Howdy!
So much going on. Hope you are taking care of yourselves. I’ve been repeating something I learned on a call earlier this week. “Self-care is resistance.”
Finding Steady Ground: strengthening our spirits to resist and thrive in these times.
Minute of US
A Moment of Silence for those hurt and suffering due to the current administration and the damage they are causing to this country and around the globe. Each Wednesday at 12:53 pm. More information from Choose Democracy here.
Opportunities to volunteer and to learn more about Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP)
SSEP Canvassing – Eden
February. 8, 1-5 pm, Rockingham County Public Library, 598 S Pierce St, Eden
Register here.
SSEP Canvassing – Lexington
February. 15, 1-5 pm, North Davidson Public Library, 559 Critcher Dr, Lexington
Register here.
Learn about the negative impacts of the proposed Transco SSEP on water, land and health, and ways to get involved to help stop it from being built.
February 11, Greensboro: Dangers of Transco SSEP Community Meeting
6:15-8 pm, Church of the Covenant, 501 S. Mendenhall Street, Greensboro
Register here.
February 13, Winston Salem: Dangers of Transco SSEP Community Meeting
6:30-8 pm, Parkway UCC, 1465 Irving St, Winston Salem
Register here.
Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate Extension
Unfortunately, as we have been expecting, MVP, LLC has filed for an amendment to their original Southgate certificate to FERC here.
Press release: Violation-riddled MVP developer submits request to alter Southgate pipelinehere.
“For years MVP Southgate has never moved forward and has been denied multiple permits, As a result, developers have abandoned their original plans, and proposed what can only be considered a totally new project.” Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck Be on the lookout for actions you take in future newsletters!
Graphic by Jan BurgerMore Upcoming Events
February 11, Utility Fairness NOW! Campaign launch meeting
7-8:30 pm, Perfect Lovers, 2823 N Roxboro St, Durham
Join us to demand that our NC state legislators enact a fair energy system this legislative session. Register here. A virtual option is also available when you register.
February 14-17, Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)
Count birds in your yard, neighborhood, or favorite park! Always fun to join. Learn more here.
February 18, Organizing Under Repressive Regimes
6 pm, online
Joy Banner (Descendants Project), Dr. Crystal Cavalier (7 Directions of Service), and Sarah Martik (Center for Coalfield Justice). share their diversity of non-violent strategies and tactics (such as community building, narrative and storytelling, zoning rights campaigns, peaceful direct actions, and more) to challenge and win against repressive regimes all over the country. Register here.
February 22, Unitarian Universalist Climate Justice Revival
10 am-6 pm, UU Community of Charlotte, 234 N. Sharon Amity Rd., Charlotte
The Climate Justice Revival is a half day exploration into how we approach Climate Justice wholistically as a congregation with the hopes that we can find joy and purpose rather than despair. This is a part of a UU wide Revival
February 25, DEQ Public Engagement Sessions on the Development of Federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant’s Comprehensive Climate Action Plan
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) State Energy Office is holding a series of public engagement opportunities in February and March to provide information and gather feedback on the Department’s initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as part of the federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant’s (CPRG) Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP). The kickoff session is virtual on February 25 at 6 pm. Link for the virtual meeting, plus, locations and registration for in person sessions around the state here.
March 7-8, Southeastern Indigenous Coalition Environmental Conference
7 Directions of Service is hosting the first-ever Southeastern Indigenous Coalition Environmental Conference in Occaneechi Saponi territory, NC. This historic gathering will be a space for Indigenous leaders, organizers, environmental advocates, and allies to come together to envision a more just and resilient future through Indigenous frameworks.
Themes include: Land Sovereignty & Indigenous Foodways, Youth Leadership in Environmental Justice, Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), Climate Change & Indigenous Resilience, and Cultural Landscapes & Sacred Sites Protection. Learn more and register here.
TAKE ACTION!
Support protections for the hellbender, Appalachia’s giant salamander! Hellbenders are key indicators of clean rivers. Protecting their habitat ensures their survival and helps safeguard clean water for all. Sign here.
Tell Guilford County Officials: Say No to the Dirty Southeast Supply Enhancement Projecthere.
Tell Governor Stein to STOP Duke Energy from expanding fossil fuels here.
If you know of organizations and/or businesses who might be interested in signing onto this letter urging Governor Stein to hold Duke Energy Accountable, share this link here.
Tell Congress: Don’t undercut progress in our communities here.
Congress must safeguard our clean water! The Clean Water Act is a federal law that governs the health and safety of our nation’s waters. The US Supreme Court weakened the definition of Waters of the United States (WOTUS) in 2023. TAKE ACTION to protect wetlands and other vital waterways here.
Protect Federal Funding for Local Food & Small Farms
The USDA has frozen many grants and loan programs, including over $300,000 owed to Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. This freeze threatens critical programs for small and beginning farmers and agricultural nonprofits across the Carolinas and the U.S. Contact your members of Congress. Continued pressure to release funds and maintain existing programs is vital!
ARTICLES and VIDEOS
How the Money Stopped at One Environmental Nonprofit, Causing Hardship and Alarm by Lisa Sorg here.
The Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League always worked hard to be a good steward of public funds. But that didn’t seem to matter when its grant “disappeared.”
New report Powerless in the United States, from Center for Biological Diversity. Duke Energy is one of the utilities highlighted talking about shutoffs and fossil gas expansion here.
Duke Energy Promised to Limit Emissions at Four New Gas Plants. It’s Already Back-Tracking by Lisa Sorg here.
Climate Scientist Peter Kalmus Fled L.A. Fearing Wildfires. His Old Neighborhood Is Now a Hellscape here.
‘Virtually Any City on Earth Can Burn Now’ Kiley Bensem interviews John Vaillant, author of “Fire Weather” here.
With May Boeve resigning last year, 350.org recently announced Anne Jellema as their new Executive Director. Hear from Anne here.
A tipline to protect the planet by Emily Atkin and Jacob Carter here.
HEATED and SciLight are opening a tipline for federal government employees to securely report industry and political interference in science and science-based decisionmaking processes. Spread the word!
We Are Not Who They Think We Are: How Human Nature Matters In This Emergency by Rebecca Solnit here. “Remember that underneath what we’re furious about is what we care about, that our deepest feeling in this moment isn’t necessarily anger, but protectiveness for what we love that may feel like fury. And that love is very, very powerful.”
Climate Cash Series from 350.org.
Part 1 — What is climate finance here.
Part 2 — Paying the bill here.
Directive From New Interior Secretary Weakens Public Land Protections to Push Fossil Fuels by Lisa Sorg and Wyatt Myskow here.
Why extreme weather is making power outages more frequent here.
Trump’s EPA Just Deleted Climate Change by Christopher D Cook here.
Thanks for reading and for taking action!
Peace and love for our beautiful Earth, Karen