No more dirty dollars – Third Actors continue to take on the fossil banks!

As part of our ongoing Banking on our Future work to get banks to stop funding the climate crisis, Third Act Working Groups have pressured the banks creatively since the 3.21.23 Day of Action, from Shareholder Showdown to Summer Block Parties.

Recently, Third Act New Hampshire and Third Act “DMV” have kept the Banking on our Future drumbeat going.

It has been an exciting time for Third Actors in the “DMV’ region – our DC, Maryland, and Virginia Working Groups – as they once again pressured numerous big banks to end their entanglements with fossil fuels.

Recently, The Third Act DMV cohort took their Rocking Chair Rebellion to Citibank, Chase, and Wells Fargo to protest these large banks’ continued funding of fossil fuels and the damaging impact on our climate created by these misguided investments. These actions are especially critical in light of Wells Fargo’s significant financing of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, one of the most essential projects threatening our climate, a 330-mile fracked gas pipeline that runs through the heart of the Blue Ridge and Appalachian regions of Virginia and West Virginia.

“We are continuing to target the banks because it is a great and easy way to bring Third Actors and others together,” noted Lisa Finn, Co-Facilitator of Third Act Virginia Working Group. “Instead of meeting for coffee, we protest a bank and then have coffee or lunch. Each action brings new people together.”

Through these actions, including flyering and conversing with bank managers, Third Actors can communicate with the community about these fossil fuel issues in an engaging way. Indeed, these rallies and actions attract first-timers and experienced folks, and the DMV Working Groups are building a great community of action-takers. The next bank action is on December 20 in Baltimore!

Finn added, “We hope that by continuing to target the banks funding fossil fuel fight, the conversation stays in the news and might, just might make those CEOs think about our planet instead of money.“

Third Actors in New England are also taking a stand against banks banking badly on the issue of fossil fuels, as Third Actors from the New Hampshire Working Group are regularly at the front lines to challenge banks to clean up their act on climate, with weekly actions.

Deborah Mahar, Co-Facilitator of Third Act New Hampshire, shared, “During our weekly presence outside the Bank of America in Concord we enjoy the camaraderie of gathering together in solidarity.”

Third Actors experienced a tremendous moment when an employee of a nearby local bank that invests in local agriculture projects (i.e., NO FOSSIL FUELS!) came over to talk to NH Third Actors about the bank action.

Mahar added, “We’ve created enough of a stir that the bank’s armed guard has started to appear outside the bank whenever we are there. We’ve had cars honk in support and trucks pull up alongside to tell us how wrong we are. We’ve had a few people stop and take photos and ask questions. Being together in protest always renews and strengthens our passion and commitment to this cause.”

To join in on actions like these and more, please check out our Working Groups page. You can check out the New Hampshire, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC Working Group pages, find other ones near you, and/or find an affinity group.

‘For more ways to get involved with the DMV activities, contact Lisa Finn at elizabethcf4@gmail.com and Deborah Mahar for Third Act NH thirdactnh@gmail.com.’

Stay tuned for more actions in the New Year. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from everyone here at Third Act! See you in 2024!

Mike Johnson

Mike Johnson is a Campaign Associate on the Third Act Campaign Team. Hailing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mike has a great range of campaign and advocacy experience, previously working for the YWCA, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, and Daily Kos. He resides in the western suburbs of Chicago.