Ripper’s Ghost

“Weber attended Punahou School, where former President Obama graduated.”

“Weber left Hawaii to attend college at Wesleyan University, where three life-changing events happened in rapid succession.”

“Most significant was the death of his father his freshman year, who suffered a heart attack as he was riding a bike.”

“The next was his participation in the Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011, which held the public's attention for about a month as protesters tried to raise awareness about income inequality.”

“The third was his friendship with Matthew Lichtash, another Wesleyan student who also was studying economics and environmental policies.”

“With the help of green activist Michael Dorsey, a visiting professor at the time, the three landed a $30,000 grant to spend summer 2013 writing a plan on how to save the world from climate change.”

“That led to the creation of a group called the U.S. Climate Plan that Weber said was incorporated in January 2014.”

“Lichtash would go on to join the New York Power Authority — promoting electric vehicles across the state, he said — while Weber waited tables and did bicycle deliveries while he tried to get the climate plan off the ground.”

“For Weber, that included networking with other environmentalists, like those involved in efforts to get universities and other institutions to divest from fossil fuel.”

“It also meant trips to major events, such as a 2014 climate protest in New York City where he met Jaye, a co-founder of the Sunrise Movement.”

“After graduating from the University of Virginia in 2015, Jaye was in Paris that winter for the international climate summit, where she led a youth contingent pushing to zero out fossil fuel emissions by 2050.”

“Solving these problems was part of the reason it took nine months of planning before the early Sunrise team launched the group in April 2017.”

“One factor working in their favor was that the group didn't start from scratch. Some of the architects of the Sunrise Movement included activists from organizations such as http://350.org  — which also provided some early financial support.”

“Among the co-founders were Sara Blazevic and Varshini Prakash. Both came from the Fossil Fuel Divestment Student Network, whose goal was to pressure universities & other institutions to divest from the oil and gas industry“

“In relation to other environmental groups, the Sunrise Movement is relatively small. Its officials said they have about 16 full-time staff and that they've raised about $1 million since its founding.”

“The group rents space from the Sierra Club in Washington, though officials in both groups said Sunrise is independent.”

“The two groups do have a common mission, however, and Weber said the Sunrise Movement received a $50,000 grant from the Sierra Club Foundation.”

“In addition to the $250,000 award, the Fund is committing $750,000 of grants in 2019 to dozens of organizations partnering with the Sunrise Movement to advance the movement for a Green New Deal.”

Mertz Gilmore Foundation 2017 GRANTS Rockefeller Family Fund (Just Transition Fund) $75,000 for one year to provide general support to the Just Transition Fund http://www.mertzgilmore.org/program-areas/climate-change-solutions/ …

Sierra Club Foundation (Climate Parents) $100,000 over two years to provide general support for Climate Parents. (Year 1)

Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs Inc. ( Building Equity and Alignment for Impact) $150,000 over two years to support the BEA-I to develop a grassroots environmental and climate justice landscape mapping project. (Year 1)

Sunrise Movement Education Fund $20,000 for one year to provide general support. (Year 1) Sunrise Movement Education Fund (Virginia Student Environmental Coalition) $25,000 for one year to provide general support.

U.S. Climate Action Network $60,000 for one year to support a strategic planning and redesign process for the Southeast Climate and Energy Network.

United Citizen Power $125,000 for one year to support a baseline assessment of best practices in climate justice community organizing and power building in Hampton Roads.

Virginia Organizing $50,000 for one year to provide support for additional climate justice organizing capacity in the Hampton Roads region.