Vermont Senior Citizens to Protest Bank’s Climate Policy and Fossil Fuel Investments 

BURLINGTON — Senior citizens with Third Act Vermont will add their voices this Wednesday, May 18, to the national campaign against JP Morgan Chase and its massive investments in fossil fuel projects.

This first-ever protest by Vermont elders will be held at Chase Bank in Burlington, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event will highlight the bank’s role in fueling climate chaos by continuing to finance new, highly destructive oil and gas projects around the world. 

“Chase brags that it serves nearly half of all U.S. households,” said Sudbury resident Ross Eisenbrey, an organizer of the protest. “But in fact, Chase does a huge disservice to Vermonters by its refusal to divest out of fossil fuels, which are destroying our stable climate.”

 Third Act is a new national organization of elders focusing on climate change and democracy — a proud group of “fossils against fossil fuels.” The event this Wednesday will be at the Chase Bank branch office at 1 Church St, Burlington (cross street: Pearl.)

“Elders offer a unique voice against climate change, ”according to Weybridge resident Fran Putnam. “We  have a stake in slowing global warming to protect the planet, our children, our grandchildren and our financial investments.”

The event is one of a number held and planned around the U.S. at the four big banks (Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Citibank) that are the biggest U.S.-based funders of coal, oil and gas companies. 

“We won’t do business with dirty banks, and we’re putting JP Morgan Chase and other underwriters of climate catastrophe on notice,” Eisenbrey said.

Chase is fueling a climate emergency that is disproportionately affecting Vermont with higher-than-average temperatures (witness last week’s near-record heat) and higher, more destructive levels of precipitation. Chase’s way of doing business threatens Vermont farms, traditional businesses such as maple sugaring, and the future of those who will inherit the crisis when we elders pass on.

A letter to be delivered to the Chase bank manager states that if Chase does not stop funding new climate-wrecking projects by the end of 2022, Third Act Vermont will join with thousands of customers “and close our checking, savings, and credit card accounts” with these institutions. More info on the national campaign and climate pledge is at https://thirdact.org/what-we-do/banking-on-our-future/

“For the first time in Vermont,” organizers said, “we gather publicly as elders to exert moral and financial pressure against JP Morgan Chase’s enormous and continuing investment in the dirty, polluting and dangerous fossil fuel industry.”

Background Info

Chase is the world’s…

  • Largest fossil fuel funder (at least $317 billion in fossil fuels since the 2015 Paris Climate Accord)
  • Second biggest funder of fracked gas ($52 billion since Paris)
  • Third biggest tar sands financier ($12 billion)
  • Top arctic oil and gas financier ($2.28 billion) and
  • Second largest offshore oil and gas financier ($29.07 billion)*

No other bank bears more responsibility for the crisis of carbon emissions plaguing the planet.

We are putting JP Morgan Chase and other underwriters of climate catastrophe on notice. If Chase does not stop funding new climate-wrecking fossil fuel projects by the end of 2022, we will join with thousands of customers and close our checking, savings, and credit card accounts with Chase.

You can learn more and join Third Act’s pledge campaign at https://thirdact.org/what-we-do/banking-on-our-future/.

Media Alert

  • WHAT: Elders/senior citizens first-ever protest at Chase Bank in Burlington, to highlight the bank’s role in fueling climate chaos through its massive fossil fuel investments.
  • WHO: Elder members and other supporters of Third Act Vermont, the statewide working group of Third Act, a national organization of elders focusing on climate change & democracy.
  • WHEN: 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 18
  • WHERE: Chase Bank, 1 Church Street, Burlington
  • WHY: Elders offer a unique voice against climate change. We have a stake in slowing global warming to protect the planet, our children, our grandchildren and our financial investments.

Sources

Media Contact

Ross Eisenbrey,
Sudbury VT
RossEisenbrey@gmail.com
202-365-3737

Ways to get involved

All the different ways you can get involved with Third Act: