Climate Strike, Bringing People Power, and more this December!

Can you believe it is already December? There are lots of things to choose from and support to keep you busy during this last month of the year. 2020 is just around the corner!

Time for the next Global Climate Strike! This time we’ll be in Durham on December 6th! There is also a strike in Chapel Hill.

December 6, Climate Strike for a Green New Deal
12:30-2:30 pm, Durham Central Park, 501 Foster Street, Durham
Millions of people will be striking nationwide to demand a Green New Deal, the last chance for our generation to have a livable future. This strike is youth-led, but all are welcome. Young people make up the largest voting bloc in American history, and it’s time our politicians listen to us. Strike with us to show the people have the power, not the fossil fuel billionaires. We’ll meet at Durham Central Park, have some speakers, and then begin our march through Durham. RSVP here, bring a friend, and help spread the word!

December 2, Art Build for 12/6 Strike for a Green New Deal
6-8 pm, The Scrap Exchange, 2050 Chapel Hill Road, Durham
Join us for an evening of art, building signs, and banners for the December 6 Strike for a Green New Deal. If you don’t have any art skills, come anyway! More info.

Dec 6, Chapel Hill Climate Strike
9:30-11 am, Peace and Justice Plaza, 179 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill

To register for these or other strikes taking place across NC and the U.S., go to strikewithus.organd type in your zip code to find actions.

Two articles related to the strike and the climate crisis: Why We Strike Again by Greta Thunberg, Luisa Neubauer, and Angela Valenzuela and Bill McKibben’s The New Climate Math.

COP25 began in Madrid, Spain today and continues for two weeks. I recommend following Democracy Now! and Indigenous Environmental Network for updates.

A couple actions to take this month!

Duke Energy and Dominion Energy are again pushing Congress to take legislative action to overturn the Fourth Circuit’s decision to vacate the Forest Service permit for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which would have allowed the ACP to cross the Appalachian Trail on national forest land. After the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that existing federal law did not give the Forest Service the authority to issue a permit for this kind of crossing, Dominion and Duke (the primary owners of the ACP) have taken the case to the United States Supreme Court, which will hear the case next year.

Not content to take its chances in court, Duke and Dominion are pushing Congress to change the law that prohibits pipeline crossings of the Appalachian Trail on national forest land. Please contact your members of Congress and Senators to oppose any such legislation! NoACP!

Submit written comments about the Mountain Valley Southgate Pipeline water quality permit by December 20. Helpful talking points here. Comments may be submitted via email to: [email protected]. Include “MVP Southgate” in the email’s subject line. NoMVP!

December 3, Pecha Kucha
6:30-8:30 pm, Pittsboro Roadhouse, 39 West St., Pittsboro
Pecha Kucha is a storytelling event that brings our community together to present and discuss ideas in culture, food, health, environment and more More information here.

December 6 – 8, Deep Resilence Retreat

7 pm Fri. – 4 pm Sun., The Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain, 8519 Pickards Meadow Road, Chapel Hill

Gather with us and summon our collective regenerative power and access our ability to more wisely navigate the turmoil of these times. This workshop is for earth-lovers, changemakers, justice-seekers, activists, trailblazers, community leaders, parents, grandparents, and those longing to engage more deeply in the healing of our world. More info.

December 9, Bringing People Power to the Utilities Commission
7 pm, Energy Justice NC online webinar
Join us for our third webinar about Duke Energy and why they keep raising our rates! There will be hearings on these rate cases starting in January. We need to plan how to bring our power to the Utilities Commission and tell Duke no rate-hikes for dirty energy! Find out more about the rate-making process and what we can do to protect our electric bills, our environment, and our communities. RSVP to the webinar here to learn more about how we can take back the power from Duke Energy and put it where it belongs: in the hands of the customers! #EndtheDukeMonopoly

Every Friday morning from 8-10 am, join Gary Richards and others for a protest to bring attention to the need to close down the coal burning plant on the campus of UNC-CH. Meet in front of the power plant at 501 W. Cameron Ave., Chapel Hill. For more information, contact Gary at [email protected].

Climate Destabilization gatherings on the 2nd and 4th Sundays each month at the Oasis Cafe in Carrboro, 6:30-8:30 pm. Carr Mill Mall, 200 N. Greensboro Street. More info here.

Tuesdays with Tillis, join the awesome group of activists and speakers every Tuesday in Raleigh as different topics and actions are discussed, 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, Federal Building, 310 New Bern Avenue, Raleigh. Follow their Facebook and Twitter page for updates. December 10th will be the 150th consecutive week of protest when their topic will be “Changing the moral narrative about poverty.”

December 13, Songs of Hope and Belonging with Laurence Cole

7-9 pm, The Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain, 8519 Pickards Meadow Road, Chapel Hill

Laurence Cole has for some years been part of a worldwide cultural re-awakening to the nourishing and healing power of group singing. He teaches easily learned songs, chants and rounds in which the interlocking parts blend in exciting and gently challenging rhythms and harmonies. They are like “eco-spiritual” song games, mostly original compositions, that call upon our capacities to closely listen to and support one another in holding our parts together. More info.

December 13–15, Grief Tending in Community with Laurence Cole

7 pm Fri – 4 pm Sun, The Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain, 8519 Pickards Meadow Road, Chapel Hill

Laurence Cole, a song elder and ritualist from Port Townsend, Washington, has been helping groups of people rediscover the healing power of grieving communally for over ten years. Laurence creates a safe, non-judgmental space for folks to rediscover their natural human capacity for healing together. Blending song, poetry, easy grounding movement, small and large group sharing, humor, silent reflective solitude in nature, and the co-creation of a beautiful ritual setting, Laurence provides a journey through the depths and heights of our aliveness, often leading to a sense of renewal, connection and even an awakened capacity for radiant joy. More information.

December 14th, Green and Meaningful Resolutions for a New Decade
10:30 am, Chapel Hill Library, 100 Library Dr., Chapel Hill
Linda Wendling will help us create environmentally impactful resolutions to change ourselves and the world. Linda earned her advanced degree in Environmental Law with a Certificate in Climate Change and is dedicated to providing information and resources to use in the practice of “Everyday Environmentalism.” “Now that you’re here, the word of the Lorax seems perfectly clear. Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

December 21, Spiral of Light Winter Festival

7-8:30 pm, The Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain, 8519 Pickards Meadow Road, Chapel Hill

This is a powerful time of year for personal and community renewal. For this occasion, we recreate a beautiful ritual call the Spiral of Light, which symbolizes the return of the light. We share a meditative lantern walk through the darkness; a sacred community fire; candles; warm drinks; music; sing songs of light, peace, and joy together; and share in ceremony. As ancient nature-honoring cultures came to realize, the darkness is a powerful time to honor. And so is the return of the light. More information.

Save these dates in 2020!

January 18, Woman’s March

February 8, 14th Annual Moral March on Raleigh & HKonJ People’s Assembly, downtown Raleigh

April 22, Earthrise 2020, A global mobilization for climate action on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.

June 20, Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington at the National Mall Check out the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival’s website on December 4th for the digital launch of the mobilization!

Thanks for reading, participating, or taking action!

Peace and love for our beautiful Earth, Karen