Getting food systems into the conversations at LA Climate Week

Los Angeles Climate Week, founded by Collidescope Foundation, with co-organizing partners Terra-doe and Global Green, starts today. Hundreds of organizations and stakeholders will participate in order to raise awareness about climate change and encourage actions towards a sustainable future.

“As an animal rights activist and the U.S. Liaison for the Plant Based Treaty, I’m incredibly excited to be a part of LA Climate Week. This is a vital opportunity to elevate the conversation around the intersection of our food systems and climate change, and to champion a sustainable, plant-based future in one of the most influential climate spaces in the world”, Malaina Watts, Plant Based Treaty U.S. Liaison, says. 

Plant Based Treaty Los Angeles has been very involved in the event planning. In collaboration with organizations and stakeholders, they are hosting a number of events during LA Climate Week, including concerts, a panel discussion, a sustainable fashion conference and fashion show, a climate art gallery, a climate run, film screenings, and a march for the ocean, as well as two online workshops. Here is a link to all the Plant Based Treaty events taking place: https://bit.ly/3yNNgqV

One of the events that Plant Based Treaty is hosting, in collaboration with Resilient Palisades and UnchainedTV, is a panel discussion on civic engagement, sustainable solutions, and how to create legislative change, which will take place in the Town Hall in West Hollywood. West Hollywood is known for its progressive climate policies and has led the way by hosting events that are plant-based by default and through promoting sustainability initiatives across the city. Among the speakers are Chelsea Lee Byers, Vice Mayor of West Hollywood, Claudia Lifton-Scwerner, State Policy Advisor of Mercy for Animals, and Samantha Lau, Ambassador for Plant Based Treaty, as well as special guest Jerome Foster II, the youngest White House Advisor in history.

“We really need to praise the vice Mayor Chelsea Lee Byers for her implementation of a plant-based by default policy in the city of West Hollywood. It seems to have set the trend for Beverly Hills and Los Angeles. We need to keep that momentum going towards other cities as well, including Los Angeles and the entire county”, says Cesar Asebedo who is co-founder of Plant Based Treaty LA and on the steering committee for LA Climate Week.

The sustainable fashion show is organized in collaboration with Animal Kingdom Environment and will highlight all kinds of sustainable fashion and materials such as apple leather, pineapple leather, man made ostrich feathers, and more!

The Climate Art Gallery, curated by Joey Gaber, will open during the week. He has been organizing and planning it on behalf of Plant Based Treaty, in collaboration with Stranded Astronaut and Youth Advocates for Change. 

“The Climate Art Gallery is an exciting way of combining activism with art in order to promote resiliency, social, and environmental justice, as well as raise awareness of the devastating impacts of animal agriculture,” Joey says. 

The gallery will also feature a multimedia room created by an artist to allow guests to experience and feel the devastation caused by animal agriculture. 

“We are really proud of the art gallery event. Many times, when you talk about animal agriculture, many just shut it down. But showing them the reality through art, it’s a different way of reaching out. The commissioner of Arts and Cultural Affairs will be one of the guest speakers for that event”, Plant Based Treaty Ambassador, Sam Lau, says. 

Thanks to impactful networking by the Los Angeles Plant Based Treaty team, they have made very strong collaborations and connections. Sam Lau was able to connect Plant Based Treaty to the LA Climate Week earlier this year, through her political involvement and networks. She also advises others to engage politically for maximal impact. A dedicated group from Plant Based Treaty U.S. will attend the Climate Week. Xananine Calvillo Ramirez, an Indigenous Youth Climate Justice Activist from Mexico, will also join. 

“Participating in LA Climate week is an incredible opportunity to break into the mainstream climate movement, meeting with climate-interested people and climate organizations. It is important to get the food systems into those conversations”, says Plant Based Treaty campaigner, Ellen Dent. Ellen and Xananine will both be speaking at events.

The week will end with a climate march and a rally dedicated to the oceans where Plant Based Treaty U.S. Liaison, Malaina Watts, will give a speech about the Plant Based Treaty campaign. The climate march will be taking place at Santa Monica at the beach on September 14th.

“If we don’t make any changes, it is forecasted we won’t have any fish by 2048. That’s why we decided to have the march in Santa Monica. We want to raise awareness about what is happening to the oceans,” Sam Lau says. 

You can find details of all events taking place during LA Climate Week here: https://lu.ma/LAClimateWeek

To donate to the running costs of LA Climate Week visit: https://plantbasedtreaty.org/laclimateweek

Anne Casparsson is a writer and ethicist, who has worked with communication and journalism in different capacities, for more than twenty years. She writes about animal rights, veganism, sustainability, justice, and peace related issues. Anne is based in Stockholm where she lives with her family. She is a dedicated voice for the animals.

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