Tennessee Working Group

Third Act Tennessee is one of the 30 (and growing) Working Groups of Third Act, a national movement of older Americans seeking to make a difference in the face of the climate crisis and in response to our threatened democracy. Our work is focused on issues that are local to Tennessee and on the broader scope of issues addressed by Third Act.

Tennesseans are inherently connected with the diversity of landforms and nature that span our state, from the Mississippi River in the west to the rolling hills and streams in the middle of the state to the Great Smoky Mountains of the east.   We see changes occurring in our communities attributable to the climate crisis. Weather is more severe, floods are more frequent, droughts are longer, and the wildlife species so abundant in our youth are losing habitat and disappearing. It is alarming and exhausting to see life supporting systems threatened at a time when we are also seeing our democracy  under assault.

It’s easy to become disheartened, but let’s choose instead to embrace the unique opportunity presented to us: we are alive at a point in human history when our actions still have the possibility of creating a different future for generations to come.

 

 

Third Act Tennessee is a part of a large and growing movement that is mobilizing to hold accountable the systems and entities that are responsible for climate chaos. We are mobilizing to safeguard American democracy in our state and across the country. We are positioned to come together with our combined resources, skills and experience to create a different future than the one we are moving toward.

We are Tennesseans who are aware of the need for responsible policy changes and well-informed priorities on state, local and federal levels, changes which will begin the process of drawing down carbon emissions in the many ways that are already possible. Foremost, we need to send the message of a resounding “No!” to the fossil fuel companies who put profit ahead of the integrity of the biosphere, ignore the science and thwart the efforts of knowledgeable citizens.

We know that languishing in despair is not a healthy approach to saving what we can for the future of Tennessee, the US and this planet. Connection to others plus action is the remedy for despair. People over sixty hold 70% of the nation’s personal wealth, and we vote in higher numbers than any other age group. Teaming with seniors across the country to stop the flow of dollars to Big Oil and to make American elections free and fair is how we amplify our voice during these critical times.

Please join us!

If you have any questions, concerns, or want to learn more about our work, email us: Thirdacttn@gmail.com