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Citizens’ Climate Lobby to host Earth Day October Celebration

(Source: Musser Park Civic Association)

The Lancaster chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby is hosting an “Earth Day October Celebration” this weekend.

It is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Musser Park, 135 N. Lime St., Lancaster and will feature music, dance, food, arts and crafts activities and spoken word performances.

Leaders of nonprofits involved in local climate initiatives will talk about their work. Artist Keisha Finnie will oversee a climate-themed mural project, creating artwork to be displayed at various city locations. Voter registration will be available through Lancaster Votes.

For full details and a list of participating individuals and organizations, click here. The event is free but donations are welcome.

“It’s going to be a fun and informative day,” said Tony Israel, a lead organizer. “People of all political affiliations are putting aside differences, uniting in our desire to address climate issues and make a better future.”

Earth Day takes place each spring on April 22. Saturday’s event is envisioned as a complementary event, offering participants the opportunity to enjoy an autumn day outdoors and celebrate “all we love about our planet and our Lancaster County home,” the organizers said.

It’s also intended to raise awareness of the climate issue ahead of November’s election. As part of that effort, Citizens’ Climate Lobby Lancaster is working to solicit political candidates’ positions on environmental issues and make them available online.

The chapter has asked candidates for state and national office to respond to a detailed questionnaire. As of Monday, answers had been posted from one candidate: Bob Hollister, a former Republican who is running as a Democrat against incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker in Pennsylvania’s 11th Congressional District.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a nonpartisan national nonprofit that advocates for policies to mitigate climate change. Specifically, it supports pricing carbon emissions to incentivize the transition to green energy, with “carbon dividends” paid to low- and middle-income households to help offset transition costs.