During the last two debates, a presidential candidate talked about soil as a solution to climate change. Then one candidate extolled the environmental benefits of cover crops and conservation easements. And another even name-checked two regenerative organic farmers.

But, with only a few minutes of the debate devoted to climate change, most candidates didn’t get to say anything about agriculture—even though nearly all of them recognize that it’s an important part of the solution! 

SIGN THE PETITION: Tell the Democratic National Committee: Hold a #ClimateDebate & Include Agriculture!

The Sunrise Movement has been pressuring the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to hold a #climatedebate. We agree! And we also think that just talking about fossil fuels and emissions reduction isn’t enough—the debate organizers need to give the regenerative agriculture solution equal time.

In June, hundreds of young people with the Sunrise Movement held a sit-in outside the Democratic Party headquarters in Washington, DC to demand a climate debate. They camped outside for three days demanding that the political and media establishment treat climate change like the emergency it is.

The pressure worked. The day after the sit-in ended, the DNC confronted internal pressure to hold a climate debate, and scheduled a vote on the issue. The vote will take place during the DNC’s national meeting, August 22-24, in California.

The Sunrise Movement is building a critical mass of support ahead of this vote. They need our help to get local and state party officials in every corner of the country to pledge to vote YES on the “Resolution to Request a Democratic Presidential Debate on the Climate Crisis.” 

Please sign our petition. Then take these additional steps:

• Print out this pledge form and ask your local officials sign in support of the #ClimateDebate resolution.

• Join a local effort to get DNC members in your area to sign on using the map at the bottom of this page.

• Organize a local effort to get DNC members in your area to sign on, sign up to plan an action here.

The Sunrise Movement’s campaign has already achieved some success. On July 30, the Sunrise Movement in South County, Rhode Island reported with photos on Twitter that they had convinced DNC Chairman Joseph McNamara to sign the pledge.

Let’s keep the pressure on! Please sign our petition and join the Sunrise Movement campaign!