As part of a global day of action, there will be Rise For Climate marches on September 8 in both Westchester and Dutchess Counties. Rise For Climate is an international campaign created by 350.org, which uses online campaigns, grassroots organizing and mass public actions to oppose new coal, oil and gas projects; take money out of the companies that are heating up the planet; and build 100 percent clean energy solutions.

The Hudson Valley Rise For Climate March will be held from noon to 4 p.m. in Poughkeepsie, on the field next to Crafted Kup, 46-48 Raymond Avenue. It’s being led locally by Caroline Fenner of Dutchess County Progressive Action Alliance (DCPAA).

In Westchester, the Croton Rise for Climate March will begin at 10 a.m. at the Croton Free Library in Croton on Hudson. It’s being hosted by Care for Creation.

The two marches will be among the thousands of rallies taking place worldwide to demand that local leaders commit to building a fossil-free world and totally renewable energy that works for all of us.

“Together we can make governments, institutions and corporations divest from fossil fuel,” says Bill McKibben, a longtime environmental advocate and founding fellow of the Burlington, Vermont-based Sanders Institute, which supports the Rise For Climate program. “Together we can elect candidates who vow to keep carbon in the ground. Together we can use our collective voice to move our local communities, states and nation to 100 percent renewable energy.”

Several grassroots organizations, including DCPAA and Citizens' Climate Lobby, will attend the Poughkeepsie march, Fenner says.

“This is a great chance to learn about the grassroots organizations in the Hudson Valley that are working toward a fossil-fuel-free future for Hudson Valley residents,” she says. “The primary goal of our event is public engagement and education about climate issues. A number of local environmental grassroots organizations will be present to participate.”

The Poughkeepsie event will include entertainment and arts and crafts activities for children, as well as music and information tables. Candidates and local elected officials have been invited to attend, Fenner says. “There will be opportunities to express concern about environmental issues to your elected representatives through letter writing and a photo booth, and to connect with your local grassroots environmental groups.”  Those who plan to attend the Poughkeepsie march are asked to RSVP online at ActionNetwork.org/events/hudson-valley-rise-for-climate/. The Action Network is an open platform that empowers individuals and groups to organize for progressive causes. For updates on the Mount Kisco march, email [email protected].

In Westchester, the grassroots environmental advocacy will continue September 13, when activists and community members gather at 6:30 a.m. to tailgate outside Governor Andrew Cuomo’s polling location, the Presbyterian Church of Mount Kisco, located at 605 Millwood Road.

“Armed with signs to picket, we'll be calling on the governor to listen to the faith leaders in the community who oppose all fracking infrastructure, including the dangerous AIM pipeline, and commit the state of New York to 100 percent renewable energy by 2030,” says Santosh Nandabalan, New York organizer for Food & Water Watch and Food & Water Action. “The governor will go to the polls in the morning, and we should close up the entire picket by 9:30 a.m.”

For more information about that event, contact Nandabalan at [email protected] or 203.606.8551.

To learn more about the Rise For Climate program, visit RiseForClimate.org or ActionNetwork.org.