Make Your Voice Heard in the Fight Against the Climate Crisis!

October 3, 2019

Illustration of "The Time To Act Is Now"

Let’s start with a few questions.

Do you like ice cream?
Do you like FREE ice cream?
Would you prefer to live in a world that isn’t ravaged by the worst effects of the climate crisis?

If you answered YES to all three, then you’re going to love this: Ben & Jerry’s is teaming up with the Sierra Club on its Ready For 100 campaign. During October, we are holding events at 14 Scoop Shops where you can record a video saying why you support a just and equitable transition to 100% clean, renewable energy, and then you’ll get a free kids-size cone. Pretty sweet!

But it gets better, because you’ll also be adding your voice to the rising chorus of millions of concerned citizens, activists, and leaders who are demanding that we confront the climate crisis right now.

There’s No Time to Lose

We have to confront it right now because we’re running out of time. The recent report by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says that we have maybe 11 years to make massive, unprecedented changes to our global energy infrastructure or the climate crisis will become an all-out climate catastrophe. We’re talking about cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030. We’re talking about transitioning, worldwide, to 100% clean, renewable energy by 2050. That’ll never happen if we don’t start today.

There’s no way to stop climate change; it’s already here. Millions of lives are at stake. Our environment is at stake. We don’t have a moment to waste.

That’s why we’re partnering with the Sierra Club on its Ready For 100 campaign. Are you ready to pledge your support for a 100% renewable-energy future?

Making an Equitable Transition

The Sierra Club, founded in 1892, is the nation’s oldest and most effective grassroots environmental organization. They launched Ready For 100 in 2016 with the goal of helping communities across the country get 100% of their energy from clean, renewable sources, like wind and solar.

The great news is that today 91 million people in the US, or 28% of the population, live in a place that has committed to ending its reliance on fossil fuels and moving toward 100% clean energy. Cities like our hometown, Burlington, Vermont, have already met that goal!

Those numbers are exciting and hopeful, but we need to make sure that we don’t leave anybody behind. The effects of climate change hit communities of color and low-income communities hardest—which is why any transition to clean energy has to be just and equitable. The Sierra Club is committed to climate justice and, as part of Ready For 100, has been collaborating with community and civic leaders to honor their experiences, and their hopes and dreams for the future. It’s talking to people from all walks of life, in cities and towns all across the country, to religious leaders, to parents and students, to businesspeople and school principals and mayors. Climate change affects all of us. Our climate change solutions must ensure that all of us benefit.

Tell Us Your Story

We all have our own stories, values, and priorities. We all have our own reasons for supporting the transition to 100% clean, renewable energy. When you come to one of our events at 14 participating Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops during October, you’ll get a chance to tell your story, to talk about what clean energy means to you and your friends and family. What does a just and equitable transition to 100% clean energy look like, feel like, or even taste like? Now’s your chance to tell us.

When you come to the event at any of these 14 shops, just look for a Sierra Club representative to help you record a brief video about why you’re ready for a world that runs on clean energy. Then… get yourself a free kids-size ice cream cone! It’s our way of thanking you for standing with us as we call on our elected leaders to address the climate crisis right now. There’s no time to waste. We’ll see you soon.