Reject and Protect

When I realized my family was going to be in DC for this event, I jumped up and down in excitement. The Cowboy and Indian Alliance (CIA!) is a a group of ranchers, farmers, and tribal communities from along the Keystone XL pipeline route. They have joined together in such a meaningful way to protest the pipeline. Over a multi-day event, filled with ceremonies, art and learning about each other, a tipi with fingerprints from hundreds (thousands?) of people was created and donated to the president (nominally), but delivered to the Museum of the American Indian for their use in the future.

Now we've been home for a few days and I still can barely put into words how much it meant to me to participate in this amazing show of unity, respect and hope for the future. 

I will try to walk you through a few pictures, for a tiny glimpse.

On Friday, we arrived at the tipi space set up right on the National Mall. 

We walked to the tent where the tipi was being painted, and the artist, Steve Tamayo, allowed us to help him paint a part of the giant canvas. He explained to us some of the significance of the motifs, and I'll try to paraphrase without too much distortion. The turtle in the center represents respect for the female. The turtle's longevity is something we hope for all women, and its 13 panels on the shell represent 13 lunar cycles in a year.  There are 28 horses, one for each day of each lunar cycle. The big dipper is shown in its spring configuration, which represents the rejuvenation of the earth in spring. The dipper is pouring out blessings. More info on the meanings of the motifs are found at the end of this really great article.

We explored the tipis and the space in general. My children were interested to learn that Native Americans don't wear their traditional clothing on an everyday basis! We looked at the tipis, left our fingerprints on the tipi liner, and then headed to the National Museum of the American Indian and continued to learn about the lives of the first nations today, in the US and other countries.

On Saturday, there was energy in the air! I found groups from Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire, besides our own rather sizeable crowd from MA.

The tipi was front and center while prayers from several faith traditions were said. There was music, and inspiring speeches, as the crowd was gearing up to march down to the Museum.

Then the group lined up to walk. Today it was more clear who the Native Americans were ... fascinating to see! The march itself was peaceful, as the whole event had been. It wasn't as much of a rally as it was a ceremonial event. We didn't follow all the way to the museum because the troops were very tired and hungry. Still, I have a feeling I will recall being a part of this for a very long time.

 

Some good words

This week has been very busy with some good stuff and some not exactly amazing stuff (overflowing septic, anyone? At least I got a new tool out of that one...).

In the middle of all of that, I came across these two quotes, which somehow hit a nerve after a week full of intense debate among friends and fellow activists about population growth, environmental impact, corporate dominance, and the gloomy report from the IPCC, and burn-out.

Chief Arvol Looking Horse, spiritual leader among the Dakota, Lakota, Nakota people:  

“Each of us is put here in this time and this place to personally decide the future of mankind.  Do you think that the creator would create unnecessary people in a time of danger? Know that you are essential to this world. The biggest cancer spreading upon Mother Earth is the tar sands.”

Chief Reuben George, Tsleil-Waututh: 

“One thing I can say right off the bat is that we are winning. When we come together like this, we become stronger. There is no price for our water and lands.  The lessons we receive from Mother Earth is to become better human beings.  We give back to the earth and the land.  The pipelines do not do that.  We are going to win!”

Find out more about the reject and protect actions, put together by a group named Cowboy and Indian Alliance. (Is that the best name ever, or what?), and consider making a donation if you're able.

{this moment}

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{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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The pipeline to nowhere

I came across this amazing piece in the Bloomberg Businessweek on the latest Keystone XL developments. It details how the pipeline's environmental review and permitting process is riddled with conflicts of interest, of individuals as well as corporations involved in it. It also appears that the exact route of the pipeline is so super stealth secret that NOBODY can know it, including the reviewers. You read that right. It makes me pause, curse and wonder - if there isn't even a third party available to independently verify that whatever projects is being built, isn't the whole process just a facade? Who is available to make sure that permits for projects like this are in the best interest of the citizens, the country, the planet? I'm afraid of the answer to that question.

Photo/cartoon credit goes to POLITICO's Matt Wuerker

Of course, as usual, you'll wonder 'what the heck can I possibly do about this?'.

If nothing else, send this petition to President Obama to make good on the promises in his climate speech.

But if you are ready to rise as the temperature of this planet does? Join Summer Heat, a summer of actions organized by 350.org and others. This is not KXL specific, but rather a wide-reaching network of local actions. This movement is growing in momentum and in numbers. Here in MA, the goal is to shut down the largest coal plant in the Northeast. Look up what they have got planned in your state!

Another group I have come to greatly admire are the Tar Sands Blockade at http://www.tarsandsblockade.org/. Depending on just how involved you want to get, there are some very direct opportunities...  but you can also just send them money or coffee. I have followed this brave group for a while now (subscribe to their facebook feed!). If you have an hour, watch the movie! It's slow at times, but heart wrenching and worth the time. It features Dr. Jill Stein of Lexington, MA, and the Green Party's presidential candidate in 2012.
It is through this group that I have come to see that when Texas landowners stand in solidarity with tree-hugging activists, the common ground between those two groups has got to be worth defending. The heart-wrenching stories they told of generations-old farms and vineyards being torn down to make room for the pipeline, in blatant abuse of eminent domain, will stay with me for a very long time, as yet another example of how social justice is one and the same as environmental and climate justice.

What is a Sacrifice Zone?

I recently read this article in a large mainstream newspaper detailing yet another perspective on the dangers of tar sand extraction and processing. I'm learning that, in order for us to get at the last possible source of oil, we're OK with declaring entire city blocks as 'sacrifice zones'. (I had to google the term to make sure I read that correctly). And while most of us worry about what he homeowner's association will say about a vegetable bed in the front yard, the backyards of others are turned into an irreparable toxic waste bin.

This piece of school work by my oldest makes me proud and sad at the same time.

And that is by far not the only thing wrong here, either. The dirty stuff travels to China, which buys it as a cheap source of fuel, and then we can continue to point fingers at the 'biggest polluter in the world'. Even though we raked in a nice profit by selling them a waste product that we would never allow to be burned in our own country.

I didn't ever really consider myself an activist for social justice. I wasn't even particularly interested in the problems, as they seemed so bottomless and difficult to address. But the more I read about the climate fight, and all that it will take for us to avoid frying this one wonderful planet to death, the more I'm realizing that it all boils down to the same goal. A sustainable life is only then sustainable if it's a stable, healthy situation for all participants.

"There is only one team and we're all on it" ~Nash Basom

"The question is not whether we need to act"

This quote by President Obama was sort of my cliff hanger last Sunday. And I think I'm not the only one who feels ready to act, but how? What is the most efficient use of my own personal talents, availability and passions?

You will notice this post is not about bringing your own bags to the supermarket. I believe it is way past the time where individual, small actions will make enough of a difference. (That is not to say you should not bring your own bags to the supermarket.) We're at a point, I think, where awareness is not as much of a problem than figuring out what the next step is. Where do we take our anger, disappointment, fear, grief, and worry about the future? Do we engage in the political process at all, or should we give up hope on that and and start working on alternatives?

Here are some ideas that I'm currently churning in answering that question for myself, maybe something speaks to you. Or maybe they spark your own ideas which you should share in the comments.

Inspire. Some people have the unique ability to stir in others a desire to do something. A lot of bloggers fall into this category! Of course, that 'something' still has to be defined, so take a look at the rest of the list, fellow bloggers!

A small event I hosted at my church: A local foods coffee hour, with food stuffs from local farms, and info materials about CSA programs, youth programs, and info graphics on the impact of our eating habits on the health of the climate.

Raising awareness for the urgency to fight. I'm contradicting myself, am I? Didn't I just say awareness is not the problem? I think there may be a few pieces still missing. People have caught on to the broader picture. But there are very important facets that are underexposed. Because the climate fight has become a partisan issue, it has almost become a taboo to discuss in many everyday situations. The mainstream media don't touch it. As a consequence, many people, while they may think they're informed and understand the problem, are missing the most crucial part. The dire urgency of climate fighting, to prevent the situation from going from bad to worse to deadly. The dire urgency to prepare for the already inevitable fallout. I was one of those people until just 16 months ago. Bill McKibben woke me up, a rude awakening it was. Don't just sit there! Talk! Subscribe to news feeds of environmental organizations and 'share' or tweet away on your favorite social media outlet. Blog. Send those petitions to all your friends. Don't just sit there quietly, you have something important to say.

Organize. This isn't for everyone, but it could be for you. Several activists told me that joining or starting their respective groups was very uplifting to them, and continues to feed their motivation to fight for what they think is right. There are several movements where you could join or start a local chapter. The transition movement, 350.org, The Green Party, Climate Parents, and many other large and small organizations (check out the list of groups here), take your pick. Many offer leadership training seminars. This avenue may be hard, on your energy as well as your emotional state, but I believe could be the most effective use of your time. In particular the larger organizations already have visibility and adding momentum to that is probably more efficient than starting another special interest splinter group. It is my opinion that the current situation requires us all to join forces to fight for climate justice, it supersedes (and affects) any other environmental issue at this point in time.

We'll be back. And we'll be serious.

Teach kids. The inclusion of environmental topics in schools, including the cafeterias, is only in its infancy. I see beginnings, embodied for example by two amazing friends who have worked extremely hard to successfully change the way their respective school cafeterias handle waste creation and management. I still feel strongly that the schools and most parents could do a lot more to emphasize awareness for environmental topics, and that a failure to do so has huge consequences. I believe that much of what Germany is accomplishing in the alternative energy field right now to be a direct consequence of my generation's raising with a constant green message in the public schools. I realize this reeks of partisan indoctrination, but if my kids can have drills at school to prepare them for the invasion of an armed assailant, they can handle learning the real story of the state of our environment and what they can do to change it. (Which involves mostly bugging their parents!) Kids are higher moral beings, they're born do-gooders. They're easily influenced while young. They also influence their parents! In fact many people come to greener pastures via trying to feed their children better, and hoping to leave the world a better place for them. And then those kids grow up and do stuff. Hopefully worthwhile stuff.

Show up. Maybe you don't feel creative. You're not outgoing enough to start mobilizing or inspiring people. Maybe you feel like you don't know anyone who shares your worldview. But showing up is something almost anyone can do. Sign up for newsfeeds of some of the above mentioned and/or local environmental organizations, and stay tuned for events coming up near you. Show up, and add your body to a rally or vigil near you. Show up to a meeting of your town's recycling commission. Show up to hear an inspiring lecture by a famous (or infamous) environmental fighter. Show up to your local, state and federal elections (for Pete's sake!). Show up to the local farmer's market. You'll realize it's a likely place to meet like-minded people, and maybe feel some momentum to carry forward.

Our little family made up half the shift at this vigil. Imagine the impact a few hundred people could have!

One of the hardest things to do while choosing your battles (literally) is to pick something that will be uplifting to YOU. You will burn out otherwise. Equally important is to pick something that uses your energy efficiently. Think of those charity ratings that tell you what percentage of any donation goes to the actual cause vs. administrative costs and the like. Sadly, no such rating exists for activism in the climate fight.
I'm thinking about questions like the following: Should I try to grow a local environmental team, is that going to accomplish more than joining an already energized and active group that works state-wide or even nation-wide? Is collecting bottle caps to donate (or similar small-scale efforts) really more effective than spending the same time and energy on planning a group trip to a rally that will have a lot of visibility?

I worry that we sometimes give ourselves the warm and fuzzies for very incremental efforts, just because it feels good to finally be with a group of people that have the same goals and values, and perhaps have a tangible result (a pile of sorted trash, or a shiny new 'no idling' sign....). I suspect, however, that the more important work is the frustrating, bigger-picture stuff that doesn't leave us feeling accomplished at all. I hope I don't sound like I'm trashing honest people's honest efforts. I don't think any effort is wasted, and I feel happy to come across anyone who works to bring about change. I'm just wondering how the relatively small lot of us can, collectively, have the largest impact. Maybe I'm overanalyzing. I definitely don't want to get bogged down thinking too much and end up doing nothing much at all. I also don't want to claim to have the answers, or even any answers, they're very personal. Everyone will have to find their own personal sweet spot, depending on their own values, visions for oneself and the future. I'm working on mine (putting a brand-new book on my reading list .... The Power of Just Doing Stuff), and you'll hopefully read all about it.

Meanwhile, I'll repeat one more time: "The question is not whether we need to act" (Barack Obama, 2013)