XR Youth, or Extinction Rebellion Youth, is an organization that gives teens a voice in climate activism. Birmingham Alabama’s chapter of XR Youth led a protest against Chase Bank on November 19th outside Pizitz Food Hall downtown. Students held a homemade banner that read “Chase Banking on Climate Chaos,” screamed, “We want you to panic! Chase is destroying our future," and handed out zine-inspired flyers to educate passersby. The message: stop big banks from contributing to the climate chaos. 

In front of Pizitz Food Hall on Nov. 19. Left to right are Nivedha Goli, Lottie Kanter, Lucine Carsen, and Julia Kelly.

Big banks are a large majority of the companies that give money to fossil fuels interests. Who’s
the leading offender? Chase Bank. Chase has invested close to a quarter trillion dollars ($250,000,000,000) into fossil fuels just in the last few years. To put that into perspective, since 2016, 35 banks have invested $2.7 trillion into fossil fuels like oil, coal, and gas. Meaning that Chase leads that charge. Chase bank’s investments are 36% higher than the runner up, Wells Fargo.  

On their website, Chase claims to pursue solutions that will “protect the environment and grow the environment.” They “aim” to invest $2.5 trillion to “address climate change.” The XR Youth didn’t wait to see if Chase would stick to that vague pledge. Instead, they took active steps to remind the company of its promises to the environment and to the kids that will inherit the Earth. 

If any student readers are passionate advocates of the environment and may be interested in having (fake) oil dumped on their heads in protest, sign up to be in XR Youth!

It's simulated oil -- in this case, maple syrup -- on Lucine Carsen (left) and Julia Kelly.

For further reading on this topic, check out Sierra Club's JPMorgan Chase, World’s Biggest Funder of Fossil Fuels, Announces Net-Zero Emissions Pledge.