Climate Movement Mondays: support on Giving Tuesday

November 27, 2023November 27, 2023 / Tracy Abell / 3 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which we discuss all things climate. Many of these weekly posts have focused on frontline communities experiencing the worst effects of climate change and today I’d like to offer a list of organizations working to protect their specific communities as well as the environment in general. Tomorrow is “Giving Tuesday,” which began in 2012, and “reimagines a world built upon shared humanity and generosity.” Every donation is appreciated!

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Below, in no particular order, are six groups fighting for people and planet. I thank you in advance for checking them out and donating as you can. Remember, no donation is too small! Also, if you have a group you’d like me to include, please let me know in the comments! Thank you and solidarity! ✊🏽

NDN Collective
The NDN Collective Climate Justice Campaign builds power throughout Indigenous communities in order to tackle the climate crisis. Our team runs and supports campaigns aimed at ending extraction, contamination, and violence in our territories. We advance policy changes, coalition building, and advocacy, while supporting the solutions-based work happening across our nations that utilizes traditional ecological knowledge in order to develop climate adaptive solutions that reflect our values of living with respect for all sources of life.
Donate HERE

Healthy Gulf
Healthy Gulf’s purpose is to collaborate with and serve communities who love the Gulf of Mexico by providing the research, communications, and coalition-building tools needed to reverse the long pattern of over exploitation of the Gulf’s natural resources. (They have a blog that offers a snapshot of what they’re facing in their communities.) I’ve written about them here and here.
Donate HERE

Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights (POWHR)
Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights (POWHR) is an interstate coalition representing individuals and groups from Virginia and West Virginia dedicated to protecting water, land, and communities from harms caused by the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure, including the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). (They also have a blog.) NOTE: I’ve written about MVP here and here and here.
Donate HERE

Appalachian Legal Defense Fund
Support the Appalachian Legal Defense Fund for community members being targeted for protecting their communities and land. All funds will be used for the costs of bail, legal defense and defendant support. NOTE: I wrote about the increased criminalization against those fighting to protect people, land, and water here.
Donate HERE

Climate Defiance
This group takes direct, non-violent action, targeting those in power.
Donate HERE

Third Act
We are building a community of experienced Americans over the age of sixty determined to change the world for the better. Together, we use our life experience, skills and resources to build better tomorrow. NOTE: They’ve established a “No Time To Waste” Fund, with the goal of raising $500,000 by December 31. The No Time to Waste Fund will help ramp up our organizing work to support 60,000+ Third Actors plus allies coast to coast—from staffing and training, to events and digital support.
Donate HERE

This is a climate emergency!

March 26, 2022 / Tracy Abell / 13 Comments

Another wildfire in Boulder, Colorado.
In March.
Following the Marshall Fire in December.

NCAR Fire on March 26, 2022

Zippy and I were heading out of a very windy Boulder this afternoon when he saw the smoke and exclaimed, “Wildfire!” As I drove, he took the above photo at 2:30 (about 30 minutes after it started.) At times, we could see the bright red-orange flames. As we continued driving south on Highway 93 with our windows rolled up, smoke odors permeated the car. The air was hazy. Our beautiful afternoon was suddenly filled with anxiety.

This was our first time in Boulder since the Marshall Fire and our appointment had taken us past areas devastated by that fire. Blackened trees reaching for the blue sky next to homes that were nothing but smoke-stained brick and concrete foundations. Rubble. We’d gotten emotional at those sights and then, an hour later, saw the smoke of yet another wildfire. It was happening again.

The climate crisis is a collective trauma for everyone, but especially those who just three months ago experienced a wildfire. My heart is with the people of Boulder. I’m not sure what it’s going to take for those in power to make radical changes to avert the worst of what’s to come. So far, the crisis has accelerated to wildfires any time of year.

Mutualism

June 28, 2021 / Tracy Abell / 2 Comments

Hayden Green Mountain Park. June 24, 2021

Nature promotes mutualism. The flower nourishes the bee. The river waters quench the thirst of all living beings. And trees provide a welcoming home to so many birds and animals. There is a rhythm to this togetherness. ~ Ram Nath Kovind

Twofer Tuesday: Green New Deal edition

February 26, 2019February 26, 2019 / Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

I’m getting ready to head out to one of my senator’s offices to urge his support for a Green New Deal. I had a conversation with one of his D.C. staffers yesterday when I called (again) to ask that he co-sponsor the Green New Deal. I was told Senator Bennet doesn’t support it because he wants legislation that’s bi-partisan so that whatever is passed won’t be subject to political winds depending on who is in power.

Classic establishment Dem thinking. Water down the policy in hopes the soulless ghouls across the aisle will approve. This senator also thinks he might run for president. *insert hysterical laughter* If Senator Bennet thinks he’ll get anywhere without the support of the young people out there fighting for their futures, he’s incredibly out of touch. Which is what I told that staffer.

Here are my signs for this afternoon’s meeting:

I don’t have high hopes for Senator Bennet who voted to approve the Keystone Pipeline and said at the time he thought Keystone should be part of a bigger solution to climate change. (?!) BUT, I can’t not make the effort when so much is at stake.

Please, even if you’ve already done so, put in calls today to your two senators and one representative to ask them to co-sponsor the resolution for a Green New Deal. We’ve gotta go bold before it’s too late.

Mother Earth ain’t subtle with her hints

November 7, 2018November 7, 2018 / Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

Yesterday I spent four long and very cold hours in a library parking lot. I was there to educate people on Colorado’s Prop 112. I was hoping voters would support the proposition which would’ve created safer setbacks for fracking sites. I was hoping they’d agree that industrial oil & gas operations don’t belong nears schools and communities, and that public health and safety is paramount.

Some of the people I spoke with definitely cared. Some, however, didn’t think children’s health was at risk. My most gut-wrenching interaction in those four hours was with a young woman holding an exceedingly smiley and cute toddler. As I explained to her I was out there because of my concern for children’s well-being, she unzipped her son’s hoodie and showed me the shirt underneath. Someone in their household had dressed that small little boy with the beautiful smile in a NO ON PROP 112 shirt.

The oil & gas industry dumped millions of dollars into defeating Prop 112 and yesterday it succeeded. And today? Well, I just logged onto Twitter and saw this: