I shared the post below in November 2016.

At that time, my daughter was in her last year of high school.  My son had just started college and the 2016 election was the first time he voted. Then, like now the reality of our truly divided country, the dashed hope that we could elect a woman president was and remains heartbreaking for my family. Our country however did survive, we muddled through. My children are now young adults who graduated college and have meaningful jobs. My children, like many in their cohort, have grown up with the chaos of a Trump presidency, they lived through a global pandemic, and they have their eyes wide open to the growing climate crisis. So for many young people who did not vote for Trump in 2016 or in 2024, his win now is imaginable if not understandable. For those of us older than my children, who have more elections under our belts, we too should realize that Trump’s success isn’t unimaginable and to many not surprising at all,  even if we wished it was. It is now our reality.

As a Canadian who became an American in 2007 and who first voted in a presidential election when President Obama came to power, the dream of what America could be seemed so real, and so very hopeful. Many factors over the yeas since then have squashed that dream for me – it was after all just a dream. I am now more reflective.  The experiment of democracy in the US remains so very fragile; we must not let it break. I was reminded recently that until the 1930’s people in the US didn’t all see news the same way nor did the  party elected to rule, truly represent “all the people.” President Biden’s election seems now to have been the hold out for those days of old, that  “in-between.” It seems obvious with the harsh reality of the day, that those wistful days of a President who is elected to be the leader for “all the people” is truly over.

There is so much to consider, to think about and to ponder. But the one thing I am clear about is that Mother Nature doesn’t care who won the US election. She remains angry and vindictive, no matter your political party. This fact gives me hope that, through the trials and hardships that climate change will continue to bring to us all, it can and will prove to be what brings us together.   I hope my thoughts from 2016 remind you of things that came to your mind then too. The sun came up today, many of us feel grief, shock, despair – be gentle with yourself, get and give hugs today. Tomorrow, or next week, we begin again. We have no other choice.

Thanksgiving and a Climate of Hope

ALOHAThis Thanksgiving, we at ClimateMama are seeking to channel the true meaning of Aloha, and we hope you will join us. Most of us understand Aloha to be a Hawaiian greeting, a simple expression of hello or goodbye. The deeper Hawaiian meaning is actually much more complex; it expresses the combined notions of compassion, love and peace.

At our Thanksgiving dinner tables this year, now more then ever, love, compassion and peace are feelings, hopes and ideals that we need to embrace so that we can all move forward in a positive and constructive direction. It seems that so many people remain stuck “post election.” While we all need to come to grips with our own emotions, to validate them and to take needed time to do so; we also must remain active, observant and involved. Deciding not to “talk about” the differing opinions and views we may have with family and friends is NOT the way to move ourselves, our families, or our nation forward. Not only do we need to talk about our hopes and our concerns, we need to try our best to let others share their hopes and concerns with us as well. Listening to family and friends and HEARING the views of those we may have alienated or who may have alienated us is critical to finding common ground and creating hope.

As such, we wanted to offer 3 broad tips and conversation ideas that have resonated deeply with us. We feel that the advice below is useful – not only for Thanksgiving discussions – but also for sharing, thinking and acting on well beyond Thanksgiving and the holiday season. We have abbreviated the quotes below and pulled them out of longer discussions and we are adding links to the posts in their entirety so you can dig deeper as well.

1. On Climate facts from A Climate Scientist
Richard C.J. Somerville: Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego

ClimateRealityHSmemeHave a civil conversation. In his heart, your “Uncle Pete” would probably admit that everybody is entitled to his own opinions, but not to his own facts. When it comes to facts, we scientists have the high ground. The world is warming. It’s not a hoax. We measure it. The warming did not stop in 1998. All the warmest years are recent years. 2016 will be the warmest year on record. 2015 is second. 2014 is third. The atmosphere is warming, and so is the ocean. Sea level is rising. Ice sheets and glaciers are shrinking. Rainfall patterns and severe weather events are changing. Climate change is real, and serious, and happening right here, right now. And it isn’t natural. Human activities are the dominant cause of the climate changes we have observed in recent decades.

We must act. We can’t dither any longer. If Uncle Pete wants to keep the government from controlling his life and diminishing his freedom–as most all of us do–then we all need to learn about and accept the science. We all need to take the threat of climate change seriously. We all must act wisely, and urgently, to minimize that threat and thereby limit the damage of climate change to tolerable levels.

2. On Hate & Anger that welled up during the November US Elections
John Pavlovitz: Pastor and writer from Wake Forest, North Carolina

I believe you when you say that you’re not a racist.
I believe you when you say that you’re not a bigot.
I believe you when you say you’re not homophobic.
I believe you when you say you’re not a misogynist.
I believe you when you say you’re not an Islamophobe.
I believe you when you say you’re not an anti-Semite.
I believe you when you say that you don’t condone violence and discrimination and bullying.

But I won’t keep believing you if you remain silent.

3. On being Sanctimonious
Lisa Bennett: Mom, writer, speaker and communication strategist, California

Opinions may vary but this much seems clear: Suggesting that climate change (or any issue) is more important than all others is simply not helpful. It invites argument. It belies the fact that all big issues are complex and, in many ways, connected. And, perhaps most importantly, it fails to reflect how human beings experience life, which is on a much more immediate and personal level. Last year, for example, when my mother was dying, climate change became a complete abstraction to me. When I’ve been out of work, making money has been the most important thing. When I’ve been sick, getting healthy trumped everything. And people have these kinds of experiences every day, which means that every time someone says climate change is the most important issue of the day, they run smack into the objection (repeatedly affirmed by polls) that says: Not to me. At least, not to me right now.

So if you want to avoid the sanctimonious trap, refrain from saying that climate change (or whatever your issue) is the most important issue of our day. Call it important; or better yet, say it concerns you for whatever personal reason it does—and whatever reason you think might be shared by the person you are talking to. Avoid implying that you know better, or in any way are better than others because of what you understand or do about the environment (even if it makes you nervous that they “don’t get it.”)

 

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In the US, we are being told repeatedly that the 2024 Presidential election is razor close. I can’t square this fact with the stark differences between the two candidates – Harris and Trump – on so many issues, and on an issue that I am well versed in and care deeply about. The Trump camp, in so many instances, outright denies the climate crisis or outside of outright denial, makes the case that nothing we can do, can change what is happening. They propose, through their Project 2025, getting rid of most federal agencies that work on climate change, including FEMA and NOAA. These two agencies help us with the impacts of climate disasters –  both by better understanding our natural world, monitoring storms and weather coming our way, and supporting us after a climate disaster. Privatizing pretty much all government services seems to be the Republican answer to everything these days . This reality means no safety nets. Weather and climate information,  health care access,  reliable healthy foods, public education, affordable prescriptions – access so many things we have come to expect – will be radically changed.

A democratic future and the last best chance to stave off the worst impacts of our climate crisis are on the line in this election – at least for me, that is how substantial this election feels. So many of the things I believe and hope for, for my children and their future, feel like they are hanging by a thread. Am I overreacting? I wish I was. Sadly, the hateful rhetoric coming from the Trump campaign and Trump himself – the downplaying of the realities of the climate crisis and what can be done to address it –  are on full display, almost every day and each day seems to be worse than the next.

I grew up in Canada, moved to the USA for work, fall in love, had two children and become an American citizen in 2007. Voting on issues I care about, taking my children to the voting booth when they were young, discussing issues that were being decided at the ballot box with them now, as young adults, is a big part of what being a good parent means for me.  Barack Obama was the first president I voted for. I have voted every year since, in every election – local, state and national. For me, the right to vote and to live in a democracy has been ingrained in me by my parents –whose parents came to Canada as refugees fleeing pogroms in Europe at the turn of the 20th Century. Our rights to vote and to live in a democracy must not be taken for granted.

The connections between our climate crisis and so many of the rights I perceive as fundamental has taken time for me to absorb and to connect the dots. I now understand that equality and equity, public education, accessible and quality health care, access to healthy food and clean water, voting rights, marriage, racial and gender equality all rely on and can only be effective, with a healthy planet. Our species, we  human beings,  have the singular capability to disrupt our planet’s ability to maintain her health and balance. Too often these connections are hidden down media rabbit holes fed by algorithms that we didn’t ask for nor understand. We are all dealing with these consequences and more – deep fakes, bots, boldface lies – reality itself seems to be on the ballot – yet it stays opaque, behind a veil. We are facing multiple crises –  interconnected and urgent – yet too many of us have our eyes wide shut or have reality hidden from us with intent and purpose – and sometimes it feels safer to stay in this space then trying to finding our way back to the surface and reality.

I am a mother first, foremost and forever. I am also an educator, policy analyst, economist, author and activist. As a mother, I feel deep sadness that my children’s future and now is being threatened by these entwined emergencies. As an economist and policy analyst, I also see and feel hope –  the transition to a climate aware future is here. Our option to elect an enlightened climate concerned President who already, through the IRA, has taken significant action on climate, is within sight. Yet votes cast in a handful of states in a few short days may forever keep this critical transition out of our reach. As someone who has written about, taught and acted on the climate crisis for decades, I sometimes feel I’m blowing at windmills, as people listen and then seem to shut out the harsh realities’ scientists tell us are here now and waiting just around the corner. Extreme weather events are our everyday lived experience, with floods, fire and hurricane impacts numbing us all. We have a clear choice before us. From my vantage point so many other things we are concerned about – immigration which will only get worse as desperate people flee their own climate disasters seeking refuge in the USA; the economy, our right and ability to choose what happens to our own bodies, all become worse if we don’t address the climate crisis, and it’s causes.

I could write a book on this – indeed I have –  but in this limited space what I want to convey most, is that time is not on our side. Our planet is showing us, in no uncertain terms, that we are running out of time. Protest votes, third party candidates, not voting, can’t erase the ever-present dangers that electing the MAGA party will put into play.  If we don’t have a government in power who understands our climate realities, who doesn’t appreciate the interconnectedness of our actions and our impact on nature –  who isn’t ready to speak hard truths and move quickly, then we have little hope of changing the crash course we are on. We are racing to the edge of the cliff, our children are watching, their future and now in our hands. Please, please join me and vote for #HarrisWalz2024, with all our children in your mind’s eye.

Harriet Shugarman is the author of “How to Talk to Your Kids About Climate Change, Turning Angst into Action” and a professor of climate change policy, science and world sustainability.

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Yes, the “world is a mess” politics, climate change, inequity, hunger, homelessness and more. But, in fact the world-our natural world-is amazing, awe inspiring and sacred. Our human manipulation of the planet is what has made OUR world  a mess, but our planet, our  Mama Earth – she is awe inspiring.

Join us this #Earthday and let’s honor her together. We would love to hear what you and your family are doing today!

 

Your Climate Mama family.

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As we shared in January of this year, our posts in 2024 will include reposts that are as relevant today as the day they were written. Over the years and now decades that ClimateMama has been around, we know we are doing foundational work; building the foundations and the scaffolding to reach for the sky.

However, we have all been doing this much too slowly and in a linear direction. We need to truly reach for the sky as we jump upwards on climate policy and solutions. Our Mother Earth is telling us, in so many ways, enough is enough. In the note below and the post from 2021, we look at how we vote and who we vote for and why this is now critical for ensuring climate action, or the opposite – stalling or downright stopping action on climate. An article in the February 9th, Tampa Bay Times, looks at the damage that can be done when those in charge (democratically elected!) don’t take the reality of the climate crisis to heart.

Clearly, it’s time we all opened our eyes, woke up and stopped sleepwalking through the next 6 months. Our future, and our children’s future, is at stake. As referenced in the Tampa Bay article, the  #Florida legislature is currently considering a bill that would remove mentions of #climatechange from state law. What are they thinking? Removing words won’t make the problems disappear. Our planet is shouting at us – we need the implementation of policies that “go big”.. everywhere on energy, education, assistance to businesses..how are we going to adapt, we need to be doing it not hiding our eyes and slowing down the actions we must be taking now. We need leaders across the US, at the state, local and national levels who will make the decisions and prioritize the needs of all of us. We are in a fight for our democracy and for people who will protect it. Empty and dangerous bills like this waste time that could be spent protecting our families and securing a better future for generations to come. #Florida #USA#climatechange #politics #leadership

Parallel Article below, from 3 years ago

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First published, January 7th, 2021

Protecting our Democracy = Action on Climate Change

What do the tragic, maddening, inexplicable and at the same time clearly understandable events that transpired on January 6th at the US Capitol have to do with the climate crisis? EVERYTHING.

The following expert is taken directly from my 2020 book, “How to Talk to Your Kids About Climate Change, Turning Angst into Action”.

VOTE, VOTE, VOTE (pp 133-137)

Whenever you have the opportunity to vote in an election, on any issue and however insignificant it may seem, do so. Voting and by extension participatory democracies are usually hard fought for and hard earned. We must cherish, foster and protect both. Throughout history, wars have been won and lost, and countless lives have been sacrificed in pursuit of the right to vote and for free and open democracies. Currently, it surely seems that our democracy in the United States is being stretched and bent, perhaps to its limit? We must not allow it to be broken. As we face more and more challenges from our climate crisis, our democratic systems around the world will be threatened to their core.  Understanding this we must be on guard. We need to do what we can to ensure and encourage thoughtful candidates who have clearly defined climate action plans to run for office at every level of government. And, we can and must work on getting people of all ages and from every neighborhood to vote in every election. As voters we must do to our homework, and make sure that the candidate we choose has a ready to implement and well developed climate action plan.

When casting your vote, do so with the intent to show your children, your country and the world that you completely and utterly repudiate hate and lies; and that you stand up for science and for the truth. There is no room for complacency, and no time to prop up elected officials who do not take the crisis at hand with the urgency of action that is required. It is often hard to measure the deliberate and singularly focused act of voting –  with the urgency of our times. But you must remain conscious of the importance of each and every vote, even if it seems like only one small step. Do not allow yourself to  be stuck, frozen, or paralyzed, or to feel so much disappointment or disgust with the system and those running it, that you do not vote. Remind your children of this as well. They may seem young, and far away from voting age, but the importance of casting a vote is developed at an early age. Since the beginning of the 21st century, young people are no longer voting in high numbers; neither in the United States nor in many other countries around the world. This must change; their future and now requires it.

Consider running for office and encourage those that you think would be good leaders to do so too. Remind your children that when they are grown, they may want to run for elected office as well. Gandhi’s words ring loudly: “be the change.” Each level of government – local, regional, state and national –  has a role to play in creating the polices, rules and regulations that can help us respond to our climate crisis. At the same time, if people who dismiss or deny the urgency of our crisis run for office and win, they can slow things down to a point where our future can and will be catastrophic. By voting, and by supporting people who are willing and able to take hard decisions based on a clear understanding of science – hope and change can find footings to not only survive but to thrive. There are no sure answers, but if we envision  a system that can and will react to the harsh and difficult realities we face, we can create it, nurture it and watch it grow.

_______________________ 

On January 6th, 2021 extraordinary things happened; they were predicted but not, in hindsight, surprising.

  1. US democracy was bent, ALMOST to the breaking point.
  2. Also extraordinary, but in hindsight, not surprising, two democratic senators in Georgia were elected in a run-off election – in large part because of YOUNG people, people of color and people all across Georgia, who refused to sit out this election because they cared, they demanded their voices be heard and they recognized the importance, not just for Georgia, but for the entire country that hate and lies MUST be repudiated. They put their trust in the democratic process, and ensured it succeeded and that it worked.

This moment in US history was years in the making. We will be speaking about it and learning about it for years to come. From the ashes, new beginnings and renewed active hope  rises.

Remind yourself and your children of our ClimateMama motto:

  1. Tell the Truth
  2. Actions speak louder than words
  3. Don’t be afraid.

We are entering a period of great transformation in our country and around the world. Systemic change will and must be the driver in slowing down our climate crisis. We have reached the edge of the cliff, figuratively and literally. It  remains up to us to step back and to demand new beginnings; one where together we rebuild trust in our systems and a livable future where our children will not only survive, but where they can thrive.

Yours,

 

Climate Mama

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To our Dear Climate Mamas and Papas,

2024 is the 15th Anniversary of ClimateMama.  Wow, that seems so incredible to us – both a blink of an eye and a long, long journey. Thank YOU for being a part of our community. Whether you are just finding us now or have been with us online or off –  at one of our events around the USA or around the world. Through dialogue and discussion – as an individual, a partner, an organization or a funder – we value your support, your involvement, your leadership and your interest. Wherever you are on your journey of discovery along the life long road of climate awakening, we are so grateful to be on these travels with you.

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Looking back on 2023, as far as our blog is concerned, it was a very, very, very quiet year – we took a hiatus with the blog as our Executive Director worked supporting other organizations and projects including Dear Tomorrow, Our Kids Climate, Womens Earth and Climate Action Network, Climate and Resilience Education Task Force, Climate Mental Health Network, The Ecopsychepedia and more.

As we all know however, 2023  was decidedly NOT quiet –  it brought to the forefront horrible and destructive wars on multiple continents, unthinkable atrocities, racism,  antisemitism, hunger, smoke, fire, famine, water shortages, refugee crises and regional conflicts to name just a few of the immense challenges humanity faces.

2023 also showed us heart healing, exciting and truly hopeful opportunities. We witnessed people working together – across borders and oceans, pushing back against challenges –  joining hands and hearts; bringing relief, support, joy and happiness; listening and hearing one another. Together we faced challenging and at times overwhelming odds, always with our eyes and our hearts wide open.

In 2024, we want to welcome all of you to share your stories with us, so we can share them on our ClimateMama blog. Each month we will share posts from YOU, our community, about what is happening in your lives and your neighborhoods, what are you doing to push back and slow down our climate crisis and push forward and advance climate solutions? We also hope to provide a supportive and healing forum that is here for you – both online through our blog and through our social media (Facebook, Instagram, X (yes we are still there) and Threads – find us @climatemama.  Our plans are to intersperse your posts with curated posts from the past 15 years. So many of these past posts seem like they could have been written today. We will look forward to hearing what you think about this new format. We hope you will share these opportunities with others as well.

With love and thanks, YOUR ClimateMama team.

P.S. Potential blog posts should be sent to: info@climatemama.com  Please put blog post idea in the subject line. We do not accept commercial/sales posts. Potential posts should be from 400-750 words. All posts will be reviewed for accuracy and edited as needed. If your post is accepted for publication, we will notify you well in advance.

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Speaking for myself, I have been operating this past week in a kind of low functioning stupor. I have had a hard time sleeping (although not that uncommon for me) but more importantly,  I have been having a hard time concentrating and getting down to work – something that is rarely a problem for me. My mind wanders as I watch people go about their business, perhaps preparing for their July 4th weekend holiday and I wonder how they can be so oblivious to what is happening around us. My world, our daughters’ world, our sons’ world, our world in every sense – has shifted; and not in a positive way. I know to, that everyone, like me, has business to take care of and that they too may be equally distressed. I know that we each must take care of ourselves, rest and prepare for the long road ahead and each of us must do this in our own way. But, this doesn’t bring me relief. Instead it seems to only add to my angst.

The decision to overturn Roe Vs Wade made possible by an emboldened Supreme Court,  has, in my opinion, put religious beliefs directly at its center.  Their recent (6/30/22) West Virginia Vs EPA decision seems too, at some base level, to swing this way as well. More on this a little later.

Don’t get me wrong, I feel strongly that a person who has strong religious beliefs should be free to espouse them and practice them – in their own home and in their house of worship. The freedom to practice the religion of your choice, is what democracy is all about.  However, when someone’s religious beliefs infringe on the rights of others, that is where a line must be drawn. In the United States, the idea of the separation of “church and state” has long been an accepted delineation, particularly as it relates to rulings of our court system.

According to Wikipedia, “The separation of church and state is a philosophic and jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the state. Conceptually, the term refers to the creation of a secular state (with or without legally explicit church-state separation) and to disestablishment, the changing of an existing, formal relationship between the church and the state. Although the concept is older, the exact phrase “separation of church and state” is derived from “a wall of separation between church and state,” a term coined by Thomas Jefferson.” We, in the United States have operated under the concept that this separation is paramount. While this concept hasn’t always been put into practice, particularly by lower courts, it is what we have come to expect from our highest court. There is a small but vocal and clearly powerful minority that wants to see this expectation changed and tampered.

This current Supreme Court is muddying the waters as it allows the mixing up of these separate powers. It’s worth remembering the court now includes 5 justices who were appointed by 2 Presidents (George W Bush and Donald Trump) neither of whom won the popular vote and therefore didn’t represent the majority will of the people of the United States. Undeterred, the Court seem emboldened to take away the separation of church and state and to put in place laws based on their personally (Christian) held values. Rather than set precedents that are based on where we are at as a pluralistic and multiethnic society, they are finding their strength in words, language and ideas of men who ruled this country more than 200 years ago. Those men were most often religious, with the Christian church holding a strong pull. Women at that time were not treated equally at home nor by the law. They did not have the right to vote, to hold property, nor did they sit in seats of power in the church, judicially or economically.  Women in the USA have come along way from this time. However, with the recent ruling that negates Roe vs Wade,  women in many states once again have the inability to control what happens to their own bodies; this will impact their lives in innumerable ways, emotionally, financially and in all likelihood their ability to advance professionally as they work through the responsibilities and emotional traumas of unwanted pregnancies. These justices have changed a long-established law that the vast majority of American held to be true and solid. They have also put in motion a law that take away the equality that women have long fought for and in many respects achieved.  This precedent setting decision was made on the same day that gun laws were relaxed in a country overrun with mass murders and gun violence and that our Miranda rights – the right to representation when arrested for a crime and not yet found guilty, have also been loosened.

As it relates to West Virginia Vs the EPA, or the decision that was taken by the Supreme Court on 6/30/22 to regulate the EPA’s ability to limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, this too has been years in the making. Some, who have backed this, hold the view that God has put our natural resources on this planet specifically for man’s use and this use shouldn’t be curtailed. The judeo/christian bible is sited as “proof” of this and this loose understanding seems to be applied to everything from fossil fuels to water to land and more. This too has its roots  in the same  belief that we, as humans, are too insignificant to alter our planet’s climate and that God will prevail, protect us and look after us. These beliefs align with the blurring of the concept of Church and State separation and are intertwined with greed, the belief in no government regulation and in the power of a few (who see themselves as superior – perhaps chosen by God)  to control the power of the many.

In stating their ruling on this case, the Supreme Court majority invoked the “Major Question Doctrine” something which remains to be fully define. This idea, that major “novel” decisions – in this case it seems those related to addressing climate change – need to be deferred to Congress for guidance. This goes against everything that we have been building our federal government to do. As everything from chemicals, to pollutants that impact clean air and water, to financial mechanisms, to technology, has gotten more complicated, agencies and departments have been created and evolved,  staffed by nonpolitical staff who develop expertise over a lifetime in the areas they are tasked with creating regulations around.   These government agencies, not Congress nor the Supreme Court, are the mechanisms that have been established to advise Congress and the Court, not the other way around. Congress has authority to set funding for these agencies, to push them to do more and these are some of the ways Congress can control them. However, as Justice Kagan said: “Whatever else this Court may know about, it does not have a clue about how to address climate change,” Kagan wrote in a dissenting opinion, joined by the court’s two other liberals, Justices Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor. She continued: “And let’s say the obvious: The stakes here are high. Yet the Court today prevents congressionally authorized agency action to curb power plants’ carbon dioxide emissions. The Court appoints itself — instead of Congress or the expert agency — the decisionmaker on climate policy. I cannot think of many things more frightening.” This decision therefore sets up and emboldens many other industries to question the authority of government agencies to regulate them.

In both these decisions,  justice or rather injustice plays a big part. Who suffers most and most immediately from these decisions? On reproductive rights it is those women with the least resources to be able to go to another state for an abortion, to put themselves up in a hotel, to pay for travel, or with no local options for proper health care and counseling,  to be forced to carry a pregnancy to term – a pregnancy they don’t want for a wide range of reasons deeply personal to them, that should have nothing to do with government control over what an individual does with their own body.  With the EPA decision, again who is impacted first and worst? It will be those in the vicinity of the power plants that can’t be regulated. Usually these plants are built in low wealth communities, those communities that were least able to put up a fight to stop them from being built in the first place or to control the pollution emitted once they are put into operation. Both of these decisions impact climate justice.  They take away tools in our toolkit to slow down the climate polluting industries and limit women’s advancement.  Also, in many cases, these very same polluting power plants can exacerbate negative health impacts for  pregnant women.  For a deeper dive and more details on why women as it relates to climate justice, check out Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network. 

Some things to think about as we settle in to our Independence Day weekend.

 

Yours,

 

Climate Mama

P.S. Check in next week for a post on solutions and ideas to being more involved in protecting and standing up for our democracy and freedoms. In the meantime feel free to send us your thoughts and ideas, we will be happy to share them.

Statue of Liberty Photo by Fabian Fauth on Unsplash

Mountain Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

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Mother’s Day 2022: I have been a mother for over 24 years; first to my son and then to my daughter. I have been a full time climate educator, policy analyst and activist for 15 of those 24 years. Understanding the connections between our climate crisis, climate and environmental justice, equality and equity, public education, universal health care, access to healthy food & clean water, voting rights, marriage, racial and gender equality has been a learning process; it has taken time for me to absorb and connect the dots. I fully understand that awakening to these important rights and recognizing their interconnections isn’t always obvious; it requires contemplation, education, and discussion. Our motto at ClimateMama is: “tell the truth, actions speak louder than words, don’t be afraid.” I try each day to live by this motto. I believe my children understand and see this and that growing up and now, they know I am doing the best I can.

The truth is, in 2022 we in the USA and in many other places around the world, are facing a democracy crisis and a climate emergency; these two crises are tightly interconnected. There can be no climate justice without reproductive freedom. Clear and identifiable forces are at work trying to disrupt our freedoms, including our right to privacy and to decide what happens to our own bodies, as well as to keep us addicted to fossil fuels. In many cases, these forces are one and the same. As a mother, I see both my children’s future and now threatened by these entwined emergencies and by those who seek to push forward their own agendas and short term profits.  Instead we should be coming together, recognizing the huge and ever-present threats we will face for the rest of our lives from our climate emergency. These require that we stand strong for those long term protections that will help insure our health and safety, that which we can have control over, as we prepare to face Mother Nature’s wrath head on. I see and feel the transition we are in – the turning point we are at; we are gaining ground on achieving these protections,  and the forces that don’t want us to succeed know it and are pulling out all the stops to halt our progress.

For those of us in the United States, CONNECT THE DOTS. The attempt by the Supreme Court, to control our bodies and the bodies of our daughters, sisters, friends and aunts, is a threat to us all. We have had federal protection and recognition of this right for 50 years, ceding control to the states is a step backwards, inequitable, and unfair. Just as we need to have federal protection of the air we breath and the water we drink. These rights too remain unclear and need to be strengthened. In an upcoming decision these rights are in jeopardy and under threat, at the whim of a politicized and partisan Supreme Court. Follow the EPA vs West Virginia case, the decision of which is eminent as the court rules on the right to regulate greenhouse gases, states vs the federal government. The body of our Mother Earth is  overtly being threatened, she needs our protection too.

How we vote matters, and we are seeing this now. What we do now matters. Showing our children, that standing up for justice, equity, choice, privacy and fairness  is a worthy discussion. Today, on Mother’s Day and every day – as a Mother’s Day present to you, your mother, or other mothers in your life – have this discussion with the kids in your life, listen, hear and discuss their opinions. Discuss the interconnectedness, the inequity in these potential decisions being made at the federal level, and remind them of the importance of protecting all mothers, including our mother earth.

For those of you outside of the USA, looking in, understand that our country is at a turning point, and change comes with struggles. The USA has many problems and yet provides many opportunities, freedoms and choices. I firmly believe we will find our way through this current challenge, in a way that ultimately protects all of us;  building active hope for a stronger, safer, and healthier future. But getting there will be messy, challenging and at times disappointing, frustrating, sad, and ugly. Democracy is worth fighting for, and we are in a great battle. Know that there are so many fighting every day. Battles are won and lost, but we are not backing down. Equality, justice and a safe and healthy climate are the ultimate prizes, and everyone deserves to have these.

With love and in reflection,

Your Climate Mama,

Harriet

 

Supreme Court Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash

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In mid-March I had the honor and the pleasure of interviewing director, writer, filmmaker, and climate mama extraordinaire Rachel Lears. I was introduced to Rachel by New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) which joined forces with the National Democratic Institute during Women’s History Month, to co-present a panel  “Representation Matters for Climate Justice.” The Panel was part of the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women – you can watch the panel discussion, in its entirety, here.

Rachel and I  had a wonderful and wide ranging conversation about motherhood, careers, climate justice and climate hope as well as about Rachel’s new documentary film, To the End.  Rachel and Robin Blotnick are the creators of Jubilee Films –  the Brooklyn, New York based documentary production company whose mission is “to tell smart, nuanced, entertaining stories that transcend borders, engage audiences from all walks of life, and challenge popular assumptions.” Their projects have received support from major film funders like the Sundance Institute and IDA, and have won awards at festivals around the world. Their last release before To The End was the award winning, Knock Down The House which followed four women who ran insurgent congressional campaigns in 2018, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Cori Bush.

In both Knock Down the House (2020) and To the End (2022) Rachel showcases multiracial coalitions of women who are on the cutting edge of new ideas, new ways of thinking and who are leading and creating new paths and important successes for growth and opportunity that can guide us as individuals and as a nation. Rachel and I chatted for over an hour about the power of film, women in film on both sides of the camera and how film and storytelling can help share the reality of the climate crisis as well as build climate hope. We also delved into how being a mama has impacted Rachel’s career, her story telling and her thoughts about the climate emergency. Below are some of the highlights from our conversation.  I came away from our talk inspired, hopeful and reminded that to create change and hope we need to vividly imagine the future we want, even if the journey to get there is long and hard. Good documentary films like Rachel’s make imagining that future a little bit easier. Rachels work manifests this future by sharing stories of women who embody hope and tenacity – building self-efficacy that inspires the same in each of us.  In a world that often feels upside down and one where our future all too often seems impossible, Rachel helps us see that the impossible is indeed possible.

Your Climate Mama,

Harriet

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Earth Day Interview with Rachel Lears

Did you tell stories and/or make movies as a young girl? Is this something you always wanted to do? How did you come to be in this world of storytelling?  

I feel like I started late on my storytelling journey, I was well into my mid 20s. In college I did a little bit of everything majoring in music, studying photography, science and humanities, ultimately ending up in the anthropology department at NYU, where I studied film. This non-traditional path into film making allowed me to connect anthropology,  culture and media.  Documentary film is a powerful art form that has allowed me to combine all parts of my background in ways that let me engage the world through my films which showcase the lives of the real people.

 Has being a mama influenced your focus or your work?  If so how and has this changed along the journey.

I always thought I wanted to have kids, but it took a while for me to feel economically stable enough to begin to consider this possibility. When I felt ready, having a child proved to be a difficult process for me. I had 3 miscarriages before having my son at the age of 38. I was already a film maker,  having completed a few successful projects already. I had established a production company with my husband – he is my film making partner as well as my life partner. By the time our son came into our lives, having each other to supported one another in those early days of parenthood and through a hectic time in our careers was critical to our success, both personally and professionally.  The idea for Knock Down the House came alongside and because of the 2016 presidential elections.  I felt this strong need to do something, to get involved in campaigns and to channel my activism in a positive way. I didn’t have the luxury of cynicism; my son was just 8 months old and I knew his future had to be filled with possibilities.  In fact he helped us make the journey of making Knock Down the House possible. He took 4-hour naps which allowed my husband to edit during our son’s naps. We have shared parenting responsibilities since these early days and have been successful co-parents. When I had Max, I was afraid that it would be difficult for my career, but in fact having a child has renewed my commitment to believe in the possibility of a better world. I think that when we look at the the future through the eyes of a parent of a young child, we have to take a hopeful approach to the possibilities, even with something as overwhelming as the climate crisis. The 2018 United Nations International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C was what led me to create To The End. To me, that report presented a question of political will and political courage. Did these exist? The question of political courage led me to think deeply about  the movement for major climate policy change in the US and how it would need to grow and expand from many varied directions. To The End ended up being a film about the Green New Deal and those who created it, as well as to the present moment,  in 2022 how its  success is intertwined with the Build Back Better bill.  The film highlights 4  incredible women who fighting to make innovative climate policy a reality.

It seems that your recent works have focused on documenting the work, the story, and the lives of amazing young women – so through a gender lens – women who are working to change the system, to highlight injustices and focus on the need for justice, as central to creating a more hopeful tomorrow and today. So much of our history has been written by men. What has drawn you to tell these stories and why do you feel they are so important to tell?

It’s no coincidence that many of the most compelling leaders in the climate justice
movement are young BIPOC women. Because across the world, young people, women, and people of color are often the most affected by the climate crisis. But these are not necessarily the voices and the leaders that are usually highlighted as leaders in media narratives. So as a filmmaker, my interest in representation kind of comes in two parts.  On the one hand,  it’s really important that people who don’t usually see themselves represented in the media can do so. This is important to me as a woman who grew up frequently identifying with male role models because there were so few female characters at the time. On the other hand,  I think there is a powerful cultural shift that can happen with storytelling narratives, with film, where the tables can turn. And everyone, including viewers from dominant groups can identify through the empathy that film creates with protagonists from underrepresented or marginalized groups. So I think that’s a really powerful cultural shift underway. In my film, To the End, we are presenting young women of color as leaders representing everyone, the broader multiracial multi-gender, cross class, intergenerational movement that we are going to need to stop the climate crisis. This won’t be easy.  Different than Knock Down the House, the ending of To The End shows us solutions aren’t inevitable even if they should be. We need to have a long view, as there are so many competing and complicated issues that too often sideline climate policy, even as the urgency of the crisis increases.  I like to look to the past and how movements have shaped political consciousness across the horizon of history. This shows us there are so many ways to be involved and I felt I could show this in the film through the actions of an individual character – a member of congress, a leader of an activist organization, a policy writer, and a media commentator.  By telling those stories, I think it gives the viewer an inside look at what it means to be in this fight for the long hall.  At the same time  it opens up so many ways to be part of the movement now, to be part of the change that is here,  and part of the change that is to come, even if, as one is moving through these various moments,  success still seems far away or at time impossible.

To the End has two scenes near the end of the film that to me distill the essence of why we keep fighting. In one scene, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez is hiking in the New York wilderness, discussing what could be a tipping point; offering a spectrum of possibilities of how we can steer the ship to overt the worst, even when it’s not clear we will get to where we need to be, to be successful. The second scene is of Rhiana Gunn-Wright and her newborn baby. Rhiana shares an incredibly profound and personal message of the legacy of her own family and how her ancestors always had children in adverse circumstances. She helps by putting her own pregnancy into perspective as she shares that bringing a child into the world now, knowing where the world is headed because of climate change, is a leap of faith. Even in best case scenario the future is extremely complicated. We are therefore reminded that having child is truly an act of hope.  It is not a naïve decision but rather a sense that these are the kinds of decisions we must make; multigenerational struggles with historical legacies show us that while the future may look bleak, through a baby, new hope is born. This is the core essence of the film, the story that I want to put out there.  I hope young people who are considering not having children will also see Rhiana’s perspective, that humans have been living with catastrophe, with worlds ending, with apocalypse, at every point of human history.  This to me, is the point of what it means to keep going to the end, it is how we can draw strength – knowing that people have been living through hard and impossible things and getting through them and experiencing joy even during these hard and seemingly impossible times; this is why we can’t give up.

Where did the title of film come from?

The title has several meanings. To the End evokes the fear that climate apocalypse represents the end of the world, and it also suggests the idea of fighting to the end, whenever that will be. In fact, the fight to stop the climate crisis and build a just and sustainable world is a very long term fight. We need to understand and visualize the long perspective while at the same time we need to build a movement that still mobilizes for this moment.  We do this while recognizing that there will be a crucial moment to mobilize for next year, and the next year, and the year after that. The title of the film and stylistic approach of film is to play to this; juxtaposing  a dystopian science fiction feel that looks at disasters in a way that reflects the world the activists live in. At the same time, the film is building the vision and showing the activists stamina for the fight they know they are in; one in which they are fighting to build a world that will be a better and more hopeful one.  The film helps show us that we are at this juncture and this time is the “in between.” I see the film building active hope, hope as a discipline and where faith is a theme throughout the film. This must stay with us even in dark times. I hope the  film can also be useful for anyone struggling,  that it provides an opportunity to emotionally process this historical moment we are in, through the long lens of history.

You can learn more about To The End, where to see it and how to host a screening,  here. 

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No Nature No Future Photo by Markus Spiske, Unsplash

Baby Picture, Unsplash

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Who will be the next Malala? Empowered and emboldened  – using her voice and actions to right wrongs and lead the world forward in a just way;  at the same time, inspiring others to lead as well.  Who won’t have this opportunity because she wasn’t able to go to school because she didn’t have access to light on long winter nights,  or to warmth on cold winter days, or to cooling on blazing hot summer days? Energy access, something we in the global north take for granted, is still not a given in many countries around the world. I am honored that, through Solar for Her, ClimateMama has had the opportunity to help provide this access to a girls school in Askole, a small town at the top of the world. Special thanks to Asif Iqbal, a dear Climate Reality colleague, for introducing me to Solar for Her. Read on to find out more and also how YOU can help too!

Your Climate Mama,

Harriet

Empowering Girls Fight Climate Change at K2 Base Camp! 

(Shared with permission. First published on SolarForHer 3/9/2022)

Askole is the last human settlement before the track up to the four, out of fourteen, highest peaks on Earth, including the world’ second highest peak K2 in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. Imagine, how extreme the weather would be during winter for little girls to study.

Solar For Her has just shifted a Grade 8 girls school in this community on solar energy! Thanks to the generous support of Climate Reality Leader Harriet Shugarman and her organization Climate Mama enabling Solar For Her empower 154 girls continue education with pride and dignity here in a community, living on top of the world.

The 1kW off grid solar PV system will run lights in this 8-room school building, a computer and a small LED screen to help girls enjoy studies and make a difference in life! In extreme cold weather, girls will study in well covered classrooms under bright light!

Solar For Her is a national campaign dedicated to shifts girls schools in Pakistan on solar energy and empower girls fight climate change. In first phase, the campaign aims to reach 30 girls schools across Pakistan. The good news is, it has already shifted 15 schools on solar. In future, the campaign would aim to establish at least one solar powered schools for girls in each district of Pakistan.

Be part of this amazing cause. Spread the word and help us raise funds to achieve our milestones.

To donate, visit the Solar for Her website

You can also donate via GoFundMe

All Photos used with permission: SolarForHer

For more on Solar For Her, it’s history and it’s work, enjoy this short video!

 

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Our ClimateMama Mantra: 

  • Tell the Truth
  • Actions Speak Louder Than Words
  • Don’t be Afraid

For many of us, these are lessons our parents taught us and that we are now teaching our children. When it comes to the climate emergency, how we apply this mantra is clear. We must follow it where it leads.

First, we must speak the truth.

This will be hard, and how we explain what’s happening will vary depending on the age of our children. The truth, as it relates to the climate crisis can be boiled down into 5 points:

  1. It’s real,
  2. it’s bad,
  3. it’s happening in large part because of our actions,
  4. it’s getting worse, and
  5. there ARE many things we can do to slow it down.

So, to the last point, there are an infinite number of things we can do and so much we must do to give our children a chance at a livable future and now. Scientists tell us we need systemic change and we need it quickly. For this we must demand that those who can take giant leaps do so, now. For the rest of us, we can and we must continue to move forward – whether one step or a giant leap at a time. Who you influence, who watches and then acts because of what you said or did – you may never know. But the impacts from your actions may well be what changes the world.

The latest working group report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 6th Assessment Report (6th report since the establishment of the IPCC in 1988) released on February 28th, 2022, is yet another stark warning from world scientists that we are running out of time, that the door we are holding open is spring loaded and will slam fast behind us if we don’t take direct measures to block it.

The IPCC Working Group report  states unequivocally that:

The costs of climate change are already enormous and will accelerate. Unless emissions are cut faster than governments plan to, damages will worsen rapidly and parts of the planet will become increasingly uninhabitable.

Climate change is already killing people, destroying nature and making the world poorer. The costs have worsened over recent years.

Actions speak louder than words.

We can limit and slow down temperature rise but the only way to do this is to cut greenhouse gas emissions, this means stopping the use of fossil fuels – oil, coal and gas. We can do this.

“Unchecked carbon pollution is forcing the world’s most vulnerable on a frogmarch to destruction,” United Nations Secretary General Guterres said in a video address. “The facts are undeniable. This abdication of leadership is criminal.”

Don’t be afraid (easier said than done).

We must acknowledge our grief, our angst and our fears, and move beyond them, our children are watching, their future and now is in our hands.

 

Your Climate Mama,

Harriet

 

Truth photo:  by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Frog photo:  by David Clode on Unsplash

Parent photo: Our Kids Climate/Parents for Future Global at COP26

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