‘Blue is the New Green’ – Labor Unions and the Climate Crisis

Solving the climate crisis means a lot of work by a lot of people. Humanity is uniting to prevent the worst consequences of global warming and climate change. Workers, families, communities, businesses, governments, and nations are organizing to create effective solutions for the challenges and opportunities that we face.

How is the labor union movement working to create and support climate solutions? What challenges and opportunities do unions face in this time of major economic transition? How can labor unions lead in implementing effective, inclusive climate solutions that promote human security and dignity?

To help answer these questions, the West Virginia Center on Climate Change (“WV3C”) will present a live, audience-interactive “hybrid webinar” program – online via Zoom, and in-person at the WVU Media Innovation Center in Morgantown WV – on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, from 6:30 – 8:30 PM USET (online program from 7:00 to 8:00 PM).

The topic of the program is “’Blue is the New Green’ – Labor Unions and the Climate Crisis.” For more information, and to register to attend this free program — either online or in-person — visit the website of the West Virginia Center on Climate Change, https://wvclimate.org or email info@wvclimate.org.

The main speaker will be Jessica Eckdish, Vice President of Legislation & Federal Affairs at the BlueGreen Alliance, where she directs BGA’s federal legislative, policy, and partnerships efforts in Washington, D.C. This includes leading the organization’s work on climate, energy, and infrastructure issues. Jessica joined the BlueGreen Alliance in 2016 from the Sierra Club, where, as Washington Representative, she managed the Club’s legislative and administrative advocacy to secure and defend strong public health protections. This work included leading efforts to secure methane emission standards for the oil and gas sector and work on a range of issues and projects, including securing federal clean air and water protections. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations from UC Santa Barbara and a Master of Arts in Global Environmental Policy from the School of International Service at American University.