Howdy!
The climate crisis is screaming at us this summer with record breaking heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and drought.
We continue the work to stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) and MVP Southgate, plus, learn about the rate hike hearing and more below, beginning with Paperhand Puppet’s new summer show.
August 4-September 24, Paperhand Puppet’s 23rd annual summer show ‘Where Our Spirits Reside’
7 pm, Fridays through Sundays, first at the Forest Theatre in Chapel Hill and then at the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh.
A giant puppet spectacle, the 2023 show is about love, memory, loss, transformation, grief, celebration, and ultimately – the strength and resilience we build together to heal. This year they are collaborating with Nnenna Freelon and her son, Pierce Freelon. Tickets on sale here.
August 5, Greenbrier River Water Blessing and Vigil
2-5 pm, Col. James Graham House, WV 12, Pence Springs, WV
Join us as we come together to celebrate the Greenbrier River. With the river facing the threat of pipeline construction, now is the time to show our love for these waters. We will start with an interfaith water blessing, followed by a candlelight vigil, and releasing of wildflowers. There will be opportunities to share your concerns and hopes as we join together with food, music, art and fellowship. More info and register here.
August 8, MVP Pipe Safety Call In Event
12-1 pm, online
Get the latest on Mountain Valley Pipeline’s status and ways you can advocate for safety measures to be taken, from adequate pipe recoating to replacement to a geohazard mitigation plan. Register here.
August 10, NC DEQ Secretary’s Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board
3 pm, Green Square Training Room, 217 West Jones Street, Raleigh
Also online here
Phone: +1-415-655-0003
Meeting Number (access code): 243 776 62055
Webinar Password: EJEAB (35322 from phones)
There will be a public comment period starting at 5 pm. To comment in-person or online, fill out the speaker sign-up form here by 12 pm on August 10.
August 10, “We Can Do Better” Screening + Panel Discussion
6- 7:30 pm, online
Hosted by 7 Directions of Service, join others to watch a new documentary about a 1995 win over environmental racism in Kingsboro, NC. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion and opportunity for Q&A with the team behind the film. More info and register here.
August 10, Teach-in workshop on Duke Energy rate increases
6-8 pm, Center for Responsible Lending, 302 W Main St., Durham
Sunrise Durham, People Power NC, and other community organizations are holding a teach-in workshop to prepare for the Duke Energy Carolinas Durham public hearing on August 14. We will walk through the energy rate increases and work on public statements together in preparation for the hearing. Even if you can’t attend a public hearing, we will help you submit your own comments online or via mail. More info and register here.
August 14, Rally Against the Rate Hikes & Duke Energy Carolinas Public Hearing
Durham County Courthouse, 510 South Dillard Street, Durham
6 pm, Rally Against the Rate Hikes, in the courtyard with speakers and music. Register here.
7 pm, Public Hearing in Courtroom 7D
August 26-27, WE ARE THESE MOUNTAINS: A #StopMVP Weekend
12 pm Aug 26 – 4 pm Aug 27, Sweet Springs Resort Park, 19540 Sweet Springs Valley Rd, Gap Mills, WV
Communities fighting the Mountain Valley Pipeline just entered their 10th year of resistance and they need our energy and support to STOP MVP once and for all.
Biden and other elected leaders continue to greenlight new fossil fuel projects as the climate crisis worsens. We will all face the repercussions of inaction, so this is a chance to learn from and support a community enduring the brunt of injustice now. Join the frontlines in Appalachia for a weekend of trainings, art-making, music, and food! Register here
SAVE the DATE!
September 17, March to End Fossil Fuels in NYC!
The United Nations is calling on world leaders to take real steps to lead us off fossil fuels to protect people and the planet. This September, the UN Climate Ambition Summit in New York will gather world leaders to commit to phasing out fossil fuels. Thousands of us will take to the streets of New York to demand President Biden take bold action to
End Fossil Fuels. More info here. There will probably be a bus or buses going from NC. More information in the next email!
TAKE ACTION!
The Stop Mountain Valley Pipeline & Southgate Extension Toolkit is continually updated with actions you can take here.
Information to join Appalachians Against Pipelines direct action campaign to stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline here.
What Thursday’s Supreme Court order means for the future of the Mountain Valley Pipeline — and for West Virginia here.
Sign up to learn about joining 350 and local partners, POWHR and Appalachians Against Pipelines on the ground in Appalachia here.
Elected Official’s Pledge
Leading up to the Climate Ambition Summit in September and the September 17 March to End Fossil Fuels, we want as many elected officials – from mayors and city council people to members of the United States Congress – to join us in pushing President Biden to take bold action to End Fossil Fuels. If you would like to help by asking elected officials that represent you to sign a pledge for their support, please sign up here. Let’s see how many elected officials we can to sign on from NC!
HB 600
Connected to the MVP Southgate and so much more. Tell Your NC Representatives to VOTE NO on HB 600 here.
Section 7.1 of HB600 threatens to expedite water quality permitting processes by decreasing opportunities for public participation and thorough review, in addition to undermining cumulative impact considerations.
Support the Fossil Free Finance Act! The Act would require big banks to stop financing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Call your Representative in Congress here.
ARTICLES, VIDEOS and RECORDINGS
Recording of Movement Rights’ excellent webinar, Banking on a Safe World, Divesting from Nuclear Weapons and Fossil Fuels with Bill McKibben, Susi Snyder, Tzeporah Berman, and Cynthia Lazaroff here.
Watch this beautiful video on Rights of Nature from 7 Directions of Service here! To learn more and to get involved check out their website here.
Recording of CLIMATE CHANGE: Where do we go from here? that Sen. Bernie Sanders hosted with Bill McKibben, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, David Wallace Wells, and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse here.
A couple quotes: “We are in a Don’t Look Up moment.” — Bernie
Scientists: it looks like we underestimated climate breakdown & are heading for 2 degrees of warming by Andy Rowell here.
We can’t afford to be climate doomers by Rebecca Solnit here.
‘We are in uncharted territory’: Earth logs hottest week on record by Akielly Hu here.
Climate change made July hotter for almost every human on Earth by Seth Borenstein here.
Thanks for taking action and maybe I’ll see you at one of the upcoming events! Take care of yourselves.