line 5

Thankful Thursday: assorted gratitudes

/ Tracy Abell / 7 Comments

Knew I’d been absent for a while, but didn’t realize it’s nearly a month since I posted anything or commented on others’ blogs. There’s a variety of reasons for that, including an elderly cat who has an uncanny talent for knowing when I’m on my computer. Loki reminds me of son, Zebu, who when young had radar for when I was on the phone and would also demand to be held. Since I have a standing desk, it’s hard holding a cat and typing one-handed. I’m literally doing so right now and it’s slow-going! This would all be much easier if Loki would use the sling. He won’t.

But isn’t this supposed to be a post about gratitude? It is, indeed.

Today I am:

  • Grateful that I successfully gave Loki his pill which he swallowed on the first try!
  • Grateful that this morning I took my final antibiotic for the self-inflicted then infected wound I suffered on my ring finger knuckle when using my guillotine paper cutter on August 29. PSA: always, always be mindful when using sharp implements! And always, always wash a wound no matter how much it stings!
  • Grateful that earlier in that week was the glorious wedding ceremony and celebration for Zebu and his new bride in which there were happy tears, much rejoicing, and dancing. Lots of dancing!
  • Grateful for my morning-of-wedding decision to forgo the professional hair and makeup gathering with the bride, mother-of-bride,  and attendants, and instead go to the tidepools with nephews and families. Yes, my “wedding hair” had a wind-blown look but that’s okay because we saw lots and lots of these purple sea stars:

    (Also? My decision to examine tidepools and search the undersides of boulders for treasures was affirmed by every single one of my tidepool companions who basically said, “Yo, couldn’t believe you even considered doing that hair and makeup thing.” PSA: Pushing yourself to do something out of character isn’t always a good decision and perhaps “comfort zones” exist for a reason.)
  • Grateful for the latest local organizing win in which our city council has adopted a six-month moratorium on A.I. data centers as they research and craft language that bars such industry from our community while also allowing for sustainable and job-producing industries to come. Please, if you’re concerned about the real or potential threat of this tech-bro nightmare being inflicted on your community, reach out and I’ll share how we organized to reach this point!
  • Grateful I’m now typing with both hands after Loki fell asleep in the little tent I constructed on the couch. Woot!
  • Grateful that candidates who are unapologetically pro-Palestine continue to win primaries around the country. Last night in Providence, Rhode Island, David Morales, who was endorsed by Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), defeated the incumbent mayor. Per today’s email from JVP:
    Morales intertwined justice for Palestinians with a populist program of support for working class Providencians, saying: “The mayor should be more concerned with fighting the affordability crisis in Providence than defending a genocide.”  
  • Grateful that today, Michigan’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer finally and quite unexpectedly came out against Enbridge’s delay tactics and the Line 5 tunnel permits. Whitmer’s about-face probably has something to do with Climate Defiance’s recent action. In 2023, I wrote about the Line 5 crude oil pipeline here, and want to send thanks again to all who heeded that call to action!

Okay, I’ll stop before Loki wakes up again. Please, if you are so inclined, share in the comments something you’re grateful for so that I can celebrate with you. We need every glimmer of hope and good stuff during these difficult days. Solidarity!

Climate Movement Monday: Line 5 crude oil pipeline

/ Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

Welcome back to another Movement Mondays post in which I highlight a climate-related issue and the frontline community directly affected, and offer ways to take action on behalf of that community. Today’s post is about Line 5, a crude oil pipeline built in 1953 during the Eisenhower administration by the Bechtel Corporation and now operated by Enbridge Inc.

Per Oil and Water Don’t Mix: “Enbridge’s Line 5 is a 645-mile petroleum pipeline that is part of the larger Enbridge Lakehead System. Line 5 carries oil from Superior, Wisconsin, across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, through northern Michigan, down to the thumb region, and under the St. Clair River to Sarnia, Ontario. Along the way, the pipeline crosses through the Straits of Mackinac, 400 rivers, streams, and wetlands. In northern Michigan, it goes through almost 10 miles of wetlands and runs right next to many of our sparkling inland lakes.”

A diver working on behalf of the National Wildlife Federation inspects the Line 5 pipeline at the lake bottom in the Straits of Mackinac during a July 2013 dive.

Water is needed to sustain life–all life requires it–and it’s insanity to expect 70-year-old corroded pipes to safely carry over a half a million barrels (equivalent to 22 million gallons) of oil and natural gas liquids every single day. To make matters even worse, Line 5 cuts across Tribal lands, including the Bad River Reservation, threatening wild lands, wetlands, and connecting rivers and streams. From the Sierra Club: “The Straits of Mackinac are a series of waterways linking Lake Michigan to Lake Huron. Not only do these lakes supply drinking water to millions of inhabitants and support the region’s recreation and fishing sectors, but they also provide habitats for numerous species of plants and animals. A spill here would be catastrophic. According to University of Michigan hydrologist Dave Schwab, the Straits of Mackinac would be “the worst possible place for an oil spill in the Great Lakes.” Compared to other nearby regions, the complex currents here are particularly strong and shift directions frequently — meaning oil would disperse rapidly and spread across great distances.” 

Line 5 has already spilled more than 1 million gallons over the past 50 years. Per an email from Earthjustice: “In 2019, the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa sued Enbridge for trespassing on their reservation in Wisconsin. And two years ago, the State of Michigan ordered Line 5 to stop operating – yet Enbridge continues to operate its pipeline in defiance of that order.”

Line 5 must be shut down. Instead, Enbridge is trying to work around the legal challenge by rerouting Line 5. CONFESSION: I am new to this issue and am struggling to understand the ins and outs, but one thing I know for sure: underwater, corroded crude oil pipelines must be shut down! Biden has the power to do just that. And seeing as how Biden (“the climate president”) is rapidly accelerating the climate crisis with authorization of the Willow Project, the Gulf of Mexico lease sales, the export of liquified natural gas (LNG) in Alaska, and the export of LNG in Texas, he at minimum must shut down Line 5.

PLEASE, take a moment to personalize this letter to Biden and demand he start using his power for good rather than environmental evil. Remember: you don’t need to be long-winded in your letter. Just let him know you want Line 5 shut down! And if you can get a friend or two to also send a letter, that would be awesome!

I love hearing from readers about these climate issues–your thoughts and actions–and hope you share here. Solidarity! ✊🏽