350 ppm
the safe upper limit of carbon dioxide (in parts per million) in our atmosphere to preserve a livable climate
CLIMATE SCIENCE BASICS:
- It’s warming
- It’s us
- We’re sure
- It’s bad
- We can still fix it
Learn more here
is building the global grassroots climate movement that can hold our leaders accountable to science and justice.
350 uses online campaigns, grassroots organizing, and mass public actions to oppose new coal, oil and gas projects, take money out of the companies that are heating up the planet, and build 100% clean energy solutions that work for all. 350’s network extends to 188 countries.
For more info go to 350.org
ORIGINS
After a New Orleans native first added her city as a “dot” on the official 350.org chapter map in 2013, she announced a kick-off meeting at a local cafe. Only one other person showed up, but they talked so animatedly about climate change and New Orleans’ potential as a renewable city that the barista warned them to keep it down or leave.
2 months later, 350 NOLA (as we were known then) gathered 300 of our closest friends and second-lined through the Quarter in a joyful mass mobilization against Keystone XL.
As our time and capacity grew, we slowly moved away from organizing sporadic, isolated events. We set about the deeper work of building our knowledge-base to advocate for climate-friendly policies, and cultivating relationships with frontline pollution- and climate-affected communities to amplify their work and provide support.
EVOLUTION
Over, the years, we have gone through name changes and revisions of our mission statement as we sought to define our relationship to the greater New Orleans community. Throughout it all, our lifeline has been our volunteer network — the folks who give selflessly of their time and talents to keep our organization running.
No one from 350 New Orleans has ever drawn a salary from this work. On a good day/week/month, we’ve been able to reimburse our members for the money they’ve spent traveling to public hearings, making banners and flyers for mobilizations, or providing food for events and trainings. Now that we are an official 501(c)(3), we hope to further expand our volunteer network, and the support we are able to offer to the communities we serve.
In addition to our volunteers, we’ve relied on the extreme kindness of Community Church-Unitarian Universalist and First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans for providing us with financial and structural support to do our work.
COLLABORATION
In recognizing both our strengths and our limitations, 350 New Orleans has also learned that we are stronger when we work in collaboration with our larger community. Past and present partners and collaborators of of 350 New Orleans have included: Louisiana Bucket Brigade, RISE St. James, Concerned Citizens of St. John, Healthy Gulf, Sierra Club, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Alliance for Affordable Energy, North Louisianans for Earth and Water Justice, Center for Constitutional Rights, Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy, Earthworks, Sunrise Movement New Orleans, Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, Tulane Green Club, NAACP of Baton Rouge, Earthjustice, DSA New Orleans, Extinction Rebellion NOLA, Center for Biological Diversity, and CIEL.
We are a pillar organization of Justice & Beyond and a part of multiple coalitions, including Energy Future New Orleans, Coalition Against Death Alley, and the Stop Formosa Coalition.
INSPIRATION
Above all we draw inspiration from our vision of a world where people enjoy a livable climate, and we take strength and direction from our partners who help us walk toward this vision with humility, accountability and justice.
You, whoever you are, are welcome to walk with us.
OUR BOARD
ALICIA COOKE // Board President
By day Alicia holds a Master of Public Health degree and works as a World Geography teacher at New Harmony High School in New Orleans. By night and by weekend she seeks to be a responsible, accountable advocate for the climate while finding as many opportunities to recharge in the Gulf Coast wilderness as possible.
ANTOINE BRANTLEY // Treasurer
Antoine is a Epidemiology Unit Manager at Michigan Department of Health & Human Services. He is committed to working towards the elimination of environmental inequities that are unjustly limiting the ability of our communities to experience positive health, wellness, and social outcomes.
MEG LOGUE // Secretary
Meg works with Global Learning Partners to bring about their vision in which deep learning drives collective well-being. She believes in the power of stories to promote understanding and compassion, and the power of grassroots organizing to build resilient and diverse communities.
PAM SPEES
Pam Spees is a Senior Staff Attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights. Her work focuses on addressing gender-based violence, persecution on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and the support of environmental justice movements and the right to protest.