Virginia Working Group

Elders in the Third Act Virginia working group are motivated to implement individual and collective actions to help stabilize the climate and restore and protect our democracy.

To address the dual crises of climate and attacks on our democracy, we need a broad and diverse movement that welcomes and engages everyone. We need ideas, energy, leadership and participation from all occupations, races and ethnicities, gender identities, faiths and abilities.

Newborn
Third Act Virginia is a new working group that’s part of the national Third Act organization. We are just forming and beginning to take our first steps. We are an inclusive collection of elders and welcome others with diverse ethnicities, cultures, faith traditions, socioeconomic backgrounds, genders, and communities. We are committed to following the Working Principles of Third Act in working within our own Virginia communities to implement Third Act’s goals and campaigns.

Coordinated
We do this through a coordinating committee of volunteers that works directly with Third Act’s staff to define overall direction, as outlined in these Working Group Agreements. We’re looking for dynamic leaders from diverse backgrounds who aren’t afraid to work to join the coordinating committee. If you are such a person, let us know by joining our group or emailing us at TAElderpower@protonmail.com

We need everyone who shares our values of restoring and passing along a livable planet and a thriving and fully participatory democracy. This is no time for elders to take a back seat and expect others to address these problems that we failed to fix on our watch. Our time is now!

Third Act Virginia brings together elders who are motivated to work together to protect and improve our democracy and to protect our world from the ravages of a climate crisis. We welcome those who are at least age 60+ from diverse ethnicities, cultures, faiths and traditions who share our aims. We are focused on preserving our planet, and righting wrongs in our systems so that we leave a livable world with an equitable and just democracy.

Banking On Our Future

Our generation is unwittingly helping fund the climate crisis by investing our financial resources in the Big Banks that loan our money to polluting fossil fuel extractive industries. Many banks tell us they will achieve “net zero emissions by 2050” to make us think they are part of the solution, but every year they continue to invest billions in new oil and gas wells, coal mines, pipelines, liquified natural gas export facilities, fossil fuel power plants and other facilities that will keep us in a fossil-fueled future. Elders have the power to demand our banks divest our money from dirty fossil fuels or lose us as customers. Take the Third Act Banking on our Future Pledge to pressure the Big 4 Banks to stop their greenwashing and fossil fuel investing.

Beyond the pledge, we will be taking bold actions to put further pressure on banks to quit investing in fossil fuels. We’ll align our actions with youth and other groups for added impact.

Here in Virginia, new and proposed pipelines and fossil fuel projects dot the map. The Mountain Valley Pipeline, Chickahominy Pipeline and others present opportunities for us to engage by supporting local communities from environmental injustices and harm.

Your input, ideas, and leadership is welcome and encouraged. Together we are stronger! Learn more here.