Climate Movement Monday: in support of Native Village of Hooper Bay

December 9, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 10 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which we discuss all things climate and then typically take action on behalf of a frontline community facing immediate effects of the climate crisis. Today’s information and TAKE ACTION come from Earthjustice, the nonprofit environmental law organization representing Native Village of Hooper Bay in southwest Alaska.

The federal government is proposing a land swap and road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge despite the fact that, as the name says, it’s supposed to be a refuge. Per the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service website, this refuge located between the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska, is [emphasis mine] “home to one of the world’s largest eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds. Hundreds of thousands of waterfowl, including virtually the entire population of Pacific black brant, visit the lagoon to feed on eelgrass and rest during migration. From brown bears to Pacific salmon, more than 200 species call this refuge home.” Call me alarmist, but it seems really stupid to negatively interfere with the feeding ground and resting place for an entire species.

Aerial view of black brant in flight over Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Kristine Sowl/USFWS

What does all this have to do with Native Village of Hooper Bay? The proposed road would cut through the refuge which provides, you know, refuge for migratory bird species that Native Village of Hooper Bay tribal members rely on for food and cultural practices.

“Any loss of these species in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta could have devastating impacts on communities already stressed by climate change, the salmon crisis, and by significant socio-economic and health challenges, including high rates of poverty and the highest suicide rates in the nation. Western science and Indigenous knowledge agree that preserving subsistence and traditional practices is key to combating these impacts in Alaska Native communities.”

A 45-day comment period is now open that allows the public to weigh in on the draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS). The federal government needs your input. PLEASE request the federal government withdraw the project OR at least choose the “no action alternative” which is the compromise proposed by Native Village of Hooper Bay and other tribes.

As always, a personalized message carries more weight. However, I realize this issue can seem complicated as you read about it (due, in part, to the use of “alternative” in its many permutations), so it’s completely fine to briefly express your support for the tribal people and the migratory birds, and then request that the federal government withdraw the project entirely OR choose the “no action alternative.” Your message doesn’t need to be long. All the background information is included here where you also take action via your brief personalized message.

Thank you for reading this far. Thank you for speaking up on behalf of Native Village of Hooper Bay and other tribes in that frontline community, along with the 200 species that call the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge home. Solidarity! ✊🏾

Let’s Turn Refaat Alareer’s “If I Must Die” into a Bestseller

December 6, 2024December 29, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 19 Comments

One year ago today, Palestinian writer, poet, and educator Refaat Alareer was targeted and murdered by an Israeli airstrike. I wrote about him here. Today, I received a text message from Ryan Grim and Jeremy Scahill of independent Drop Site News regarding the posthumous publication of Refaat’s poetry and prose collection on December 10. Here is that message:

Today marks one year since Israel assassinated Palestinian Poet, Writer, and Educator Refaat Alareer in a targeted airstrike. On December 10th, Refaat’s book, “If I Must Die,” a collection of his poetry and prose compiled by his friend and former student, Yousef Ajamal, will be published by OR Books.

We’re asking all of our readers, if they can, to pre-order the book in an effort to drive it on to the best seller rankings. Not only is it a truly magnificent piece of writing, a book you’ll be glad to own and/or gift, seeing Refaat’s book at the top of the charts will be a small sign to Palestinians facing genocide that the world has not forgotten them – and it will send a message to his assassins that we haven’t forgotten them either. For our part, we will be buying 535 copies and hand-delivering them to each member of the House and Senate.

Pre-order Refaat’s book here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/if-i-must-die-poetry-and-prose/21530923?ean=9781682196212

UPDATE 12.17.24: DO NOT order from Amazon as scammers took note of the situation and are selling non-authentic books. PLEASE order from bookshop.org at above link.

Tracy here again: I’m editing to add that you can also request your library system purchase the book. In my system, “Suggest a purchase” tab is located under SERVICES. In “additional information we might need,” you can include EAN/UPC 9781682196212 and “the book will be released on December 10, 2024.”

Edited to add: all proceeds will go to Refaat’s remaining family.

UPDATE: see my December 29 post for good news!!!

When I read that message, so many emotions came up. Grief over Refaat’s death, outrage that the genocide continues, and gratitude for this plan to show the besieged Palestinian people that we care. If you’re able, I hope you’ll consider helping this effort by pre-ordering the book. Just yesterday, I wrote about the orchestrated efforts to shut down pro-Palestinian speech and actions. Elevating “If I Must Die” to the bestseller list would be a huge middle finger to those desperately trying to normalize genocide, starvation, destruction, and land theft.

Drop Site also sent a lengthier, more detailed email about Refaat, the targeting of poets and intellectuals, and the ins and outs of the publishing industry’s bestseller “process.” The following is that email:

Today marks one year since Israel assassinated Palestinian writer, poet and educator Refaat Alareer with a targeted airstrike on the second floor apartment where he was taking refuge with extended family. The strike also killed his brother, his brother’s son, his sister and her three children.

Israel’s targeting of poets and intellectuals was not new, but his killing struck a chord around the world, as Refaat had committed his life to the study and practice of the English language, believing it to be a tool of liberation and empowerment. Through his work and his interviews, he gathered a global audience of admirers.

After he was killed, his poem “If I Must Die” became a worldwide viral sensation, a window into the soul of the man who’d been ripped from the world.

On December 10, Refaat will posthumously publish a book, “If I Must Die,” a collection of his poetry and prose, which also includes excerpts of important interviews he gave, compiled by his friend and student Yousef Aljamal.

As a small measure of justice, we want to turn Refaat’s book into what it desperately deserves to be: an international bestseller. We need your help and we have just five days to make it happen.

First, sign this pledge to buy the book this coming Tuesday. We’ll send you an email to remind you to do it that day. Enter your phone number if you want a text reminder too, but it’s not necessary. We won’t sell or share your contact info. The royalties from the book go to Refaat’s family. But more importantly, pre-order it now at bookshop.org or Amazon.

SIGN THE PLEDGE TODAY!

Here’s the background: The publishing industry cares most about the Amazon ranking and the New York Times best seller list. Depending on the day, a book can hit the top of the charts on Amazon with as few as 10,000 copies sold. But they cannot be bulk orders: Anything more than nine probably gets flagged as a bulk order. If you do want to make a bulk order, do it from an independent bookstore online, not from Amazon. (Amazon will certainly flag it as bulk.)

The NYT list is an opaque combination of in-person and online sales from Amazon, big retailers like Barnes and Noble, and indie stores.

Paid pre-orders count toward the rankings.

So here’s what to do: If you can only buy one book, pre-order it either from bookshop.org or Amazon, whichever is your preference. If you can buy three, buy one from each.

Initially, we had urged people to buy it on the date it comes out, and not pre-order, but so many people have pledged that OR Books, which is a small publisher, is now worried it will sell out on Tuesday. The way around that problem is to get your pre-order in now.

If you can throw a few hundred dollars at this effort, buy up to nine from each of those platforms and give them away. (That would cost you about $650.)

If you really want to do a bulk order of more than nine and maximize the chance it gets counted in the rankings, do it through an independent bookstore and not Amazon (which will flag it as a bulk order).

If you buy it from a bookstore in person on Tuesday, ask the manager if they report sales to the bestseller lists. Most stores do, but if they don’t report sales, then your purchase won’t get counted.

The poem “If I Must Die” is addressed to his daughter Shaymaa Refaat Alareer, and is a plea to her and all of us to keep hope for a better world alive. “If I must die/you must live/to tell my story/to tell my story/to sell my things/to buy a piece of cloth/and some strings/(make it white with a long tail)/so that a child, somewhere in Gaza/while looking heaven in the eye/awaiting his dad who left in a blaze—and bid no one farewell/not even to his flesh/not even to himself—sees the kite/my kite you made/flying up above/and thinks for a moment an angel is there/bringing back love.”

He then concludes:

If I must die
let it bring hope
let it be a tale

In April, Israel struck and killed Shaymaa, her husband, and their two-month-old son. It is up to us to let Refaat’s life be a tale. We at Drop Site have nothing to do with his book, which is published by OR Books, but we want to help make it a bestseller. It is, on the one hand, a true masterwork, and a rich and poignant read you will return to again and again.

Yet we want you to purchase it for another reason, too: To let it fly to the top of the rankings like a kite. Seeing Refaat’s book flying there will be a small sign to Palestinians facing genocide that the world has not forgotten them – and it will send a message to his assassins that we haven’t forgotten them either. Nothing can bring back Refaat or his family but this is one small dose of justice we can dole out.

At Drop Site, we’ll be buying 535 copies and distributing them to each member of Congress after they’re sworn-in in January.

If you live in the Washington, DC area and can help be part of the hand-out effort, please email contact@dropsitenews.com with the subject line “I will help hand out Refaat’s book.” (The publisher is giving us a bulk discount, and our readers were tremendously generous to us on Giving Tuesday, so thank you for helping make this happen.)

Collectively, we have the capacity to do this. Let it be a tale.

Sign the pledge! Let it be a tale.

If you’ve read this far, thank you thank you thank you. Free Palestine!

Block the $20 billion weapons sale to Israel: urgent action needed

November 19, 2024November 19, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 11 Comments

I’m back again with a request for calls (or emails, if you’re phone-phobic) to your Senators demanding* asking they support* co-sponsor tomorrow’s vote on the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval. This morning, over 100 protestors went to Capitol Hill (while a large crowd gathered in support outside) to demand Senators stop the $20 billion weapons sale to Israel. Dozens of protestors–faith leaders, plus climate, housing, Indigenous, Jewish, and Palestinian activists–are being arrested. For what? Demanding an end to the U.S. government using our taxes to fund and facilitate genocide. (As I write this, there are currently 7 Senators either co-sponsoring or on record in support of the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval: Bernie Sanders, Peter Welch, Jeff Merkley, Tim Kaine, Brian Schatz, Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen.)

Image from US Campaign for Palestinian Rights email

Those courageous people are putting their bodies on the line, so let’s amplify their message and call/email our Senators. (You can also call the Capitol Switchboard operator to be connected with the Senate offices at 202. 224. 3121). NOTE: I’ve summarized talking points farther down this post.

Here’s background info from the Adalah Justice Project:

On Wednesday, the Senate is expected to vote on a historic set of bills to block a $20 billion weapons package to Israel. Sen. Bernie Sanders, along with Sens. Merkley and Welch, introduced joint resolutions of disapproval (JRDs) to stop the $20 billion sale.

This is the first time in U.S. history that the Senate will vote on blocking weapon sales to Israel.

Over the last month, the Israeli military has launched “a genocide within a genocide” – a campaign of mass slaughter and ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza are being starved. Essential aid like food and medicine hasn’t entered the north in weeks, and the hospitals are under siege.

According to multiple U.S. laws, the U.S. cannot provide weapons to any country that violates internationally recognized human rights or to any country that “prohibits or otherwise restricts, directly or indirectly, the transport or delivery of United States humanitarian assistance.”

Israel is clearly in violation of these laws.

Not sure what else to say when you contact your Senators to ~~demand~~ ask they ~~support~~ co-sponsor the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval? Here are a few suggestions:

A June poll shows the majority of citizens are opposed to sending weapons to Israel (61% of all citizens, including 77% of Democrats and nearly 40% of Republicans)
Sending weapons to Israel violates U.S. laws regarding the delivery of humanitarian assistance
Rather than the billions for genocide and destruction, we desperately need meaningful action to address the climate crisis which is greatly accelerated by this genocidal siege.

PLEASE take two minutes to contact your Senators (also via Capitol Switchboard 202. 224. 3121) to ~~demand~~ ask they ~~support~~ co-sponsor the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval tomorrow.

Thank you in advance for taking action. I’d love to hear how your calls went so please let me know in the comments. Also? Share this info with family and friends to increase our impact. Solidarity! ✊🏾 FREE PALESTINE!

*After posting, I realized I was deviating from the request I’d received and so changed the wording accordingly. Apologies!

URGENT: H.R. 9495 is back–action needed!

November 18, 2024November 18, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 12 Comments

Happy Monday to all who celebrate.

Last week we scored a win when H.R. 9495 was beaten back. Here’s a quick refresher on this legislation:

The Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, which would empower the secretary of the Treasury to designate any nonprofit as a “terrorist supporting organization” and revoke its tax-exempt status, is set to go before the Committee on Rules on Monday for a hearing that could tee up the bill for a new floor vote. Note: quote from Noah Hurwitz’s article in The Intercept.

As Rep Lloyd Doggett points out today in this video on the House floor, this legislation would allow the Trump administration to slap a “terrorist” label on any group it considers an enemy, and strip that organization of its tax-exempt status with NO DUE PROCESS. The immediate targets of this bill are pro-Palestinian orgs but as Doggett points out, it would also be wielded against groups that harbor refugees, Planned Parenthood, hospitals providing abortions, environmental groups, and private universities that allow anti-Trump demonstrations. I will add that the legislation will most certainly also be weaponized against those fighting the 80 Cop Cities currently being proposed and built around the country. Note: when I wrote Climate Movement Monday: on crushing dissent back in May 2024, there were “only” 69 Cop Cities. ALL of this is connected (as I wrote here). They are beefing up police forces and weaponizing cops in anticipation of the unrest that will increase under the weight of climate collapse and income inequality. Trump will drop the Democrats’ veneer of civility and unleash holy hell on anyone he deems a threat. H.R. 9495 gives him (and other presidents) incredible power.

The bill was defeated last week because the vote happened under a suspension of rules and required 2/3 to pass. The Republicans are bringing it to another vote on Thursday when it will only require a majority vote. Last week, 52 Democrats voted with the Republicans to give the executive office this authoritarian power to deem enemies “terrorist-supporting.” Here are those 52 Dems:

PLEASE read that list. If your Rep is on it, call them to demand they vote NO this week. If your Rep voted NO last week, call them to thank them and to ask that they vote NO again this week. If you’re not sure whether they voted NO (as a number of them didn’t cast a vote), check here to verify their vote, and then call them to demand a NO vote.

PLEASE also share this info with friends and family so that we can flood the phone lines in opposition to crushing dissent!

Thank you in advance for your engagement on this issue. We’ve got a hard road ahead of us and it’s vital we stand together. Solidarity! ✊🏾

Update on H.R. 9495 + busted concrete

November 13, 2024November 13, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

Good news, people! Here’s the update on last week’s post Defend Dissent: oppose H.R. 9495:

Last night, the Republicans tried to ram the legislation through via suspension of the rules (which, if I’m understanding correctly, was related to them not having a quorum) and that required 2/3 of the vote. THEY FAILED! By 9 votes. That’s the good news. The bad news is that 52 Democrats voted YES on enabling the crushing of dissent. Shameful. Here’s the list of those Dems:

If your Rep voted YES, please call/email to shame them for that! Many of these Dems spent the election cycle wringing their hands over impending threats to democracy and then voted for fascism. If your Rep voted NO, please call/email to thank them for that vote! (Go here for full tally of votes.) Right after the vote, I called mine (Brittany Pettersen)–whom I’d emailed plus called three times on this issue in an attempt to get her on the record–and left a message thanking her for doing the right thing. She’s a horrible, AIPAC-devoted representative, but I give credit where it’s due. I was fully prepared for her to vote in favor of the legislation and believe she must’ve heard from many constituents on this.

In case you’re interested in more background on this legislation, here’s Rep Lloyd Doggett on the House floor last night pointing out the cynicism of attaching this harmful legislation to legitimate legislation that would provide tax relief to U.S. citizens who’d been held hostage in other countries. By the way, Doggett led the charge on defeating this bill and we owe him a huge debt.

This is a win, but this legislation will be back and we must rally to defeat it every time they bring it up. Solidarity!

And now for domestic news: we’re finally replacing our driveway and walkways that are the original concrete from when this house was built in 1965.

No lie, we had the ugliest, most pitted driveway in the neighborhood. We didn’t mind, except for the jolt of pain each time the snow shovel got caught in a crack. We’ve lived with it for many years and now will have joyful snow-shoveling experiences! Bonus? I don’t feel too guilty about adding more to the landfill since we got nearly 60 years of use out of the driveway and walkways.

Who knew concrete could bring such happiness?

Defend dissent: Oppose H.R. 9495

November 8, 2024November 7, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 13 Comments

Many are reeling right now at the prospect of four years of blatant authoritarianism. At the risk of rushing the grief process, I feel it’s imperative we don’t waste any opportunities to advocate for positive policy and opportunities to block negative policy while we can. This post is devoted to the latter, specifically H.R. 9495 — the “Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act.”

Please use this letter template to send a quick, personalized message to your Member of Congress asking them to Protect the Right to Dissent and Oppose H.R. 9495. Note: Congress could be voting on H.R. 9495 as early as next week.

What is H.R. 9495? You can read the proposed legislation here. Pay special attention to SEC. 4. Termination of tax-exempt status of terrorist supporting organizations. Basically, if this legislation passes, a President would have the power to label a non-profit organization or activist student group a “terrorist-supporting organization” and then strip it of its non-profit tax status.

What’s the immediate goal? To shut down the student movement for Palestinian human rights by targeting organizations such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). Right now it’s the student activists, but if it passes, this legislation could be weaponized by any President against any group. “Terrorist” is a handy-dandy label for those who rise up against our government’s policies. I’ve written about the tactics used to silence the courageous students speaking out for Palestinian rights, and hope you will speak out now on the students’ behalf.

The following comes from MPower Action.

The House previously passed a bill (H.R. 6408) that could give any president unprecedented power to target and shut down nonprofits and activist student groups. The legislation was intended to strip the tax-exempt status of organizations advocating for Palestinian human rights. The Senate refused to take it up after tens of thousands of our members sent letters to Congress urging opposition.

But now, House Members are attempting to pass a different bill (H.R. 9495) that includes the legislative language of H.R. 6408, which would be disastrous for all of our organizations working towards a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the occupation.

We can’t let that happen.

Urge your U.S. House Representative: Vote NO on H.R. 9495.

This bill would give future presidents new powers to target and shut down nonprofits and movement groups in the name of security — with virtually no oversight.

Our communities have seen firsthand the kind of abuses that prosecutors and Presidential administrations can unleash against everyday people of conscience using similar tools.

We can only imagine the effects that could be unleashed on our nonprofits advocating for Palestinian human rights if a future administration decides to use this expanded power to target us.

Send a letter to Congress now.

Thank you for everything you do.

In solidarity,
Yasmine and the team at MPower Action
——————–
It’s Tracy again. The letter template is short and I personalized mine with references to how the Democrats just campaigned on personal freedoms and saving democracy (because my rep is a Dem). Crushing dissent is absolutely anti-democratic.

Thank you for taking action. Solidarity! ✊🏾

We are not alone and we are not powerless

November 6, 2024January 11, 2025 / Tracy Abell / 6 Comments

My inbox is filled with messages from various organizations and organizers, reaching out to make sure people know they’re not alone and that there’s a path forward. I’ve collected much good stuff here and hope that when you have the energy and focus, you’ll read through it all. Or, maybe do as I am today, read in little spurts.

The piece I’ve seen shared the most online was written two days ago by Daniel Hunter, 10 ways to be prepared and grounded now that Trump has won (title updated today), and is chock-full of wisdom and links, along with roles we all might play in defense of our shared humanity. If nothing else, I hope you check that one out. The subtitle alone contains an important reminder: The key to taking effective action in a Trump world is to avoid perpetuating the autocrat’s goals of fear, isolation, exhaustion and disorientation.

Final harvest of delicata squash that made a surprise appearance in Zippy’s garden. Photo 11.2.24

Jewish Voice for Peace wrote: The world feels impossible, unbearable. There is lots to say about why we are here, and even more to say about how we keep fighting. But in this moment, I want us to remember that we have one another. And with what we are up against, we will need each other more than ever.

We come from generations of resistance, of defying the impossible cruelty of societies built on domination. The Right fuels itself on our isolation and rose to power on a politics of despair. The antidote, as always, is organizing. Our power lies in our commitment to one another and in our solidarity. We will not allow our communities to be turned against one another or scapegoated. We refuse to be divided.

Organizer Kelly Hayes wrote: We’re going to show up for each other, figure out what we need to learn, skill up, and fight for each other. Because we’re gonna have to. Let’s ground ourselves in our values and our refusal to abandon one another. Remember who you want to be, come what may, and move in the direction of your values. I wrote a book with Mariame Kaba (Let This Radicalize You) about the kind of work that’s ahead of us. It’s there for you if you need it. No matter what happens next, let’s get our learn on and think strategically about the work of collective survival. Isolation incubates fear. Together, we will foster courage and solidarity, and we will fight for each other. I am sending you all so much love right now. Let’s sidestep the kind of squabbling and finger-pointing that will only slow us down and talk about what we need to do and build together. We don’t have time for acrimony. If acknowledging that is a challenge for you, ask yourself what the whole world is worth and engage accordingly.

Kelly’s email included a link to her Movement Memos podcast To Transform Our Trauma, We Must Nurture Movements for Change (transcript included).

Earthjustice wrote Earthjustice is bigger and stronger than we were in January 2017, and we are ready to fight back. We took the threat of Trump’s Project 2025 plan at its word, and we crafted a blueprint of our own. We have over 200 lawyers poised to take Trump to court, and we are already executing our state-based strategy to ensure that he does not block progress in the last years we have left to meet our climate deadlines. Earthjustice won a staggering 85% of the cases we brought against the previous Trump administration.

Earthjustice is raising money for its Rapid Response Legal Fund and now through December 31, donations will be matched $1 : $1.

I will close with words from Sarah Kendzior, written in 2016:

“Do not accept brutality and cruelty as normal even if it is sanctioned. Protect the vulnerable and encourage the afraid. If you are brave, stand up for others. If you cannot be brave — and it is often hard to be brave — be kind.”

A sunny smile + a cool offer

November 4, 2024November 4, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 2 Comments

I spotted this sign on my street yesterday and thought it might help soothe some frazzled election nerves.

Confession: that image actually kinda twists my brain as our household used to include a golden retriever we called Packy and then later, a keeshond by the name of Sunny! The sign is like a mashup of our two beloved dogs.

In addition to bringing a smile, I also want to let you know about an opportunity to express your animal love while at the same time helping the people of Gaza. Watercolor painter (and professional cat lady, sociologist (MA, PhD), adjunct lecturer at SUNY), Gyunghee Park, has an amazing offer in support of esims for Gaza:

Donate 10GB to Gaza and I’ll personally send you a 6x6inch portrait of your cat, dog, ferret, hamster, bunny, lizard, etc. for free! Just message me proof of purchase and your address. [Gyunghee can be reached at: Gyunghee.park AT outlook DOT com]

I’ve posted before about esims for Gaza, but here’s the explanation from Connecting Humanity (group of volunteers coordinating gazaesims.com):

Since October 2023
People in Gaza are cut off from the internet by Israeli bombing and blocking. Every photo you see from Gaza since then has come through an eSIM, a virtual SIM card, which connects people to the internet.
eSIMs can save lives and give Gazans a voice to show the genocide in Gaza. Connecting Humanity provide eSIMs to journalists, medical professionals, aid workers, families, people documenting the genocide and children and students who are all using eSIMs to stay connected with the world and each other.
Over 400,000 eSIMs have been donated through Connecting Humanity, without your generosity Gaza would be totally isolated. eSIMs are saving lives and showing the world the genocide.

They are in desperate need of more esims and currently only have the ability to provide them to medical staff, journalists, and students. With your help, they can again provide esims to civilians facing incredible hardship.

How do you do this?

Go to gazaesims.com to learn how to purchase and donate esims OR donate money HERE for the purchase and distribution of esims.
NOTE: I’ve had the easiest transactions with Nomad. Use discount code NOMADCNG

Just think how wonderful it will be to gaze upon a watercolor rendering of your beloved dog, cat, hamster, turtle, bunny (shh, don’t tell Sunny), or ChiaPet, knowing it was made possible by your generosity and sense of shared humanity. Bonus: The artist Gyunghee Park also accepts commissions at Gyunghee.park AT outlook DOT com so if you like her portrait of your doggie friend, you might also want to get one of your gecko. PLEASE share here if you take Gyunghee up on her offer!

Thank you for reading this far. Keep hydrated and remember to breathe. We’re all in this together. Solidarity!

Zionism doesn’t only harm Palestinians

October 23, 2024November 7, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 17 Comments

Although I am not Jewish, I wanted to share two recent pieces focused on the generational and political fractures forming in the Jewish community (specifically, institutions such as synagogues and schools). It makes me sad on multiple levels to see the damage being done to longstanding communities and those with lifelong commitments to Jewish professional life because of the clash between Zionism and anti-Zionism.

The first article, “U.S. Jewish Institutions Are Purging Their Staffs of Anti-Zionists: A months-long investigation found even the smallest hints of dissent are often met with unemployment” was published by Shane Burley on October 1, 2024.

On October 18, 2023, protesters with the anti-Zionist organization Jewish Voice for Peace and other progressive Jewish groups staged a sit-in in the Cannon House Office Building at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., to protest the Israeli assault on Gaza.
Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Burley’s investigation found that people who’ve dedicated their adult lives to participating in schools and synagogues are being fired for attending pro-Palestinian rallies or wearing a keffiyeh. One person lost his job after “liking” a social media post about Chicago passing a ceasefire resolution.

The second link I want to share is for the transcript of The Mark Steiner Show of October 22 in which Shane Burley further discusses what he learned in his investigation of Jewish institutions. The heading on the link pretty much summarizes what’s at stake:
Countless Jewish progressives and youth have answered the call for solidarity with Palestine, and the community’s entrenched political, religious, and cultural institutions are determined to punish them for it.

This attitude has long-term consequences for Jewish institutions. Per Shane Burley (emphasis mine): “… this is happening across the Jewish world at the same time that there’s a leadership vacuum, or people are retiring from these jobs and they can’t get them refilled. It’s harder to hire rabbis, less people are becoming rabbis. It’s harder to hire Jewish educators. It’s harder to hire these people. And so at the same time as they’re having trouble reproducing these organizations, they’re kicking out the people that are often the most tied in, the people that are most involved in it.“

Burley goes on to say: I think history is very clear that Jewish life flourishes when Jewish diversity and Jewish freedom of conscience flourishes as well. And also in a cosmopolitan, multicultural society where difference is respected and all communities are protected. Historically, Jewish communities are often safest when partnering with other communities who have been threatened by the far right or by the state or things like that.

So we’re undermining exactly that history with this very isolationist, nationalist narrative. And we’re cutting out the very forces, activists, community organizers, anti-fascists, that have protected us in the past. So we’re breaking that continuity really distinctly.

Near the end, host Marc Steiner says this:
Well, I think that the voices that you allowed us to hear in your article are the voices that need to be heard. [ ] Because their stories are important for the world to hear. And I really do look forward to more conversations with you, but also with some of the folks that you interviewed in your article that we can do together to bring their voices out because they need to be heard. They’re the ones who were attacked. They’re the ones who are fighting for their beliefs. They’re the ones who are going to be the engine that pushes the revolution of change inside the Jewish world, I think.

I stand on the side of those speaking truth to power. Solidarity with the courageous people risking their livelihoods to speak out against apartheid, settler colonialism, and genocide!

Climate change: we’re the cause but we can also be the solution

October 9, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 6 Comments

It’s a Wednesday, but I’m offering what would usually be a Climate Movement Monday post because the synchronicity of the two elements contained here was just too perfect to pass up. Below, I offer information on hurricanes and then a quick action.

As Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida while millions struggle to recover from Helene (mutual aid links here), I received two connected emails. The first, from HEATED which is billed as “a newsletter for people who are pissed off about the climate crisis,” was their latest article titled “How fossil fuels mutated Milton: Climate scientists tell HEATED the historic storm represents “the profound irresponsibility and culpability” of polluters.”

I highly recommend reading the entire piece which begins: For scientists who study the effects of climate change, the scariest thing about Hurricane Milton is not simply its historic strength. It’s the fact that Milton grew so strong so quickly—mutating from a pipsqueak into a monster.

screen grab from a news broadcast

Milton’s rapid intensification from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane left meteorologists speechless, with one veteran NBC6 Miami scientist tearing up on air. On X, hurricane scientists described Milton’s sudden explosion as “unprecedented,” “terrifying,” and “jaw-dropping,” as the storm’s wind speeds grew from 60 mph to over 180 mph in only 36 hours—one of the fastest intensifications on record.

A similarly rapid hurricane intensification happened just weeks earlier with Hurricane Helene, which transformed from a relatively weak tropical storm into a historic Category 4 hurricane within two days.

The article goes on to quote climate scientist Michael Mann who points the finger at the fossil fuel industry which is responsible for 76 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. “ExxonMobil’s own scientists warned that continued fossil fuel burning would lead to “potentially catastrophic events,” Mann said. That those catastrophes are playing out today represents “the profound irresponsibility and culpability of a fossil fuel industry that knowingly hid evidence of the tremendous danger of their product—not just danger to individuals … but danger to humanity and the planet. A whole higher category of crime.”

The article continues, including an explanation of how warmer sea temperatures contribute to the strength and size of tropical storms. Then the article ends with this quote from hurricane scientist Andra Garner (emphasis mine):

“The bad news here is that we know that human-caused climate change is driving these kinds of extremes to be more deadly,” said Garner. “But the good news is that we are the cause, and so we can also be the solution.”

That bears repeating: We are the cause of climate change which means we can also be the solution.

Right after reading that HEATED article, I returned to my inbox to find an email from Stand.earth. That email opened with: “Exciting news! Late last month, Philadelphia, PA, became the latest city to join the growing chorus of municipal and sub-national governments to officially call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. Not only is Philadelphia one of the largest cities in North America, it’s also located in Pennsylvania, a state dominated by fracking. It’s proof that our movement is even reaching areas where the fossil fuel industry is most powerful.”

The email then offers a link to send a message to your local city council, asking for them to call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. What are the principles of such a treaty?

Non-proliferation: Stop building out the problem by ending the expansion of coal, oil and gas production
A fair phase-out: An equitable plan for the wind down of existing fossil fuel production, where nations with the capacity and historical responsibility for emissions transition fastest, providing support to others around the world
Just transition: Fast-track the adoption of renewable energy and economic diversification away from fossil fuels so that no worker, community or country is left behind

Please take a minute to urge your city to join the call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and start working on the just transition in your community.

It was SO easy to send a message to all my city council members and mayor. I personalized (and shortened) the letter to make my point which I must say felt extra personal since one of those council members lives right down the street from me. We’ve seen horrific climate policy on the federal level and the Democrat’s presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, now contradicts her earlier campaign vow to ban fracking, but local communities offer a greater chance for citizens to make an impact. Please take a moment to reach out to your city council to let them know how you feel about the role of fossil fuels in these catastrophic hurricanes which are destroying lives and property.

Thank you for reading this far! I appreciate you being here. Solidarity! ✊🏾

One year of genocide

October 7, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

Heading to a walk-out march in Denver to share outrage and resolve with others.

Updated mutual aid links (Helene)

October 1, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

Yesterday I shared links to lists of mutual aid groups that are helping in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Those lists are a bit unwieldy to navigate so I wanted to update with this great list put together by Appalachian Voices and 7 Directions of Service.

Thank you in advance for any help you can offer!

General

Mutual Aid Disaster Relief Fund

Florida
- Food not Bombs Tallahassee
- Food not Bombs St. Petersburg
Georgia
- Mutual Aid Athens
North Carolina
South Carolina
- Harvest Hope Food Bank
Tennessee
- Tri-Cities Mutual Aid and Solidarity Network.
- First Aid Collective Knoxville
Kentucky
- Eastern Kentucky Mutual Aid
Virginia
- Appalachian Voices – Resources and Ways to Give (All of Appalachia)
If you live in an impacted area and need support, check out these links to a crowdsourced resources document called Hurricane Appalachia.

Climate Movement Monday: mutual aid after Hurricane Helene

September 30, 2024October 1, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 13 Comments

EDITED WITH UPDATE: Please see my 10.1.24 post with easy-to-navigate lists of mutual aid groups!

Welcome back to another Movement Monday in which we discuss all things climate with a focus on frontline communities. In order to protect my health, I’ve been on a self-imposed media break from the many horrors of our current reality (and I acknowledge my privilege in being able to avoid those horrors!), so don’t have any new insights into the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. I will, however, share this from Bill McKibben’s newsletter which I did read:

Were it happening just in one place, a compassionate world could figure out how to offer effective relief. But it’s happening in so many places. The same day that Helene slammed into the Gulf, Hurricane John crashed into the Mexican state of Guerrero, dropping nearly 40 inches of rain and causing deadly and devastating floods in many places including Acapulco, which is still a shambles from Hurricane Otis last year. In Nepal this afternoon at least 148 people are dead and many still missing in the Kathmandu Valley. Just this month, as one comprehensive twitter thread documented, we’ve seen massive flooding in Turkey, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Marseilles, Milan, India, Wales, Guatemala, Morocco, Algeria, Vietnam, Croatia, Nigeria, Thailand, Greece, Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, with the Danube hitting new heights across Central Europe.

Make no mistake, we are in climate collapse. And yet, the powers-that-be still pretend it’s not happening. Last week, Zippy received an email survey from one of Colorado’s senators (Michael Bennet), asking Zippy to name his priority issues. That survey did NOT even include climate (or Gaza or Lebanon and the corresponding billions of dollars and weapons to Israel). Clearly, the electeds are completely happy to drive humanity to extinction.

Which is why today’s post is devoted to mutual aid groups working on the ground to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene. Also, with some overlap, here’s another mutual aid list. What is mutual aid? Per Global Giving: Mutual aid is about cooperating to serve community members. Mutual aid creates networks of care and generosity to meet the immediate needs of our neighbors. It also addresses the root causes of challenges we face and demands transformative change.

Mutual aid is a powerful way to give because it helps build community and create people power. People trust those who’ve helped them in hard times and are more likely to join later efforts to push for beneficial change in their communities. Mutual aid builds on the present and for the future.

Helene impacted Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. There are many needs right now and so I again offer this list of mutual aid groups and this list.

I hope you’ll join me in helping the people of Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. Any amount is appreciated! Thank you in advance for your humanity.

Please take care of yourselves. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Climate Movement Monday: the war on Gaza

September 16, 2024September 16, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which I highlight a climate-related issue and offer suggestions for taking action. It’s been a while since I posted one of these and that’s due to a sense of overwhelm and futility. But I’m rousing myself today because the U.S. military is one of the major (if not the major) driver of climate change and because today is Day 346 of the war on Gaza. I’m hoping that people who might have remained silent thus far regarding the ongoing genocide of Palestinian people might be motivated to take action if they realize what the many tons of bombs supplied by the U.S. are doing to the environment, effects that will impact everyone on this planet.

Per “The Gaza war is an environmental catastrophe,” an article published September 5, 2024, in +972 Magazine, Gaza’s future was already precarious with the specter of “Ever-worsening shortages of water and electricity. Catastrophic flooding in dense urban areas. Food insecurity exacerbated by drastic temperature increases, reduction in overall rainfall, and the long-term impact of toxic chemicals.” Those predictions were made two years ago and now, after nearly one year of the U.S. enabling and providing cover for Israel’s campaign of death and destruction, that threat has radically accelerated.

“…environmental degradation in Gaza has worsened exponentially: as Israel’s bombardment destroys infrastructure, an inordinate amount of toxic dust has been released into the air, and wastewater management has entirely collapsed due to the shortage of fuel.

By April, the destruction of buildings throughout the Gaza Strip had produced an estimated 37 million tons of debris. As buildings are damaged or collapse, they release clouds of noxious smoke, toxic dust, and fumes into the environment.”

As someone who recently lost a beloved family member to cancer as a result of him working several blocks away from the World Trade Center, the thought of this ongoing assault sickens me. Can you imagine 346 days of this where you live?

Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, seen from the Israeli side of the fence encaging the Strip, January 7, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Beside the genocidal depravity of all these bombs, “It is projected that the current war already yielded a minimum of 900,000 tons of toxic waste. These pollutants — which include radioactive and carcinogenic materials, heavy metals, pesticides, and other chemicals, emitted both through the use of military munitions and in the destruction of buildings — persist in the environment, posing a threat to all forms of life, including animals and vegetation. They contaminate soil, air, and water sources, endangering ecosystems.” [emphasis mine]

I encourage you to read the article in its entirety as Dr. Mariam Abd El Hay, a researcher in social dynamics and the environmental impacts of conflicts and a Palestinian citizen of Israel from the city of Tira, answers questions posed by +972 Magazine.

So what can we do? I fully admit that what the global pro-Palestinian coalition has been doing for the past 11+ months hasn’t brought about a ceasefire and aid for Palestinians, but that doesn’t mean we should stop agitating. I continue to contact my electeds to voice my outrage for their continued support for genocide. Today I focused on this document from the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

I used that Tweet as a script which helped me focus my rage at their complicity. Fourteen pages of dead children younger than one year of age!

To contact your electeds, go HERE for your Representative and HERE for your two Senators. HERE for Biden and HERE for Harris.

In addition to referencing the 649-page document of (documented) dead Palestinians and/or the climate impacts of this U.S.-sponsored genocide, what else might you say to your electeds (particularly if they’re Democrats)?

Don’t threaten me with the end of democracy when poll after poll shows the vast majority of voters DO NOT want billions in aid and weapons sent to Israel to commit genocide. What you’re doing is NOT democracy.
The poliovirus, which we eradicated, is now present in Gaza’s wastewater. Worse, Israeli soldiers are hindering the delivery of polio vaccine to Palestinians.
Humanitarian aid workers are being murdered. As of September 12, 220 UNRWA aid workers have been killed.
Know how to get an immediate ceasefire? Halt all weapons and aid to Israel!
There are anti-genocide candidates on the November ballot and I won’t be voting for anyone who doesn’t fully support an arms embargo, immediate ceasefire, and aid to Palestinians.
Edited to add: You’re no better than a climate denier if you continue to support this war on Gaza. And that goes for if you support fracking and brag about how much oil production is happening under the Biden administration. You can’t call climate change an existential threat and then push policies that accelerate the climate crisis.

And if you’re unwilling to bang your head against the entrenched political duopoly, you could donate to Municipality of Gaza (water and sewage treatment), UNRWA, esims for Gaza, or vetted fundraising campaigns for families in Gaza via Gaza funds.

Okay, I’ll stop here. It feels gross to frame this genocide in terms of what it’s doing to the climate, but because climate change is a global issue that affects every single one of us, I’m hoping more people will speak out on behalf of Palestinians. And to anyone who continues to scroll on past any mention of what’s happening in Gaza and the West Bank, shame. We need to regain our sense of shared humanity.

Thank you for reading this far. Solidarity! ✊🏽

EDITED TO ADD: Drop Site News is hosting a live screening of the documentary “The Night Won’t End” tomorrow (Tuesday) at 8 p.m. ET. The film tells the story of three Palestinian families in Gaza fighting to survive the genocidal onslaught. Go HERE to subscribe for free and gain access to the screening.

On this Labor Day

September 2, 2024September 2, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

Labor Day is dedicated to workers uniting, using their collective strength to demand changes in work policy to include respect, safety, health care, livable wages, shorter hours, sick time, etc. Sadly, the fierce and strategic labor organizer, Jane McAlevey, died at age 59 in July. Jane had an incredible impact on organized labor and you can read some tributes here. She published a number of books and this is what I wrote in my reading log after finishing A Collective Bargain: Unions, Organizing, and the Fight for Democracy (2020):

“This book fired me up! There’s so much we can accomplish if we stand together. I wish I had a job where I could organize a union. Biggest takeaway: even in states w all GOP elected (WV), the teachers & school workers won huge demands via strike!” No matter if you’re in the work place or not, I highly recommend reading this inspirational book because Jane makes it clear that people power is the way forward in every single challenge we face. People standing shoulder-to-shoulder as we demand better for people and planet.

I believe Jane would be thrilled by some of the powerful collective actions happening right now:

10,000 hotel workers with Unite Here (union for workers in the hotel, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, transportation, and airport industries. Membership is diverse, predominantly women and people of color, hailing from all corners of the planet) are on strike across the country right now! You can pledge your solidarity to the workers at Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt here.
17,000 CWA workers are on strike at AT&T Southeast. You can pledge your support here. Note: I’m a former Communication Workers of America union member!
Per Washington Square News: A group of faculty and staff at NYU will withhold administrative tasks for the fall semester starting Labor Day until senior leadership removes police from campus and pardons those facing disciplinary action for their participation in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, a recent pledge signed by Faculty & Staff for Justice in Palestine reads. This was a welcome development as universities crack down on free speech and weaponize antisemitism to include the use of “Zionism.”
Hundreds of thousands of people in Tel Aviv took to the streets last night to call out Netanyahu for undermining all efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza (including the assassination of Hamas’s lead negotiator). The government responded by spraying protestors with skunk water, a tactic the IDF has used on Palestinians for many years and that former IDF soldiers used on student protestors at Columbia University last spring. This morning, Histadrut (Israel’s largest trade union), led a general strike that “closed government and municipal offices as well as schools and many private businesses. Israel’s international airport, Ben Gurion, was reported to have shut down at 8am local time (6am BST) for two hours. The Tel Aviv labour court ordered an end to the strike on Monday, ruling that it was politically motivated and had not been called for economic reasons.” Can’t help but note the irony of the “only democracy in the Middle East” shutting down a general strike. Also want to note that we in the U.S. are highly propagandized in regards to our government’s role in propping up the far-right Netanyahu, and that Israeli media is openly reporting the facts about Netanyahu’s disregard for making a deal to release the hostages. Here, here, here, and here are pertinent headlines from Israel. We aren’t seeing anything like that in U.S. media.

Lastly, PLEASE take 2 minutes to personalize comments in support of United Farm Workers who labor in the fields to bring food to our tables. They work in all sorts of extreme weather, including in dangerously high temperatures. The comment period is now open for Federal Heat Safety Regulations and I hope you’ll join me in advocating for training, shade, cool water, and paid rest breaks for the workers. You can do that HERE.

I’ll close this Labor Day post with some wise words from Mother Jones:

“Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living.”
“The first thing is to raise hell,” says I. “That’s always the first thing to do when you’re faced with an injustice and you feel powerless. That’s what I do in my fight for the working class.”
“Our present civilization is one of brute force. We hope to make it a civilization of justice and love.”

Thank you for reading this far. Happy Labor Day!
Solidarity! ✊🏽

Gaza, Harris, and an arms embargo

August 18, 2024August 18, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

This morning Zippy and I went to City Park in Denver to attend a Colorado Palestine Coalition teach-in at the “dash for democracy” running/walking event sponsored by the Denver Democrats to raise funds for the Kamala Harris campaign. Our intent was to get the Democrats to understand that many of us will not vote for Harris/Walz in November if they do not call for an immediate arms embargo on Israel. It is no longer enough to call for a CEASEFIRE NOW (even though our sign remains in our front yard, faded and battered by nine-plus months of weather). The White House pretends to be negotiating in good faith toward a ceasefire, but it’s all theater. There cannot be a lasting ceasefire when the U.S. keeps supplying Israel with bombs. As was succinctly stated here, “If you say you want a ceasefire while sending the bombs that keep shredding children, you don’t really want a ceasefire. That’s all there is to it.”

The only way to end the carnage is to immediately stop arming Israel with U.S.-made bombs. The good news is that several weeks ago “…seven unions representing six million workers published an open letter to President Biden demanding that he cut off military aid to Israel until it ends its brutal assault on Gaza.” A demand for an arms embargo does not allow wiggle-room for weasel words from the White House and Harris.

Here’s the flier CPC handed out today (click on images to enlarge):

Okay, so what did I learn at the teach-in? Unfortunately, not as much as I’d hoped to learn due to an unhinged person who yelled and shook a cowbell while the speakers spoke. I admit to feeling so much anger I couldn’t focus on what was being said. Several times, I attempted to reason with Cowbell Karen who kept telling us to “educate yourselves” while doing everything in her power to make that impossible. When I finally aimed my camera at her, she gleefully sneered at me.

The masked person in the keffiyeh has been at many pro-Palestine events, often serving as a marshal to keep us safe while we march in the streets. They remained calm throughout Cowbell Karen’s rampage, and I am not only grateful for their presence but also in awe of their composure. Speaking for me, my blood pressure was running pretty high. The situation sidetracked my learning and I only caught snippets here and there, including:

A Palestinian man spoke about those who insist the situation in Palestine is incredibly complex and that the only way forward is a “two-state solution.” He reiterated that the situation is actually quite simple and that two states isn’t tenable, especially now because of the absolute and total destruction of Gaza. He offered a succinct response to those who cynically demand “well, then what’s your solution?” which is One state with equal rights for all. As he pointed out, it’s pretty hard to argue against that.

The speaker beneath the tent in the above photo is Indigenous and she spoke on the history of solidarity between Natives and Palestinians. I learned there was once an official U.S. Army regulation that required army helicopters to be named after Native tribes. Tomahawks, Apaches, Black Hawks. I didn’t catch much of what else she said, but was stunned to realize I’d never thought about the Army using those names.

Another speaker was a Black woman who works as a youth defender. She quoted from Ruha Benjamin’s Spelman Convocation 2024 (emphasis mine):
Remember too, that despite the social media slogan, trust black women, you too have to be trustworthy. Black faces in high places are not going to save us.

Just look at the black proponents of Cop City in Atlanta’s leadership class. Black faces in high places are not going to save us. Just look at the black woman, Tan, ambassador at the UN, voting against a ceasefire in Gaza. That is, our blackness and our womanness are not in themselves trustworthy if we allow ourselves to be conscripted into positions of power that maintain the oppressive status quo.

There’s a huge effort now on social media to drive a wedge between Black people and Gaza/Palestine, to fracture the solidarity, so it was really good to hear her reiterate the importance of the shared struggle against oppression.

Despite the disruptions and the glazed-over expressions from many of the Denver Dems volunteers who made it clear they were not interested in new perspectives or pushing their candidate to do the right thing, I’m still glad we went. It always feels good to be in solidarity with others.

If you are still making calls and sending emails to your representatives in regards to Gaza, please push for an arms embargo. If you don’t want to vote for candidates who enable genocide, please let them know you will withhold your vote unless they push for an arms embargo. Remember, if those in power truly want a ceasefire, they must immediately stop sending bombs that shred children.

It’s really that simple.

Climate Movement Monday: save the Pearl River

August 5, 2024August 5, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

Hello, again. I took an unscheduled break from my blog because everything felt like too much. Everything still feels like too much, but I want to continue offering information, perspectives, and ways to take action on behalf of people and planet. Because the WordPress community is spread around the world, these Monday climate posts dedicated to specific issues and communities could be viewed as unrelated to your own life and experience, but because I firmly believe we are ALL connected–everyone and everything–I also believe there’s no such thing as an unrelated issue (climate or otherwise). Anything that negatively affects the climate halfway around the world from where you live will eventually have negative consequences for your community. Okay, so let’s get to today’s issue. 🙂

Pearl River at Rosemary by J.G.W.Blakeney (wikimedia)

In September of 2022, I highlighted the flooding in Jackson, Mississippi, that happened when the Pearl River overflowed its banks due to heavy rains. As a result of that flooding, the water treatment plant failed in Jackson which is 82% Black, leaving 150,000 people without clean drinking water. Nearly two years later, Jackson residents are still dealing with low pressure and brown water.

There are plans to address the flooding issues, but the solution being pushed–One Lake–is environmentally devastating. From Healthy Gulf:

Instead of levee improvements, the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District, in charge of levees, is sponsoring an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to study dredging and widening 9 miles of the river to create a lake, primarily to please developers and mayors who see an urban waterfront as a money maker for Hinds and Rankin Counties. The cities of Jackson and Flowood will “share” the lake and the Drainage District has taxing power to create bonds to finance it. The plan is to dredge the river wider, remove 1860 acres of riverside wetlands and swamps, set back some levees and construct a new low-head dam below the I-20 Pearl River Bridge. The resulting 1900 acre lake is promised to tame the river’s backwater flooding during large releases.

The problem is that the wetland and wildlife habitat destruction resulting from this much dredging of banks and riverbed make the “One Lake” project the most environmentally damaging of the three alternatives (lake, levees, and floodplain buyouts) for solving the flooding, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

TAKING ACTION

So what can we do to help support the environment and people of Jackson? Submit comments to the Army Corps of Engineers TODAY! (tomorrow is the deadline for public comments and I apologize for the last-minute notice). As always, personalized letters have the most impact. But you don’t have to put tons of effort into your letter: just make your points and sign off! Here’s the letter template in which I’ve highlighted points to hit:

As someone who cares deeply about our country’s birds, wildlife, and habitats, I ask that you reject all flood relief plans for Jackson, Mississippi, that would dam or dredge the Pearl River. Instead, prioritize and expand on a proposal that can provide effective non-structural and nature-based flood solutions to benefit Pearl River communities and wildlife. Specifically, I urge you to pursue and bolster the Corps’ Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) Alternative A1 and deny Alternatives C, D, and E.

The Pearl River runs from Choctaw Tribal lands in Neshoba County, Mississippi, to Lake Borgne and the Rigolets in coastal Louisiana. It connects nearly 500 miles of ecology, communities, and economies across Mississippi and Louisiana. I urge you to oppose any flood relief plan that would dam or dredge this natural treasure.

The One Lake project and related proposals are all ecologically devastating plans. They would dredge river banks and wetlands, depositing the spoil behind levees to create broad terraces for commercial development. This would destroy thousands of acres of wildlife habitat and worsen Jackson’s flooding and drinking water crisis. It would also expose local and downstream communities to toxic contamination and reduce freshwater flows critical to the region’s seafood and tourism economies.

The DEIS is incomplete and missing sections required by law for adequate public and scientific review. It lacks a full analysis of wildlife habitat impacts, toxic sites, and downstream flows. However, it makes clear that One Lake and all related dam/dredge plans should be rejected. Federally mandated habitat protection areas for two endemic turtle species and the Gulf sturgeon are within the project area and LeFleur’s Bluff State Park would lose 63 acres of hardwood forest, changed to lake bottom. These are just two examples of the damage that the One Lake Project would cause.

Instead, I urge you to pursue effective, environmentally sustainable flood relief proposed in Alternative A1. This includes home elevations and flood-proofing buildings. Expand on this plan to consider restoring floodplains, raising roads, and incorporating levee setbacks and protections for vulnerable Jackson neighborhoods.

Please protect the Pearl River for this and future generations. Reject One Lake and all similar plans. Employ nature-based and non-structural flood solutions that benefit all Pearl River communities and species.

Again, here’s the link for writing a letter. Thank you in advance for reading this far and taking action on behalf of the people and environment in Jackson, Mississippi. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Climate Movement Mondays: public utility commissions (PUCs)

July 22, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 12 Comments

Welcome back to another Movement Monday. I hadn’t planned on posting anything today (kinda low energy as I hunker down inside my home to avoid the bad air from the wildfires in Canada), but then came across a very cool resource on the Earthjustice site.

Here’s the page where you can access all the info about Public Utility Commissions (PUCs), but I’ll highlight a bit of the introduction:

In a conference room somewhere in your state, a small, largely unseen group of people is casting votes that could make or break the clean energy transition.

You’ve probably never heard their names, and you might not even know the name of the agency they’re running: the state public utility commission (PUC). Fossil fuel interests would love to keep it that way.

PUCs regulate utilities. (In some states, they have other names, like public service commissions, or PSCs.) They determine the cost of your gas and electricity bills and where your power comes from, whether it’s fossil fuels, hydroelectricity, or renewables like wind and solar.

States created PUCs to oversee utility monopolies because we all need power to live. In many ways, PUCs operate like courts. When a utility wants to increase rates, build a methane gas power plant or pipeline, prop up an aging coal plant, or build new energy infrastructure, the proposal typically comes before the PUC for a hearing.

I invite you to visit the page where you can learn more about PUCs and how they operate (click on the plus signs to expand explanations). But even more cool, there’s a pull-down menu of each state (The Public v. the Power Companies) that shows recent PUC activities and offers links to state organizations that are fighting for a transition to renewable energies so that you can check them out and see if you’d like to join their efforts.

Also on the main page is a link that takes you to the Earthjustice library of PUC cases, offering updates such as this uplifting story from Philadelphia: How This Faith Group Took on a Fight for Climate Justice and Stopped Energy Bills From Skyrocketing. I don’t know about you, but I get a real boost learning about people and communities coming together like that!

Here’s a map I found (via ElectricityRates.com) that illustrates most PUCs are appointed, but there are states that elect their commissioners:

I’d love to hear if you learned anything new about the PUC in your state, so please share in the comments. Here’s hoping your air is healthy and that ours here in Colorado will soon be cleaner. Until next time, solidarity! ✊🏽

Grief is the opposite of indifference

July 15, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 1 Comment

Gull gliding above Jefferson Lake, July 1, 2024

Becoming aware of grief gives us more choices about how to respond to grief and opens up possibilities to approach grief not only with compassion for self and others, but also with joy. Joy is not the opposite of grief. Grief is the opposite of indifference. Grief is an evolutionary indicator of love — the kind of great love that guides revolutionaries.
~ Malkia Devich-Cyril

Note: I found that quote in Let This Radicalize You: Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care by Kelly Hayes & Mariame Kaba (it comes from this essay) and wanted to share it in response to my grief on many fronts: genocide in Gaza, climate collapse, political cowardice, abandonment during a global pandemic, etc. It also feels like a worthy companion to the excerpt shared in Rosaliene Bacchus’s post: Sighting the Storm which resonated with me.

Climate Movement Monday: mutual aid

July 8, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 12 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which we discuss all things climate. And guess what? Climate is connected to every other issue we’re facing for the simple reason that everyone and everything on this planet is connected. No one and nothing exists in isolation.

As I write this, much of the western U.S. is under a heatdome while Hurricane Beryl continues to wreak havoc, this time in Texas. A couple days ago, the medical journal The Lancet published a report saying that a conservative death toll in Gaza is 186,000 dead–which equals 8% of the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip–when indirect deaths (starvation, illness, disease, etc.) are taken into account. Ten days ago, the Supreme Court ruled that the constitution doesn’t protect unhoused people from cruel and unusual punishment, meaning it’s okay for cities to criminalize people for sleeping outdoors. Extreme weather is difficult even under the best of circumstances (i.e. with housing), and surviving extreme weather is much, much harder for those living on the streets. That’s where mutual aid comes in.

What is mutual aid? Mutual aid is about cooperating to serve community members. Mutual aid creates networks of care and generosity to meet the immediate needs of our neighbors. It also addresses the root causes of challenges we face and demands transformative change.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

As it becomes increasingly clear that the powerful elite has no interest in listening to or working on behalf of we-the-people, mutual aid shines brighter as a powerful way to share our energy. I hoped to find a national database of mutual aid efforts around the country that I could link here, but was unsuccessful (many mutual aid efforts started at the beginning of the pandemic have since folded). However, if you do a search for your city + mutual aid, you will get some hits. For instance, Zippy and I help via Rocky Mountain Mutual Aid Network (RMMAN) which collaborates with Joy’s Kitchen to get “saved” food to needy households. We also carry bottled water, granola bars, and masks in our car to offer people flying signs or washing windshields at stop lights. After that disastrous Supreme Court ruling against the unhoused, I came across this very helpful thread listing specific ways to offer aid to the unhoused.

I’ll close with this beautiful poem by the incredible Joy Hargo.

Once the World Was Perfect
BY JOY HARJO

Once the world was perfect, and we were happy in that world.

Then we took it for granted.

Discontent began a small rumble in the earthly mind.

Then Doubt pushed through with its spiked head.

And once Doubt ruptured the web,

All manner of demon thoughts

Jumped through—

We destroyed the world we had been given

For inspiration, for life—

Each stone of jealousy, each stone

Of fear, greed, envy, and hatred, put out the light.

No one was without a stone in his or her hand.

There we were,

Right back where we had started.

We were bumping into each other

In the dark.

And now we had no place to live, since we didn’t know

How to live with each other.

Then one of the stumbling ones took pity on another

And shared a blanket.

A spark of kindness made a light.

The light made an opening in the darkness.

Everyone worked together to make a ladder.

A Wind Clan person climbed out first into the next world,

And then the other clans, the children of those clans, their children,

And their children, all the way through time—

To now, into this morning light to you.

——-

Thank you for reading this far. I’d love to hear your thoughts on any or all of what’s mentioned here, especially any further tips/ideas for helping out in our communities. Either way, take good care. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Climate Movement Monday: whales, tents, & jail support

July 1, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 3 Comments

It’s another Movement Monday and I’ll be extra brief as Zippy and I are headed out for a much-needed dose of nature. I’m grateful to be able to escape to the great outdoors where I can clear my mind and refill my well, and I hope you’re also able to rejuvenate during these incredibly dark days.

This ask comes from Healthy Gulf and involves personalizing a quick letter:

The critically-endangered Rice’s whale lives only in the Gulf of Mexico and is teetering on the edge of extinction, with only about 50 whales remaining. But rather than protecting them, members of Congress are trying to block desperately needed actions to protect the whales. These whales need your support!

Will you take action today to tell your representatives that you support protections for critically endangered Rice’s whales?

Some members of Congress are attaching anti-whale language to bills that would fund government agencies in 2025. One measure by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) would force the U.S. Air Force to exempt itself from protections for the Rice’s whale under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, even though the Air Force has not requested it and has a long history of working to protect endangered species in its operations. Another would block the federal government from spending any money on creating restrictions on the speed of ships traveling through designated whale habitat—a proven conservation action used worldwide to protect whales from vessel strikes.

It’s pathological behavior for Congress to ignore the multiple crises threatening humanity’s very existence and, instead, to use their considerable power to target whales for extinction. Whew.

The second issue I want to put on your radar is a fundraiser to buy tents for people in Gaza (just realized they also have a separate fundraiser to buy diapers). The Sameer Project is a donations based aid Palestinian-led initiative working to supply emergency funding to the displaced families in Gaza. They are doing amazing work under incredibly difficult circumstances. This from their GoFundMe update today: The Sameer Project has so far provided over 525+ tents sheltering more than 5,000 people since the Rafah invasion started in May. That accounts for 1.5% of all the displaced population. Not only that, but our team has also been providing cash, clothing, food, water, and medical in all parts of the Strip. Wheelchairs are extremely expensive and difficult to find yet we successfully secured one for a woman with a severe case of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Our community kitchens and water trucks are going strong in the North because of your support. We also recently sourced around 300 milk tins and 1250 packs of diapers in both the North and South.

Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated!

The third issue is monetary support for the courageous people of Stop the Money Pipeline who are putting pressure on CitiBank to stop funding fossil fuel projects and genocide in Israel (you can notify Citi you’re opposed their actions here). I wrote about the Summer of Heat campaign here. This from the latest Stop the Money Pipeline email:

In the last three weeks, we’ve helped organize sixteen actions on Wall Street financiers of fossil fuels, including seven civil disobedience protests at Citi’s HQ that have ended in more than 250 arrests.

As a result of our tireless organizing, our message is getting out.

Yesterday, ABC correctly reported that “fossil fuel projects in [the Gulf South] are devastating Black and Brown communities.” Reuters wrote that “Citi employees were alerted on Thursday to anticipate ‘significant protest’ activity on Friday.” The previous day, Bloomberg reported that our “protracted campaign is beginning to wear on employees and executives alike.”

We aren’t deterred by all the arrests. Our resolve is only hardened: we will make our demand to end fossil fuels impossible to ignore by continuing disruptive, nonviolent civil disobedience.

That’s why we’ve been shutting down Citi’s HQ since early June – and why we’ll continue to be back week after week.

To sustain this fight, we need your help. Donate here to our legal and jail support fund. Every cent raised will support the courageous activists risking arrest week after week here in New York.

Again, any amount is helps! Thank you for reading this far and please know how much you’re appreciated. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Climate Movement Monday: declare a national climate emergency

June 24, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 6 Comments

Welcome back to another Movement Monday in which we discuss the climate crisis and take a quick action on behalf of people and planet. I don’t have a formal request for an action today, but suggest making phone calls and/or emailing Biden plus your two Senators and one Representative to report on what June has been like where you live. Is it hotter than usual? Windier than usual? Have there been wildfires, floods, tornados, tropical storms, drought, hail storms, etc.? How’s your air quality? Have you had to curtail physical activity? Have you lost insurance coverage due to climate risks?

A Bloomberg article from April stated “White House officials have renewed discussions about potentially declaring a national climate emergency, an unprecedented step that could unlock federal powers…” I don’t have a subscription so could only read that opening, but it seems like a good idea to let Biden and the Democrats know there’s broad support for the declaration of a climate emergency that would unlock all sorts of powers to take action.

When I made calls today, I reported that despite it still being morning, the temperature in the Denver metro area was already above 90 degrees. I went on to say that while those elected officials possessed considerable power that could be used to mitigate the climate crisis, they were instead using that power to enable and support a genocide in Gaza, and total destruction of infrastructure via 262 days of nonstop bombing that was also accelerating the climate crisis. I pointed out that the majority of people do NOT want their tax dollars used to kill and destroy, and would prefer a climate emergency declaration that would get everyone working together to ensure the planet remains livable.

On a related note, last week organizer Kelly Hayes shared the link to a Truthout article Climate Refugees Are Occupying Abandoned Buildings in Southern Brazil. This not only ties in with Rosaliene Bacchus’s recent blog post, but also gave me a boost. People coming together to care for each other in time of tragedy.

“This is our lifeboat,” says Liziane Pacheco Dutra. She wears a thick black jacket. Her hair is pulled back in a pony tail. “We lost everything to the flood. We have nothing. We have no bed. No food. We were disrespected at the shelter, and here we have found a connection, care and open arms. We’ve made friends. The kids play together and we are looking after each other.”

People were not treated well in the shelters which are mostly run by middle and upper class people who show the working class little respect. Instead, people are forming communities in abandoned buildings.

It’s a profound sentiment and a symbol of what the occupation means for the nearly 60 families that live here.

I recommend reading the entire article which shows what happens when people come together for the common good. Reading it warmed my heart and filled me with hope for the many possibilities available to us. Shared humanity for the win!

Wherever you are, I hope your local temperatures and weather are moderate. I’d love if you shared details of your June in the comments and/or comments made to your elected officials. Either way, please take care and stay safe. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Climate Movement Monday: Summer of Heat campaign

June 17, 2024June 17, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 9 Comments

Welcome back to another Movement Mondays in which we discuss all things climate and then typically take a quick action or two (today’s suggestions from Stop the Money Pipeline will be to donate, make a phone call, and send personalized emails) in support of frontline communities, those enduring the worst of the climate crisis.

With record-breaking heat happening around the country, along with a whole lot of wildfires currently burning, it could be said that every single one of us lives in a frontline community. Here’s today’s wildfire map from FIRMS US/CANADA (Fire Information for Resource Management System US/Canada):

Each of those orange flame icons represents a current wildfire. And it’s precisely for this reason that last week, Stop the Money Pipeline launched their Summer of Heat campaign (scroll down at link for details and lots of good info, including this):

The clock is ticking. That’s why during the Summer of Heat, we’re taking joyful, relentless nonviolent direct action to end fossil fuel financing.

Wall Street is bankrolling the coal, oil and gas companies that are polluting our communities and killing our planet. But we’re going to stop them.

We’re going hard all summer long. Week after week. Month after month. We’re taking the party to the streets and we won’t stop.

The following comes from the Stop the Money Pipeline newsletter sent last night:
It’s been quite the first week here in New York. We organized civil disobedience actions at Citibank’s global headquarters four days in a row: On Monday we blockaded every entrance with 150+ people. On Tuesday, we did it with a giant pod of orcas. On Wednesday, it was the turn of the scientists, including Dr. Sandra Steingraber and Dr. Peter Kalmus. And on Thursday we blockaded the headquarters with 200+ elders and 50+ rocking chairs.

On Friday, we held a block party in the plaza outside the HQ and in the midst of it all, we also found the time to disrupt a speech by Citibank’s Head of Wealth Management, Andy Seig. In total, 144 people were arrested this week, demanding an end to the financing of fossil fuels.

As someone who was arrested and jailed for climate protest, I know the risks these folks are taking on our behalf (especially risky now during an ongoing pandemic in which New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, is threatening a statewide mask ban). Alec Connon, co-director of Stop the Money Pipeline, said in that newsletter he was jailed twice last week! If you can spare a few dollars, please donate to the legal fund set up for the summer’s planned actions. Twelve weeks of actions will land an awful lot of people in jail because the powerful elites are working overtime to crush dissent as climate collapse worsens. Note: today’s article from independent journalists at The Lever is Big Oil’s Plan to Criminalize Pipeline Protestors.

The following also comes from last night’s Stop the Money Pipeline newsletter:

The stakes of the climate fight cannot be overestimated. Already, at less than 1.5°C of warming, half of the world’s coral reefs have collapsed and millions of children are being displaced by climate-driven extreme weather events every year. If we don’t stop burning fossil fuels in the coming years, it will get so much worse.

Given these stakes, it feels good to be a part of a campaign that at least feels close to being commensurate with the scale of the crisis.

I take heart, too, in knowing that history shows how effective sustained campaigns of civil disobedience can be. Indeed, many of most significant advances in social justice of the past 150 years ― from women’s suffrage to desegregation to the many gains won by organized labor ― owe less to subtle, “respectable” maneuvering than to the disruptive campaigns and groups that first made the issues impossible to ignore, and then forced decision-makers to act.

I believe that will be true of the fight to end fossil fuels, too―and that civil disobedience will play a key role in turning Wall Street against the fossil fuel industry.

As we take a breath and prepare for another week of civil disobedience actions, there are several ways that you can support the Summer of Heat campaign, wherever you are.

You can take a few minutes to call Citi’s CEO, email a dozen of their top executives, or call them out on social media. If you have the means to do so, you can also make a donation to the Summer of Heat campaign here. We’ll put every cent to good use.

And, of course, if you’re really eager to jump in, you can also look up where the closest Citi branch is to you and plan an action; or you could even start to plan your trip to New York. June 28th would be a very good day to be in town…

In Solidarity
– Alec Connon, Stop the Money Pipeline coalition co-director

PS: Interested in checking out the media from the first week of Summer of Heat? The pick of the bunch is here: Newsweek, the Hill, Salon, Democracy Now – Wednesday, Democracy Now – Thursday, Bloomberg, ABC7, AM NY, NPR, Common Dreams, and the NY Post

As I end here, I want to highlight the TikTok video of the orcas blockading Citibank on Tuesday. (Warning: profanities).

Thank you for being here and please know I appreciate your efforts on behalf of people and planet. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Action needed: prioritize Palestinian refugees in U.S.

June 13, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

As you know, the United States is largely responsible for the genocide happening in Gaza right now. Tens of thousands dead, thousands more buried beneath rubble, and entire families wiped out by the U.S. bombs supplied to Israel. The reality is incredibly bleak. However, there’s an effort underway that could potentially save thousands of Palestinian lives, and that is to allow them to reunite with family members in the U.S.

This action info came to me via an email from MPOWER CHANGE:

Rep. Greg Casar, Sen. Dick Durbin, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal are leading a bicameral letter expressing strong support for a Priority-2 (P-2) designation under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for Palestinians in Gaza with family in the United States. The Biden administration is reportedly considering this policy change.¹

Urge your U.S. Senators and Representative to sign on to the Casar-Durbin letter NOW:

Palestinians are so rarely granted U.S. refugee status that, of the over 60,000 refugees resettled in the United States in 2023, fewer than 0.1% were Palestinians.²

PLEASE take two minutes to personalize a letter to your representatives, demanding they ease some of the pain and suffering they’ve enabled by signing on to the Casar-Durbin letter.

Thank you in advance for your help. Solidarity! ✊🏽

“White House considers welcoming some Palestinians from war-torn Gaza as refugees,” CBS News, Apr. 30, 2024.
“Republicans want to ban Palestinian refugees from entering the U.S., but it’s already very hard for them to get in,” NBC News, Oct. 7, 2023

Climate Movement Monday: deadly heat in Gaza

June 3, 2024June 3, 2024 / Tracy Abell / 10 Comments

Welcome back to another Movement Monday in which we talk about the climate crisis and the communities already getting hit the hardest. Today’s post focuses on the people of Gaza who have not only been under attack since October–thousands and thousands of bombs raining down on them no matter where they go–but have also been under siege in terms of deprivation of food, water, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid. On top of all that, displaced Palestinians faced a record-breaking heatwave that pushed temperatures over 100 degrees as they huddled in tents that became deathly hot. This article from Climate Home News points out the disparity between how the Israelis’ in Tel Aviv and Gazans living in refugee camps handle high temperatures. Spoiler alert: people in Tel Aviv stay in their air-conditioned homes or travel to the sea to sit under beach umbrellas while Gazans forced to live in nylon tents are losing their children to heat stroke. This week, the temperatures will “only” be in the upper 80s and low 90s, but if you’ve ever slept in a tent not shaded by trees, you know how unbearably hot it gets inside.

Boys carry water bottles in Gaza on May 28, 2024. (Photo: Naaman Omar)

Here’s an excerpt from the Climate Home News article:
The predicament of Gazans forced to endure sweltering conditions in ill-equipped tents is not an isolated problem. Across the world, climate change and war are forcing more and more people out of their homes and into makeshift camps. More than 75 million people are currently displaced inside their own countries – 50% more than five years ago.

Read that last line again: More than 75 million people are currently displaced inside their own countries – 50% more than five years ago.

If you’re like me, reading something like that can tip you precariously close to despair. But we can also have a different response. We can read something that feels overwhelmingly bad and ask ourselves “what can I do here and now to effect change?” Today I’m going to share some links for ways in which we can help Gazans.

MUNICIPALITY OF GAZA is working toward the restoration of sewage treatment, waste management, and access to clean water which will cut down on waterborne illnesses. You can donate HERE (any amount helps!) If you appreciated Refaat Alareer’s work I shared here (including “If I must die, let it be a tale”), please note that he also ran the social media account for the Municipality of Gaza (@munigaza).
GAZA FUNDS is a project that connects people to crowdfunding campaigns for individuals and families from Gaza. Each time the page is reloaded, a different campaign appears. While the rotation is randomized, campaigns for the sick/injured and campaigns close to meeting their goals are prioritized. We never want any of these campaigns to go stagnant, so we make sure to also prioritize fundraisers that haven’t had a donation in a while. As existing fundraisers meet their goals, they will be replaced with other fundraisers that need your help. You can donate HERE. I’ve seen people on Twitter highlighting their $5 donations to several campaigns with the knowledge that those contributions add up as well as give Palestinians the much-needed boost of knowing they haven’t been forgotten by the rest of the world. (more info re the Gaza Funds volunteers here). Also, I’m including the below graphics that offer additional ideas on how to help plus social media account info.

One last note to help make the connection between the United States and what’s happening in Gaza: On May 31, multiple water mains in Atlanta burst and people were/are under a boil water advisory. Many parts of the city are still without water. As I write this, it appears there’s still no clear communication on the water situation and many Atlanta residents are calling out Mayor Andre Dickens for attending a fundraiser on Friday AFTER THE FIRST PIPE BURST. The water infrastructure failure further highlights that the push to build Cop City in Atlanta to the tune of $100 million is the absolute wrong “public safety” initiative needed when the city can’t even provide citizens clean, safe water.

If you’ve read this far, thank you for being here! We’re facing incredibly difficult realities, but we’re much stronger together. Solidarity!✊🏽

Tracy Abell

Writer…Runner…Birder

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