Paul Corbit Brown, President of Keeper of the Mountains Foundation, spoke today on behalf of the Divestment Work our organization is committed to, with the support from RAN (Rainforest Action Network) and alongside Indigenous and frontline activists from across the Americas to confront Chase Bank’s shareholders for its massive funding of extreme fossil fuels and rights violations at its Annual General Meeting in Plano, Texas. From Paul: An absolutely amazing group of leaders. I was truly humbled and honored to be here today with them to speak truth to power to JP Morgan Chase. The words I spoke to the board and shareholders: "Any investment is a gamble, and every company or individual has the right to gamble their own resources in the hopes of making a profit. However, no company, no individual has the right to gamble that which does not belong to them. Your money is far from the only asset that is at risk due to your investments in fossil fuels. Also on the table are the health of those living in the communities affected by the industries you support and profit from; the damage and devastation to the resources that WE ALL rely on such as clean water and clean air; and lastly, climate change. We are long past the time for taking climate change seriously. There is no debate among those who are thinking clearly and honestly. Dear members of the board and shareholders of JP Morgan Chase, you are gambling with that which does not belong to you and we, the people of the communities you are profiting from, are suffering and literally dying as a result of your gamble. The truth is that our rapacious appetite for wealth through the consumption of fossil fuels is destroying the life support system for human beings. The truth is that we must realign our investment priorities in favor of a renewable, sustainable and equitable energy economy. The truth is that the laws of nature will ALWAYS supplant the laws of humans. So that you, Dear board and shareholders, are clear that I am not speaking in hyperbole, I submit these more than 20 peer reviewed health studies and ask that they be entered into the official record of this meeting. You have the right and responsibility to know the harm of your investment. We all know the truth, now we are left with one of two choices: we will rise to meet the truth or we will succumb to it.”
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August 2019
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