Author: Tracy Abell

Climate Movement Monday/Labor Day: solidarity with UAW

/ Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

Happy Labor Day on this Movement Monday! While the climate crisis continues to intensify, there is much to celebrate as workers organize and strike for better pay and working conditions. Here’s a great round-up on recent and upcoming union activity from Joshua P. Hill. Today I want to focus on the United Auto Workers (UAW) which is a great example of what a “just transition” should look like as we transition off fossil fuels to renewable energy. It’s important to remember the intersection between climate justice and worker justice. Today I’m asking you to make one quick phone call in solidarity with the auto workers (scroll down for details)

This is a complex issue and I’m nowhere near an expert on what’s happening, but it boils down this: Electric Vehicles (EV) are changing the UAW landscape and the workers need protections as the Big 3 automakers (Ford, Stellantis, General Motors) pivot to EV production. The following is an excerpt from An Open Letter to Big 3 Auto CEOs: The Climate Movement Stands with UAW!

Within the next few years — the span of this next contract — lies humanity’s last chance to navigate a transition away from fossil fuels, including away from combustion engines. With that shift comes an opportunity for workers in the United States to benefit from a revival of new manufacturing, including electric vehicles (EVs) and collective transportation like buses and trains, as a part of the renewable energy revolution. This transition must center workers and communities, especially those who have powered our economy through the fossil fuel era, and be a vehicle for economic and racial justice. We are putting you on notice: Corporate greed and shareholder profits must never again be put before safe, good-paying union jobs, clean air and water, and a liveable future.

I’d already decided today’s post would be an informational piece about the 150,000 UAW workers poised to strike and then was thrilled to receive an action alert from Climate Mobilization Project this morning. PLEASE take one minute to leave a message for the billionaire-CEOs of the Big 3 auto companies in support of the autoworkers. Here are the specifics:

When you call 318-300-1249, you’ll hear a brief intro about the contract negotiations from UAW. At the beep, just leave your message. That’s it!

Some points that you can bring up include:

  • The EV transition cannot be a “race to the bottom” that further exploits workers.
  • Workers deserve to benefit from the revival of new EV manufacturing. They deserve good union jobs with fair wages, job security, and dignified working conditions.
  • In recent months, workers and their communities have experienced unprecedented extreme heat, smoke pollution, flooding, and other disasters.
  • The leaders of auto companies have historically made decisions that exacerbated both of these crises over the past few decades — driving further inequality and increasing pollution.
  • Auto manufacturers can either do right by the workers who have sacrificed to keep companies profitable, or can face a united labor, environmental, and climate movement that is ready to fight side by side with UAW workers to win their demands.

The info you’ll hear before leaving your messages includes the fact that the Big 3 made a combined $21 billion in profits in just the first six months of this year . . . so a simple “Share the wealth” message is very appropriate!

Bonus: Here’s a short video clip of Shawn Fain, UAW President, on the gap between workers and billionaires. Gotta love it!

Thank you in advance for reading and taking action! These are scary times, but also exhilarating as we witness workers standing together for the collective good. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Climate Movement Monday: STOP utility shut-offs during extreme heat

/ Tracy Abell / 3 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which I typically highlight a frontline community enduring the worst of the climate crisis and then offer a quick action you can take on their behalf. Today’s frontline communities are the elderly and low-income households, especially people of color. I’m amplifying a message received from 198methods.org regarding utility companies shutting off people’s power despite the extreme heat still slamming much of the country.

Image by Claudia Engel from Pixabay

The following background info is from an email received from 198methods.org but if you’re pressed for time, click HERE to personalize a letter to your two Senators and one Representative, asking them to use their power to increase funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). If we can send billions of dollars to fight a proxy war in the Ukraine, we can certainly afford to make sure people don’t die due to the combination of extreme heat and heartless utility companies shutting off their AC.

Please take two minutes to click HERE to personalize a letter to your two Senators and one Representative, asking them to use their power to increase funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

Thank you for reading and taking action! Please, if you or someone you know is  suffering extreme heat and have had the power turned off, reach out via my contact form and I will get you some help.

Solidarity! ✊🏽

Caturday revisions

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

As I revise my middle-grade manuscript today, I’ve been visited by both cats. Marcel came up on the table next to my laptop, sniffing around, wondering why I wasn’t reading on the couch where he could nap in my lap.

Still, his presence was much less of an annoyance than his brother Loki’s many visits throughout the day when he’s either cried to be fed some more or demanded I pet him (some more), and nipped at my hand when I stopped.

I haven’t been around the blogging community as much as I’d like this month because I’ve been working hard to make this manuscript shine and after hours on the computer, my eyes need a rest. I hope to catch up with everyone after sending off my revisions. In the meanwhile, I’ll have to settle for the company of my two feline friends and their tag-team visits.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend. Happy #Caturday!

Renewing a weary spirit

/ Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men’s hearts,
as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanation from old trees,
that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.
~ Robert Louis Stevenson

She’s a Lady

/ Tracy Abell / 11 Comments

My intent was to quickly post this cheery photo from my backyard of a Painted Lady butterfly on a sunflower (along with bonus insect), but then decided I should take the time to verify that this is, indeed, a Painted Lady. It is.

July 20, 2023

But in the verification process, I also learned a few facts:

  • Painted Lady butterfly is the most widespread of all butterfly species in the world (found on every continent but Antarctica and Australia).
  • Their entire lifespan (from egg to death) is 15-29 days (so, life expectancy is 2-4 weeks).
  • Females lay up to 500 eggs in that time.
  • They migrate, sometimes 100 miles/day, and can fly up to 25 mph.
  • They’re very lovely and bring smiles to the observer (okay, that’s more opinion than fact, but tell me I’m wrong).

Contemplating that 4-week lifespan makes me think of all the time and energy I waste on things that don’t matter. Time to get busy living my life to the fullest! Spoiler alert: I won’t be laying 500 eggs.

Climate Movement Monday: declaring a climate emergency + good news

/ Tracy Abell / 6 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which I write about  climate-related issues along with quick actions you can take on behalf of people and planet. I won’t lie, it was tempting to not post anything today so that I could avoid thinking about what’s happening all across the globe. Here in the Denver metro region, the wind’s been blowing hard across the dry land while multiple wildfires burn in the southwest portion of the state. A new report says over 300,000 Colorado homes are at risk of burning in wildfires, second only to California.  In Lahaina, Maui, 114 people are confirmed dead and another 1,000 are missing (including many unhoused people), while yesterday in southern California, residents faced torrential rain and flooding due to Tropical Storm Hilary PLUS a 5.1 magnitude earthquake. As I write this, the National Hurricane center is warning that “continued life-threatening and locally catastrophic flooding” is expected over portions of the southwestern U.S., along with “record breaking” rainfall and potential flooding in states as far north as Oregon and Idaho.

That’s (some of) the bad news. The good news is that the calls for Biden to declare a climate emergency via the National Emergencies Act are growing louder. A quick online search turned up “How Bad Do Things Have to Get for Joe Biden to Declare a Climate Emergency?” and “Editorial: Biden says he’s ‘practically’ declared a climate emergency. Why won’t he do it for real?” and “Biden faces calls to declare climate emergency as he heads to Maui.” 

Associated Press-Lynn Sladky // Students cheer during a protest organized by the U.S. Youth Climate Strike outside of Miami Beach City Hall, as part of a global day of climate action, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019.

Declaring a climate emergency would unlock powers allowing Biden to implement drastic measures to address the climate crisis. July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded on the planet, and we the people need to make our wishes known so that Biden uses his power for good.  Please, take two minutes to contact the White House.

————————————————————————————————————

Call the WHITE HOUSE SWITCHBOARD: 202-456-1414 and ask to be connected to the COMMENT LINE. Leave a brief message with the volunteer operator: “Please declare a climate emergency via the National Emergencies Act to unlock your powers to combat this climate crisis. No new fossil fuel projects!”
You may also send an email.
Repeat as necessary. 😉

————————————————————————————————————

GOOD NEWS

“Ecuadorians reject oil drilling in the Amazon, ending operations in protected area”

A landmark climate ruling in Montana: A judge last week ruled the young plaintiffs have the right to a clean environment – and experts say this changed the climate litigation landscape

The Inflation Reduction Act is fueling a factory frenzy. Here’s the latest tally.

** Remember, on September 17th, the March to End Fossil Fuels will be held in New York City from 1p – 4pm. The march will coincide with the UN Climate Action Summit and is being organized by a coalition of local and national organizations. There’s tons of info here, including links to volunteer (including making phone calls & sending texts) and/or donate in support of the march. The GET INVOLVED page has more info, including “hubs” (both by interest AND region) that you can join. This is a massive and exciting effort that has huge potential to shift climate policy.

Thank you for reading this far and I invite you to leave a comment about conditions where you live, feelings around climate change, or to share some good news. In the meanwhile,  I send wishes for moderate weather wherever you are, raising my fist in solidarity! ✊🏽

Twofer Tuesday: two anniversaries

/ Tracy Abell / 13 Comments

Today is a bittersweet day for Zippy and me. It’s the one year anniversary of his mother’s death and also our wedding anniversary. He suggested we go for a hike to soothe our aching hearts while also celebrating us. So, we got ourselves together and headed to nearby White Ranch Park where neither of us had been before. Here are two selfies taken along the trail, one by me and the other by Zippy.

 

   

The temperature was in the upper 80s which was pretty darn warm, but portions of the trail were shaded. And, to Emma’s delight, we had to cross a stream on the way out AND the way back, so twice she was able to be belly-down in cold water.

I also had the double pleasure of seeing an American Kestrel on the way out and way back, both times in the same area. And my second sighting included two kestrels! I was a great distance away so my photos aren’t great, but here’s a twofer of those majestic birds (click to enlarge).

   

Despite them being an invasive species, I’m very fond of thistles and their many, many permutations. Here are two I especially liked.

We only saw a couple Rocky Mountain Beeplants during the hike, but this one caught my eye for being two-headed. While I didn’t examine it closely, it truly appeared to have one bloom growing out of another.

It was a good afternoon and hike, the perfect excursion for today. We’re all glad to be back inside where it’s cooler. Zippy and Emma are already cleaned up and napping, and I’m guessing our sweet little doggie is dreaming of that refreshing mountain stream.

“May I please stay here forever?”

Climate Movement Monday: Lahaina/Maui + good news

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which I highlight a frontline community that’s bearing the brunt of climate change. Today I’m focusing on Maui and the town of Lahaina. The current death toll is 96, but officials believe that number will increase as the search continues for the estimated 1,000 missing persons.

Maui Fire Relief + Off-Grid Shelter Setup donations here
Maui Community Power Recover Fund donations here

The hall of historic Waiola Church in Lahaina and nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission are engulfed in flames along Wainee Street in Lahaina, Hawaii, Aug. 8, 2023. // Matthew Thayer/ | The Maui News | AP

Wildfires are not a natural force in Hawaii’s islands and used to be a rare occurrence. “Hawaii’s ecosystem is not adapted to fire. It is destroyed by fire,” says Elizabeth Pickett, co-executive director of the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization. “So we don’t have good fire and bad  fire. We have bad fire, period.” That quote comes from the WIRED article “The Scary Science of Maui’s Wildfires” that also includes background on the invasive grass species introduced by European settlers, grasses that have spread across the island and are intensely fire-prone.

Emily Atkin wrote in her HEATED newsletter (“Lahaina used to be a wetland: Nature didn’t turn the historic Hawaiian community into a tinderbox. People did.”) how the fire that decimated Lahaina wasn’t entirely due to climate change. Colonialism played a huge role in what happened there, specifically European colonizers who illegally diverted the water for their sugar crops, turning a former wetlands into a tinderbox susceptible to the deadly combination of fire and high winds.

Maui Fire Relief + Off-Grid Shelter Setup donations here
Maui Community Power Recover Fund donations here

There’s huge concern that disaster capitalists will use this tragedy to further enrich themselves while driving Indigenous people from their lands. Realtors and investors are already calling families that have lost their homes to the fire, offering to buy the land. Oprah Winfrey owns 2,000 acres on Maui where she lives part-time, and there are calls for her to donate that acreage back to the Indigenous community. The Landback Movement to get Indigenous lands back in Indigenous hands is gaining exposure and momentum in the wake of the fire.

The people of Maui are going to need much more than thoughts and prayers as they rebuild their communities. Thank you in advance for helping out as you can. I send wishes for a good and safe week, wherever you are! Solidarity! ✊🏽

P.S. — here’s a bit of GOOD NEWS: “Judge rules in favor of Montana youths in landmark climate decision”

Climate Movement Monday: power plant rules + March to End Fossil Fuels

/ Tracy Abell / 6 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays! I hope wherever you are, the weather is moderate. I’m grateful for cooler temperatures and some rainfall yesterday in this part of Colorado, although I’d like to share that bounty with other regions not faring so well (for instance, southwest Colorado where my son who is a server keeps dropping his daytime patio shifts because the heat is too much for him). Climate change is accelerating even more rapidly than predicted, but there’s so much we can do right now to avert the worst. In that spirit, today I’m asking for you to personalize a BRIEF LETTER to the EPA and Biden regarding power plant rules. Comments are due tomorrow (August 8) and we need the people’s voices so that the utility companies don’t dominate the conversation.

Image by Peter H from Pixabay

Per 198methods.org: President Biden’s EPA has proposed new rules to limit global warming pollution from power plants, and if done right, they could eliminate up to 90% of global warming pollution from the electric sector! 

President Biden promised to cut global warming pollution 50% by 2030, and to eliminate all global warming pollution from the electricity sector by 2035. But because of a prior Supreme Court ruling, the EPA can’t tell utilities what fuel to use (like solar instead of fossil fuels) in order to provide that electricity. So, instead, the draft rules from the EPA focus on how much air pollution, including global warming pollution, that power plants can emit.

The draft rules are a big step in the right direction, requiring 90-100% reductions in emissions. But there are three big loopholes that the EPA needs to fix:

1. The new rules need to start immediately and require full compliance with the rule by 2030, not 2035.

2. The EPA must make sure the rule applies to plants that produce 85-100MW, down from 300MW, so that smaller gas plants are covered.

3. Biden needs to stop supporting false solutions like hydrogen and carbon capture and storage.

Those three key points are already laid out in the comment template, so all you need to do is personalize with a line or two about the air quality or extreme weather you experience. If you want to learn more, Drew from 198methods put together a more detailed explanation & video about this EPA process (which goes back to 2015 and Obama’s “Clean Power Plan” that was one of his major goals for the Paris Climate Agreement.) Spoiler alert: the Supreme Court’s dirty hands are all over this.

Thank you in advance for taking three minutes to submit your comment to the EPA and Biden!
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One last note: I want to put September 17th on your radar. The March to End Fossil Fuels will be held in New York City from 1p – 4pm that day. The march will coincide with the UN Climate Action Summit and is being organized by a coalition of local and national organizations. There’s tons of info here, including links to volunteer (including making phone calls & sending texts) and/or donate in support of the march. The GET INVOLVED page has more info, including “hubs” (both by interest AND region) that you can join. This is a massive and exciting effort that has huge potential to shift climate policy.

Thank you for reading this far! Remember, there’s so much worth fighting for and together we can create a livable future. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Twofer Tuesday: ungulate edition

/ Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

On the evening of our first night at Lodgepole Campground in Pike National Forest last week, we walked on the surrounding trails and drank in the natural beauty (while slapping at pesky insects). There are many beaver ponds in the area and we were happy to see a young moose in one.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have my long lens so the images are weak but am posting these because I love moose and was so excited to see one. I was spoiled by daily moose sightings when we lived in Alaska. (Sometimes they’d come in the yard to eat the raspberry canes and the crunching sound was loud enough to be heard through the walls.)

As we stood admiring this youngster, Zippy quietly said, “Um, where is the mom?” And with that, we quickly walked away. Because all those Alaska moose sightings had also taught us the danger of getting between a calf and cow moose. (In fact, one day when I was skate-skiing on the Coastal Trail, pulling Wildebeest in the pulk that was attached to my waist, I saw a calf on one side of the trail and a cow on the other. I stopped and while somewhat frantically attempting to turn us around, tipped the pulk on its side. Fortunately, the pulk had a six-point harness that prevented my son from falling out and I was able to get the sled upright again so that we could head away from the protective mother moose. Whew!)

Our second ungulate sighting of the trip was on the day we left as we drove back out to the  highway. These pronghorn were standing at the fence, staring as we went by. (Zippy calmly remarked, “Hello, fellas.”) I stopped and slowly reversed to get a photo but by the time I got my camera up, they were moving away to safety.

I regret not getting a photo of their inquisitive faces, but there’s still a lot of personality in the way pronghorn walk away. A combination of nonchalance and hypervigilance. Either way, it was a lovely final image.

Climate Movement Monday: hope + determination

/ Tracy Abell / 7 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays! Last week I was out in nature, refilling my well as we camped in Pike National Forest. We hiked the West Jefferson Trail through many lodgepole pines, marveling at the way the trees worked in community to support each other. Massive trees leaning on smaller trees that continue to grow as they support the weight of others. Witnessing that felt sacred and brought tears to my eyes.

July 25, 2023

Our trip was a much-needed respite from the realities of our quickly changing climate and today I’d like to offer some thoughts and hope from the frontlines of the fight for a stable climate and just transition off fossil fuels to renewable energies. The good news is that we have the answers and technology, and only lack the political will. Also? Many, many people are speaking up and more are joining the fight each day. But we need people to understand that we do, indeed, have the power to avert the worst of the climate crisis. As Rebecca Solnit tweeted: We spent a lot of time trying to convince people climate is real and urgent; that has mostly been accomplished. Now we have to convince people that we can do something about it, that we have the solutions, that most people already take climate seriously and support action, that doing what the climate demands could produce an era of abundance, not austerity, that the main obstacles are political, that civil society has overthrown regimes and status quo and changed the world before and can again.

The status quo is not permanent! However, the powers-that-be want to normalize this extreme weather and are feeding us headlines like this:

We must not buy into this narrative that wants us to accept an unlivable planet and future. Instead, let’s center this sentiment:
And this:
There are more of us than them and at the forefront are young people who are literally fighting for a livable future. Elise Joshi, executive director of Gen Z for Change, interrupted Biden’s press secretary at the Voters of Tomorrow’s summit last week to confront the Biden administration over its climate policy. Newsweek wrote about it and you can watch the video here. (See how brave, young Elise takes a steadying breath before she begins speaking.)
                                                                                                                                                                                                   On a final note, I think it’s helpful to remember that we’re raised in this country to pride ourselves on our individualism. We’re told to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps rather than accept “handouts.” But humans are social beings and we need each other–socially, emotionally, and physically. We are better and stronger together, and our survival depends on each other. So, I invite you to step into this moment and join the fight. Make your voice heard! I’d love to connect with you and hear what’s happening in your corner of the world, so please leave a comment. (And don’t think your comment has to be in agreement with what’s here–my intent is to start a conversation and find some common ground. Any and all thoughts are welcome!) Let’s be like lodgepole pines and lean on each other!
                                                                                                                                                                                                   Solidarity! ✊🏽

Sunday Confessional: the best laid plans

/ Tracy Abell / 3 Comments

Tomorrow we’re leaving for higher elevation and cooler temperatures. For this, I am very grateful and know we’re exceedingly privileged to be able to avoid the heat. My confession? I’d hoped to have written and scheduled a Climate Movement Monday post (and possibly a couple other posts with some of the photos I’ve been taking), and that’s not going to happen. But if you do have anything to share, climate-wise, I’d love to hear (especially if it’s good news!), so please leave a comment.

One of the many sunflowers in the backyard. July 19, 2023

In the meanwhile, I extend wishes for a good week, moderate weather, and lots of smiles and laughter.

Red-eyed kinship

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

Feeling a kinship with this Spotted Towhee and its red eyes.

In my backyard. July 20, 2023

Just spent the last couple hours staring at my manuscript on my laptop as I made revision notes in the margins. My agent sent me a whopping seven pages of editorial thoughts/questions at the beginning of the week and after spending several days mulling over her email, I’m now plotting how to implement the changes I want to make. I’ll be honest: today’s session was harder than yesterday’s when optimism was high and I actually allowed myself to think “This isn’t going to take as long as I’d thought!”

But the cool thing about the writing process is that none of the emotions I feel last forever. Not the positive or the negative. So, I’m going to step away from the manuscript and rest my eyes, knowing that tomorrow will bring its own set of emotions. Whatever they are, I’ll be ready (but hopefully, not reddy). Sorry, not sorry. 🙂

Climate Movement Monday: Declare a Climate Emergency + flood relief

/ Tracy Abell / 7 Comments

Hello, again! Before going any farther, I want to ask you to PLEASE keep up the pressure on Biden to declare a Climate Emergency under the National Emergencies Act (which unlocks all sorts of executive powers–scroll down for specifics). Personally, I cannot get a call through to the White House Comment Line (202 456 1111) so I email Biden and now have a daily plan to call my two Senators and one Representative to implore that they use ALL their power to pressure Biden to declare a climate emergency. If you don’t know your Senators, look here. To find your Representative, look here. Personalize your communication by letting them know what climate-induced extreme weather you’re experiencing. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! 

Okay, so it’s another Movement Monday post in which I typically highlight a frontline community enduring the immediate effects of the climate crisis then offer ways to support that community. Today my focus is on helping those impacted by flooding, specifically in the northeastern U.S. (However, horrific flooding is also happening all around the globe while deadly heat waves affect other regions. For instance, a region in northwest China just hit a record-breaking 126 degrees.)

The GOOD NEWS is that China is leading the world in taking aggressive climate action to implement renewable energy. The link to Kyle’s twitter thread with its many articles on what China is accomplishing can be found here. Read it and expand your vision of what is possible! There’s plenty of reason for hope!

 

Related to that good news, while Texas endures weeks of deadly temperatures that strain its power grid, solar power and battery storage played a huge roll in preventing blackouts. (See what’s possible?) You can read about that here.

Okay, now here are some organizations helping out those in the northeast.

NEW YORK & VERMONT:

  • Team Rubicon is a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves global communities before, during, and after disasters and humanitarian crises. They’re on the ground in New York and Vermont, and are accepting donations for their annual fundraising goal of $120,000. Donate here.

VERMONT:

  • Vermont Public is partnering with the Vermont Community Foundation to collect donations for the Vermont Flood Response & Recovery Fund 2023 today (7.17.23) through midnight on Sunday, July 23rd
    Donate here OR donate directly to Vermont Community Foundation here.

There was also flooding in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts (and possibly other places I’m missing?), but I’ve been unable to find organizations accepting donations. PLEASE let me know if you come across any reputable places to donate and I will update this post.

Thank you for reading and caring for others in their time of need. We’re all in this together and collective action is what will save us! 

Solidarity! ✊🏽

All hail the monarch!

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

I have many memories of milkweed plants and monarch butterflies from my childhood in Wisconsin, but haven’t seen a living monarch in quite some time. Years and years and years, to be (in)exact. There’ve been some sightings of no-longer-living monarchs, one in Florida and another here on a neighborhood street a looong time ago, along with increasingly frequent milkweed sightings that make me happy because the plant is crucial to monarchs’ survival, which is why I got upset when a patch of milkweed on the corner got hammered by hail last month. I was able to restore one plant to an upright and stable, position, but then a couple weeks later noticed someone had chopped it down. *sob*

Well, I’m thrilled to report an update. As we finished our neighborhood walk this morning, we stopped three houses up the street from our home to admire a patch of milkweed in bloom. Sharp-eyed Zippy whispered, “Look.”

My heart soared as we silently watched that delicate beauty move about the bloom. I reminded Zippy of his phone which he slowly and carefully took out to document the moment. I’m so grateful for this photo and will return to it again and again. It’s hard times on the planet these days, but the magnificent collaboration between this butterfly and plant gave me a much-needed boost. May it do the same for you.

Climate Movement Monday: resources

/ Tracy Abell / 7 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays! Today’s post isn’t focused on a specific frontline community, but is instead a collection of resources you might be interested in perusing. The intensifying climate-related weather around the world made me feel a bit wobbly about my role on the planet this morning, so I’ve been reading the excellent LET THIS RADICALIZE YOU: ORGANIZING AND THE REVOLUTION OF RECIPROCAL CARE by Kelly Hayes & Mariame Kaba.

The title comes from something Mariame Kaba has said over the years, “Let this radicalize you rather than lead you to despair,” a sentiment that resonates deeply with me. The book is about building community and organizing for the collective good. Here’s one snippet that made me feel a whole lot less wobbly this morning:

That quote is a good reminder that the smallest action can be revolutionary. The example that came to mind as I read was masking. Every time I wear a mask I’m saying “Our govt may not care about us, but I refuse to abandon you or you or you.” 

I admire both authors immensely, not only for their ongoing efforts on behalf of people and planet, but for their graciousness in welcoming others into the fight. Let This Radicalize You isn’t only for aspiring organizers, but also for anyone wanting stronger connections in their communities, along with those who might need a little pep talk to get them out of bed in the morning.  🙂  Haymarket Books is offering the book for 40% off right now (only $10.77 for the paperback!) and you can get that here.

My second resource recommendation is also new to me and I wanted to share while it’s on my radar. INHERITED is a storytelling podcast about young climate activists from around the world. They’ve produced two seasons of episodes and Season 3 will drop later this month.  You can access episodes here.

Third, an op-ed from Christiana Figueres who is a Costa Rican diplomat who served as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 2010-2016. The title of her piece: I thought fossil fuel firms could change. I was wrong. The piece opens with this:

“More than most members of the climate community, I have for years held space for the oil and gas industry to finally wake up and stand up to its critical responsibility in history.

I have done so because I was convinced the global economy could not be decarbonised without their constructive participation and I was therefore willing to support the transformation of their business model.

But what the industry is doing with its unprecedented profits over the past 12 months has changed my mind.

Let’s remember what the industry could and should be doing with those trillions of dollars: stepping away from any new oil and gas exploration, investing heavily into renewable energies and accelerating carbon capture and storage technologies to clean up existing fossil fuel use. Also, cutting methane emissions from the entire production line, abating emissions along their value chain and facilitating access to renewable energy for those still without electricity who number in their millions.

Instead, what we see is international oil companies cutting back, slowing down or, at best, painfully maintaining their decarbonisation commitments, paying higher dividends to shareholders, buying back more shares and – in some countries – lobbying governments to reverse clean energy policies while paying lip service to change.

On top of that, the industry as a whole is making plans to explore new sources of polluting fossil fuels and, in the United States, intimidating stakeholders who have been moving towards environmental, social and governance responsibility.”

You can read the piece in its entirety here. I wasn’t aware of Christiana Figueres or her willingness to give fossil fuel corporations the benefit of the doubt, but I’m glad she’s seen the light and is now using her substantial platform to voice her opinion. Good news!

As always, I’d love to hear what’s happening in your part of the world + any good news/bad news + book/article/podcast recommendations you might have. Basically, I want to feel more connected with YOU.

Solidarity! ✊🏽

 

Thankful Thursday: House Wrens

/ Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

I just spent a whole bunch of time at my laundry room window with my camera, watching the House Wren family. In mid-April, I sent a wish into the universe for wrens to nest in the box Zippy put up beneath the deck (a nest box he found while cleaning out his mother’s home) and then in early June I noted wrens had moved into the nesting box!

For the past week or so, there’s been a clamor coming from that box. A frenzied wall of sound that prompted me to tell Zippy “Sounds like 16 babies in there!” The noise level goes WAY up when a parent arrives with food, causing many spontaneous smiles on our faces. But it wasn’t until today that I went down with my camera and, oh my goodness, what fun! Not only fun, but educational.

First off, all those sounds appear to come from just two babies. (I never saw more than two beaks poking out.)

Second, those wren parents work their butts off.

Not only does a parent bring food every food minutes, but they also remove poop after each feeding. (That was my guess after watching for a while, but I had no idea how it was done.) Per Wikipedia, the nestling produces a fecal sac within seconds of being fed, which the parent removes. The below image isn’t great (click to enlarge), but it does show the sac in the parent’s beak.

 

However, the poop saga doesn’t end there! If the nestling doesn’t produce a fecal sac, the parent will prod around the little one’s hind end (no, that’s not the correct anatomical term) to stimulate excretion. Which explains the next image.

 

After the nestling(s) took the insect, the adult waited a bit and then dove into the nesting box. This only happened the one time, so I’m guessing the little ones were doing a pretty good job of pooping right after eating. Probably not fun having Mom up in their business.

 

At one point, I was baffled by all the sounds I was hearing because neither nestling was visible at the hole. Who was so agitated? And where was the sound coming from? I stared and stared at that hole in the box. Then movement caught my eye and I noticed an adult with a moth in its beak on a timber below the nesting box. It made no sense, but it was clearly the one singing the song because I could see their throat move. Weird, I thought, singing with its mouth full. What’s up with that? And the dancing?

When I described what I’d seen, Zippy suggested that maybe the adult was trying to entice the youngsters to leave the nest. That made perfect sense to me, but a quick online search didn’t turn up any info to support or deny that theory. Either way, it was so delightful watching that tiny bird dance around with an enormous moth in its beak, all the while singing a beautiful song.

That was the most enjoyable laundry room experience I’ve ever had! Thank you, universe, for granting my wish. This wren family is balm for my soul.

Climate Movement Mondays: deadly heat & the incarcerated

/ Tracy Abell / 16 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which I typically highlight a frontline community enduring the worst effects of climate change and then offer an action you can take on their behalf. However, today’s post is mainly intended to raise awareness about a deadly issue. Before going further, I need to say that I am a PIC abolitionist. Per criticalresistance.org: prison industrial complex (PIC) abolition is “a political vision with the goal of eliminating imprisonment, policing, and surveillance and creating lasting alternatives to punishment and imprisonment.”

Image by Fifaliana Joy from Pixabay

Okay, one of the aspects of climate change is how it affects people and planet in ways we might not have considered. I include myself in that statement. Because even though I’m active in the climate community and have done tons of reading on abolition and social justice, I hadn’t truly made the connection between climate and incarceration. But then an incarcerated friend wrote to me, mentioning how he was worried not only about the unhealthy air due to the Canada wildfires but also about the coming oppressive heat in the prison that doesn’t have air conditioning. My friend is not being whiny. Climate change poses a unique threat to the incarcerated and the insanely high temperatures around the country are literally killing people in prisons. (By the way, climate-induced flooding is another deadly threat to the incarcerated.)

The New Republic reported that in the last several weeks, at least nine people died heat-related deaths in Texas prisons (although the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has not acknowledged the deaths as such). “But only last month, Texas senators killed a bill that would have established a prison temperature standard of 65 to 85 degrees, as well as funding of $545 million for the first two parts of a four-phase air-conditioning installation plan. Despite a $32.7 billion budget surplus this year, the legislature allocated no funds specifically for prison air conditioning.” 

Then there’s Louisiana. Taproot Earth created a May 2023 policy report on climate and incarceration, and in that introduction states: “The rate of incarceration in Louisiana is higher than anywhere else in the world. Black people are 33% of the state’s population, but make up 52% of people in jail and 67% of people in prison.” (Note: The state relies on pretrial incarceration which means that people who can’t afford bail are incarcerated until trial.) The introduction also says this: “Louisiana is also particularly vulnerable to the climate crisis, due to its geographic location on the Gulf South and its production of the fossil fuels that drive the climate crisis and poison nearby communities. Louisiana is at high risk for sea level rise, coastal loss and flooding, increased heat waves, and storms that are increasing in frequency and intensity.”

So what can be done? The report makes many recommendations (including that Biden must Declare a Climate Emergency) and from page 19 of the report: “As the climate crisis worsens disasters and increases their frequency, these carceral facilities and the beds within them will become only more cruel and dangerous, leading to premature death of incarcerated people. To release people from the disaster within the disaster, all environmentally vulnerable carceral facilities must be closed–and when a disaster strikes them, they must not be rebuilt or reopened. This requires a state-wide study of carceral infrastructure and its vulnerability, especially in the context of climate-exacerbated disasters.” No more new prisons!

The good news is that people are organizing around this issue and there’s an increased urgency to that work as climate-induced extreme weather continues to hit every part of the globe. Texas Prisons Community Advocates (TPCA) is rallying at the state capitol on July 18th and they will gratefully accept a donation.

If you’ve read this far, thank you thank you thank you. Please keep your eyes and ears open to what’s happening in your own states. Maybe there’s a group organizing around climate and incarceration or maybe proposed legislation that would help keep the incarcerated alive. Or maybe you’ve seen a story or two in the news about prisons. No matter what it is, I’d love to converse with you about it because climate and abolition are two issues close to my heart.

Solidarity! ✊🏽

Pondering and plotting

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

After talking (in very general terms) with a friend/critique partner today about my work-in-progress, I had an epiphany. I realized it was possible to slightly expand the primary setting for my story in a way that will allow me to more deeply explore some elements/themes I’d like to include. And yes, I realize that last sentence is pretty cryptic, but until I have a complete first draft I always err on the side of “keep your mouth shut, Tracy.”

But now I’ve now got a whole bunch of questions I must answer before implementing that change in the setting. As in, I need to know the how and why behind the expansion of the setting. Does the property I want to add belong to the protagonist’s family or a neighbor? Is that property already in good shape or is it in need of restoration? Would money change hands or could it be a barter system?

I’m very excited about this new idea. I’m also feeling bombarded by the many possibilities bouncing around my brain. Overwhelm alert!

Here, in solidarity on this #Caturday, is Marcel looking equally overwhelmed (although I’m pretty sure he’s not drafting a novel and is merely plotting how to move that heavy brick currently sitting on top of the kibble bin  ). May the two of us settle down and find clarity in the not-too-distant future. Well, one of us, at least.