Pennsylvania Working Group

We are an inclusive collective of spunky oldsters from all around the Keystone State. We collaborate in local, state and national ways to protect the planet and strengthen democracy. Join us!

About the PA Working Group

As experienced Pennsylvanians, we’ve been around long enough to know that NOW is the time for action! Seniors across the state and around the country are linking up – head, heart and hands – to take the entangled fights for climate and democracy to the next level. 

The mission of Third Act connects our generation of 60+ Pennsylvanians with progressives of all ages. As founder Bill McKibben recently explained, earthlings really do have a chance to avert the worst of global warming. To make sure this gets done with justice for all, the world needs democracy and voting rights to thrive. We need Wall Street and the big banks to move investments AWAY from fossil fuels and INTO renewable energy. As older folks, we know all too well that there is no more time to waste. Our kids and grandkids need us to actively support them with our wits and wisdom as they build out the new energy infrastructure for a sustainable future.

PA Third Actors are just getting started. Help us make sure Pennsylvania is part of the solution, not part of the problem.

What will this look like? PA grassroots volunteers are inspired by Third Act’s working principles. Campaign activities may take the form of meet-ups, marches, letter writing, engaging with local officials, voter outreach, educational programs, and more. Now is our time! Join us!

PA Climate Facts:

• Pennsylvania is the second largest producer of natural gas and the third largest producer of coal in the United States. Renewable energy provides about 4% of our electricity.
• Our average temperature in the state has increased 2°F since 1900 and is projected to rise an additional 5.9°F by the middle of the century.
• Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch on Governor-elect Josh Shapiro: “Shapiro will clearly mark an improvement from the GOP’s “drill, baby, drill” agenda. As Attorney General he showed a willingness in a 2020 grand jury report to at least go after the worst polluters and call for tighter state regulation. But like his fellow Democrat, Gov. Tom Wolf, Shapiro seems more tuned in to the pipe dream of natural-gas jobs than the urgent need to curb fossil-fuel emissions as rapidly as possible. Shapiro has claimed that choosing between jobs and the environment is “a false choice” and hasn’t even said if he’ll seek to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which was one of Wolf’s goals.” (Philadelphia Inquirer, November 16, 2022)

PA Working Group – Emerging Priorities

• Protecting Democracy
  • Make our views known to state representatives regarding reforms to election laws.
  • Support efforts to register younger voters.
  • Work locally and nationally on get out the vote campaigns.

• Addressing the Climate Crisis
  • Participate in the national campaign to encourage the largest banks to stop lending to the fossil fuel industry, including the National Day of Action on March 21, 2023.
  • Work with partners to urge elected representatives in Harrisburg to fund and promote renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
  • Encourage Third Actors to take advantage of virtual educational sessions on investing responsibly.