With a ‘Methane is Malicious’ Banner, Colorodans are kicked out of a national swanky insurance event
CONTACT: Ciara Guerrero, ciara@350colorado.org, 719-360-6794
Colorado Springs, CO – Activists took the stage at the national insurance event packed with executives and CEOs in Colorado Springs. The protestors held a banner that read “Methane is Malicious” about the huge Liquified Natural Gas build out in the Gulf Coast.
Climate activist Giselle Herzfeld could be heard yelling “Insure our future, not fossil fuels”. Afterwards, Giselle explained “We are facing the biggest fossil fuel buildout of our lifetime, with 25 proposed methane gas facilities being built out on the Gulf Coast. My family, along with tens of thousands of people were put on evacuation notice during the Marshall fire, yet these insurance companies keep underwriting fossil fuel expansion that is fueling the climate crisis.”
The disruption commanded the attention of the insurance executives attending the conference, forcing them to face Colorado residents who have been directly impacted by wildfires and oil and gas expansion. The protestors say it’s unjust that the companies continue to provide insurance to and investments in fossil fuel projects, while refusing to provide affordable insurance in large regions of the US.
A recent report notes that 39 million homes nationwide are at risk of losing insurance due to climate impacts.
“If they think they can ignore us and go golfing and rubbing elbows instead of dealing with the climate crisis, they need to think again,” said Ruth Breech, Rainforest Action Network, involved in the protest. “Every affluent gathering, every sports game they sponsor, everything they do – they’ll be confronted by people who can’t afford to live on this planet anymore, due to these wealthy companies’ support of oil and gas.”
Insurance executives looked shocked during the protest, this being the second time they’ve had to face Coloradans this week. There was a large public protest on Sunday at the same forum to raise awareness of insurance’s role in climate chaos.
This action follows a recent report exposing the top insurers of U.S. coal mining, and a recent Senate Budget hearing about insurers’ roles in the climate crisis.