Dear friends,
I was a little too young to vote for Jimmy Carter when he ran for a second term, and begged my parents not to vote for Reagan. (They didn’t listen, and while that was unsurprising, it still stings.)
Yesterday, the New York Times published a wonderful opinion piece about Jimmy Carter’s presidency, which I urge you to read. It made me feel good about ruining so many family dinners in 1980, even though I wasn’t as well-informed then as I am now.
In 1979, Carter had 32 solar panels installed on the roof of the White House, which heated water throughout the residence. Carter was trained as an engineer, like my dad, who was also obsessed with fuel economy during the energy crisis of the 70s.
Carter wasn’t deterred when he lost his bid for reelection and he didn’t give upjust because Reagan removed the solar panels from the White House. (Carter’s from a small town, but long a proud resident of my other favorite city, Tenacity.)
[I]n 2017, he leased ten acres of land near his home in Plains, Georgia, to be used as a solar farm with 3,852 panels.
In 2020, the solar farm provided half of the town’s electricity needs.
I admire his vision and his persistence. It pleased me to read, on the same day that this great man gracefully made the choice to accept hospice care at home, that the nations of the world are on the verge of spending more on renewable energy than fossil fuels.
The benefits of renewable energy are not just limited to cost savings. Renewable energy sources do not emit greenhouse gases and other pollutants that are harmful to the environment and human health. The shift towards renewable energy has the potential to reduce air and water pollution, improve public health, and slow down the rate of climate change.
If you, like Jimmy Carter, hope to age in your home with access to the care you need, tell Congress to invest in care and care workers.
One of the campaigns that has filled me with hope is Third Act’s Banking on Our Future campaign. Last year, Third Act started recruiting folks to pledge to pull our money from the banks — most of the ones you know by name — that loan money to the fossil fuel industry.
The money they loan ends up building pipelines (endangering rivers and streams, and the rights of Native Americans). Those loans support fracking wells (even though scientists have proven they leak huge amounts of greenhouse gases). That money helps build giant terminals for exporting more gas and oil, even though everyone knows the world has to switch to renewable energy.
Sign the Banking on Our Future Pledge! This is from Th!rd Act.
Part of the campaign was to offer real alternatives. I switched banks years ago, but my credit cards are still a crime. This is about to change!
One of the things organizers do is make it easy for you to take action. Last year, on a call with Third Act, a lot of us wondered how we would even find credit cards that were not from the big banks. Third Act now links to this list of socially and environmentally responsible credit cards.
Another thing organizers do is get us to act collectively, for maximum impact. Third Act’s FAQs explain how this will work. In short: we will ask the banks to stop investing in fossil fuels (the pledge), give them a deadline to respond (03-01-23), and then make a show of cutting up our credit cards (03-21-23) in a Day of Action.
As it happens, I’m meeting up with my favorite climate organizer in Boston that day, before they depart on a trip. I’ll bring the scissors, since they’re getting on a plane.
Find a Day of Action event near you!
And good organizers build momentum and use the arts to articulate and amplify the message.
Attend a webinar this Saturday to learn songs and make art for the March 21 Day of Action. This event is organized by Th!rd Act.
Time is of the essence: Iroquois Gas Pipeline needs approval from New York State to to build giant compressors to run more gas between Canada, Connecticut, and New York.
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s public comment period closes tomorrow. Please help persuade the Governor and DEC that we don’t need more gas passing through New York.
Tell Governor Hochul and the DEC to deny permits to the ‘Iroquois’ Pipeline compressors.
Thank you for helping to make the good news today!
with love,
L