Five Organizations Partner to Turn Out Youth Vote for Climate

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:
Sharyn Stein, 202-572-3396, sstein@edf.org 

(Washington, DC – October 15, 2014) Defend Our Future (DOF) today announced partnerships with five national groups that will dramatically increase the organization’s ability to encourage Millennials to vote this November for action on climate change.

The new partnerships are with non-profit organizations OurTime.org, Protect Our Winters, Reverb, Rock the Vote and Voto Latino. Together with DOF, the groups will launch a variety of efforts to gain pledges from Millennials to vote in November, including a national concert tour.

“Climate change is already affecting Millennials’ everyday lives. Through this joint effort, they’ll have a chance to take action on climate change, and take charge of their future, through their everyday lives. They can get information and sign our pledge through the activities they enjoy, like music or sports,” said Dr. Alicia Kolar Prevost, who is running the non-partisan effort for the Environmental Defense Fund. 

Planned events include launching the 14^th Campus Consciousness Tour, a concert series to support campus environmental groups and bring attention to national environmental campaigns. The tour’s primary host is Reverb, an environmental organization dedicated to educating and engaging musicians and their fans to take action toward a more sustainable future. Defend our Future and Rock the Vote are co-sponsoring the concert series.

This year’s Campus Consciousness Tour will be headlined by pop duo Icona Pop. Concertgoers at all tour stops will have the opportunity to both register to vote and to pledge their support to vote on climate change issues this election.

Younger voters represent the leading edge of a growing demographic wave that is far more supportive of climate action than older cohorts of voters.

“If meaningful action on climate change is to take place, young people need to get organized and show elected officials they want action now,” said Chris Steinkamp, Executive Director of Protect Our Winters.

The non-partisan Defend Our Future campaign is a project of Environmental Defense Fund. DOF started its get-out-the-vote effort in Colorado this August, and plans a larger national effort going forward. DOF aims to collect 100,000 pledges to vote in Colorado this election. Organizers are on the ground at Colorado State University and University of Colorado, Boulder.

About OurTime.org:

OurTime.org is a nationwide non-profit organization that empowers and speaks for the interests of young Americans. We’ve built a membership of more than 1,000,000 people by organizing campaigns that register and educate voters, advocate for economic opportunity, and convert political news into relevant language, short explanation videos, and shareable memes.  

About Protect Our Winters:

Founded in 2007 by pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones, Protect Our Winters is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to mobilize the winter sports community to lead the fight against climate change through advocacy, youth education, and community-based activism.  Find out more about Protect Our Winters, please visit us at www.protectourwinters.org.

About REVERB:

Deeply rooted within the music and environmental communities, REVERB is a 501(c)(3) environmental organization dedicated to educating and engaging musicians and their fans to take action toward a more sustainable future.  Founded in 2004 by environmentalist Lauren Sullivan and her musician husband, Guster guitarist/vocalist Adam Gardner, REVERB has greened more than 150 major tours including Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, Maroon 5, Sheryl Crow, Linkin Park and Jason Mraz.

About Rock the Vote:

Rock the Vote is the largest non-profit and non-partisan organization in the United States driving the youth vote to the polls. Fusing pop culture, politics, and technology, Rock the Vote works to mobilize the millennial voting bloc and the youth vote, protect voting rights, and advocate for an electoral process and voting system that works for the 21st century electorate. Since 1990, Rock the Vote has revolutionized the use of pop culture, music, art and technology to inspire political activity.

About Voto Latino:

Voto Latino is a nonpartisan organization that empowers Latino Millennials to claim a better future for themselves and their community. United by the belief that Latino issues are American issues and American issues are Latino issues, Voto Latino is dedicated to bringing new and diverse voices to develop leaders by engaging youth, media, technology and celebrities to promote positive change.

About Defend Our Future:

Defend Our Future is focused on persuading politicians to be serious about acting on climate change. We know climate change is happening – and is a serious threat to our generation. Not just scientists, but economists, doctors and military leaders are all warning of the costs and consequences. If we want to change the path we’re on, we can’t sit on the sidelines. We’re mobilizing people like you to persuade candidates this fall to be real leaders on the issue of climate change.