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Bill McKibben and 350.org to Bring ‘Do The Math’ Tour to End Fossil Fuels to Chicago Tonight

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Next Phase of Climate Movement Kicks off in Chicago at 7 p.m. November 28 at Athenaeum Theater

CHICAGO—(ENEWSPF)–November 28, 2012.  Known reserves of oil, coal and gas hold five times more carbon than climate scientists think is safe to burn
San Francisco — Leading environmental writer and 350.org founder Bill McKibben is bringing his 21-city tour designed to kick-start the next phase of the climate movement to Chicago with a show at 7PM on Nov. 28 at the Athenaeum Theater (2936 North Southport Avenue). Organizers hope that the “Do the Math” tour will spark a nationwide fossil fuel divestment movement at colleges and universities and inspire new protests against the industry.

“Do The Math” refers to the simple and terrifying new reality of the climate crisis: the fossil fuel industry currently has 2,795 gigatons of carbon in their reserves, five times more than the maximum 565 gigatons the world can emit and keep warming below 2°C, a goal agreed to by nearly every nation on earth, including the United States. (1)
 
“The numbers make it alarmingly clear that the fossil fuel industry is now a rogue industry, willing to pour five times more carbon into the atmosphere than even the most conservative governments think is safe. They’re outlaws against the laws of physics,” said McKibben.
 
Part TED-Talk, part revival meeting, each event will be a unique and interactive experience with a rotating cast of speakers and musicians, including Naomi Klein, Mason Jennings, and other special guests. Archbishop Desmond Tutu will appear via video to urge people to join a new movement based on the divestment effort that helped to end apartheid in South Africa.
 
The show will elaborate on McKibben’s landmark Rolling Stone article published this June, which is among the most read articles in the history of the magazine. It will end on an inspirational note that we still have a chance to solve the climate crisis if we act now. (2) Shows in cities like Seattle have already sold out — in Boston, organizers moved the evening to a larger venue after the original 800 tickets sold in just 18 hours.
 
Chicago presents a unique opportunity to move forward on climate action- just this past year the Chicago Clean Power Coalition in partnership with Mayor Emanuel worked to retire the Fisk and Crawford coal plants located on the southwest side of the city. The city now has a tremendous opportunity through electrical aggregation or “community energy choice” to remove coal entirely from its energy mix and increase its support of renewable energy. (3)
 
“Even before the Do The Math tour, students across the country have begun demanding that their colleges divest from the fossil fuel industry and reinvest in sustainability,” said Dan Apfel, executive director of the Responsible Endowments Coalition. “Over 30 campus groups are already running campaigns — twenty new ones in just the past six weeks. This is the start of something big.”

More information on the tour is available at math.350.org. 


        

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