Category: Climate

We Are All Frontline

2025 is coming in like 2024 went out. Earthquake in Tibet, fires around Los Angeles and Acra, are just a few of the calamities we’re facing. We, the human family. We, the ones who can learn from the past and develop strategies of coexistence on this miraculous planet – or we, the ones who succumb to division and greed. Who will we be?

A few years ago, the term “frontline communities” emerged. It referred to those who lived in proximity to dangerous environmental pollutant. Now, the term “sacrifice zone” is used to express a region that is offered up to the powers of corporate greed in the name of sustainability. But what is being sustained? The capitalist model of usury is the only thing I see that we’re sustaining. Clearly not the communities. Clearly not human beings.

We are willingly selling out our children’s future on earth – but wait – I heard today there might have been life on Mars. And the spin continued: previous life on Mars could indicate that a human family could possibly be sustained there. In the future. Your future? Hardly. Your grandchildren’s? Doubtful. But we are placing bets on these hypothetical futures while ignoring our present conditions.

We are rapidly going down the “unlikely to return” scenario, but not enough of us are noticing. 

Oh, Jimmy Carter got it way back in the 70’s when he told us we would need to use less energy. I watched my friends ignore the warning and instead backed the slick talking money man Reagan. I shook my head then. I’m still shaking my head now. 

We are all frontline people. The upheaval of the earth and the insidious and murderous violence perpetrated by human beings have made this so.

Some of us are just waiting our turn for our world to be upended. Some of us are preparing for the worst. But the wisest among us are working to restore the balance we have squandered – with one another and the earth. Who will we be?

May we rise to help one another. May we restore the dignity that is surely within us.

Our Resistance is Growing

I was grateful to participate in the recent Army Corps of Engineers’ hearing on the proposed re-route to Line 5. The opportunity to be with people who hold the land and water sacred is an honor and reaffirms all that is good in us. The Bad River and Red Cliff Tribal members, their allies and community came with great words of defiance and resilience as they try to stop Enbridge’s Line 5. I am proud to stand with them. NEW IN: THE HEARING HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO AUGUST 4. READ DETAILS BELOW.

Here is a portion of my testimony: There comes a time when clear thinking people must admit that the course of exploitation and usury is no longer viable. And when those people come to that conclusion, it’s vital they ensure a change of course that is just, equitable and sound. 

Both the current Line 5 and the proposed Line 5 expansion pose potential threats to drinking water and ecosystems. Both violate tribal rights. Line 5 is operating nearly 20 years past its lifespan. And we know, the Great Lakes hold 95 percent of the surface freshwater in the United States.  A pipeline breach will be catastrophic. 

These facts alone should be enough to end the existence of Line 5 and it’s re-route. But too many of us still believe the propaganda of the oil industry and are frightened about a change of course. 

The Army Corp has an enormous responsibility to provide stop gap measures and allow clear thinking to prevail. By ordering a Federal Environmental Impact Statement you can expose the true risks of the pipeline.

By reviewing Enbridge’s record of misrepresentation, violating permits, spilling oil, and covering up environmental damage you can end past injustices.

In shutting down Line 5 we can justly transition to safer, more sustainable energy. 

Our resistance is growing and will continue to grow. 

Learn more on Line 5: Communities United by Water. or 350 Wisconsin.org and be sure to see the Bad River Film

*****!!!!!! Due to an overwhelming amount of requests, the U.S. Army Corps has extended the public comment period on Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 reroute project for an additional 30 days 📆

💥 The new deadline is August 4th 💥 Feeling stuck? Check out this toolkit ➡https://tinyurl.com/LINE5GUIDE⬅ to help you during the process

Thanks to 350Wisconsin.org

📝

End War Save the Planet

When we think of war it’s often through the heroic lens of a movie screen. Good guys versus bad guys and we’re always the good ones. This archaic notion is finally getting the scrutiny it deserves. Putin’s destruction of Ukraine and the reckless takeover of a nuclear power plant reveals the ignorance power carries. Now a case of ecocide is pending against Russia for breaching the Nova Kakahova Dam. 

Ecocide. The term is relatively new and characterizes mass damage and destruction of ecosystems. Widespread harm to nature is getting its day in court as countries create laws to govern and punish ecocide.

As we begin to understand the finite nature of earth’s resources, we can also begin to reckon with the diabolical aspect of war. War’s environmental disruptions have grown exponentially as chemicals and nuclear scorched earth policies are used.

Today the most glaring destruction of earth, water and air are found in the retaliatory war that Israel is using to remove the people of Gaza from their homeland. Numerous international health agencies report high levels of airborne toxins from debris, ash and dust. Carbon dioxide emissions are expected to add to climate vulnerability world-wide. But the most sinister and inhuman damage is the contamination of water.

It’s speculated that 97% of water in Gaza is contaminated. Even before this latest war, it was the leading cause of death in children. The Israeli blockade that has imprisoned Palestinians since 2007 added to the crumbling infrastructure. The water restrictions imposed on the people of Gaza created immense hardship.  Forced removals, continued bombing and total community destruction by Israel are war crimes with ecocide being among them.

The United States funds the war against Palestinian people and their environment.

We will be held accountable.

A Conversation with Rachel Ida Buff on anti-Semitism vs. anti-Zionism

A Cry for Moral Reckoning

The world watches as the death toll of civilian Palestinians surpasses 18,000. At the UN, 153 countries voted for ceasefire, 23 abstained and eight countries – a few of them tiny islands – voted with the United States and Israel to maintain the ongoing genocide. 

The vote demonstrates the isolation that is beginning to encompass the United States and Israel. 

Christian Palestinians who have suffered in this reign of terror have an open letter to Christians worldwide. They decry the willful tolerance to violence that too many people of faith have adopted over the past three months. They debunk the lies that allow for the United States and western media’s collusion with Israel. And they cry out for moral reckoning. 

Cop28 has ended along with the dream that the world would unify to end the use of fossil fuels. Instead we are urged to “transition” to natural gas. Indigenous leaders and climate activists from around the world also drafted an open letter regarding the genocide of Palestinians. They remind us that colonizing has always been the excuse for genocide and the stealing of land. 

It was in their letter that I learned of Israel’s twelve permits recently granted for natural gas drilling. They were extended to Great Britain’s BP and Italy’s ENI among others. The lies about the need to remove Hamas and the forced removal of Palestinian civilians for their “safety” made sense in this context. Israel wants to cash in on the “transition” away from fossil fuels. When power and greed lead, human beings are dispensable.

What we are seeing is this: people of peace, people of faith, people who are demanding an end to land theft and to genocide are not being silent. May we all eliminate the beliefs that allow for the slaughter of human beings for greed and power. 

That is our first challenge and then united we will stand.

Viva humanity.

Please take time to listen to my WDRT Conversation with Janan Najeeb, Executive Director of Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition regarding Palestine today, the historical context and the urgency for all of us to return to our humanity.

Breathing as a Priority

The morning sky was cloudy and the sun was fiery red. The air was thick as the winds blew smoke from the over two hundred fires burning out of control in Canada. I thought of the People who had lived long before modern methods of communication and I wondered how they would have perceived this day. Would it have struck fear in them? Would it have generated concern for one another? 

Head aches, raspy throats, blurred vision would surely have signaled some kind of pause, some depth of thinking. Perhaps even some request for help from something Greater.

But we live today and the information highway is overloaded with things to attract our attention. Unless the fires and the smoke directly impact us, it’s easy to become distracted. And for those whose air quality has diminished dramatically, do we even know how to help ourselves? Wearing a mask, staying indoors are the common mitigations, but they do not take on the larger and more implicit need of changing how we live. Cranking up your air conditioner may help in the short run, but what are the long-term damages to the environment using these kinds of solutions?

It’s time we take a pause and really reflect on the current status of the citizens of the earth. It’s time to understand that the perils that affect one, affect all, as we live in our interconnected web of life on this still marvelous planet.

I know I’m moving more slowly these days because it’s all my body can do as the air becomes less friendly and the preciousness of each breath becomes clearer. 

And my hope is that enough of us care to make a change.

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Air quality below 100 is considered satisfactory. We have been ranging between 170 and greater for the past few days. Madison, WI is at 240 as I write this…

The photo is from our farm at 11 in the morning looking out over the Kickapoo Valley Reserve and Wildcat Mountain State Park.

Lead the Way

Researchers of carbon emissions are calculating the environmental costs of our propensity for war. The Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, the burning of forests, croplands and oil reserves are only a fraction of the consideration. There’s also rebuilding once wars conclude, and that is loaded with carbon emissions.

And then there is the destruction of farmland, with landmines and contaminants, forcing human migration. Or, as in the case of the ended war in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, farmers are cutting trees, including fruit trees, for fuel in an area once known for its reforestation efforts.

It is speculated that ending war games, ballistic testing and other non -defensive military operations would significantly reduce our carbon emissions. Surely we can agree to this and while we’re at it, why not agree to end all war?

I heard it said once that pigs would be constipated if it knew their dung would be used to make firepower. One has to believe that those who still mass-produce war have no sense of the preciousness of life, nor of the interconnectedness we share with the earth and all living.

So this is when I tell you hold onto your compassionate heart. Find people that support your dreams of coexistence and peace. Never doubt that the power of light can triumph over darkness. And if all you can do is wish for war to end, then wish away. Your wishing and hoping, prayers and actions can lead the way.

So at this time of Summer Solstice, when the light is the greatest and the days the longest, celebrate. Welcome in the light, bask in it and know the possibility for peace is still available to us. 

Giving credit where it is due, the constipated pig comment was another of the gems of Prem Rawat.

The photo is of our newly gifted black lamb making friends with a great great grandma of our farm. We are thrilled to have this curious, brave lamb. Her mother had 4 lambs but has only one utter, so we are bottle feeding this little one and grateful to our friend for sharing her with us.

Stop Doing Harm

The Climate Summit is underway. The gathering is supposed to allow all countries equal footing to negotiate the perils of climate change. Once again the fossil fuel industry is driving the agenda to continue the abusive use of coal, gas and oil.  And once again governments, who are the greatest emitters of greenhouse gasses, are refusing to wind down.  Climate justice groups are given little space to talk about the need to stop harmful polluting, while fossil fuel industries set up elaborate booths to sell their products. It’s more than a conflict of interest; it’s death by greed.

The request for financial help to repair the damage caused by large polluters is being sidestepped. The request to “stop doing harm” is going unheard. 

The summit is called COP 27. That means for the past 27 years this spin has continued while our overuse of fossil fuels impacts the climate and adversely affects our health. 

So when I learned about our school district receiving grants and loans to do a makeover, I looked to see if there were plans to use renewable energy. There were none. The plans are for larger spaces that will require more energy. 

And energy costs are rising and will continue to. Taxpayers will foot the bill for the construction AND for the operational costs. That figure was left out the planning as well. 

The Inflation Reduction Act is ready and waiting for makeovers like this one. Switching to renewables in this moment makes total sense.

I can’t be at COP 27, but I can make my voice heard and I did. I will not be voting to approve the plans for the school makeover unless renewable energy is used. It’s time to stop doing harm. We can.

Photo from an article Misconceptions about solar energy

Thanks to Edward Kimmel via Wikipedia Commons for the image of the sign from the 2017 Climate March in Washington, DC. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0

Why do we keep allowing the fossil fuel industry to call the shots?

VANESSA NAKATE to Democracy Now: Well, apparently, we have more than 600 fossil fuel lobbyists at this COP, and yet so many communities and activists from the frontlines of the climate crisis weren’t able to make it here. There is a quote that I read recently that said, “If you’re going to discuss about malaria, do not invite the mosquitoes.” So, for me, it’s a worry that we have over 600 fossil fuel lobbyists in this place. It’s a worry for our future. It’s a worry for our planet. It’s a worry for the people.

Loving Makes It Easy

The days keep growing longer. The birds, crickets and frogs break the silence with sweet sounds. The fireflies are back and their magic still enchants. Walking through the forest, the scents are a tonic, each plant offering its own special gift. The soil in the garden is a balm for feet and hands. Senses are heightened and gratitude comes easily. 

And I wonder why we ever took ourselves out of the garden.

If you look at your family history you’ll find it’s not been that long that our ancestors coexisted with the earth. It hasn’t been that long since they “made a way out of no way”. There is something so very basic in our relationship to the earth, so very integral. It’s in our blood. We are made of this earth and we return to this earth. It’s natural to appreciate it. It’s natural to learn from it and to celebrate it. What is unnatural is to do it harm. And this we have been doing for some time now.

From industry to industrial ag, from chemical herbicides to chemical fertilizers, this need to make our lives easier has made it a living hell. 

I’m always happy to hear of people trying to end the harm. Most recently a Canadian company, McCain Foods, asked their Wisconsin potato growers to adopt regenerative practices by 2030.  There are a growing number of voices both consumers and producers ready for change. 

And how hard will that change be to make? Loving makes the need for change come more easily. When we fall in love with the earth and all its wonders, when we appreciate the delicacies it offers and delight in our ability to co-create, we will change. Our health and the health of the planet depend on it. 

Here Comes the Sun

If you’re thinking of putting up a home solar array in 2022 you will qualify for the 26% federal solar tax credit. That credit will drop to 22% in 2023 and will conclude in 2024. 

For those tempted to take the solar plunge, learning about your energy use and your energy waste are perhaps the most important considerations. Reading your monthly statements, understanding your peak times of use, changing to LED bulbs and using energy efficient appliances will dramatically reduce your electric bill.

It’s an exercise in conscious living and it’s very satisfying to your pocketbook. 

Most rural people have forgotten the history of how electricity came to the countryside. It was the establishment of cooperatives that allowed the forgotten regions of this country to obtain electricity. 

Today most are cooperative members, but seldom understand our roles as co-owners. Happy for the lights to go on, we have entrusted the financial workings of the energy cooperatives to boards and stakeholders. As we move to renewable energy, this may be a moment to reconsider inaction and become involved. 

If you’re holding out hope that your energy provider will increase their use of solar and that it will decrease your costs, it’s time to think again. Out of state third party developers are taking advantage of this leap towards solar and are investing in local solar systems. What you aren’t being told is how much you will be paying for this “service” as our cooperatives sign on to contracts that in many cases will outlast our lifetimes. It’s estimated that Vernon County ratepayers export $76 million yearly in energy costs.

So on top of your conscientious reduction of energy waste, it’s time to let your coop board know that you would prefer to keep our dollars local. 

For a great presentation by Vernon County Energy District members Samantha Laskowski, Kaila Wilson and independent solar enthusiast, Rob Danilelson, click here.

Inherit the Wind

For those not paying attention: The earth is undergoing traumatic change. Debates can rage, but facts are undeniable. We’re having one of our driest years. A few years back the waters raged. These are the fluctuations predicted for us. Our terrain gives way to a downward flow but history has informed us trees and grasses play a significant role in slowing the floodwaters when they do arrive.

Wood is at a premium right now. And taking down mature forests make sense to the pocketbook, but little sense when we consider trees’ advantages.

Trees give us oxygen and improve the air we breathe. They sequester carbon, preserve soil, conserve water and support wildlife. Not to mention the joy of a swing and other childhood memories they provide. 

I’m not a gambler, but taking into account climate swings, odds are pretty good that we will have some heavy rains and flooding in the not too distant future. People living in valleys are particularly aware of the dangers of fast moving run-off.  

If you’ve driven around lately, you can see that short-term gain is winning and old growth trees are coming down. The mills are loaded and “useless” treetops are an ugly sight on our hillsides. While I understand the need to survive financially, I must wonder why we cannot find better ways.

I know I’ll hear, “I can do what I want with my land.” Unfortunately that is true. No one can make anyone care about consequences to wildlife or to the future of our grandchildren’s children and what they will inherit. But we can try.

Every January Vernon County’s Land and Water Conservation offers a sapling sale. Plant a few. It’s not a solution to the destruction but may lessen the loss of desperately needed trees. 

The concept of “Inherit the Wind” is from Proverbs chapter 11, verse 9 “He that troubles his own house shall inherit the wind…”

It is also a great 1960 movie, Inherit the Wind, depicting the 1920’s school teacher, Bertram Cates who is put on trial for teaching evolution instead of creationism.