Leading environmentalist Rebecca Tarbotton has died at the age of 39. Tarbotton was the executive director of Rainforest Action Network and an advocate for human rights. She died in a swimming accident in Mexico while on vacation. Rainforest Action Network said in a release: “Tarbotton was the first female executive director of RAN, and a strong female voice in a movement often dominated by men.” Tarbotton appeared on Democracy Now! in May to talk about Rainforest Action Network’s campaign against Bank of America.

Rebecca Tarbotton: ”RAN is involved in today with Bank of America, specifically, because climate change is the most real and present danger that we have to the environment and to people all around the country and the world, and Bank of America is the lead financier of coal in the country. And in particular, coal-fired power plants, for instance, are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, which is the cause of climate change and climate chaos. So we’re here very specifically to say to Bank of America: 'Look, you need to get out of coal, if you're serious about this — or if any of us are serious about this country transitioning out of fossil fuels and into renewable energy.’”