Chop Wood, Carry Water 8/22
Happy Tuesday, all!
This morning I’m going to quote extensively from the latest Climate Action Now newsletter, because the lines I’m about to excerpt blew my mind, and I believe they’re worth sharing:
"ARE WE GOING TO BE OKAY?"
Against an ever-expanding backdrop of record-breaking floods, heatwaves, and fires, this question was asked by a listener in the final episode of the 2023 season of Outrage + Optimism, [a podcast] hosted by three veterans of the climate movement.
[The] co-hosts rushed to offer reassurances. [One], Tom Rivett-Carnac, related what he tells his children when they ask that question:
"You have the biggest opportunity in all of human history to live an incredibly meaningful life. And the actions that you take, because of the accident of the time of your birth, are of an order of magnitude in importance compared to most people who have lived before, because you are going to affect the future of life on Earth in 50, 500, and 500,000 years by what you do in the next couple of decades. So, no one is asking for an easy life, but really, deep down, we are asking for a meaningful life. And living now is an incredible gift towards that end because we have this incredible chance to turn things around and be the generation that does that. Are we going to be OK? Uncertainty is always difficult to live with, and we're just going to have to get used to that and do what we can do to try and make that turn out in a positive way. But for ourselves and our children that's going to have to be enough certainty for us to keep moving."
I thought this was so beautiful—and so perfect, honestly—that it needed to be shared. We have the biggest opportunity in all of human history to live a meaningful life. What a stunning assessment. Especially because it’s true.
No one, ever, has lived at a time when human existence itself was so imperiled while, simultaneously, the democratic structures that uphold it were under such heavy attack. It’s a lot. Add rampant disinformation, escalating violence, and an overwhelming amount of just information coming in all the time and it’s no wonder that we’re stressed out and exhausted.
But we also stand at a moment of unparalleled historical moment. Us. Our cohort, as it were. We—and no one else—have been born into a time where every one of us, and the work we do or do not do, is stunningly important. Determinative. Pivotal.
So if we’ve longed for a meaningful life—heck, even if we haven’t—we’ve got one. Perhaps the most meaningful ever. So let’s make it count.
We are up to this task. Together we will meet this moment.
We already are.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I’m calling to ask the Senator to join with Senators Blumenthal and Hirono by making a public announcement calling for an end to the blue slip practice. This antiquated routine is allowing Republicans to veto vital judicial appointments. Americans in the affected states are suffering for lack of fair and impartial justices. This has to stop. End the blue slip procedure now. Thanks. [H/T]
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I hear we’re heading for a government shutdown because some Republicans want to defund things I care about—like Social Security, Medicaid, SNAP, the IRS, climate programs, and Head Start. They also want to defund the DOJ, which is crazy. The fact that some lawmakers are willing to cut excellent, beloved, and much-needed programs or departments because they’re playing political games or don’t want to raise taxes on rich people is infuriating. The fact that they’re willing to shut down the government over it is worse. The House needs to stick to the funding level agreements made during the debt ceiling negotiations and get this done. Anything less is a betrayal of your constituents. Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact will guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The National Popular Vote bill has been enacted by 17 jurisdictions possessing 205 electoral votes, including 4 small states (DE, HI, RI, VT), 9 medium-sized states (CO, CT, MD, MA, MN, NJ, NM, OR, WA), 3 big states (CA, IL, NY), and the District of Columbia. The bill will take effect when enacted by states with 65 more electoral votes. It has passed at least one chamber in 8 additional states with 78 more electoral votes (AR, AZ, ME, MI, NC, NV, OK, VA). The history of the voting for each state is available at www.NationalPopularvote.com
If you live in one of the eight states where one chamber has passed the Bill, please write to your representatives—either through their official website or using Resisbot— and urge the other chamber to do so. (For Resistbot just text STATE to 50409 then follow the prompts.) If these eight states can get the second chamber to pass the bill, the National Popular Vote will become the method of selecting our President.
Here's what you can say:
Dear ______:
In our state, the National Popular Vote Bill has been passed by one chamber of our state legislature. We need this vital bill to pass both chambers, which will allow all our Electoral College votes to go to the candidate who has won the popular vote nationally. I urge you to support this effort and avoid the situation where, once again, the Electoral College supersedes the will of the voters.
Sincerely,
[H/T subscriber Elenor D.]
Get Smart! 📚
Today the Biden-Harris Administration launched the SAVE plan – the “most affordable student loan plan ever created.” You can read more about it here.
This is short notice, but if you’re interested in learning more about this new plan you can join officials from the Administration TODAY, Tuesday, August 22nd at 3:30pm ET for a briefing with Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal and Deputy Director of the White House National Economic Council Bharat Ramamurti about the SAVE plan and other actions to support student borrowers. Please see more event details below and be sure to register.
WHEN: TODAY, Tuesday, August 22nd at 3:30pm ET
WHERE: Zoom. Register here. Under “organization” you can write “reader of Chop Wood, Carry Water” if you like.
Spread the Word! 📣
Wednesday night, the GOP presidential candidates will go under the lights for their very first debate of the cycle. 🫠
While those of us deep in political news may feel like we can’t escape the barrage of vitriol and snipes between candidates, a lot of Americans will get their first glimpse into the mess, which means this debate is an opportunity to help define the narrative.
That’s why the Vote Save America Community is hosting a social media organizing workshop on Wednesday at 8:15pm ET. They’ll talk through messaging and tactics and you’ll learn how you can leverage your personal network for good in a big media moment. During the debate, they’ll share content in the Vote Save America Community Slack, so now is a great time to join if you haven’t already!
Chop Wood, Save the Planet! 🔥
MESSAGING TIP:
Don’t say: “Climate change is causing [wildfires, flooding, famine, you name it]”. Climate change isn’t an independent actor who can make things happen. You can’t go to its office and tell it to stop.
Do say: “Dirty energy companies are destroying our climate…” and so on. CALL OUT THE VILLAIN. Name the company or people responsible for what’s happening. They are the ones we need to stop.
— Tom Benthin, Indivisible Sonoma County
Win Races! 🗳
Join the Environmental Voter Project on Zoom to mobilize low propensity environmental voters to vote in the upcoming Charlotte, NC mayoral and city council primary elections! They currently have phonebanks scheduled to mobilize Charlotte environmentalists on August 24th at 7pm ET / 4pm PT, August 28th at 6pm ET / 3pm PT, and August 29th at 12pm ET / 9am PT.
Training provided — these phone banks are so satisfying, easy and fun! Please join them!
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[to all 3 reps] [H/T Moms Clean Air Force] [Quick send text SIGN PIBBPR to 50409]
Across the country, we are experiencing unprecedented weather extremes. As a parent, I see firsthand how these extremes are impacting children’s mental and physical health. More people are suffering, and this is putting a significant burden on the health and human services available in our communities. We need help—in the form of more funding and more resources for the most vulnerable among us.
The Community Mental Wellness and Resilience Act—S. 1452 / HR 3073—a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senator Ed Markey and Representatives Paul Tonko and Brian Fitzpatrick—will invest $36 million in expanding local community-based mental wellness and resilience programs. This funding will go a long way to address the compounding mental health crisis our communities are facing as we are continually pummeled with escalating extreme weather events and climate disasters.
Please support this essential investment in our health. Thanks!
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
Thank you for your climate action message, Jessica. Your words and work are a true gift.
I just want to say thank you for sharing this quote about how climate change. As a farmer who has been feeling the effects of climate change and feeling rather dour about it, I found this a way to change my perspective. I also shared the quote with my daughter who just received her masters from Scripps in climate science snd policy who has decided not to pursue this field any longer because she was finding it so depressing. She was very grateful and appreciative of the perspective. I’m new here, but really enjoying your writings.