Howdy!
It’s the extra busy spring season with many learning opportunities and actions to take!
Upcoming Events
April 19, End the Era of Fossil Fuels Mobilization Call
8 pm, online
Frustrated by the Biden Admin’s decision to approve the Willow project in Alaska? Want to learn more about where the movement to Stop Fossil Fuel Projects is at and how YOU can plug in? Join People vs Fossil Fuels, 350 Network Council, Honor the Earth, and others for this mass call to hear from frontline fights and get plugged into upcoming trainings and distributed actions. Speakers include Dr Crystal Cavalier Keck, John Beard, and more. Register here.
Apr 19, Biomass Logging: Bad for Communities, Climate, & Forests
5 pm, online
Hosted by Forest Carbon Coalition and John Muir Project, join panelists Katherine Egland, Shaye Wolf, Ph.D., and Maya Khosla, MS. as they discuss the impacts of biomass logging. Register here.
April 20, Indigenous Women from North America Defending Biodiversity, Human Rights, and our Global Climate
1 pm, online
Indigenous women leaders will address a variety of topics, highlighting how Indigenous women are leading efforts to uphold Indigenous rights and sovereignty. Speakers include Dr. Crystal Cavelier Keck, Tara Houska, Eriel Tchekwie Deranger, and more. Register here.
April 20, Duke Energy Progress rate hike virtual hearing
The hearing begins at 6 pm. It’s too late to register to speak, but you can listen and support members of the public who speak at the NC Utility Commission Youtube page here.
April 22, Earth Day Candlelight Vigil at Governor’s Mansion
7 pm, meet at Halifax Mall, (300 N Salisbury St,) then walk to the Governor’s Mansion (200 N Blount St), Raleigh
Hosted by Sunrise Durham to protest the NC Utilities Commission approval of the Duke Energy Carbon Plan, in particular the refusal to rule out new fracked gas projects. We’re also asking Governor Cooper to declare a Climate Emergency, and to only appoint Utility Commissioners opposed to new fossil fuel projects! Sign up here.
April 22-23, Piedmont Farm Tour
Always a fun weekend to learn and better understand where your food comes from! There are 31 open farms across the Piedmont on the tour this year. More information and tickets here.
April 24, Banking on Love – Bank of America, Stop Funding Fossil Fuels!
11:00 am – 12:30 pm, Uptown Center, 100 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC
Hosted by GreenFaith, 350 Charlotte, and Rainforest Action on the day before Bank of America’s shareholder meeting, help send the urgent message to stop funding fossil fuel projects that are driving climate change, endangering lives, infringing on Indigenous rights, and threatening the well-being of future generations. This event is part of a nationally coordinated action with Stop the Money Pipeline targeting bank headquarters around the country as 4 major US banks (Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citibank and JP Morgan Chase) continue to bank on dirty fossil fuels. Register here.
April 24, Moral Monday Ten-Year Anniversary and Recommitment Rally
5:30 pm, NC State Capital, 1 E Morgan St., Raleigh
5:30 pm, NC State Capital, 1 E Morgan St., Raleigh
Hosted by the NC Poor People’s Campaign, join this rally of recommitment to restore and realize the promises of our democracy. Ten years ago, we stood together, withstood some of the most extreme attacks on democracy since Jim Crow, made significant change and helped bring North Carolina new leadership and moral vision. Let’s stand together again and continue to build a People’s Moral Fusion Movement in North Carolina for the next decade to come. Register here.
April 27, Chapel Hill & Carrboro Rights of Nature Community Meeting 6 -7pm, Umstead Park Shelter, 399 Umstead Drive, Chapel Hill Join 7 Directions of Service for a community information session about the Indigenous-led movement for legal Rights of Nature, and its application to protect our waterways and communities in North Carolina. Register here.
April 29, Missing Murdered Indigenous Women NC Conference and Rally
10 am – 5 pm, Chapel Hill
Sponsored by MMIW NC, with keynote speaker GGM Mary Lyons and artists and activists Norm Sands and Teyana Viscarra. Learn what is happening and how we can move forward together as a community. Some panels will include: Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking, Talking Circle or down time walking outside getting grounded, Survival Panel with families, Trauma Informed Communities, and more. We also have a space for tribal leaders, community organizers, and activists to come together and discuss the next steps as we move the legislative agenda forward. We will conclude the event with a small rally. Registration and more information here.
May 3, “Climate Conversation” with a Durham author and a Durham climate activist
7:30 -9 pm, online
Sami Grover, author of the 2022 book “We’re All Climate Hypocrites Now: How Embracing Our Limitations Can Unlock the Power of a Movement,” will be in conversation with Tom Campbell. The event will begin as a conversation/Q & A between Sami and Tom, and then open to questions and comments from attendees. To register email Tom Campbell at [email protected]. The Zoom link will be sent at the end of April.
May 6, Haw River Festival
4-8 pm, Saxapahaw, NC
The festival includes live music, a farmers market, a silent auction, a kayak raffle, and when weather permits – a river walk, river monitoring and puppet parade.
More info and register here.
Spring tours of NC Cooperative Extension’s Pollinator Paradise Demonstration Garden in Pittsboro with the VERY knowledgeable Debbie Roos start in early May! The beautiful garden features over 225 species of perennials, trees, shrubs, vines, and grasses, and 85% of them are native to North Carolina. Visit the Pollinator Garden Tour web page for a listing of tour dates and times and links to register here.
MVP Update
We had great news last week when the 4th Circuit Court vacated the critical West Virginia water permit for Mountain Valley Pipeline! Press release here and great article in Common Dreams ‘A Win for All Living Beings’: Appeals Court Tosses Mountain Valley Pipeline Permit here. This week environmental organizations filed a petition for review in federal court challenging a recently issued new biological opinion and incidental take statement under the Endangered Species Act for the Mountain Valley Pipeline. More information here. Blog post by POWHR’s Denali Nalamalapu, MVP’s Diameter is Huge. Why Does That Matter? here.
TAKE ACTION!
The terrible S512 – Greater Accountability for Boards/Commissions bill was introduced in the NC Senate last week and quickly passed the Senate. This bill would shrink the NC Utilities Commision (NCUC) from 7 members to 5. Instead of the Governor appointing all Commissioners, he/she would appoint only 2, the Speaker would appoint one, the Senate Pro Tempore appoint one, and the State Treasurer appoint one. If passed, the impact could be felt as soon as June, when 2 terms expire and the NC General Assembly would appoint replacements. NOT GOOD!!
From Lisa Sorg’s excellent article about the bill (that was changed slightly after her article, latest S512 bill language here):
“The most significant changes would occur at the Utilities Commission, in charge of regulating investor-owned electric utilities, like Duke Energy, and private water companies, such as Aqua North Carolina. It also has the authority to approve or disapprove swine gas projects as they pertain to energy.”
Please contact your NC House Representative asking them NOT to support this bill. You can look up your state Representative at this link.
The annual Banking On Climate Chaos: Fossil Fuel Finance Report 2023 was released today. Over the past 7 years the world’s 60 biggest banks have poured $5.5 TRILLION in fossil fuel financing. And $673 BILLION of that was in 2022 alone. Unacceptable! Read the report here. 350 Triangle endorsed the report with more than 600 groups from over 70 countries around the world.
Tell the Big 6 US banks they MUST make a plan to phase out all fossil fuel financing for good here!
It’s shareholder season! Call out Citi, Bank of America and Wells Fargo who want shareholders to vote AGAINST climate and Indigenous rights resolutions. Message these bank CEOs today to stop greenwashing here.
No Free Pass for MVP! This petition is sponsored by Indian Creek Watershed Association of Monroe County, WV that welcomes sign-ons by West Virginians, Virginians and others who want to protect our water, property rights, communities, natural resources and future! Sign here.
Tell the new President for the World Bank, Ajay Banga, to commit to reforming the World Bank, end fossil fuel support, and direct money to power up a just transition to clean renewable energy here.
It’s time to introduce FERC to FREC legislation!
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) continues to be dominated by the fossil fuel industry and partisan opposition from Joe Manchin and Republicans has blocked all efforts at reform. Now is the time to propose legislation to Re-make FERC into FREC, a Federal Renewable Energy Commission! Sign here.
The next two years are critical to protecting life on Earth from climate catastrophe: Tell President Biden to end the fossil fuel era now. Sign here.
Articles and Videos
Watch this short film from Movement Rights titled, Water Has a Memory, that highlights the conflicting realities of Indigenous and frontline communities living with fossil fuel and other contaminants that poison the air, land, and water. The film encourages a collective responsibility, to act as stewards of the sacred system of life.
‘Tiny Ripples of Change’: An Interview with Tara Houska here.
“We’re building a holistic movement, because there’s no one way to win against these oligarchs who are destroying the Earth. Creating inspiration, showing people that the Earth is a relative, a living being we have to protect.”
From the Stop Dirty Banks Day of Action on 3.21.23, check out a video from the protest in DC with Paperhand Puppets here. A great recap video from Third Act of the day of action across the US here. The following day 10 elders (including two from NC) occupied a Chase Bank in DC. Video here.
Bill McKibben has a new article in Rolling Stone How To Tackle Climate Change, According To Math here.
Biden betrays our generation by greenlighting the Willow Project Opinion piece by Sophia Kianni, Greta Thunberg, and Vanessa Nakate here:
“We need system change, not climate change. We need people in power who show real climate leadership, who will work with young people and stand by their promises.”
Thanks for reading, sharing, and taking action! Hope to see some of you online or on the streets soon!
Peace and love for our beautiful Earth, Karen