Stopping Line 3: The Real Work Starts Now

Tags

activism, Enbridge, Line 3, Pipeline

I had the privilege and joy of attending the Rice Lake Community screening of First Daughter and the Black Snake last week.  Keri Pickett, the filmmaker, was present as was Daniel Geiger, who edited through over 800 hours of footage to bring us a coherent and detailed film.  And though we didn’t know it on arrival, we were surrounded by movie stars as many in the Rice Lake Community were in the film.

The event was amazing.  Dawn was in the kitchen organizing when I arrived.  I then met Keri and talked with her about the movie.  She is a joyful person.  I also met Nicolette Slagle who talked with me about what Honor The Earth (HTE) is doing moving forward.  There are a lot of initiatives for starting local sustainability projects – local food, local energy (solar installation training), local art – with a focus on Pine Point as an example for how it’s done.  http://www.honorearth.org/pinepoint  Also met Kaylie, one of the young ladies facing felony charges from the Standing Rock event on October 27^th.  In case you don’t recall, this was the day that Water Protectors and Law Enforcement clashed, resulting in over 140 arrests.  The event became chaotic, largely due to the excessive and disproportionate force by Law Enforcement.  I remember seeing inappropriate action when I was at Standing Rock in mid-August and there has been much evidence of the continued escalation of force against the Water Protectors.  The repercussions of Standing Rock on the Native Community continue.

By this time, everyone was ready to eat.  Dinner was terrific – wild rice, fresh fish, berries.  All the foods that are endangered by the pipeline running through this area.  These people LIVE from the land.  They rely on Mother Earth’s abundant food and they know this is what is at risk by burying pipe in the earth and using it to move some of the dirtiest products the fossil fuel industry has ever developed.  And the chemicals used to make them flow aren’t things you want to ingest… things like benzene.  These chemicals are pulled out and piped back north to  be used again.  Lots of dangerous things to be piping through the waters of Minnesota where water is the lifeblood of our economy.

• http://americablog.com/2013/06/what-does-a-tar-sand-pipeline-actually-contain-among-other-things-sulphur-arcenic-mercury.html
• https://thinkprogress.org/must-read-investigation-reveals-true-hazards-of-piping-tar-sands-across-america-2e033df5f476

The movie was powerful. Winona LaDuke is the focus with her organization Honor The Earth but there is a large portion of time spent in showing everyday people and their day-to-day interactions with the clean waters, harvesting the abundant food.  This is not easy work.  There is a detailed review of the ricing process and you realize just how much work goes into the harvest and processing of wild rice.  It’s a beautiful endeavor that brings delicious food.  And, as hard as it can be, none present at this screening are willing to risk it for a Tar Sands Oil pipeline.

At the end Keri asked what we thought and I piped up with my typical but sometimes inappropriate humor, “You should bill it as ‘See Winona LaDuke naked’.”  You see, there was a photo of her as a toddler in the film, completely naked, a toy gun dangling from her hand.  It was the most adorable photo and I realized later that this is kind of a metaphor for what the film actually depicted.  Winona bares herself, shows her home, shares this process revealing much about her fight, her friends, her family and fellow Water Protectors.  The film tells a story of all that is precious and in need of protection from the pipeline plans.  And, (spoiler alert!), in the end, she shoots them down.  The Sandpiper line was abandoned by Enbridge.  We won.

And then we lost.  Kind of.  Enbridge moved from Sandpiper to Dakota Access.  While this was a loss, as we didn’t prevent the completion of the pipeline in North Dakota as hoped, it can’t be considered a win by DAPL proponents either.  You see, the pipeline has yet to flow.  They are testing the line and keep finding leaks.  Gee… I think some Water Protectors mentioned this as a concern and here we are.  LEAKING!

And the work continues.  We now are facing the long haul to prevent Line 3 in Minnesota. What do we need to do?

• Stand up and speak about objections.  Get to the public meetings.  Here Enbridge and the PUC will present the Draft Environmental Impact Study for Line 3 and secure public comment.  Public meetings begin TOMORROW, June 6, 2017.  Here’s where you can attend: https://mn.gov/commerce/energyfacilities/documents/34079/Notice%20of%20DEIS%20Availability,%20Meetings,%20Comment%20Period,%20Line%203,%205.15.17.pdf  I’ll be there in Bagley to start it off.
• Write to the MN Public Utilities Commission about why we oppose risking Minnesota’s environment to push dirty Tar Sands (it’s not oil!) through the ground from Canada to elsewhere.  As James Botsford argued in Keri’s film, it’s not a public service… it’s not a waterway we can access or even an electrical conduit into which we can tap to pay for electricity.  It is a risk for our land to support a commercial corporate venture.  And it’s a risk not worth taking.  Write to Jamie MacAlister, Environmental Review Manager Minnesota Department of Commerce 85 7th Place East, Suite 280 St. Paul, MN 55101-2198 or email pipeline.comments@state.mn.us,   Fax is 651.539.0109.  Comments will be accepted through July 10^th.

How to write good comments:  The best comments point to specific sections or page numbers of the DEIS and explain precisely how and why they are inaccurate, incomplete, biased, based on unfair assumptions, etc.  It is also good to reference credible sources of information that you think the State should take into account.  Feel free to include personal stories or accounts of how the project will directly affect you, your rights, your community, the resources you depend on, etc.   Comments such as “Please build the pipeline because I need a job” or “Water is Life, No Pipelines!” do not have much impact…but may be counted in an overall tally, so something is better than nothing!  ~ From Honor The Earth website

• Write to your Representatives. Get contact info here: https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/districtfinder
• Join Honor The Earth and support their efforts.  Find out more here: https://www.stopline3.org/news/deis

This will be a harder fight than we might imagine.  There is much going on of which we are not aware.  Just today, Dan and I had two young men enter our property without permission.  They THOUGHT they had permission.  They’d talked with their Enbridge contact that morning and were under the impression we had been contacted about the pipeline project and that they had a right-of-way.  I explained that Enbridge has not been in contact and we had no information from Enbridge about the possible reroute of the pipeline through our back yard.  We found out about it when, several months after orange flags showed up along our East property line, the neighbor mentioned that pipeline people had been by to talk with them about putting the line through their property.  Only the property in question wasn’t that neighbor’s property. Seems Enbridge has a piss poor understanding of plat books or just doesn’t comprehend how maps work.  These neighbors had no property in the proposed area of the pipeline re-route.  They pointed the oil man to our neighbor to the south who owns the piece in question.  The pipeline people reportedly noted they, “had talked with him”…  Didn’t sound like they’d made much progress.

I also let those boys know that they ought to be careful as most folks up in these parts aren’t real keen about strangers coming onto their property unbidden.  Some even have guns and will shoot first and ask questions later.  They appeared to be nice boys and they may end up being on the right side.  Seems they work for West which does bat surveys.  You see the Long Eared Bat is endangered and they are looking to do surveys to find out if these bats are present on the proposed pipeline grounds.  Sounds like Enbridge is looking closely at this re-route to run through our neighbor’s property…  And maybe a bat will save the day and stop Line 3.  In the end, they decided to leave until they could figure out where they were really supposed to be.  I told them they should ask Enbridge to be in touch at the address on the mailbox at the driveway.  We also gave them our number.  It might make me feel like they actually care about communication with the people they are potentially going to affect.

So glad we attended the movie screening for First Daughter and the Black Snake.  It was an encouragement.  I know it’s just a small group but there is a lot of power in this little group of people.  You can see more here: http://www.blacksnakefilm.com/

All the yard signs at that event were taken by the end of the night, but my favorite is the one that supports Enbridge cleaning up their mess with pipeline removal.  Now those are some jobs we need.

 

Pipeline Walk & Writer Retreat Dreams

Tags

activism

This past week has been another busy one with a Pipeline Walk, some Public Singing, a Visit to Cass Lake, our first “Writer” at the Harn, a Trip to Alex for U-Group, and more progress at the Harn.

The Pipeline Walk was an event sponsored by Honor the Earth (http://www.honorearth.org/) to give people an exposure to how close the pipelines are in our area.  Cass Lake has multiple pipelines through it and we began the walk at the Rest Stop on U.S. 2.

The day began with Annie Humphrey making a Spirit Plate to begin our lunch.  Anne Dunn offered up the plate and also a song, which she asked me to help her sing for the folks.  This was a transformative experience for me as I am NOT a public singer.  But how could I leave Anne to do it alone?  She had asked me to come up with her as I’d been a part of the group from Mallard Island that developed the song last year.  I didn’t think fast enough to realize that her granddaughter Cedar, also at that retreat, could have joined us as well. So here I was… my first singing engagement.  It worked out fine as no one threw anything. I have to think that maybe the reaction from the group was the same as my reaction when someone sings as a leader.  Namely, “Wow, that is pretty brave of her to get up and sing in front of everyone.” And they must have thought me extra brave as I’m not a good singer!!  Dan says I did OK and it was good that the song was simple so people could jump in right away.  We got through it and then Anne said, “OK, now we know it, let’s sing it for real.”  WHAT?!?!?  And then she also walked away!  So here I am at the front on my own trying to lead this song.  Well it must have been a good experience cause when Sadie asked me to sing the song for her the next evening, I did.  It is a really nice song thanks to Patty Kakac.

Marty Cobenais, long-time and successful pipeline resistor, showed us the pipelines running under Cass Lake (1 & 2) which have been there since 1950.  Spent some time watching Sarah Littleredfeather documenting the event on livestream for Honor the Earth.   Here’s her video on this portion of the day: https://www.facebook.com/WinonaLaDukeHonorTheEarth/?ref=br_rs At about 2 minutes in, Marty talks about the lines running under the lake. We discussed how, if there was a leak on the decades old lines, the lake would be poisoned with the chemicals used to make the sticky stuff flow through the pipelines. Benzene, Toluene, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene… nothing you’d want in your water.

We then walked across the road to where three lines ran on the opposite side (67, 4 & 3).  12.5 minutes into the above video, Marty talks about Enbridge providing the parking lot for the public and then the shutdown processes in case of a leak. At 15 minutes in, he talks about Enbridge’s recycling program. And then he discusses the thousands of integrity digs awaiting Enbridge attention (like 6000). While at this stop, Dan happened to notice a white truck so he went down to investigate.  Dan wandered down and the driver got out of the truck.  After noting the chevrons on Dan’s jean jacket, he asked if he was in the Marines and they started a brief conversation. He was wearing a private security uniform. He was watching the group of Water Walkers… for Enbridge (more on how we know that later).

The group headed back across the street to the Rest Area, and from there, to an area across the lake where the pipeline was exposed, even though they are supposed to be buried three feet deep (four feet in agricultural land to prevent the farmer from plowing into them). Dan stayed back at the Rest Area with Anne and Cedar and a few others who didn’t want to make the hike.  This hike was about ¾ mile back through the woods and into a swampy area where the lines are above ground and you can walk on them.  I didn’t opt for a photo, instead watching others walk the line well into the wetlands.  Some examined the exposed pipe and found the protective rubber coating to be spalling, exposing the pipe surface to the elements.  https://www.facebook.com/WinonaLaDukeHonorTheEarth/photos/p.1300132750107171/1300132750107171/?type=3&theater Here’s Sarah’s video for segment 2 of the day: https://www.facebook.com/WinonaLaDukeHonorTheEarth/?ref=br_rs – we reached the site about 18 minutes into the video and you can see the deterioration of the pipeline.

It was a long walk and I enjoyed the conversation with other Water Protectors.  We were gone for quite some time and I worried if Dan was keeping occupied.  Well, he was as I found out later.  While we were at the hike, the Enbridge guard, paid time-and-a-half that day to watch the Water Protectors, had gone back to the Rest Area.  Turns out, when we all headed out to the hike, he thought we’d be going to the Superfund site (our last stop of the day) where they planned to intercept the group with law enforcement.  So as we headed East, he headed in the opposite direction.  After realizing he’d lost us, he went back to the Rest Area where Dan was hanging out waiting for my return.  They had a longer conversation this time. Unfortunately Dan could offer no information to him on “where’d they go?”  The amazing part is that he headed out of the Rest Area moments before we arrived back to take a break and then head to our final stop!  From the below video, it looks like there was almost a half hour before law enforcement was called to intercept these dangerous citizens.

This video is from the last stop which is a Superfund site near Norway Beach. https://www.facebook.com/WinonaLaDukeHonorTheEarth/?ref=br_rs At about 7 minutes, Marty gives an explanation of the 2010 spill near Deer River.  At 9.5 minutes, he mentions the spill nearby whose size is still unknown though 200 cubic yards of waste have been removed thus far.  Spill levels are self-reported so there was some speculation on how accurate they are.  I know in previous jobs I’ve had, we worked hard to minimize the negative information getting to our customers.  I’ve heard dozens of stories of people being paid to lie for their companies and I’d imagine Enbridge is no different.  At 12 minutes, Marty discusses the Mayflower, Arkansas line which was de-commissioned and then re-used.  At 17 minutes in, there is a discussion on what we can do.  At 22 minutes, it’s noted that they are standing on a leak – it’s underground and not visible but it’s there. There was a law enforcement interception at this final stop which I missed as we had another appointment in Cass Lake. But my friend Joshua filmed it here: https://www.facebook.com/JoshuaHWatkins?ref=br_rs (best portion is 1:20-3 minutes, and one great ending at 5:25 where Joshua states the obvious to the oblivious officers). At 1:20, Annie tries to address the Sheriff.  At 2:30, the Sheriff addresses the group and tells them, “The Railroad has called and asked that you please leave.”  REALLY???  The Railroad has some kind of camera on their “right-of-way” and monitors it and then calls the Sheriff to ask people to leave the right-of-way??  Has this EVER happened to you?  I call BULLSHIT.  Probably a good thing I wasn’t there.  I might have been arrested for being belligerent.

Meanwhile, Dan and I were visiting Milt and Jamie Lee, a couple that does the radio show Call of the Wild (LINK) for KAXE/KBXE.  They’d interviewed us for the Harn Edition of the show and having learned of their strawbale homestead, we had to go and see it.  What a treat!  They have been developing their place about as long as we have ours and it was fun to compare stories on the development process.  Jamie is also a local writer and I’d had a workshop with her at Farm by the Lake where I received her book.  Well, I finally took time to open it this week and I couldn’t put it down.  I finished it in one sitting and it has become the third book to make my Top Five Favorite books.  It is a lovely, spiritual, story and the way it came about is pretty magical as well.  I highly recommend you to read Washaka the Bear Dreamer: A Lakota Story Based On Leon Hale’s Dream https://www.amazon.com/Washaka-Bear-Dreamer-Lakota-Story/dp/0972900241

Having met up with Sadie at the Pipeline Walk – she’s working on a thesis related to pipelines – we headed home to the Harn with her after a lovely dinner with the Lees.  Milt is an awesome cook!  Sadie ended up staying a couple nights and while we had loads of good conversation, she also was able to complete some writing.  I realized she could be the seed of the Writer’s Retreat I dream of one day opening.  🙂  Had a lovely time with a bonfire at the full moon.

Once we had our guest on her way, we were back to real work.  We had started clearing the deadwood from the woods surrounding the Harn proper and were able to resume this work.  We pulled small trees, large branches, and sticks it into clear areas, and now have a load of wood to process in a place where we can do so without major tick troubles.  So far, things are pretty quiet on the tick front but they’re coming…

We received our plants from Edible Acres (http://www.edibleacres.org/) this week and began planting our orchard with nut tree guilds.  What are guilds?  In Permaculture, a guild is a grouping a plants, trees, animals, insects, and other components that work together to help ensure their health and productivity.  There’s a quick overview here: http://www.neverendingfood.org/b-what-is-permaculture/permaculture-guilds/ We still have to get the grass covered but we have hazelnut trees, bee balm, black current, and onions planted thus far.  Thanks go to Connie for our bee balm and black currents as we spent a morning splitting plants at her place for the upcoming plant sale and headed home with a truck full of beauties: Asters, Purple and Yellow Coneflowers, Bee Balm, Curly Chives, Day Lily, Oxeye Daisy, Sweet William, Rudbeckia, Perennial Onions, and Mullein.  So we have spent several days planting.  We did:

• 5 hazelnut trees (3 in the Orchard clearing and 2 at the Greenhouse clearing)
• 9 walking onions (some with the hazelnuts and others near the house)
• 9 holes with coneflowers (purple & yellow) Along the wetland at drive curve by Big Rock
• 7 day yellow-orange/rust lilies (divided from one large clump) at front entrance by Big Rock
• Couple dozen perennial onions (near hazels and near house)
• 3 black currants (near hazels)
• 6 holes with bee balm (near hazels)
• 7 holes with asters (at turn north in the drive)
• 4 raspberries (in the zone 2 woods)
• 3 black caps (in the orchard clearing)
• 3 sun chokes (on the garden hugelbed)
• Two plots of rhubarb (heirloom no less – one full sun and one on hugelbed in garden)
• A bunch of curly chives (in hugelbed)

I am amazed at the fun we’re having and the progress we’re making.  I can’t believe we got the Hugelbed done and planted in a single afternoon!!  As I wrote to several people in thank you cards and notes this week, it really seems that the Universe is bringing messages, almost faster than we can read them, that this is a true and good path for Dan and me.

Public Hearing on the Enbridge Line 67 Border Crossing

Tags

activism, communication

The Department of State held a Public Hearing in Bemidji last week.  I attended along with hundreds of others.  I heard there were Enbridge representatives present, though I wasn’t aware of any.  The majority of those present were in opposition to the approval of a border crossing for Line 67 (previously called the Alberta Clipper).

Earlier in the afternoon, dozens of people met at Rail River Folk School where there were several speakers including Brandy Toft, Lindsey Ketchel, Jason Edens, Erica Bailey-Johnson, and Winona LaDuke.  The final speaker – apparently ad hoc? – was Marty Cabenais but I was astonished to see him on stage as I’d met him the previous night but had no idea he was a pipeline guy (or I’m sure we’d have chatted away quite a bit more – mostly I was cooing over his new grandchild).  I found out later that he’s also my mailman.  Small world in rural parts!

While I knew Winona was going to speak – really wish I’d heard her and hope there is a link to hear the earlier talks – I arrived just in time to hear a portion of Marty’s sharing.  It was really wonderful to see the large group of people who braved the cold to walk from Rail River to Sanford Center – a 2 mile walk in blustery cold winter winds.  Sylvia and I drove to Sanford hoping to be able to walk back to meet the group and return to Sanford with them but we realized it was quite cold and we’d be walking into the wind.  We decided to drive to meet the group and see if there were any people who needed a ride to finish their journey.  We didn’t get any takers and we were amazed to see how quickly they made their way on this route.  I was excited to be able to film them coming into Sanford.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufR-qTMZeH8

There were some chants and callbacks along the march to the event and on arrival. But the real treat was seeing the jingle dress dancers and hearing the singing and drumming. Varied spontaneous chants began from a number of people with everyone joining in as we caught the pattern. We were quite cold so headed inside to see the Hearing Room.  There were a few dozen people from Duluth/Grand Rapids and close to or over 100 from The Cities there to speak their concern regarding this pipeline.

The format of the meeting was posters with representatives to answer questions which really limited the information sharing to a few people at a time with much repetition.  There was no overall communication where all participants would hear the same information.  There were a few tables over which the presenter could show papers or the Environmental Impact Study while discussing questions but most stations were simply a standing place with a poster on an easel.  There was a video presentation with a couple dozen chairs and about 12-15 round tables with chairs for people to gather and relax.  You had to wander the room and figure out who could answer what questions by looking at the poster they stood adjacent to.  Oh, and some of the representatives are actually consultants.  Security from the Department of State in DC was also flown in for this hearing.

The event had no real format other than citizens milling about seeking answers.  The only announcements were when the event was opened and when it ended.  There were displays by the people in opposition to Line 67.  There was a Native circle dance, there was a film-crew recording, several news people doing interviews and filming the crowd.  Many felt like the State Dept people were uninformed/evasive/overly positive about pipelines.  I had some disturbing experiences with a couple reps – VERY UNINFORMED & VERY DEFENSIVE – but also some good interactions.

The attorney representing on the Presidential decree seemed to have a VERY limited understanding of the issue.  She looked at me like I had two heads when I asked about the legality of the switcharoo. http://www.oilandgas360.com/alberta-clipper-pipeline-faces-opposition-keystone-xl-vote/ https://insideclimatenews.org/news/20140917/state-department-draws-fire-allowing-tar-sands-pipeline-detour   When I explained that this was the Line 3 border crossing which was used to get line 67 crude across the border prior to getting approval for its own border crossing, she said she had no idea what I was talking about and backed away from me like I was a witch or goblin, like she was so uncomfortable as to not want to be in my presence. She truly looked frightened. It was so over the top I struggled to comprehend her fear.  She said she didn’t like the way the conversation was going and she didn’t want to talk with me any longer.  I asked if, as the attorney in the room, she might have an understanding of the legality of the happenings upon which this whole event is based and she said she “only knows about the Presidential Permit”.  Then she basically was able to read the poster.  [I had several people share with me that they had a similar experience with her where she had no answers and was very defensive.]  I decided to cut bait and find a better informed and more willing representative.  I found a woman who seemed to have a level of authority in the room and she directed me to the Engineer whose company had written the Supplemental Environmental Impact Study (SEIS) for the border crossing.

I spent quite a bit of time with the Civil Engineer and consultant company Project Manager, Fred Carey, from Potomac-Hudson Engineering, Inc.  He was being challenged by three people when I arrived.  And I was piling on.  He got pretty defensive but described himself as “objective”.  I think he was in a really tough situation but stayed pretty calm and definitely answered questions, though would not answer our questions about his personal beliefs on the pipeline.  Fred was able to review the SEIS and direct us to areas on which we had questions.  The big question was how does Enbridge monitor areas that are remote and inaccessible.  There was not a real confident answer to this question.  When questioned whether he’d walked the pipeline, whether he’d been to any of the remote areas, he agreed he’d not.  It was stated that, without seeing the property where this pipeline runs, there is no way he can give an accurate appraisal of the effect it will have on the environment.

Among multiple participants, we all agreed he was probably the best person we’d found that night that was willing to try to answer questions.  About the only person really.  Mary Hassell – how’s that for a name? – is the State Department Project Manager for this work and she was the only other person who seemed willing and capable of answering questions.  She came across also as nervous.  It was really strange to see so many people exhibiting fear and pleading ignorance in this Public Hearing which you would assume to be filled with confident, well-spoken, forthright, well-informed representatives from the US Department of State.  I mean, they flew in dozens of people it seemed.  And there was a massive security presence – always a cop or USDoS officer in view. But this didn’t appear to quell fear in the visiting representatives.

I did meet John Enger from MPR News – he was preparing to talk with Winona LaDuke and I asked who he was with as he had a large microphone in his hand.  Told him I LOVE MPR and would listen for him now that I had a face with the name.  Another older woman (Emily) also came up about the same time to greet Winona and when she realized we were both in line, she started to walk away but I told her to stay – she could be after John.  So when Winona freed up, Joe grabbed her for an interview.  Emily and I chatted and I found out that she actually lived in Noblesville for 2 months when her husband was on a 2-year stint as the Director of Connor Prairie.  Small world!  I had shared with her a neat story of Winona that she really loved. As Winona wrapped up with Joe, I called to her so Emily could say hello and I walked on to my next adventure.  I ran into Winona later and she asked me to tell her the story too.  Pretty exciting for this Groupie!

Had an unexpected encounter that was a real joy. After seeing her three times and thinking, “I know this girl” (but feeling unsure as she was not with the normal associates I see her with)… I was elated when Brandy Toft came up and gave me a hug.  I asked where her partner was and she reported that she was here on official business – turns out she is a Leech Lake Environmental Advisor.  [As you highly observant folks will remember from above, she was one of the Rail River speakers.  I was doubly sorry to have arrived late.]  It was a great joy to introduce her to Sylvia who was sure Brandy would be a great contact for Sadie, her daughter who is studying oil issues and will be stateside soon.

All-in-all, I felt a vibe of not really seeing how the public viewpoint was really going to matter much.  I think there was a feeling by many that this was more a dog-and-pony show than anything that will truly be considered and possibly make a difference.  But it was good to feel the solidarity of the crowd, participate in the shout-outs and see some media presence.  It was good to see so many people participating in civic responsibility.  I did ask every representative with whom I spoke that night, “What does all this matter really? If 90% of us all say we’re in opposition, will it truly change anything?” and what I got in response was a lot of cheerleading for the process.  “This is the most exciting part of our work.” “It’s so important to have citizen input.”  “There will be a response to every one of the public comments.” [I found out later it’s every “unique” comment.  So only every topic will be addressed, not every comment.]  No one would commit to whether or not the public comments would really make a difference in the decision made by the US Department of State.

Here are several links regarding the event:

http://www.honorearth.org/bemidjiclipper

News Coverage of the event:

http://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/03/08/hundreds-protest-proposed-alberta-clipper-oil-expansion

http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/4230774-pipeline-opponents-supporters-gather-bemidji-meeting-enbridge-expansion-request

Fun fact: I think I was the last person to submit public comment via the computers at the event which were logged in to www.Regulations.gov.  The gal providing tech support was Jamie and I noted that I was also Jami.  A third gal came up while we were getting me set to make my comment – she had a question – and it turns out she is Jaime.  We had to take a photo.  That’s Jaime, Jamie and Jami. 🙂

Here’s the comment I posted as the evening came to a close:

Agency: U.S. Department of State (DOS)
Document Type: Nonrulemaking
Title: Environmental Impact Statements; Availability, etc.: Proposed Enbridge Energy, Limited Partnership Line 67 Expansion Project; Public Meeting
Document ID: DOS-2017-0009-0001

Comment:
With everything there is some level of risk. And this study is geared to assess the risk. Having not yet read it in detail, I will make general comments here.
What do we know for sure? We know that we got the run-around from Enbridge in using Line 3 to work around the fact that they did not have approval to cross the border with Line 67. This deception should clearly show the lengths to which they are willing to go to make a dime.
We know that water is essential for life. And we know that oil pipelines tend, more and more of late, to leak. We also know that this oil in Line 67 is some of the worst of the worst, the most corrosive of products, the most energy intensive from which to gain energy. Are we truly considering how much energy goes in to getting a product to make energy? Are we at the point of insanity where we’re expending more on this than we’re gaining?
And we should all see the changing and worsening effects on our climate to the carbon we continue to pump into our atmosphere. If we listen to Bill McKibben and Do the Math (Rolling Stone article denoting the risk of continuing to add carbon to our air), then we will see that the risk of approving this pipeline crossing, only so they can pump more and more oil out of the ground, is too much.
We also know that this oil is basically going from one country, through our land, only to be exported. We have no gain in this and only risk of losing the cleanliness of our water, the beauty of our environment.
Because we also know that, once the oil does leak, it’s impossible to contain. It’s impossible to clean up the mess. Look at Kalamazoo. Should we blame Enbridge for hiding the fact that they weren’t really cleaning up but covering up? Didn’t they have an impossible task? If you can’t truly clean it up, why not try to cover it up instead? It’s more cost effective. Have we incorporated this deceit into the report? Or are we turning a blind eye, pretending they didn’t really do that?
So, to be truly complete, this study needs to consider that we need LESS carbon in our air. We need to KEEP IT IN THE GROUND.
I don’t know that we can stop the powers that be. The big corporation that wants to make money from selling oil, no matter how cheap it gets, making those profits smaller and smaller. The thirst of the world, with America being a huge portion of the problem, for oil. The addiction we have to a fuel that makes everything so much easier.
But this is my small attempt to give voice to Mother Earth. To stand for the Water. To stand for the People whose land will be destroyed if we continue this madness.
I am hopeful that we are truly considering, in their full impact, the above concerns as the decision is made on whether this pipeline crossing is approved.

(One typo fixed from addition to addiction.)

I encourage you to also post a comment should you feel so drawn.  You can do so here: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=DOS-2017-0009-0001  I plan to read more deeply into the SEIS and post further comment as is necessary.

BTW, here’s some totally unrelated but really good news of people power.  http://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/defunding-police-how-antiracist-organizers-got-seattle-to-listen-20170309?utm_source=YTW&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=20170310

Running Away to the Woods

Tags

sustainability, Trump

I am feeling better and better about our timing for this move to the woods.  The country seems to be falling apart quickly and I hope to find some safety amongst the trees.   While I listen to NPR quite a lot, I’m no longer feeling like I live in “civilization”, which may be a good decision… as “civilization” seems to be in rapid decline of late.

Some feel that I am hiding out, copping out, not doing all I can to help make a difference.   And even I feel like there are things I would like to do: tie myself to a barrel like my friend Katherine to oppose the pipeline in Iowa https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1780391688952255&set=a.1757318134592944.1073741834.100009443235384&type=3&theater; write articles for The Nation like my comrade Bill McKibben https://www.thenation.com/article/exxon-knew-everything-there-was-to-know-about-climate-change-by-the-mid-1980s-and-denied-it/; disrupt local propaganda meetings by Enbridge  like my sister Winona LaDuke http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/local/4179373-you-couldnt-hear-you-couldnt-sit-activists-asked-leave-enbridge-meeting-tuesday.  These people are my heroes.  But these are not my strengths.  And these are not where my heart is being called.  Maybe I will do some of these things again someday.  But for today, I am largely observant of the world at large.  This is in part due to feeling a bit helpless to make a difference, though I do continue to burn sage and send out positive energy, but also more in my desire to focus on learning to live more simply.  It’s what my heart has been called to do for some time now.

In this time of observation, I am standing for a life that is more sustainable.  Rather than marching or going someplace to be counted, to have my voice heard, I stay here.  I am quietly living a life that is less dependent on fossil fuels than I have ever lived in the past.  Yes, I still go to town occasionally and I still use electricity, more than I’d like at present.  I still buy juice in plastic containers and have too much garbage.  I still have a long way to go.  But I have come a long way too.  I use a lot less fossil fuel products than I ever have.  And it feels good to be in the process of transitioning to a simpler, more sustainable life.

I am confident in saying I am a better steward of water than most.  I do not poop and pee in potable water.  I gather water from the dehumidifier and use it for showers or other non-potable purposes.  Until this week, I have lived on water carried in – typically less than two gallons/day, sometimes less than one.  But now that I have running water, I am using only water gathered from the sky.  I continue to use as little as possible because the cisterns only hold so much and there are no guarantees on when they will have additions.

I happened upon The Farm Whisperer website the other day and I think this explains it well.  http://farmwhisperer.com/about-website

“Rather than spend your time, effort, money, and energy on fighting the juggernaut, invest it in your own projects which set you free of the need for those products. Rather than march in protest, plant a garden. Why carry signs when you can use the lumber and time to build a chicken coop? Every little thing you do for yourself is a protest. Take away their power by becoming independent. Share what you are doing, help spread this knowledge so that others can repeat and build upon your efforts.” ~ Ken Peavey

The fact that Dan and I are working to get more and more independent for our daily needs is our own form of protest.  We are saying goodbye to the American Dream of working for 30-45 years, consuming our share (more really as Americans use a disproportionate share of the world’s resources), and then retiring to a life of leisure.  We have worked, have earned some income, which allowed us to build this dream.  Now we plan to work for ourselves to grow food, care for the forest, and share surplus with friends and neighbors.  We will still be a part of the consumer society as we can never be fully self-sufficient.  But we will hopefully make a much lighter impact on Mother Earth traveling this new path.

It’s a quieter life but there is also a sense of Rewilding here.

Rewild, v; to return to a more wild or self-willed state; the process of undoing domestication. Synonyms: undomesticate, uncivilize. ~ http://www.urbanscout.org/

Our home is not unlike other cabins in that I have a bed in which to sleep, comfy chairs, a refrigerator, a microwave, a washing machine, a radio.  I have four sewing machines for goodness sake!  Way more than most “cabins” probably.  But I don’t have all the creature comforts many Americans enjoy: a furnace to regulate heat, a conventional stove, TV with cable, flush toilets, cell phone service.  I have a cell phone, just not really any service!  And I have returned to the world of land lines… a requirement for having internet access here in Rural America (because they get a kickback from the government for every “telephone” they install).

So in a sense I am “uncivilized”.  And I am mostly happy without these things.  I prefer watching the birds to the television, hearing the fire instead of the furnace clicking on, taking time to commune with the trees as I gather deadwood for fires.  Snuggling with the cat and reading a book gives me comfort.  Passing the days in solitude finds me taking time to craft and create, cook a pot of soup, make a cup of tea.

I’ve recently been talking with friends about “A” women (those who would rather pee inside) and “B” women (those comfortable peeing outside).  https://permies.com/t/3965/women-peeing-outdoors  Peeing outside gives me a sense of being a pioneer.  Before I became a convert at Dancing Rabbit in 2014, I thought it would be awkward, gross, weird.  And it’s still some of those things sometimes.  But I feel good knowing that I’m giving back nitrogen and phosphorus to the planet and that I’m preventing the waste of water, a most valuable resource, on something as mundane as carrying my waste to… somewhere?

Seeing the trees all day long, hearing the birds, watching the squirrels chase.  It is all making me feel more in touch with our planet.  I feel a greater need to make decisions about how I live in a way that will protect these things… act as if they too are important, just as important to this planet as human life.  Actually, they are MORE important than human life.  I am of the camp that believes humans, as a species, have been the most devastating plague this planet has ever experienced.  And I think it may be that Gaia is trying to shake us off with the earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods, droughts and hurricanes.

So I listen to NPR and keep up with the world happenings to a degree.  I will say it’s quite embarrassing listening to the coverage of 45 talking with other world leaders.  While they sound diplomatic, tactful, respectful… he sounds like an unpolished nube (I know, you thought I was going to say turd, but I didn’t), oblivious to the effect his off-the-cuff remarks may have.  I admit that I still laugh when the obvious questions are asked.  “What should we tell the citizens of countries who are concerned about your statements?”  He doesn’t care!  Why waste breath asking this question?  He’s in his own alternate reality where he is a superstar and everyone thinks he’s “great” and all the problems are fixed with the stroke of his pen.

And I fear that many in this country still believe he can too.  They are breathlessly awaiting the magic moment when all will be “great again”.  They don’t understand how people think 45 is “arrogant”.  They still see him as the answer.  And 45 lives in a world where he has no critics (or at least none with any validity).    Did you hear he reported no complaints about pushing for the go ahead for DAPL?  I think unplugging the White House phones to incoming calls was the reason why.  While there may be good things that come of his tenure, I truly feel that they will mostly come from the opposition to his ideas, not from the implementation of them.  And it’s good to see people standing up.  It gives me hope that we won’t just go down without a fight.  And that there is hope for not becoming a despotic nation.

Meanwhile, I’ll be here in the woods… trying to figure out how to live more sustainably each day and less reliant on the workings of “civilization”.  As this dream has materialized, many have changed from calling me crazy a decade ago to saying now, “I think you may be on the right track with that plan.”  I’ve issued invites for friends and acquaintances to come see what we’re doing.  I’ve even noted that we would enjoy some company on the journey.  Most just shake their heads, unable to see reason, desire or ability (I’m never sure which) to join us.  But if things keep going downhill at the rate they are, I just hope they don’t all decide to come up and join us next week!  Maybe we’ll have some good supports in place in a year or two.  And maybe by then, some will be ready to head to the woods too.

A Political Perspective Before our Electoral College Votes

Tags

Democrats

Well, the night of the election I was pretty much in shock.  While I was not a Hillary supporter, I truly did think she’d win.  I knew she was unpopular. I knew she wouldn’t bring out the vote the way Bernie brought out the masses.  But I had no idea the troll she opposed would garner the voter turnout he did as people looked past the limited vocabulary, the misogynistic comments, the grade school bully behavior, and the crude tweets.   But he did.

By the second day I was at a point where I could think, “Well, the Universe knows what it’s doing.  All will be well.  There will be a groundswell of grassroots resistance to his ideas and we’ll all survive.”  I was able to stay there for a few weeks but the more he revealed his picks for cabinet appointments and other top posts, the more concerned I became.  And now, with the nomination of Big Oil ally and climate change denier Scott Pruitt to head the EPA, I’m realizing this may be more that we can overcome.  http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/07/us/politics/scott-pruitt-epa-trump.html

I had some hope when I heard about Trump’s meeting with the NY Times where he did agree that there is a man-made effect on climate change. http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/11/trump-now-believes-manmade-climate-change-real But this guy Pruitt?  Really?  This is the guy who still thinks the jury is out on Climate Change while the rest of the world has been able to look at the data, or at least their own weather, and realize there is definitely something different about our world these days.  He even sued the EPA – this agency he’s being nominated to lead – to try to block the Clean Power Plan.  https://www.epa.gov/cleanpowerplan/fact-sheet-clean-power-plan-overview

But I think I’ve figured it out.  Have you heard that Trump hasn’t been attending the security briefings?  http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/donald-trump-has-attended-only-two-intel-briefings-steep-drop-n687916  Yeah, the Nube to politics doesn’t think he needs to attend these {though his call with Taiwan’s president clearly showed he can use some schooling}.  But have you noticed who is attending?  Pence!  And this morning, while listening to Kerri Miller on MPR, I realized Trump’s plan.  He’s just going to leave the work to Pence while he visits stadiums full of supporters and gets his weekly fix to keep his ego fed.  Yes, Pence will actually BE the president while Trump takes credit for all that works and (Pence might not have figured this part out yet…) throws Pence under the bus for each failure.

There was a brief but eye-opening summary in, of all places, the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.  {Thankfully I have a friend there who forwards info to my dad and I was in the loop when he shared it}.  http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/columns/Historically–GOP-power-bad-for-nation-16485881  Here’s the basics.  The last two times we’ve had a Republican President with majorities in both houses of Congress were 1) GW Bush from 2003-2007 and 2) Hoover in 1928 following Coolidge.  What did they give us?

1. GW’s Republican national government took us into two wars, passed tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, and increased the rate of government growth by 11 percent.  In a mere eight years, they doubled the national debt leaving an annual deficit of $1.4 trillion while America was shedding 800,000 jobs per month. The Dow Jones had declined to 6,900.  And worse…
2. The Republican plan in 1928 of tax cuts, immigration restrictions, deregulation of Wall Street, high tariffs and low wages created the greatest economic crisis our country has faced – the Great Depression.

OK, now I’m scared.  I think our only hope now is that the Electoral College voters have been watching and realizing they must cast for Clinton if we have any chance of saving our planet, let alone our republic.  Otherwise, it’s gonna be up to the “publicity-addicted casino operator”.

Photo Credits: http://fortune.com/video/2016/04/21/donald-trump-businessman/ & a book about 1993

Standing with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe for No DAPL

Tags

activism, DAPL, sustainability

I was in disbelief on hearing about what is being reported by Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier about “reports of uh, weapons, of uh, pipebombs, of some shots fired, of vandalism happening in that area, and uh, assaults on private security”… and you should be in disbelief too.  The focus of this endeavor has been repeated time and again by leaders at the protest:

This is a non-violent, peaceful action.  No weapons, drugs or alcohol are allowed.  We are here to peacefully Protect the Earth and Defend the Water.

Our trip to Cannon Ball, ND was quite an experience.  Since we were on a short trip, we agreed getting arrested was not advisable.  I was expecting a bail of $100-150 but bail was set at $250.  I didn’t bring quite that much cash and did not want to be a burden on the tribal funds supporting the bail efforts.  If you’d like to donate, you can contribute to the fundrazr here:  https://fundrazr.com/d19fAf

The arrival began with a roadblock as concrete barriers were being put in place to “protect the construction workers”.  While the Water Defenders are participating in a non-violent resistance where no weapons are permitted, the security workers and police are heavily armed with automatic weapons and tasers.  https://youtu.be/K_FKlo9VhLc

Once we passed the block, we pulled over to park and join the Resistance.  It was inspiring.  There was praying and singing and dancing as I cried and stood awestruck by the peaceful power.  https://youtu.be/AvYycioWjBc

I was quite excited to meet Kevin (K-Love) almost immediately on our arrival.  I’d seen video of him on FB prior to our departure from Alexandria where he was fulfilling one of the items I have on my bucket list, getting arrested as an activist. He gave me a
long and warm hug which was a big welcome. I also spoke to one of the Sheriffs to thank him for his service and to let him know we appreciated that they didn’t really want to be here either.  He said he understood our stance and if I could spread a good word about them, that would be good.  I told him we’re not the ones they should worry about, we’re not the ones with the guns.  The security from the pipeline are the ones to fear I told him. They’re carrying the big guns.  (No hug from the Sheriff…) 🙂

We found Joye and she gave directed us to first set camp at the Sacred Stone campground (on land provided by LaDonna Brave Bull Allard, the historic preservation officer for SRST).  Once we set camp and delivered the food and supplies we’d brought, we were to work to set up a charging station for cell phones and laptops.  In the end, the equipment was not capable to provide what we needed.  Prior to leaving for town on a fruitless search to find needed equipment, we witnessed the arrest of Heather Belgarde.  She stood on the barricade with a flag.  Others had been walking and standing on the barricade all day but for some reason, the law enforcement could not abide her standing in place with her flag.  They asked her to stand down and then pulled her from the barricade to arrest her. There were no female officers attending to her arrest. Here is video of the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4mAT1L5KBg

Following this arrest, invited leader Mekasi Horinek, stood on the barrier admonishing the officers.  What they were doing was wrong.  Yet he humbly reminded everyone that we are standing in peace.  We will not resort to violence.  I couldn’t help but wonder how they do it.  With such unfair treatment, over and over again, they continued to stand together peaceably.

We arrived back at the protest area to find that there had been a major change in events.  The Oglala Spirit Riders had risen up, pushing law enforcement back.  And, an unplanned youth action where several young women jumped the fence to run toward the equipment in the construction area had resulted in a shutdown of activity for the day.  They approached the men asking if they had children, admonishing them to find alternative work.  When asked what they were doing, they said, “taking a stroll”. One crew member informed them this was private land and Black Shawl Woman replied that this was why the construction crew needed to leave.  The men were bewildered and did not know what to do.  The girls ran for the river and swam over to the camp at Sacred Stone.  (Later you will get a better idea of how long a journey this was.)

Our efforts soon after focused on helping prepare the evening meal.  Sylvia is a wonderful cook and she created an amazing goulash from random donated food we dug up in the supply tents.  I was helpful in keeping the mini “rocket” stove stoked to heat her pot.  Meanwhile, Rita worked on finalizing the salad she’d brought partially prepared.  These dishes were both delish additions to the other dishes that were provided to serve the over 200 people.  Our numbers increased greatly today with about 250 arriving from Cheyenne River and more on the way.  A second overflow camp was started closer to the Protest Site with lovely teepees sprouting up one after another.

We enjoyed getting to know people from all across the nation who have gathered together here to stand for the water.  Met Adam from Up to Us – he’s from Dayton, Ohio and was amazed to meet a girl from Fairborn.  Met Phil from Colorado – he and his buddy have been travelling, most recently to the DNC, protesting.  Billy and her kids who were hanging around after dinner – they are local and, like many, made us feel so welcome.  Bess, from Washington State, who is free as a bird with no debt and few possessions and who cracked us up with her hilarious statements.  Sylvia and Rita shared that during lunch prep the next day, she noted that they were slapping together sandwiches so efficiently that they “could start a church”.

The first night had been spent in a hotel after arriving at 1 AM to the Bismark area and this second night in our tent would be quite different.  While it was comfortable with only a blanket initially, it soon became clear that the sleeping bags would be necessary.  I can’t imagine how cold it’s been camping here since April!  It is the height of summer for crying out loud!  And I’m bundled in a sleeping bag!  Since we’d staked our tent on a bit of a hill, we had to keep re-positioning throughout the night.  At one point, I awoke, half off my mat, and as I pushed up to regain the lost ground, I looked over to find Rita curled up with her head on the sleeping mat and the rest of her body in a ball at the door to the tent. I had to laugh out loud.

The next morning we were aroused with a loudspeaker playing drums and chants and a guy yelling to “Get up, Get Up” and get to the site.  We dressed quickly, hoping to be present at the prayer circle held every morning prior to the arrival of the construction crew.  We were there in plenty of time and were able to receive purification smudge and listen as the leaders reminded us of the primary criteria we needed to keep in mind:

• This is a peaceful protest. No guns or weapons of any kind are allowed.  We are not violent in any way.  We are simply standing together for our water.
• We are a unified gathering. While we may have different practices and ways, we are all together here for one reason, to protect our river. Native people have gathered in these lands for centuries with no bloodshed because of respect for each other’s rights.  We ask to be included, to be welcomed, and we respect each other’s ways.  And we do not act as individuals but as a tribe with a single purpose, peacefully resisting the potential destruction a pipeline would bring.

Our leader, Mekasi, asked his sister to do the prayer, after we heard from Dana of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and she gave a wonderful prayer while Mekasi sang.  Shortly after, we received word that the construction crew that normally awaits the Sheriff escort, a ways north up the road, was nowhere to be seen.  No construction crew, no law enforcement, no one was coming!!  Phyllis gave us a history and legal review and then Mekasi took a moment to recognize Heather Belgarde from the day before.  While her action was not planned, it was driven by her heart and she was recognized as a Warrior.  She was walked around the circle so we could all see her and thank her.  I felt blessed to be standing so near to Mekasi’s sister (I’d moved up earlier to be able to hear Phyllis speak) who stopped Mekasi after this presentation and asked to speak about Heather’s dad.  She told Heather, and us all, that she knew Heather’s Father.  She had been one of the few women on the first Dakota 38 ride and he’d been instrumental in that ride, working with the horses and making sure all went well.  He was a Warrior and she too was a Warrior.  It was
a beautiful recognition, honoring both Heather and her Father.  Heather teared up as she spoke and then came over to give her a hug in thanks.  Heather is young.  I kept thinking she was too young to have lost her father already.  But I will remember her name.  And I will remember that she is a Warrior.

Rita and Sylvia went back to camp for coffee and to cook while I stayed at the Protest Site.  There were songs, stories and gatherings as we kept watch.  From atop the hill to the north, there continued to be a single vehicle, parked watching the site.  We were under surveillance.  But we were going nowhere.

Several people spoke or sang songs, like Tyrell from Pine Ridge, a “common man” who sang beautifully. One girl, Black Shawl Woman, had jumped the fence to run the previous day and she recounted her feelings as she ran.  She spoke of feeling her ancestors with her and the drumbeat of her heart as their feet pounding the earth beside her.  As I had sat with these young women recounting their story of running the previous day, Chuck, a Cheyenne River member, noted that, in olden days, they would be singing their stories.  One of the most beautiful things I heard this morning was from Chuck.

Here are security men in body armor holding tasers and automatic weapons faced by Women and Children with Sage in their Hands

Chuck was one of the most hospitable people I met in these two days.  He was a bright light for me.  I met many others too.  Waldo who shared the story of losing his wife and how it affected his daughters, and him.  Nicholas who’d been a Super volunteer for Bernie’s campaign – we had a lot to share together.  Donna who’d brought Johnny from Stevens Point, WI.  Shunka and his humans who’d come from Philly.  Frank Martin, a teacher on the Rez.  Richard Gray Day who encouraged us with stories on arrival of the pending masses.  Ryan from Aloha Ke Akua Healing Center.

Later Rita and Sylvia brought peach oatmeal and sandwiches for the hungry people.  And we ate some of the cabbage and peanut butter I’d brought.  I noticed that the gates were open and Water Defenders were streaming through into the construction site.  I wondered aloud what was happening.  We headed to the gate and though we asked several what was happening, all we heard was, “They’re walking to the river.”  We didn’t know if this was sanctioned but I knew I wanted to see over the hill.  We could see very little from the Protest Site, just the beginning of a road.  So we headed inside. https://youtu.be/xOtskgHG9Rw

It was amazing to me that the distance to the river was quite far.  Each time we’d think we would be there, there was another distance to cross.  I don’t know how they are going to make it to the river from 1806 – it’s a long way.  We walked for about an hour to get to the Missouri River.  And the river itself is a massive expanse.  It’s edges ever-changing.  Why on Earth would we think it’s a good idea to put a pipeline carrying dirty oil under this source of life?

Along the way, we were blessed by a young girl handing us stems of sage.  Her name was Delilah and she was a delight.  We met up again with her at the river where we dipped our sage.  I was not willing to let this sacred memento go into the river but instead offered tobacco.  I will burn this sage some special time to come.  Perhaps when we have won this battle.  Delilah’s aunt Dominique also gave us a blessing from the Creator, bringing us to tears.  The loving kindness of these people we have met is palpable.  We swallow it whole and carry it with us from here onward.

It was often the case that we felt completely welcome and involved.  It was very rare to feel any distrust or negativity.  But I would like to review one experience as it was a big realization for me on this journey.  Two young women were talking near me.  After they’d been talking for some time, I’d asked politely if I could join them and Black Shawl Woman welcomed me but the other woman seemed nonplussed by my arrival.  I listened to their stories and thanked them for their bravery but the one woman never seemed to warm to me, directing all her commentary to only Black Shawl Woman and turning away from me.  My friend Rita educated me on the fact that, in Native culture, it is common that  eyes don’t meet until there is trust and knowledge of each other.  There are so many subtle layers of culture and this was one of many aspects not firmly ingrained in my wheelhouse.  And, while I know there was no reason for any of these people to trust me, it was simply one instance that felt different after so many open and friendly welcomes.  Later, when we arrived at home in Alexandria, while telling Danny and Jon about our journey, Danny noted that there were probably many who were wary of us.  We were strangers coming into their space and surely it would be easy to pose as a protester while truly working for the pipeline people.  WOW!  This just didn’t even cross my mind.  With these new pieces of information, I could let go of any hard feeling I had felt toward the quiet woman.  I have a deeper kind of understanding, a new perspective to consider.  That husband of mine is quite thoughtful.  And this is why I keep him around… or so he sometimes jokes.

There is so little on this in the media but many videographers and bloggers keeping the messages coming.  Here are some things you might want to review for more information.

An associated article from Winona LaDuke relating the MN happenings to this situation: http://www.inforum.com/opinion/4095347-laduke-column-dakota-access-pipeline-purchaser-looking-enron

http://www.unicornriot.ninja/?p=8409 Unicorn Riot excellent reporting on the issue

Videos:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80Ecs80tYYU&feature=em-share_video_user Kristen Graves beautiful song and video on the fight.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC66Biusccc  LAKOTA PROTEST USING THE SPIRIT HORSES
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-B-RI_utUw  Standing Rock Leadership Arrested at No Dakota Access Protest 8/12/16

Initial Press Release: http://indigenousrising.org/spirit-camp-warriors-stand-in-path-of-the-dakota-access-pipeline/

Good summary with details: http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2016/08/dakota-access-pipeline-digging-up-human.html

Victory!! (For the moment) http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/state/4097005-north-dakota-pipeline-construction-halted-until-court-date#.V7YOEuu6kBg.facebook

 

 

Defending the Water

Tags

conservation, sustainability, Volunteering

My friend Sylvia asked for support and I agreed it was important.  Our friend Rita also agreed.

This week we travel to Cannon Ball, North Dakota to stand with the Protesters at Camp of the Sacred Stones who are sitting, walking, praying, and chanting against the installation of the Dakota Access Pipeline which threatens the Ogallala Aquifer and the Missouri River.

I don’t know what to expect but I take with me a ready body, an open mind, and supplies that I hope will be helpful.

There is little about this in the news but here are the few things I have seen:

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/37222-lakota-lead-native-americans-ranchers-and-farmers-in-fight-against-dakota-access-pipeline

http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/movie-star-joins-pipeline-protest-as-arrested-in-heavily-policed/article_962ce3ce-8ecc-5897-b727-ddd8d2f28c69.html

There are some updates here:  https://www.facebook.com/CampoftheSacredStone/

I’ll try to post as I can but not sure what kind of access I will have.

Please post about this if you want to support the effort.  Spread the word that this is happening if you can.  If the mainstream media won’t let people know, maybe we can inform each other.

Please send energy, prayers, good thoughts, white light. Whatever it is you can send for success, please send it. If you can send funds, here is a link: https://fundrazr.com/d19fAf  [above photo drawn from this page]

Thank you, in advance, for your support.

See you next week.

Bees!

Tags

cooperation, living local, local food, simplicity, sustainability

I am Super excited to report this week on my opportunity to learn from a very experienced beekeeper. 🙂 Lewis Struthers, of Parkers Prairie, has been working with bees for over 65 years now and while his brothers are large-scale operators, he does a fair “hobby” business with his 15 yards.  For those of you who don’t know bees, I learned that a really good hive can produce 100# of honey in a good season.  So, with an average of 10 hives per yard, his 15 yards could garner 15,000# of honey!!  Lewis was explaining harvest time and told me he runs quite a few 5# jars (the biggest seller) and then he fills 600# barrels.  It was mind boggling.  But I can now attest that the difference in an empty Super and a partially filled Super is quite obvious.  What’s a Super?  We’ll get that shortly… Here’s Lewis!

When Lewis recently offered to share a beekeeping trip with me, I was thrilled.  As we began our afternoon, it was like he was speaking a different language and my brain struggled with comprehension.  He’s lived a life of bee-speak and talked quickly about drones, frames and excluders while I listened trying to translate all the terminology into sense.  By the end of the day, I was really picking it up but I’m sure I missed much of his explanation as I was lost in translation.  So, here’s a little overview to help you – granted, I may have some of this wrong!  (Feel free to comment below with corrections!)

The Hive box contains the bees and the reproduction areas, as well as some honey storage area.  It’s a wooden box about 15” x 20” with 10 hanging frames that are about 1” thick, 15” across and 9” deep.  There is a little spacer between each frame and a space at the bottom for bee bodies.  Each frame has a centerline divider (wood or plastic) with a raised honeycomb pattern on which the bees will build wax comb to hold honey and new bees.  The Excluder is a wire frame placed between the Hive box and the Supers to keep the brooding (bee baby making) out of the Super, which you hope to be full of just honey.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7NjjbVifUM

The Excluder looks like a cookie cooling sheet or a mini oven rack except that it’s completely flat.  The wire sections are too small for the queen and drones to pass through but allow the worker bees to pass into the upper sections where honey is made.  The Super is similar to the Hive box except it’s only about 6” deep instead of ~9.5” deep.  If you are lucky enough to exclude the queen, you will end up with pure honeycomb filled with honey, no bee babies.  We did find one hive with Supers full of baby production but we could not locate that queen for our lives!

There are also bottom boards and inner covers which are at bottom and top of the box, respectively.  This time of year, the bottom boards are sometimes replaced with a screen frame which gives more ventilation to the bees and allows better moisture removal from the honey.  We put in about a half dozen of these screen bottoms in the two yards we visited.  Each Hive Box is covered with a metal top that keeps water out of the hive.

I thought I was adorably punny when I noted to Lewis that this trip was Super fun! 🙂

Lewis and I visited two of his local bee yards in Alexandria and Carlos.  The two yards are in quite different locations, one in thigh high grass and one in a clearing in the woods.  It was interesting to see the differences and similarities in these locations.  We found mice, spiders and ants in both but only the woods location had me getting mosquito bites.  And yes, I’m sure it’s on your mind…. Did you get stung?  Well, I did.  As did Lewis.  So we both killed a bee.  😦   My sting was an avoidable mishap and I knew it was coming.  Lewis had handed me a frame so I could see the weight of the honey and, at the last moment, I saw the bee at the ear where I was taking hold of the frame.  (Ears are little ledges at the tops of the frames that hold them at the top ridge of the hive box.)  It wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be, but I knew I’d been stung.  Video is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG2kQZ3KAwQ

Yes, I was filming at the time.  I was able to quickly brush the stinger from the tip of my finger and then stick my finger in my mouth to try to suck out the poison deposited there.  I was typing pretty well with this finger the next day but it was still a bit sensitive and the first day had a swollen, warm feeling in the first section of that index finger for several hours.  By day two, there was little remnant of the issue.  Lewis’ sting happened at the second yard as we were dealing with some quite peeved bees.  One got him on his index finger and he brushed the bee away at the moment.  Driving back to my car later, he couldn’t recall which finger had been stung as he’d had no reaction to the sting. He says you acclimate to it.

When we arrived at the first yard, I felt a little in the way, standing and watching Lewis work.  I asked him to let me know if I could help and he said, “You’re here to learn today, not to work.”  Ten minutes later, he’d changed his mind as I jumped in to help find screen bottoms in the various piles hidden in the grass. Once he saw I was ready to assist, he was glad to have the help.  I was able to do only a small portion of the work but it gave me a sense of the tasks and helped me to see that this IS something I could do.  Granted, I’d be looking at one hive, not the hundreds that Lewis manages!  I’m hoping to get out later in the season with him to see more aspects of the operation and, hopefully I’ll be able to assist at harvest and see the ins and outs of honey processing.

One thing that surprised me was the simplicity of his operation.  He uses very few tools and equipment.  We each wore a bee hat (kind of like a safari hard hat) covered with a veil – a square meshed netting that sits atop the hard bee hat and protects your face and neck by creating a rectangle around that area.  Netting hangs down from the veil frame and the strings at the bottom of the netting are pulled tight and tied around the chest to prevent bees from getting under the veil, which would not be a good thing!

With regard to the hives, everything was very simple.  Wooden boxes, simple screen bottoms, wire excluders, and metal/wood cover tops.  Wooden frames, some with chewed holes – darn mice!  A small metal pry-bar Lewis used to open the boxes and pull frames apart for inspection.  [Everything the bees touch becomes waxed together.]  And a smoker, a critical piece of equipment that helps keep the bees calm.  Just a can with wood chips and a little grass, stopped up with a Kleenex between yards to prevent it getting too smoky, squeezed gently and occasionally as we worked through the hives.  At one point we found a frame with a broken ear and Lewis installed a metal replacement ear which he nailed on with 4 small nails making the frame good as new.  Nothing fancy.  It felt very unintimidating compared with some of the high tech bee suits and hive paraphernalia I’ve seen on TV, YouTube, and Google.  In this photo below you see: the Excluder screen leaning on a Super, the Smoker, a Hive Box partially filled with Frames, and a few Frames outside the box.

We first looked at the “nukes”, new 4-frame hives that Lewis was hoping had developed queens (photo below).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NwGwPvEggE&spfreload=10  When we found queens, we were able to transfer these frames into fully-framed hive boxes, typically adding a brood frame from a stronger hive.  Lewis noted that the bees on the brood frames we placed in the new hives would find their way back to their home hives but the brood cells would be left in place and these bees would hatch and become part of the new colony.  Giving these young queens a head start with brood cells gives the hive a fighting chance at making their way to being a strongly producing colony.  I believe these new colonies he lets keep all their honey the first year, hoping for good production in the following year.

In order to find good brood frames, we looked through the stronger, more productive hive boxes and this gave us a chance to check the progress on these colonies.  Often we would add an Excluder and a Super or two as this is the heavy production time of year for his girls.  Lewis made clear several times that it is the GIRLS who do all the work and he has a great respect for them, both in the bee world and the human realm!  Here’s a little video on workers and queens.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSsjcQ8X7mY  And, yep, that’s me holding that frame!!

Lewis showed me the comb with honey which looks like black water as it reflects in the sunlight.  We could also see pollen stored in some cells.  Then there were egg cells, larvae cells and capped brood cells (which look kind of like capped honey cells to this Nube).  The freaky stuff are the drone cells, which are like yellow mushrooms exploding from the comb ~ puffy topped cells, and the queen cells which hang off perpendicular to the comb and are really large, reminding me of morel mushroom tops.  The queens are not too difficult to find, especially once Lewis points them out to you…  After finding my first queen pretty readily, thereafter I mistook drones for queens, even though Lewis was constantly reminding me that “drones are like fat beer belly guys” while queens have an enlarged and elongated abdomen.  The Young Virgin Queens (queens that may have mated but not yet produced brood cells) are especially hard to find as they are smaller than more developed queens.  Some queens have yellow abdomens while others have black abdomens and, while not a rule, if you see black drones, you will likely see a black abdomen queen.  I still never really picked out a second queen on my own but if Lewis told me he saw one, occasionally I could find her too.

Most of the bees we saw were worker bees with some frames having quite a few drones.  We saw some workers with legs full of pollen.  I told him they reminded me of little motorcycles with saddle bags, which I think tickled him.  When colonies were less productive, the frames were less populated with bees.  Full production hives had loads of bees and much activity.

The day was a bit overcast and the bees were quite mellow.  Lewis noted that this was a bit unusual as they were usually happiest when it was sunny and work was in progress.  But I was glad to have happy bees.  There is a difference when they are mad ~ they will have a higher pitched buzz and come at you more aggressively (though still pretty lamely).  At the first yard we had one or two times when the bees seemed a bit more stirred up.  They had a more high-pitched buzzing sound, definitely like they were warning us to leave.  I would occasionally just stop and wait for them to calm.  The big key was moving deliberately and not too quickly.  Slow and steady wins the day.  Each time Lewis would open a new hive box, he would smoke a bit, then pry the top off slowly.  When he would remove the first frame, he would go quite slowly and smoothly.  Once he was prying frames apart, he would move a bit quicker but that first frame was slow and steady every time.

As we left the first yard, Lewis stopped to show me a hive box tied up in a tree.  This is an empty box that he has available in case of swarm.  It won’t really help a swarm at this yard as bees typically go more than 2 miles away to find a new hive when they swarm.  But he did catch a swarm last year in this box so sometimes a colony from elsewhere will come find new digs in these extra boxes.  He has a yard about 3 miles away so, if those bees swarm, there is a chance he’d catch his own colony at the close-but-not-too-close location.

He showed me at the second yard which was located in a clearing in the forest.  This was much darker and cooler, which resulted in mosquito attacks on arrival.  There was even a mouse brave enough to have made a home in the top of one of the hive boxes – he was not home… probably heard us approach.  We destroyed his home and found a few mice in the pile of screens and covers.  They’re quick but a few were not quick enough. 😦

The work here went quicker.  Partly because there were not quite as many productive hives and partly because I was a little more trained.  We took time here for me to pull apart a box to look for developed brood.  Here’s my video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWlKsYOpYos You can see here the little gear we wore (no gloves), the simple tools (pry bar) and equipment (wooden boxes).  I was amazed at my calm in participating in this work.  I found that the bees were not as scary as I thought.  Though we did find one colony which appeared queenless and thus, was not quite as calm and content.  This was the hive where Lewis was stung and he was able to add a queen cell to hopefully bring them a new leader.  Here’s a video of him placing the queen cell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAydYQQlyG8

I had an enjoyable day helping Lewis with his ladies.  It was a great learning experience.  I am hopeful for the possibility that I can keep bees in the future.  And that Lewis will keep showing me the ropes as I learn more and, in turn, provide a bit more help for him on our visits!  You might want to try some of his honey… it’s yummy!  http://www.honey.com/honey-locator/profile/struthers-honey

Earth Day 2016 – Saving the Planet for Our Kids

Tags

conservation, sustainability

Earth Day 2016 finds us still at odds with regard to Climate Change but isn’t it time we find unity?  If only for the sake of our children?  Doesn’t every child deserve the right to life on a planet with healthy water, air, and soil?

There is a Native saying: “We don’t inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”  But are we leaving much of an inheritance?  From early days in this country, we have plundered the abundance of the environment as if it would provide an endless supply.  While the Natives harvested sustainably, leaving behind some plants for wildlife and regeneration, European immigrants called them “lazy” for not harvesting it all.  Native traditions valued the gifts of Mother Nature and respected her by not over consuming and depleting resources to a point where they were exhausted.

But there was no comprehension of the value of conservation in the clear-cutting methods of the settlers.  Europeans saw the abundance in this country and believed they could never exhaust the bounty.  We clear cut forests.  We decimated herds of buffalo.  And often we were not careful to fully use all the trees and animals we had culled; leaving much of the dead to simply waste.  And within a very short time, we did exhaust the bounty.  And we continue to this day.

Having used much of the easily accessible fossil fuels, we are now fracking and mining the tar sands trying to squeeze every last drop from the Earth.  We are insanely spending more energy to draw fuels from the earth than we are able to harvest.  And we are not conserving electricity to reduce our need.  We are driving as much as ever, in huge vehicles that require more fuel.  We are continuing to harvest all the fruit without wondering about the future.  Without thinking of the generations to come.  Without regard for the planet that has sustained us.  Without realization that this is our only home and we might want to assure it remains healthy and whole to continue to sustain life.

While traditional economics factors in land/natural resources, it does not account for the fact that these resources are limited.  And models do not account for the effects that pollution has on human health or the environment.  But we must consider the bigger picture if we are to retain a planet that is recognizable.  For those of us paying attention, we see that the world has already changed in ways we hadn’t expected and at a much faster pace than we theorized.  For goodness sake, it was 75°F at the Harn this past weekend!  Already the changes are causing huge economic losses, not to mention the losses in life.  Today’s weather often threatens not only our homes but our ability to grow food, our ability to survive.

What does this mean for Minnesota?

The changing climate is moving the Wheat Belt north 15 miles a year.  This may be great for Minnesota’s growing season, but what does it mean for other aspects of life here in our great state?  This winter has been another mild one and much of the winter activity for which Minnesota is celebrated was not possible.  Ice fishing, snow shoeing, cross-country skiing?  Conditions were meager for enjoying these things that make Minnesota… well, Minnesota!  Businesses that thrive on these winter pastimes struggled to stay afloat or simply called it quits, seeing no relief in the near future that the climate will be ripe for such ventures.

More concerning changes include increases in tick and mosquito populations which thrive in this changing climate.  These bring increases in Lyme’s disease and encephalitis (http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/sres/regional/index.php?idp=234) and if conditions continue, we’ll see malaria and dengue fever move northward in the U.S. as well.  The Minnesota DNR has much to share on these topics and more. http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/climatechange/

We’re already seeing increased temperatures in our lakes with many lakes showing earlier and earlier ice-out dates every year.  These higher temps are changing the biosphere for our fish, depleting oxygen levels and increasing the algal blooms.  All not good for health or economics as many areas in our fair state rely on tourism.  So it’s not looking good for us and I’m not seeing such a bright future for our kids.

Here are a couple more links on climate change in MN:

• http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/02/02/climate-change-primer
• http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/02/07/climate-change-in-minnesota-week-1-highlights

In the long run, that elongated growing season we get may be hampered by losses in soil or even crops when the unexpected severe storms, pests and invasive species come with it.  So when we have nice days in February, while a small part of me is happy for the sunshine and warmth, a bigger part of me is dreading the endgame in our relationship with Mother Earth.

What does this mean for all our children?

The 2016 Earth Day theme, “Trees for the Earth”, (http://www.earthday.org/earth-day/earth-day-theme/) applies directly to our next generation as they will be the true benefactors of the trees we plant today.  Just as they will face the longer-term effects of climate change, they will also gain the most benefit from all we do now to help this planet on which we all reside.  Trees absorb CO2 and pollutant gases and generate oxygen.  But they also provide food, energy and materials that bring about long-term economic sustainability.  We would do well by our children to plant a few trees.  It is said that a society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby recently hosted Jeffrey O’Malley, Director of the Division of Data, Research and Policy for UNICEF, who reported how UNICEF is stepping up for Climate Change.  They feel it is the greatest challenge for this and future generations, who will continue to be more and more affected.  Their recent report on the effect of climate change on children can be found here: http://www.unicef.org/publications/files/Unless_we_act_now_The_impact_of_climate_change_on_children.pdf

While climate change will affect every child, it will disproportionately affect the over half a billion children living in extremely high flood occurrence zones and the nearly 160 million in high or extremely high drought severity zones.   The effects of climate change often hit the most vulnerable first and hardest, leaving them few resources for recovery.  Don’t think the developing world matters to you?  We all share the same atmosphere. We do ourselves a favor when we lead the way with renewables. India & China are currently building 665 coal power plants and planning almost 1000 more.  Embarrassingly, China is also working quite hard on developing renewable energy too, making bigger strides than the U.S. and leading the world.  http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/12/02/the-truth-about-china-2400-new-coal-plants-will-thwart-any-paris-cop21-pledges/  

If Children are our Promise of Tomorrow, then we need to put promises above profits and provide them a worthy future.   How can we do this, besides simply planting a few trees for Earth Day?  The most effective way to reduce greenhouse gasses is achieved by putting a price on carbon.  Citizens’ Climate Lobby promotes a Carbon Fee and Dividend (CF&D) which charges a fee (to account for costs of the pollution created by burning fossil fuels) at the mine, well or port of entry.  These fees are returned to U.S. households as a monthly dividend with most receiving more that they will pay for increased energy costs.  Find out more here: http://citizensclimatelobby.org/

Why should we do Carbon Fee & Dividend?

1. A study from REMI (Regional Economic Models, Inc.) shows that CF&D will reduce CO2 emissions 52% below 1990 levels in 20 years and will create an economic stimulus adding 2.8 million jobs to the economy.
2. CF&D will NOT hurt the economy. British Columbia began its revenue-neutral program for taxing emissions in 2008 and has found economic growth to be steady or even outpacing that of other provinces in Canada.
3. If we don’t find remedies to mitigate climate change, it will end up costing us MORE than it will to implement fixes. See the CITI GPS report here: https://www.privatebank.citibank.com/home/fresh-insight/gps-energy-darwinism.html

If the children in your life have meaning to you, join me in the effort to address climate change… for their sake, if not for your own.

Environmentalists for Hillary?

Tags

350.org, Bill McKibben, sustainability

To me, this is a total oxymoron.

In June 2015, Clinton’s campaign announced their new consultant…  TransCanada’s former lobbyist Jeff Berman.  In the period ending at that time, Hillary also had large sums of bundled contributions coming from associates from the fossil fuel industry: http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/827/201507159000221827/201507159000221827.pdf

There has been much debate about Sanders “lying” regarding the funds going to Clinton from the fossil fuel industry.  But is he lying?  This link, which appears now to have crashed due to excessive traffic, gives a good account of the millions going to Hillary from the Fossil Fuel industry: http://fair.org/home/did-sanders-lie-about-clintons-oil-money-npr-factchecker-cant-be-bothered-to-check/   But a Greenpeace link can give you a good summary as well: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaign-updates/hillary-clintons-connection-oil-gas-industry/

 

Nicholas Kamm | AFP | Getty Images

And Clinton says, “Anybody who knows me, who thinks they can influence me, name anything they’ve influenced me on. Just name one thing.”

How about two?

• http://www.ibtimes.com/colombian-oil-money-flowed-clintons-state-department-took-no-action-prevent-labor-1874464 “At the same time that Clinton’s State Department was lauding Colombia’s human rights record [while Colombian military rounded up (union organizers) at gunpoint and threatened violence if they failed to disband], her family was forging a financial relationship with Pacific Rubiales, the sprawling Canadian petroleum company at the center of Colombia’s labor strife. The Clintons were also developing commercial ties with the oil giant’s founder, Canadian financier Frank Giustra, who now occupies a seat on the board of the Clinton Foundation, the family’s global philanthropic empire.”  Did she think we’d forgotten?  Well, most of us never even knew this, let alone forgot it.
• Or, more near and dear to my heart, subsequent to three Enbridge lobbyists funding Clinton’s campaign, as Secretary of State, she signed off on the Enbridge pipeline. http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/content/us-secretary-state-hillary-clinton-signs-permit-enbridge-pipeline-work-may-start-today

I think pipelines in general and Keystone in particular were a big factor turning my opinion on Hillary.  She took WAY TOO LONG to take a stance against the Keystone XL pipeline (KXL).  Based on Bill McKibben’s article in Rolling Stone (7/19/12) http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/global-warmings-terrifying-new-math-20120719, it should have been obvious years ago that, not only do we need to leave most of the remaining fossil fuels in the ground, but we also should cease and desist with all exploratory ventures to find more!  If we took half the money we’re currently spending to subsidize this work, and instead spent it on supporting renewables, we’d be fossil fuel free in no time.  Certainly by 2030 which many see as a looming deadline.  Not to mention the funding we could also free up for public health initiatives like curing cancer or public education to train the next generation of innovators.

Yet Clinton continues to support fracking, even on a global scale, though it is now being exposed as an even bigger threat to climate than ever imagined.  http://www.thenation.com/article/global-warming-terrifying-new-chemistry/

Josh Lopez photo from 350.org

 Side note: Bill McKibben also discusses his fall into activism in his 2013 book Oil and Honey: The Education of an Unlikely Activist.  This is an interesting read, especially its look behind the curtain on the 350.org movement and the workings of our government.  Oh, and there are bees! 🙂

As both O’Malley and Sanders have noted (this quote is from O’Malley), “On issue after issue–marriage equality, drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants, children fleeing violence in Central America, the Syrian refugee crisis, and now the Keystone Pipeline, Secretary Clinton has followed – not forged – public opinion.”  http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/hillary-clinton-finally-comes-out-against-keystone-pipeline

We need a leader, not a follower.  Especially when we have no idea whether she WILL follow our lead once elected.  I’m thinking she might just keep following the money.  I’m suspicious that she will continue to be influenced by those who paid her entry fee… and it by-and-large ain’t us.

Hillary has too many ties to the fossil fuel industry.  In addition to those mentioned in links provided above and the tie to TransCanada I noted at the onset of this piece, her good friend Paul Elliott was TransCanada’s Director of Government Relations in Washington, D.C. while she was Secretary of State.  What was his job just before taking on this latest venture?  He was National Deputy Director & Chief of Staff for the Hillary Clinton for President campaign.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-elliott-21755959  With Hillary working as Secretary of State and involved with the approval of KXL, there was an obvious potential for conflict of interest.  http://greenliving.about.com/od/scienceandtechnology/a/Hydraulic-Fracturing-Fracking.htm

Perhaps I should leave it to Susan Sarandon who explains it better than me in the first five & 1/2 minutes of this interview.  “If you think that it’s pragmatic to shore up the status quo right now, then you’re our of touch with the status quo.  The status quo is not working.” http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/truthdigger_of_the_week_susan_sarandon_defender_of_those_wholl_vote_for_ber

You can argue that it’s impractical to not support Hillary if she’s the nominee.   And I hear you.  But you’re naive if you think you can guilt people into voting for Hillary when they are convinced she is not going to have their back on the issues; when they are convinced she is on the wrong side of history.  This is why many are saying, “Anyone but Hillary.”  They are not pleased with her record.  And I am convinced Bernie is the only one who can bring out the voters we need to defeat Republicans at the polls in November, no matter who they nominate. Our ONLY chance to beat Republicans.  Are you hearing me?  

I simply have no faith that Hillary will represent We the People with regard to Climate Change (and a whole host of other issues as well).  She certainly won’t be changing her ways soon enough to save this planet from the devastating effects of Climate Change, which is rapidly changing the world as we know it.  Especially if we have to continue dragging her forward to finally catch up to the rest of us.