FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 7, 2016 | 9:00 AM
The “AARP Set” is Fighting Climate Change
Project Green and Grey is Bringing the Voice of Those 50 years and Older to the Climate FIght
Silver Spring, MD (January 7, 2016) – A new climate group, Project Green and Grey (www.greenandgrey.org), is working in select states, engaging and equipping those 50 years and older in the climate fight. The goal of the group is to encourage and support a federal response to the climate crisis.
“It is great that the US made commitments at the Climate Conference in Paris.” said Project Green and Grey Executive Director, Pete Johnson. “People 50 years and older register and vote at a much higher rate than any other age group and can help bring grassroots pressure to see that we fulfill those promises.”
Johnson added, “With the Pope’s encyclical, the Paris Conference and a very warm winter in most of the US, people are coming around to the realities of climate change. This includes those of us with children and grandchildren. Awareness and action will only increase as the impacts become more local, things like higher food prices and tropical diseases entering the US due to a warming climate.”
Project Green and Grey is adding grassroots support to existing climate efforts by identifying and activating a largely untapped “market” of voters, those 50 years old and over. The group is working in Pennsylvania and Virginia with plans to expand to New Hampshire, Maine, Colorado, Montana, Missouri and Ohio.
The focus is on the “AARP set,” because of the power this age group wields in Washington. According to the 2010 US Census, Americans ages 18 to 24 vote at the rate of 38%. Those ages 45 to 64, however, vote at a rate of 63.4%, while people 65 years and older vote at an astonishing rate of 69.7%!
When someone 50+ speaks up, legislators see someone who will most likely follow up and vote. Conventional wisdom says seniors tend to be more conservative, and thus likely to deny the science behind climate change. According to the AARP, however, in 2015, 67% of those ages 50 to 64 self-identify as liberal or “mixed.” Moreover, with the overall numbers in the voting pool low, those who do participate in the political process and vote often wield a relatively large influence, especially when one votes in a key state or congressional district.
Americans 50 years and older can follow the campaign on Facebook (facebook.com/projectgreenandgrey) and Twitter (Project Green&Grey@projectGandG).
For more information, visit www.greenandgrey.org.
Contact: Pete Johnson-pjohnson@greenandgrey.org, 13205 Guilford Run Lane, Silver Spring, 20904
MD Ph: 240-654-7084- EST
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 12, 2015 | 7:00 AM
Project Green and Grey to have Presence when Pope Francis speaks to congress
Pope set to speak to Congress September 24th
Washington, DC (August 12, 2015) – The climate group, Project Green and Grey, will have a presence when Pope Francis visits the United States Congress on September 24th, 2015.
Video screens will be outside of the chambers. On June 18, Pope Francis issued an encyclical on climate change titled Laudato Si, or Praise be to You. This 184-page document emphasizes that the climate problem is urgent and calls for “a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet,” especially the future of the world’s poorest, who are most affected by a changing climate.
The Encyclical discusses the current state of society and its response to the climate crisis while suggesting a way to address it. His vision is based on his moral and religious convictions. The Encyclical contains a series of proposals about how he believes we can and cannot achieve the goals he lays out.
“The Pope’s actions matter in this debate because he is adding a moral element to the response to this crisis.” said Project Green and Grey Executive Director, Pete Johnson. “The Pope’s word may or may not have much of an effect on Congress but it is important that they hear what he has to say.”
Johnson added, “One of his main points, that the poor are being affected earlier and disproportionately, is something we all need to remember.”
Project Green and Grey is adding grassroots horsepower to existing climate efforts by identifying and activating a largely untapped “market” of voters, those 50 years old and over. The group works in eight key states (Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Hampshire, Maine, Colorado, Montana, Missouri and Ohio) to make the most impact.
Project Green and Grey is focusing on the “AARP set,” because of the power this age group wields in Washington. According to the 2010 US Census, Americans ages 18 to 24 vote at the rate of 38%. Those ages 45 to 64, however, vote at a rate of 63.4%, while people 65 years and older vote at an astonishing rate of 69.7%!
When someone 50+ speaks up, legislators see someone who will most likely follow up in their district or state and ultimately, vote. Not all people 50+ are concerned about climate change, but many are. Conventional wisdom says seniors tend to be more conservative, and thus likely to deny the science behind climate change. According to the AARP, however, in 2015, 67% of those ages 50 to 64 self-identify as liberal or “mixed.” Moreover, with the overall numbers in the voting pool low, those who do participate in the political process and vote often wield a relatively large influence, especially when one votes in a key state or congressional district.
Americans 50 years and older can follow the campaign on Facebook (facebook.com/projectgreenandgrey) and Twitter (Project Green&Grey@projectGandG).
For more information, visit www.greenandgrey.org.
Contact: Pete Johnson pjohnson@greenandgrey.org 13205 Guilford Run Lane, Silver Spring, MD Ph: 240-654-7084
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 12, 2015 | 7:00 AM
Older Americans Organizing For Climate Solutions
New group launched to bring the voice of those 50 and over to the climate debate.
Washington, DC (August 12, 2015) – A new group, Project Green and Grey, is adding grassroots horsepower to existing climate efforts by identifying and activating a largely untapped “market” of voters, those 50 years old and over. The group works in eight key states (Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Hampshire, Maine, Colorado, Montana, Missouri and Ohio) to make the most impact.
Project Green and Grey is focusing on the “AARP set,” because of the power this age group wields in Washington. According to the 2010 US Census, Americans ages 18 to 24 vote at the rate of 38%. Those ages 45 to 64, however, vote at a rate of 63.4%, while people 65 years and older vote at an astonishing rate of 69.7%!
When someone 50+ speaks up, legislators see someone who will most likely follow up in their district or state and ultimately, vote. Not all people 50+ are concerned about climate change, but many are. Conventional wisdom says seniors tend to be more conservative, and thus likely to deny the science behind climate change. According to the AARP, however, in 2015, 67% of those ages 50 to 64 self-identify as liberal or “mixed.” Moreover, with the overall numbers in the voting pool low, those who do participate in the political process and vote often wield a relatively large influence, especially when one votes in a key state or congressional district.
“Like many Americans, we see the urgency and the opportunity of this issue—now is the time to turn up the pressure. Some progress has been made but much work is to be done. Any gains made to fight this crisis need to be defended,” said Executive Director, Pete Johnson. “Bottom line, this age group is one of the voices missing from the climate movement and up until this point has not been organized in an intentional, exclusive way.”
Johnson added, “We want to be the AARP for the climate movement. This crisis requires all segments of society to demand their voice be heard.”
Americans 50 years and older can follow the campaign on Facebook (facebook.com/projectgreenandgrey) and Twitter (Project Green&Grey@projectGandG).
For more information, visit www.greenandgrey.org.
Contact: Pete Johnson pjohnson@greenandgrey.org 13205 Guilford Run Lane, Silver Spring, MD Ph: 240-654-7084
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