27th.
It is expected to get the country to 80% pollution-free electricity by 2030, while providing major tax incentives for solar, wind, energy-efficiency, a smart grid, electric cars, charging stations, geothermal and batteries and cutting subsidies for fossil fuels. It will also drive major investment into communities hardest hit by environmental injustice.
Who is behind CodeRedClimate day?
Musicians and celebrities participating include Billie Eilish, Finneas, Maroon 5, Jon Batiste, Chuck D, Dave Matthews Band, Brittany Howard, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jane Fonda, Stephen Marley, Damian Marley, GROUPLOVE, Huey Lewis and The News, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Franti, Melissa Etheridge, Norman and Lyn Lear, Wilco, Kurtis Blow, Dead & Company, Guster, Alec Benjamin, Deepak Chopra, Poo Bear, Nabil Elderkin, The Audibles, Jarina De Marco, Estereoromance, The Brook and the Bluff, Hesta Prynn, and many others.
NITO (The National Independent Talent Organization), talent agency Wasserman, and many artist managers and agents are also reaching out to others to participate.
The industry group organizing this effort includes: Adam Gardner and Tanner Watt of environmental music nonprofit REVERB; Rick Farman, Co-Founder of Superfly and the Bonnaroo and Outside Lands music festivals; musician Annie Farman, board member of the Plastic Pollution Coalition; Lori Lodes and John Podesta of Climate Power; Tom Chauncey, Founder & CEO of Partisan Arts; climate scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, Chief Scientist for the Nature Conservancy and founding member of Science Moms; David Fenton, Founder of Fenton: The Social Change Agency; entertainment attorney Jacqueline Sabec, partner at King, Holmes, Paterno and Soriano LLP: Joe Killian, Killian and Company and Global Citizen, whose September 25th international, televised event will also feature the #CodeRed action. The #CodeRed campaign creative and identity was created by the Potential Energy Coalition, a nonpartisan group shifting the narrative on climate change.
Bruce Houghton is Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank and serves as a Senior Advisor to Bandsintown which acquired both publications in 2019. He is the Founder and President of the Skyline Artists Agency and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.
