TD BANK DEMONSTRATION OCTOBER 25th
People around the world and from Bennington are speaking out for earth and her indigenous people on Bank Day, October 25th while 92 of the world’s largest banks meet in Brazil to discuss policies on the climate and indigenous people’s rights. Led by Climate Advocates Bennington 350VT, folks from the town, Bennington College, and Rights and Democracy will gather on the sidewalk in front of the local TD bank from 3 to 5 PM to urge the Bank to stop investing in dangerous pipelines and destructive fossil fuel production, and devastating lives of Indigenous People. Folks in our town are encouraging customers of TD Bank to speak to their bank or to move their money to other places.
TD Bank Investments Threaten Water, Wildlife, People, Communities
Oil spills and gas leaks from pipelines, tar sands, and fracking threaten thousands of forests, rivers, streams, and water supplies across America, and put communities in danger of fires, explosions, and poisoned drinking water. Pipelines near the coast endanger wildlife and the health of our oceans.
This is true across the United States but is especially devastating for Native Peoples whose water supply is being destroyed and whose way of life is threatened. Many Indigenous tribes and nations have treaties and agreements guaranteeing them protection from environmental degradation and are opposed to the construction of dangerous pipelines.
The greenhouse gas emissions from producing and burning the oil and gas that these pipelines would carry will also accelerate climate change. Spending billions of dollars to build pipelines and expand tar sands oil will lock us into high-carbon energy infrastructure for decades.
How to stop the pipeline construction?
To build new pipelines companies must raise billions of dollars, which they can’t do on their own. They turn to TD Bank and other banks like Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo to arrange the financing the new pipelines require. TD Bank is one of the biggest financiers of new tar sands pipelines in Canada in spite of their own policies to defend the environment and indigenous people and promote “the transition to a lower carbon economy…”
The demonstration today (October 25th) will push TD Bank to stop backing pipeline projects and invest in renewable projects. Other banks, like ING, have created policies to avoid financing tar pipelines. Many people are pushing their TD Bank to take these steps. Many others are moving their money to banks where renewable energy projects are the focus and Indigenous Peoples are truly respected.
For more information contact Barbara True-Weber at 802-681-7236