Fighting industrial pollution for the health of our communities
All people, no matter the color of their skin, their background, their salary, or where they live, have a right to breathe uncontaminated air. Where I grew up in Munster, Indiana, windy days would carry in air pollution from nearby coal-fired plants. On certain days, the factory emissions would react in the air to cover… Read more »
Minneapolis mobilizes for climate and equity
There is a movement happening in Minneapolis. For the past four months, teams of people from every ward across the city have been gathering around a simple but revolutionary idea: that every single person – regardless of where they live, how much they make, or the color of their skin – deserves to live and… Read more »
An anniversary Minnesotans shouldn’t forget
NOTE: This is the final part of a three-part blog on the Line 3 pipeline. Part 1 decodes Line 3 language and Part 2 discusses the destructive wildfires created by the pipeline construction. This past spring, most Minnesotans failed to remember a noteworthy anniversary in the state’s history. In fact, it’s an anniversary that Enbridge… Read more »
Treaty People Gathering
Last month, at the invitation of Minnesota Indigenous leaders, my wife and I attended the Treaty People Gathering (TPG) on the White Earth Reservation. We spent three days learning, singing, praying, practicing, and then protesting against Line 3. It was a remarkable experience. The first full day at the TPG was busy. First, we learned… Read more »
Systems of inequity: why environmental racism and overpolicing are inextricably linked
Racial and socioeconomic equity are central to climate justice. It’s impossible for the United States to examine its contributions to climate change, and their impact, without also examining inequities built into the foundation of the U.S., both in terms of the systematically racist and classist society at home and a legacy of colonialism and U.S.… Read more »
Water protectors gather in Northern Minnesota to stop Line 3
This past weekend, June 5-8, 2021, water protectors gathered in Northern Minnesota to put their bodies on the line and stop construction on Line 3. The Treaty People Gathering was a weekend of nonviolent direct action in support of treaty rights and climate justice as Enbridge continues construction through Anishinaabe treaty land and the Mississippi… Read more »
Ways to celebrate Earth Day this month
Earth Day happens every year on April 22, and it’s one of the most widely celebrated secular holidays in the world; this is a holiday that honors and celebrates our common home! It lands on a Thursday this year, but the whole month of April is a great time to learn and engage in community… Read more »
Earth Day events: Beyond Earth Day
The First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis (FUS) will be hosting a series of online events in celebration of Earth Day. They will be broadcast live on FUS’s website and its YouTube channel. From 10:30–11:15 a.m. on Sunday, Apr. 18, join us for Sunday Assembly with special guest Dr. Sam Grant, Executive Director of MN350, speaking… Read more »
Challenging the financial sector to Stop the Money Pipeline
Last year, nearly 100 climate and justice organizations, including MN350, launched Stop the Money Pipeline, calling on individuals and companies to stop conducting business with organizations that invest in or insure fossil fuel projects. Rescinding monetary support is one of the most important actions we can take to address the climate crisis. Even while stating support for climate action, the financial… Read more »
New Year’s resolution
In the first months of the new year, we inevitably reflect on what’s past and look forward to the unknown future. I don’t really think of a new year as a “clean slate” but instead as a time for us to integrate the lessons we’ve learned, recommit to the paths we’re consciously choosing, and reassess… Read more »
