Thank you for all you do. Love the Sun Day plans! How fun! I was at the Treasury Building rally today, along with 1500 other people and a bunch of reps and senators. It was so energizing. Way better than crying at my desk.
It's heartening to see some resistance beginning. Here in Canada we've just been through round one of mr. T's tariff drama. Don't take it personally if you notice some push back from Canada.
I'm very frightened about the total lack of respect for law that the Trump administration is showing and that the GOP is supporting. Thanks, Bill, for continuing to be a voice of reason amid this insanity.
Big props to everyone in America who is actively pushing back. I’ve been documenting what has been happening to climate protesters in the U.K. over the last two years. In short, they’re being sent to jail, sometimes just for slow walking down a road in protest. Then last week I finally got to document a peaceful protest where the protesters won. It was only possible because people from lots of different climate groups came together and they came out in large numbers. It was a power in numbers moment. But it took some brave people to stick their necks out first for it to happen. I wrote about it here: https://open.substack.com/pub/lizsmithpage75/p/a-lesson-in-solidarity?r=55w73y&utm_medium=ios
Bill McKibben: Why please does 350.org not have an agressive campaign to leverage rail and transit for people and freight? Please watch my colleague Thomas White’s ten-minute, book promotion video, “The Climate Emergency: Trains-An Effective Response.” The environmental movement is fighting North American transport sector climate changing and polluting emissions, and tire and brake dust, with one hand tied behind its back because, with few exceptions, rail and transit are ignored. Please take in the video and contact me to arrange a Zoom meeting with Tom. Thx, Robinson Foster fosterr@comcast.net
Everyone who can solarize, do it now. Heat pumps? Install one, that's our spring project. EV's they save more than energy......they save money, especially if you already have solar panels and a level two charger. We've put two sets of solar on our roof, solarized our daughter's house,, and last year our sons.
Everything we can do to boycott fossil fuels is a win for the planet.......forego that sun catching vacate on and get on the Sun....it's our only hope.
Not everyone -- renters can't. I live in an apartment with gas appliances, and it's been a tough winter with just an electric space heater and heating bath water on an induction hot plate!
I hear you.......a small group of us are working to get government help for renters and low income people......so they too could participate in the solar revolution.
It would be small change compared to the money we spend subsidizing the industry killing the planet.
Hi Bill, We met years ago getting arrested in front of Obama's White House. Since 2017 I've been writing messages in a field close to Grump National in Bedminster NJ. But now since the so called mysterious drones flying over NJ, there is a no fly circle around the golf course extending over my family property so I can't photogragh the messages. ( you can see some earlier ones on NJ.com> one of my favorites: google - Trump's impeachment nickname carved into an NJ field near his golf club)
So re thinking how to protest in a meaningful way and why I'm reaching out to you and your community.
It's tax season. I have decided that I will file my State and Federal taxes appropriately but pay only my State tax. With what I owe on my Federal I will donate it to something that covers where Mump (Musk/Trump) have cut Federal spending. An easy example would be if they cut funding to NPR then to NPR or organizations that support immigrants, or health, there will be endless choices.
This allow all of us to come together with a meaningful action, not paying taxes and supporting something we feel strongly about. Oh, did he also just get rid of the IRS employees that Biden hired?
I really would love feedback on this idea, if it's worth pursuing and if so how to get a million people or so folks to sign on?
Bill. "What we've got here is a failure to communicate." What I have posted on Krugman and Reich is that we need historians, anthropologists, psychologists, media gurus, political strategists, cult experts, and tech experts to lock themselves in a room and come up with a communications strategy. Years ago, I showed up at a local city council meeting and spoke into the microphone to tell/explain to them that what was going on in our very small city, ecologically speaking, was not so great. I thought that if they only knew, they would agree and get 'er done. Needless to say, they were appalled/offended at my audacity of suggesting they were not doing a superb job. That was my baptism into the world of change-making. In the larger picture, very smart scientists have been speaking into the microphone for a very long time with the idea of "all we need to do is tell them." That has not worked. Time for savvy. Successful messaging is the holy grail. Who, what, how, where. We must no longer fail to communicate.
Along these lines, I keep feeling like there exists in the universe of possibilities a Berlin Wall (or Luigi Mangione)-type moment when our opponents snap out of their trance and recognize the need to change course.
As is often the case, I think the political commentator Josh Marshall has sage advice. Our job is not to stop what Trump is doing, because we can’t. For the moment, he has the power he needs, though Congressional Democrats can find some small fingerholds—the need to extend the country’s debt ceiling, for instance—and use them to exact concessions.👉 Our basic job is to make what he’s doing is deeply unpopular, because that will stiffen the backbone of the courts and any remaining moderate Republicans and set us up for possible gains if and when we next have elections. So: witness, communicate, ridicule, amplify strong voices.
It’s defense, and in a moment like this defense is crucial.
But it’s also not enough. So I want to talk about the slightly longer term as well—about the chances for going on offense, especially on climate where the passage of time is literally deadly.👉 We simply don’t have four years to lay on the ropes absorbing blows, because physics could care less about the political cycle: I mean, it was 20 degrees Celsius above normal at the North Pole today, which means ice was melting there in midwinter. So, we have to look for the place where we have an advantage, and then work like hell to exploit it. We have to go on offense too
Thank you.AND we can and should call and email our elected representatives, the ones that are the voice of the people. That groundswell can help too. the 5 Call App is very helpful
Thank you for all you do. Love the Sun Day plans! How fun! I was at the Treasury Building rally today, along with 1500 other people and a bunch of reps and senators. It was so energizing. Way better than crying at my desk.
Many thanks for being there!
It was my absolute pleasure!
Thank you!
It's heartening to see some resistance beginning. Here in Canada we've just been through round one of mr. T's tariff drama. Don't take it personally if you notice some push back from Canada.
You are a rock and We are thankful for your voice.
I'm very frightened about the total lack of respect for law that the Trump administration is showing and that the GOP is supporting. Thanks, Bill, for continuing to be a voice of reason amid this insanity.
Sun Day: I can start encouraging universities and colleges now, or I can wait until it's official.
Big props to everyone in America who is actively pushing back. I’ve been documenting what has been happening to climate protesters in the U.K. over the last two years. In short, they’re being sent to jail, sometimes just for slow walking down a road in protest. Then last week I finally got to document a peaceful protest where the protesters won. It was only possible because people from lots of different climate groups came together and they came out in large numbers. It was a power in numbers moment. But it took some brave people to stick their necks out first for it to happen. I wrote about it here: https://open.substack.com/pub/lizsmithpage75/p/a-lesson-in-solidarity?r=55w73y&utm_medium=ios
Bill McKibben: Why please does 350.org not have an agressive campaign to leverage rail and transit for people and freight? Please watch my colleague Thomas White’s ten-minute, book promotion video, “The Climate Emergency: Trains-An Effective Response.” The environmental movement is fighting North American transport sector climate changing and polluting emissions, and tire and brake dust, with one hand tied behind its back because, with few exceptions, rail and transit are ignored. Please take in the video and contact me to arrange a Zoom meeting with Tom. Thx, Robinson Foster fosterr@comcast.net
Everyone who can solarize, do it now. Heat pumps? Install one, that's our spring project. EV's they save more than energy......they save money, especially if you already have solar panels and a level two charger. We've put two sets of solar on our roof, solarized our daughter's house,, and last year our sons.
Everything we can do to boycott fossil fuels is a win for the planet.......forego that sun catching vacate on and get on the Sun....it's our only hope.
Not everyone -- renters can't. I live in an apartment with gas appliances, and it's been a tough winter with just an electric space heater and heating bath water on an induction hot plate!
I hear you.......a small group of us are working to get government help for renters and low income people......so they too could participate in the solar revolution.
It would be small change compared to the money we spend subsidizing the industry killing the planet.
911: “911, what’s your emergency?”
Caller: “There’s a crazy man up the street at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and he’s subverting the Constitution and Congressional law.”
911: I’m sorry sir, but you’ll have to contact Congress or the Supreme Court for assistance.”
Caller: “But you don’t understand, he and his staff are illegally taking over our government.”
911: “I apologize sir, I have to end our conversation, 911 service has been defunded.”
Hurricane Helene destroyed 6,000 miles of roads in western NC in late September 2024.
Hi Bill, We met years ago getting arrested in front of Obama's White House. Since 2017 I've been writing messages in a field close to Grump National in Bedminster NJ. But now since the so called mysterious drones flying over NJ, there is a no fly circle around the golf course extending over my family property so I can't photogragh the messages. ( you can see some earlier ones on NJ.com> one of my favorites: google - Trump's impeachment nickname carved into an NJ field near his golf club)
So re thinking how to protest in a meaningful way and why I'm reaching out to you and your community.
It's tax season. I have decided that I will file my State and Federal taxes appropriately but pay only my State tax. With what I owe on my Federal I will donate it to something that covers where Mump (Musk/Trump) have cut Federal spending. An easy example would be if they cut funding to NPR then to NPR or organizations that support immigrants, or health, there will be endless choices.
This allow all of us to come together with a meaningful action, not paying taxes and supporting something we feel strongly about. Oh, did he also just get rid of the IRS employees that Biden hired?
I really would love feedback on this idea, if it's worth pursuing and if so how to get a million people or so folks to sign on?
Suki Dewey
Bill. "What we've got here is a failure to communicate." What I have posted on Krugman and Reich is that we need historians, anthropologists, psychologists, media gurus, political strategists, cult experts, and tech experts to lock themselves in a room and come up with a communications strategy. Years ago, I showed up at a local city council meeting and spoke into the microphone to tell/explain to them that what was going on in our very small city, ecologically speaking, was not so great. I thought that if they only knew, they would agree and get 'er done. Needless to say, they were appalled/offended at my audacity of suggesting they were not doing a superb job. That was my baptism into the world of change-making. In the larger picture, very smart scientists have been speaking into the microphone for a very long time with the idea of "all we need to do is tell them." That has not worked. Time for savvy. Successful messaging is the holy grail. Who, what, how, where. We must no longer fail to communicate.
Along these lines, I keep feeling like there exists in the universe of possibilities a Berlin Wall (or Luigi Mangione)-type moment when our opponents snap out of their trance and recognize the need to change course.
As is often the case, I think the political commentator Josh Marshall has sage advice. Our job is not to stop what Trump is doing, because we can’t. For the moment, he has the power he needs, though Congressional Democrats can find some small fingerholds—the need to extend the country’s debt ceiling, for instance—and use them to exact concessions.👉 Our basic job is to make what he’s doing is deeply unpopular, because that will stiffen the backbone of the courts and any remaining moderate Republicans and set us up for possible gains if and when we next have elections. So: witness, communicate, ridicule, amplify strong voices.
It’s defense, and in a moment like this defense is crucial.
But it’s also not enough. So I want to talk about the slightly longer term as well—about the chances for going on offense, especially on climate where the passage of time is literally deadly.👉 We simply don’t have four years to lay on the ropes absorbing blows, because physics could care less about the political cycle: I mean, it was 20 degrees Celsius above normal at the North Pole today, which means ice was melting there in midwinter. So, we have to look for the place where we have an advantage, and then work like hell to exploit it. We have to go on offense too
Thank you, Bill.
Once we've installed enough renewable energy mr. T's oily supporters will be out of funds.
Thank you.AND we can and should call and email our elected representatives, the ones that are the voice of the people. That groundswell can help too. the 5 Call App is very helpful