Karen Feridun
1,000 signatures reached
To: Acting Secretary Joe Lee, Department of General Services
Make the Installation of the Climate Clock in the PA Capitol Permanent
On June 13, the last day of the first Pennsylvania Climate Convergence, the organizers installed a 6' Climate Countdown Clock in the East Wing of the Capitol that would remain there until the end of the session in November. It is the second biggest clock in the country after the original one in Union Square, NYC.
The climate crisis is intensifying quickly, yet our state government continues to move the state in the wrong direction on climate. The installation in the East Wing must be made permanent to serve as a constant reminder to our elected officials, regulators, and staff who pass through the atrium that they are failing us and must do better.
Why is this important?
As I write this, the clock that indicates how much time we have left to avoid a 1.5 degree temperature increase is about to roll over from 7 years, 0 days, 00:00:00 to 6 years, 364 days, 23:59:59.
In spite of this, and the fact that the majority of Pennsylvanians want to see their government act on climate, our state government continues to take us in the wrong direction, approving more fossil fuel and petrochemical development while pushing for huge investments in false climate solutions promoted by the fossil fuel industry. Among them are technologies like Carbon Capture and Storage and Blue Hydrogen, initiatives like turning western PA into a Hydrogen Hub, and specific projects like Nacero, Encina, and KeyState.
Our clock must serve as a permanent reminder that our government needs to break its ties with the industries responsible for the ever-shortening amount of time it counts down and take swift, bold, and just action on climate.