Celebrating Earth Day with Visionaries in the Environmental Movement
This article contains the content from the 4/21/2020 Bioneers Pulse newsletter. Sign up here to get the newsletter straight to your inbox!
Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.
In 1970, 20 million Americans demonstrated in the streets for greater protections for our planet, spurring (among other things) the modern environmental movement along with the creation of some of the most influential bipartisan national environmental policy ever enacted. Was it “successful”? It’s a real question, but it may not be the right question. Fifty years later, the legacy of the movement to launch the first Earth Day and the influence of that movement, culturally and politically, still reverberate.
In this edition of the Bioneers Pulse, we’re honored to feature the voices of several elders from that original Earth Day movement alongside some of the inspiring and active next generation frontline activists we’ve seen.
Solving the Dual Crises of COVID-19 and Climate Change
“Nearly every aspect of our lives has been affected by the coronavirus,” writes Molly Morabito, a member of Sunrise Movement’s Bay Area chapter. “But although the societal and economic effects of coronavirus are severe, they are likely to be temporary. The existential threat posed by climate change, on the other hand, will continue to worsen. Responding to this moment as a movement requires us to understand the link between these crises — and how by responding to one, we can help solve the other.”
Listen to Newly Released Edition of “Four Changes” by Gary Snyder
In July 2016, Jack Loeffler recorded Gary Snyder reading his updated version of ‘Four Changes’ in his home. This recorded version was prepared for and included in a major exhibition held at the History Museum of New Mexico at the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe.
The exhibition was entitled ‘Voices of Counterculture in the Southwest’, and Snyder’s rendering of ‘Four Changes’ aptly conveyed how deeply the counterculture movement helped nurture the emerging environmental movement. The impact of this manifesto is as powerful today as it was a half century ago and could not be more timely.
Mishka Banuri: A First Generation Immigrant’s Perspective on Youth Climate Justice
A first generation Pakistani immigrant, Mishka Banuri moved to Utah when she was 12 years old and fell in love with that state’s wondrous mountains, aspen trees and red rocks, but she saw many of those sacred lands despoiled by the greed of extractive industries.
In this keynote address, she talks on the importance of preserving natural lands and her experience as a youth organizer.
Earth Day, White Privilege and Decolonizing the Mind
Arturo Sandoval, founder of The Center of Southwest Culture, was a member of the first national Earth Day organizing team. He was a leader in the Chicano civil rights movement in the 1970’s and continues today to work for environmental justice, human rights and community-based economic development. Sandoval was interviewed by Arty Mangan, Bioneers Restorative Food Systems Director.
Erosion and Evolution: Our Undoing Is Our Becoming
Erosion and evolution. Shadow and light. Death and rebirth. These are some of the strands that acclaimed author, naturalist and activist Terry Tempest Williams weaves together in the face of today’s broken world. Standing in the lineage of the greatest nature writers, she links her deepest inner experiences with the state of the web of life. In this podcast, Williams asks: How do we find the strength to not look away at all that is breaking our hearts?
Earth Day Live: Three Days of Climate Action
From April 22 to 24, youth and adult activists are coming together for Earth Day Live, a three-day live stream focused on climate action. The live stream will include training sessions, performances, and appearances to keep people engaged, informed, and inspired, with speakers including celebrities, politicians, scientists, and youth activists.
Click here to find out more about Earth Day Live and find the full schedule of events.
The Latest from Bioneers.org About COVID-19:
- How the Tale of Finnegas Can Help Guide Us Through the Global Pandemic | In the time of this great, strange plague, writer Paul Kingsnorth returns to the Celtic tale of Finnegas, the woodland hermit who devoted his life to catching and eating the salmon that contained the wisdom of the world.
- A Message of Wisdom from the Elders in the Time of Pandemic | Ilarion Merculieff, an author and Indigenous activist of the Unangan people, draws on his elders’ knowledge to offer encouragement and empowerment during the difficult times of the coronavirus pandemic.
- Defeating the Pandemic Means Confronting Ageism and Ableism | Author Ashton Applewhite touches on how our social biases — especially ageism and ableism — can affect how we operate during the pandemic, especially when determining who gets life-saving care.
- Advancing Change in a Time of Disruption: Forging a New Pathway for Nature | A disruption—such as a global pandemic—can provide a window of opportunity to change our habits and make positive change.
- Principles for a #JustRecovery from COVID-19 | Bioneers is proud to have signed onto the following open letter, launched by our friends at 350.org, which demands a Just Recovery as the nation and world consider how to rebuild systems and economies.
Bioneers Indigeneity Now on Free Speech TV!
Free Speech TV is now airing a collection of Bioneers videos featuring Indigenous activists, voices and knowledge from around the world. In celebration of Earth Day, these segments will revolve around issues of climate change for the next week.
This article contains the content from the 4/21/2020 Bioneers Pulse newsletter. Sign up here to get the newsletter straight to your inbox!
