A year ago we were gathered closely together on the steps of the Washington State Capitol in Olympia. This year, zoom squares filled with faces of enthusiastic constituents advocating for environmental progress were as close as we could get — we maintained connection while social distancing. Our first-ever all-virtual Environmental Lobby Week of Action wrapped and it was a great success!

• Climate Reality Project, Sierra Club, Audubon, RE Sources, Fuse Washington and the Environmental Priorities Coalition organized more than 70 advocacy meetings with their legislators to fight for the environmental progress our communities need.
• Washingtonians from 48 out of 49 districts joined three virtual days of action — advocating for a Clean Fuel Standard, Clean & Just Transportation, Conservation Works, the HEAL Act, and more.

We trained more than 300 activists to organize and meet with their legislators across the state and mobilized another 200 digital activists who tagged, tweeted and advocated on social media.

Advocates like these overcame the challenges of a global pandemic and the virtual session to make sure our elected officials in Olympia heard loud and clear: They must make progress to address the climate crisis and help sustain a healthy, equitable environment for generations to come.

One such fierce climate activist, 13-year-old Elizah, summed up the experience beautifully, “I decided to volunteer for Environmental Lobby Week because I realized that this isn’t just a climate crisis. It is a water crisis, an energy crisis, and a racial justice crisis. We live on a planet that we are actively abusing, and if we ever want to imagine a future without injustice and pain, then we must call upon ourselves and others to change. This is a long and hard fight, but so worth it.”

We are grateful to members like you and Elizah for your support and participation. We will continue to fight for the Environmental Priorities Coalition priorities, as well as our partnership priorities, during the remainder of the 2021 legislative session.