Earth 4 President

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[earth4president]

Joey’s Philly Election Guide: Nov. 7, 2017

Hey friends-- wow. I wish updated this blog more. I want to do that.

I just got back from FCNL’s Annual Meeting and it was the regular mix of feeling the weight of this weird world’s conflicts, and the inevitable hopefulness FCNL propagates (they can’t help it).

We lobbied for reduced Pentagon spending and increased funding for development, diplomacy and human needs, and getting an audit passed for rampant military spending (duh, right?).

Anyway maybe more on that later, for right now somehow ELECTION DAY is here ?! and here’s what’s up and who I’m voting for, in case you’re interested.

[PA/PHILLY BALLOT QUESTIONS]

1. Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to permit the General Assembly to enact legislation authorizing local taxing authorities to exclude from taxation up to 100 percent of the assessed value of each homestead property within a local taxing jurisdiction, rather than limit the exclusion to one-half of the median assessed value of all homestead property, which is the existing law?

Apparently this is, as usual, more complicated than it sounds; eliminating property taxes would consequently increase income and/or sales tax, and somehow has the potential to take money away from schools. So no.

2. Should the City of Philadelphia borrow ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-TWO MILLION DOLLARS ($172,000,000.00) to be spent for and toward capital purposes as follows:

Transit $ 4,767,309 Streets and Sanitation $ 23,997,918 Municipal Buildings $ 95,666,840 Parks, Recreation and Museums $ 32,325,872 Economic and Community Development $ 15,242,061 Total $ 172,000,000

(The ballot will not include the numbers above, I pulled them from the actual bill)

This is up to whether you trust the City of Philadelphia to use the money in good ways for those things. Right now I feel pretty good about Mayor Kenny so I‘m probably going to say yes, I‘m down for more funding for those things, my bigger concern is what the city invests in the make that money back..

•••

[DISTRICT ATTORNEY]:

Determines what crimes will be prosecuted, and the severity of the charges.

✓ Lawrence (Larry) Krasner (D) hates bullies, opposes institutionalized racism, supports public education, is against the death penalty, speaks out against mass incarceration and is endorsed by Shaun King. He’s got my vote.

Beth Grossman [R] doesn’t seem terrible, in fact her views are generally pretty similar to Krasner’s across the board, however she is not boldly challenging institutionalized racism like Krasner is.

[CITY CONTROLLER]:

Fiscal watchdog; Basically anti-corruption check for money-stuffs via audits, as well as sometimes trying to save tax-payers some money.

✓ Rebecca Rhynhart (D) intends to find $10 million in wasted city money to put towards community needs. Sounds good. (She would also be Philly’s first female controller)

Michael Tomlinson [R] seems fine honestly, although Rhynhart has way more relevant experience, plus she’s a young badass woman which I of course want to support.

•••

[JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT]:

PA’s top court, which handles appeals and disputes from the lower courts.

✓ Dwayne Woodruff (D)

Sallie Updyke Mundy [R]

I was surprised to find ZERO information on either candidate’s website about where they stand on any issues. (?) But I saw a logo for PA Pro-Life Federation on Mundy’s website, and according to votesmart.org, Woodruff is endorsed by Planned Parenthood, so going off that Woodruff gets my vote. But it would definitely be cool to know more?

•••

[JUDGE OF THE SUPREME COURT]:

Handles appeals from the Court of Common Pleas in criminal cases and in matters involving children and families.

I guess judicial candidates don’t like to put how they feel about particular issues on their websites.. sorta makes sense because they’re supposed to be unbiased? But I tried to include a few things I did learn about some of them.

Statewide (Vote for up to 4)

✓ Carolyn H Nichols (D) Endorsed by PA Planned Parenthood PAC and Philly for Change ✓ Geoff Moulton (D) served on the board of the Natural Lands Trust. Endorsed by PA’s National Organization for Women (NOW) AND Joe Biden (♡) Maria Mclaughlin (D) Debbie Kunselman (D) Emil Giordano [R] Wade A Kagarise [R] Mary Murray [R] ✓ Paula A Patrick [R] I know.. she’s a Republican! Also the first black woman to be endorsed by the PA Republican Party in a statewide race. I don’t know, she seems to have a reputation for being level and fair and I kind of want to vote for her. Is that weird?? ✓ Jules Mermelstein (G) ...He’s a little weird but he’s critical of the Trump administration and I like the idea of having a Green Party Judge, that could be a good opening to change the current partisan system. I’ll give him a shot.

•••

[JUDGE OF THE COMMONWEALTH COURT]:

(Unique to Pennsylvania) Responsible for cases involving government agencies and regulatory bodies, as well as any lawsuits filed by or against the Commonwealth.

It’s these judges who decide the fate of state laws, which is important in the next 4 years, as Pres. Trump sends issues of health, education, women’s rights and the environment to the states.

Statewide (Vote for up to 2)

✓ Ellen Ceisler (D) ✓ Irene M Clark (D) Paul Lalley [R] Christine Fizzano Cannon [R]

•••

[JUDGE OF THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS]:

PA’s court of general trial jurisdiction. Philadelphia’s 90 Common Pleas Court judges are divided into trial, family, and orphans’ divisions.

Citywide (Vote for up to 9)

(I took a look at all their websites and support each based on their endorsements and some language I appreciate. Can I just say this is a super diverse line-up?! Only 2 old white dudes. I love Philadelphia)

✓ Stella Tsai (D) ✓ Vikki Kristiansson (D) ✓ Deborah Cianfrani (D) ✓ Shanese Johnson (D) Mark B Cohen (D) ✓ Deborah Canty (D) ✓ Zac Shaffer (D) ✓ Lucretia C Clemons (D) Vincent Furlong (D) Vincent Furlong [R] (Yeah he’s running as both)

•••

[JUDGE OF THE MUNICIPAL COURT]:

Decides whether serious cases move to the Commonwealth Court, conduct preliminary hearings and arraignments, and set and accept bail in most cases.

Citywide (Vote for up to 2)

Matt Wolf (D) ✓ Marissa Brumbach (D)

••• [JUDGE OF ELECTION and INSPECTOR OF ELECTION]:

This one is by division which is SUPER specific to where you live-- basically it’s your neighborhood, and doesn’t seem super politically important (basically make sure the polling machines are working). I only have one candidate for each.

There are 1,686 divisions in the city, and you can use Committee of Seventy’s site to find out your own situation.

•••

SOURCES: 

http://www.plannedparenthoodpa.org/2017-primary-voters-guide/

https://www.seventy.org/

http://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/the-citizen-2017-general-election-guide/

Candidates websites.

[earth4president]

In case you've never lobbied but are intrigued by FCNL's awesome work

Maybe you've heard of FCNL.

I first came into relationship with Friends Committee on National Legislation by way of a push from a Friend. They said, “This is important, you are important, you should team up.”

So I attended Spring Lobby Weekend (begrudgingly!) in 2014 with expectations of feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and disappointed in our government. But somehow, over a few days, FCNL sneakily transformed me into a hopeful lobbyist. I entered my representative’s office on Capitol Hill alone, prepared, centered, and, I believe, effective.

Look at me now:

I had lobbied on ending the Authorization for Use of Military Force, an issue on which I certainly did not feel like an expert, but that I knew with my whole spirit was something that needed to be addressed in Congress.  I was impressed by the smooth organization of that conference—how calm and prepared I felt in my new lobbying shoes. I was immediately energized by the 4 “We Seeks” that define the mission of their operation:

​We seek a world free of war and the threat of war We seek a society with equity and justice for all We seek a community where every person's potential may be fulfilled We seek an earth restored

I felt supported by the logical and radical concept of using morality as a common denominator. It felt right to say, “I know we have different views but I think we can agree that a society with equity and justice for all is something worth working for, and here’s what I think will help make that happen.”

I’m 26 years old, and since I was a teenager I’ve felt embarrassed to be an American. I didn’t want to be associated with the reckless consumerism, the racism, the violent greed I tied with our history and our current system-- character flaws I had learned to despise growing up in Liberal-- and Quaker-- circles.

It was through difficult open-minded conversations that I finally realized that my disassociation would not change a powerful country that desperately needs to change. I needed to be an American. I needed to be heard as one, and to be heard, I needed to speak.

But I thought I was already speaking, right? I told Facebook how I felt, and my liberal friends supported me with dozens of clicks. I complained to my mom about the broken system. She was very sympathetic. But eventually I had to admit that, although my mom is important, and social media is a critical tool, the reality is that sweeping political change comes from …policy.

And did you know that our representatives are hired by their constituents to take our concerns to the nation’s government? Since none of my representatives have accepted my friend requests (lol), I’m stuck with writing to them and meeting with them to let them know how I want to be represented. It’s still a little overwhelming, because the system is complicated, and what impresses me over and over again is how easily FCNL prepares ordinary people to talk to their representatives.

The bottom line is: You don’t need to be an expert. You just have to be a human. Bring your human experience with you, and tell your story; you are a lobbyist. Every time you tell someone what you need, you are a lobbyist. You can do this. And you have an incredible opportunity in the resources that FCNL provides at Spring Lobby Weekend (March 18-21, 2017)-- this year the issue focus is eliminating economic injustice (specifically addressing healthcare and poverty in the U.S.)

If you are affiliated with PYM and are 18-35ish, the Yearly Meeting will provide funds for your registration as well as travel (and potentially housing). Check it out here.

More about Spring Lobby Weekend.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions. I love Spring Lobby Weekend. I LOVE IT.

-Joey

P.S. How many PYM YAFs can you spot in this video??

[earth4president]

Pro Tips: Rejecting Powerlessness

Hey friends. It’s been a week since Election Day, and since then I’ve given an artist talk in Bethlehem, PA about art & activism, I’ve spent 4 days in DC at FCNL’s Annual Meeting, I’ve lobbied for sentencing reform, I’ve been knocked down, I’ve gotten up, and I’ve made a plan to reject powerlessness.

HERE IT IS:

1. Form a support team.

2. Plan a routine that incorporates self-care, community-care, world-care.

3. Make art/something.

I was shocked to find myself rejecting powerlessness within hours of the election results becoming clear to me. I felt prepared by the work I’ve been doing. But also acutely aware that I was dangerously close to depression and feeling helpless. I decided we need to be organized, and to be able to do important work I can’t fall down the rabbit hole, and to stay up I need support, and to get support I need to define my needs and my team. So I came up with a plan.

1. I asked 5 people to be on my A Team.

This means: Checking in by phone or text every few days. There are ~5 people in this pool so that I can reach out to one of my teammates each day saying "How are you?" with the pretext of asking for support. If I'm feeling beaten up and need support I can say something like "I'm feeling beaten up/broken" and my teammate can say something like "I support you, you are doing great work, how are you taking care of yourself? We are gonna get through this" OR they can say something like "I am not in a place to support you right now, is there someone else you can reach out to?" and I can call another teammate. This team support is mutual, so I am also available for the same call/text. Team B: Check in by email every few weeks about logistics/strategy/organizing and roles in the world. This is mostly made up of lobbyists in DC right now.

That is my support team to keep my head above water.

2. I fill this out every morning:

How are you?

How will you take care of yourself today?

What constructive action will you take?

What supportive action will you take?

When?

Who will you touch base with?

Then I make a list of what I want to get done during the day, both for changing the big world, and sustaining my small one. I remind myself I don’t have to do something huge every day.

3. I will make art.

That’s pretty much the same as always. Even if you don’t identify as an artist, finding an outlet for creative expression is important.

Feel free to modify this plan to your own needs and ways of being. I highly recommend it.

I also want to say that I understand that some people need to feel sad and broken right now, that is a really valid feeling. In my own self-care, I am trying to avoid potential feelings of powerlessness which could stem from those feelings, so I am trying not to feed into them. If you are a person in my life who is taking time and space to feel sad and broken, I support you, but I may not be able to give you a lot of time or energy because I’m fighting to stay focused, and want to surround myself with that kind of energy. So much love and admiration for those grounded enough to support each other through powerless grief.

I love you. Let’s work.

[earth4president]

Today’s the day to vote for your future

It’s Election Day already !!

I intended to put out another post before the election with my thoughts on how to vote responsibly but it got away from me... here’s a really quick version, in case you also live in West Philly and agree with lots of my desires for the world. Like if you think humans including those who aren’t straight white men should be listened to and cared for in a world that’s hurting from gun violence, a broken education system, racism, unjust distribution of wealth, and a polluted and warming climate– to name a few– then check out who I’m voting for.

If you don’t know your polling place, look it up here real quick: www.votespa.com

- US PRESIDENT -

Hillary Clinton.

If you’re reading this, I’m sure you already lay awake at night terrified at the thought of a world where Trump has any political power. But if you are thinking of voting third-party I strongly recommend you think about the logistics of where you’re voting-- I do want a third-party candidate to receive 5% of the vote so we can work towards a more just election system in the future. TODAY I’m voting for Hillary Clinton, and I wouldn’t say “ImWithHer” but I’m so so so against Trump and this feels like what we have to do right now. I’m trying to focus on the positive, like her progressive values and proven listening skills, and don’t want to focus on feeling powerless in a rigged system. More to come. Let’s just get her in office because I believe she can be compassionate and we can support her to move towards justice.

- US SENATOR -

Katie McGinty (D)

I can’t stress enough how much I want Toomey out of office. I’m worried that people who haven’t paid attention to politics assume that Pat Toomey, who has been our senator the last 6 years, is just fine. He’s not-- he’s anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-environment, anti-immigrant, pro-war, pro-weapons, pro-death penalty, pro-consumerism; he has never represented my views on a single issue. (Source: Toomey's voting records.)

Please don’t make me go back to his office when I lobby for social justice issues. Please vote for Katie McGinty and tell everyone in PA too!

- ATTORNEY GENERAL OF PA -

Josh Shapiro (D)

- AUDITOR GENERAL OF PA -

Eugene DePasquale (D)

- PA TREASURER -

Joe Torsella (D)

I also like Kristin Combs (Green Party)

- U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES & U.S. HOUSE REP SPECIAL ELECTION -

Dwight Evans (D)

In case you haven’t heard, Chaka Fattah was indicted for corruption.

- PA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES -

Jim Roebuck (unopposed)

-------------------------------

BALLOT QUESTIONS:

1. “Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to require that justices of the Supreme Court, judges, and magisterial district judges be retired on the last day of the calendar year in which they attain the age of 75?” (instead of the current rule that they retire at age 70)

2. “Should the City of Philadelphia borrow ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-FOUR MILLION THREE HUNDRED THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($184,303,000.00) to be spent for and toward capital purposes as follows: Transit; Streets and Sanitation; Municipal Buildings; Parks, Recreation and Museums; and Economic and Community Development?”

(The weird thing about this is that City Council has the authority to change what the money is used for)

- Get to the polls folks. Feed Love. -

P.S. Today I was #242 at 11am is Cedar Park Philly. <3

[earth4president]

It’s All Connected

I was proud to make signs for and walk in the March for Clean Energy on Sunday, as part of the SURJ contingent-- Showing Up for Racial Justice. 

People of Color are disproportionately affected by climate disruption. I saw this when I was in New Orleans a couple month ago-- because the Lower Ninth Ward is still rebuilding 11 years after Katrina, while the French Quarter is thriving. My heart broke when I learned about the prisoners in New Orleans who were not evacuated-- those who were essentially tortured, and those who died because their lives didn’t matter in the eyes of those in power. And I remembered what I’d learned about mass incarceration, and how black Americans are imprisoned at almost 6 times the rate of white Americans. Race justice and Climate justice are connected, which is why I made these signs.

Thank you everyone who showed up on Sunday. I heard there were about 10,000 people there.

[earth4president]

How Millennials Can Tip the Scale on Climate Change Politics

I’m honored to have a piece published on Green Philly Blog: Mixing Climate Justice and Politics: Why it’s necessary even though it hurts.

Check it out!

(Green Philly Blog)

[earth4president]

#ClimateDisrupted

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to this event, and much gratitude to those who made it possible! Especially Transport Cycles, City Love, and Little Baby’s Ice Cream!

Check out the coverage in Spirit News.

[earth4president]

Your Votes are Your Voice

Yes, your vote is your voice.

WAIT

Your VOTES are your voice. It’s an election year and I know it SEEMS like it’s only for the President of the United States but actually, look at all the votes you have to cast in Pennsylvania on Tuesday!

One of PA’s two seats in the U.S. Senate;

All 18 PA seats in the U.S. House of Representatives;

The entire PA House of Representatives (203 seats);

Half of the 50 seats in the PA Senate (Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 in Philadelphia); and

The state’s three row offices: Attorney General, Auditor General and Treasurer.

First of all, I got most of my info from Committee of Seventy which was super helpful! I recommend it to find out about your own district’s elections.

If you don’t know your District, look it up here really quick.

I did my research on the Democratic candidates for my own votes, and I’ll share them with you in case you also live in West Philly and agree with lots of my desires for the world. Like if you think humans including those who aren’t straight white men should be listened to and cared for in a world that’s hurting from gun violence, a broken education system, racism, unjust distribution of wealth, and a polluted and warming climate-- to name a few-- then check out who I’m voting for.

Senator

This one is the most important.

Toomey is up for re-election. I know from personal experience with his staff (who have been wonderful to work with despite our differences), and from his voting record, that Toomey is not interested in addressing climate change anytime soon. Basically if you’re liberal at all, please make sure you vote for a democrat for Senate on Tuesday.

The Democratic candidates are Katie McGinty, Joe Sestak, and John Fetterman. Honestly I’ll take any of them but Fetterman gets my vote-- he’s pretty much the Bernie Sanders of Pennsylvania, and he rules.  (Follow him on social media!)

House Rep (District 2 - 19143)

Chaka Fattah has been in office for 20 years and he’s doing some great stuff (well, you know, except for the whole getting indicted for corruption thing). But otherwise he’s good on climate and prison reform, two things I’ve lobbied on, among other important issues. Not sure what will happen with him.

The other Democratic candidates are Dwight Evans, Brian Anthony Gordon, and Daniel Muroff. I actually like all of them, they’re pretty good on most issues. I would say Dwight Evans seems to be the most Philadelphia-focused, and Dan Muroff has the best website (that’s a thing! Transparency is so important). Muroff is also super against gun violence, he’s got Black Lives Matter right on his issues page, and he’s good on environment. I’ll probably vote for him.

State House & Senate

Jim Roebuck is running unopposed. He seems pretty cool. There’s no election for State Senate for me this year, but in case you’re wondering it’s Anthony Williams.

However, if I lived in the 177th district (Bridesburg, Northwood Mayfair and parts of Port Richmond, Fishtown, Lawncrest and Tacony) I would DEFINITELY vote for Joe Hohenstein!

Attorney General

Dems running are John Morganelli, Josh Shapiro, and Stephen Zappala. I like Shapiro the best, but I couldn’t actually get to Zappala’s website because it’s broken. Whoops.

Anyway Shapiro seems to support women and LGBT folks, and also wants to crack down on environmental crimes/doesn’t like fracking, and he’s endorsed by Obama so I’ll take him!

Auditor General

I actually just found out what this is. It’s the “fiscal watchdog” (Ha!).

Our current Auditor General is Eugene DePasquale, who I’ve never heard of, and he says “The most important issue for Pennsylvania is job creation“, but also says some of those are green jobs, and he says some other decent things about environment. He’s just running against a Republican who’s pro-life according to his official Facebook page (what does that have to do with auditing?) and also has a broken website.

Treasurer

Joe Torsella is the Democrat running and he has the word Transparency all over his website and I’m into that.

Oh and in case you’re wondering, I’m voting for Bernie!

That’s who I’m voting for. Go Vote! Even if you vote against all the people I just named, do your research and just vote, because otherwise what’s the point of living here.

You Matter. Vote.

[earth4president]

#ClimateDisrupted: Tell Your Story

Over the past few months I’ve worked with another Philadelphia artist to curate/organize an event that brings together art, music, poetry, and storytelling to show how Philadelphians are affected by climate change in our city’s own language– ART.

This has been an energizing and inspiring experience-- not just because it has offered me the gifts that come with collaboration, it revitalizes me to see the interest and intrigue among artists and activists in Philly who care about climate disruption.

The original idea behind this event was the create visible evidence (OK sure, a photo-op) to show my senator’s office that we, Pennsylvanians, are concerned about the health effects, community struggles, and economic threats that come with a changing climate, and hopefully Senator Toomey won’t be able to look away (or at least we shouldn’t let him).

You are invited to join the story, join the movement (and yeah, the fun) on April 30 at Transport Cycles (rad bike shop in Fishtown) from 6-10pm.

There will be art, music, poetry, an info hub of local resources for action, ice cream from Little Baby’s (!) and a Story Wall for you to add your own piece. Check out www.phillyclimatestory.com for more, and join the event on Facebook to help spread the love.

[earth4president]

Supporting Each Other in the face of #BigOil

Tonight I attended the public hearing for Philadelphia Port Authority’s proposed plan for one of their sites-- and I was not alone! Frankly, it was an opportunity for Philadelphians to say “We do NOT want another oil facility in our city; we want jobs and we want them to be clean.”

There were more than 100 people there, including several local politicians, and many climate-minded organizations were represented (including Moms Clean Air Force, PA Interfaith Power & Light, Green Justice Philly, 350 Philly, Clean Air Council, Earth Quaker Action Team, Action United, and more), plus many many concerned individuals. For an hour and a half, dozens of people took the chance to comment and ask questions about Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ plan for the Southport Marine Terminal Complex, currently a green space next to the Navy Yard. (Somebody actually suggested a public park, which I LOVE the idea of..)

This was a powerful experience. It really inspired me to be surrounded by people from such diverse communities with the same intentions-- to feel safe, healthy, and economically stable in the place we call home. One of the points that came up again and again is that those intentions and desires are not mutually exclusive-- we can have a healthier environment AND jobs!

This also inspired me to reach out to as many people as possible to show Senator Toomey how committed we are to a healthy future in the face of a changing climate, in the face of the fossil fuel industry, and in the face of the pride of corporate and governmental leaders who are focused on “business as usual”.

I’m energized by the turnout and the passion tonight, and I want us to follow up. (Their next board meeting is: 1pm 3/22 at 3460 N. Delaware Ave)

The Port Authority seems genuinely committed to at least seem like they’re being transparent about this whole process, and encouraged everyone to check out their website, and submit comments and questions to:

Kate Bailey,                   Director of Procurement                  Philadelphia Regional Port Authority                  3460 N. Delaware Avenue, 2nd Floor                  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19134                  Email: [email protected]

Onward!

P.S. Did you know that 1 in 4 kids in Philadelphia have asthma, and that Pennsylvania pays $9.4 billion in pollution-related health care costs each year? (http://www.momscleanairforce.org/state-of-pennsylvania/)

[earth4president]

Upcoming Events!

Wednesday March 9

Southport Public Hearing: Community vs. Big Oil 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Sheetmetal Workers' Hall (1301 S. Columbus Blvd.)

More info

Thursday March 10

Finding Meaning and Hope from the Paris Climate Talks 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm (doors open at 6:45) Cherry Hill Public Library

More info

Tuesday, March 22

Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) What Will You Choose? 11:30am Comcast Plaza, 17th and JFK

More info

[earth4president]

Making Progress with Senator Toomey

On Thursday a few of us followed up with Phil at Senator Toomey’s Philadelphia office. We met for an hour (!) and talked about jobs, a Carbon Fee & Dividend (Citizens’ Climate Lobby), and getting the words “Climate Change” on Toomey’s website.

More about the REMI Report

In fact, we offered to draft a revised page of text for the “Energy & Environment” tab at www.toomey.senate.gov, which our group is working on now. (You’re welcome, Toomey communications team!)

One comment that I got in a different lobby visit (at Toomey’s Allentown office) was that the offices hadn’t heard from a large number of Pennsylvanians on concerns about climate change. This surprised me, and I’m motivated to work on a creative way to get a large number of Pennsylvanians to show how important this is to us as constituents (and citizens of the earth).

Stay tuned, and thanks for your help, Joey

[earth4president]

What’s Mass Incarceration got to do with Climate Justice?

Spring Lobby Weekend is in 31 days. This was the event that opened the door to political activism for me. It’s where I learned how to lobby, and where I learned that my voice matters in this big messy political system (who knew?!). I highly recommend you check it out and try to attend. There are scholarship funds available.

This year’s theme is Mass Incarceration. Is this related to our work in climate justice? KIND OF! (I think I can connect anything to climate justice, but seriously.)

When I was learning about the effects of Hurricane Katrina while I was visiting the Lower Ninth Ward Living Museum in New Orleans a month ago (see last post), I was shocked and heartbroken to learn that during the storm, prison inmates were left in their cells, with water over their heads. While the rest of the city was informed to evacuate, prisoners were forced to stay (here’s a sickening article about it).

Today in the US, 2.2 million people are incarcerated, and 7 million people are directly affected by mass incarceration. Can you imagine a world of increasing extreme storms where millions of imprisoned people (many wrongly detained) will be forced to withstand horrifying conditions or killed because the system is not prepared to save them?

This dark image of course goes beyond prisons, but it’s all part of the big picture. And the fact that prisoners are not being taken care of in the face of weather disasters, and that according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, one in three black men can expect to go to prison in their lifetime, are further examples of how people of color are disproportionately affected by climate change.

Keep going. Thank you for your work.

(P.S. Upcoming lobby visits to Senator Toomey’s offices in Philadelphia and Allentown are in the works)

[earth4president]

What’s up, 2016?

Happy New Year! After a bit of a physical hiatus from climate work (never a break from the mental and emotional work...) I’m excited to dive back in to creative lobbying (already started making calls and sending emails..)

Meanwhile, are you familiar with Friends Journal? If you subscribe to this great magazine, check out the piece in it this month by yours truly. The whole issue is about Quakers and the Political Process (perfect).

Another thing to stay tuned for besides upcoming events and lobby visits, is THE BIG THING-- I’ve been working with another local artist to put together an event this spring that brings together art, climate change, and political action. So cool right? Details coming soon.

Last thing I want to share-- I was in New Orleans for New Years. I’d never been before, and I struggled on my way there thinking about my role as a tourist to this place whose people were victims of the extreme weather I always think of when thinking of a changing climate. I noticed a lot of things in this far away place-- it was 80°F when I arrived on December 27; the people were so warm and welcoming it hurt; there were so many incredible tastes, sights, and SOUNDS, I could barely take it all in.

At one point my friend tried to recycle a glass jar and we found out NOLA doesn’t recycle glass. I was shocked! Glass- that’s like the easy thing to recycle right? When I was complaining about this later, my friend’s grandmother said “Baby, after Katrina we’re all lucky we can even get up out of bed. We’re not worried about recycling.”

10 years ago. That’s when the storm hit. I cannot blame the people, I would never do that. It’s hard to stay calm after learning why parts of New Orleans are still so broken. (Some parts are thriving, by the way)

I recommend you visit this city if you have the chance-- and I only require that you make your way to the Lower 9th Ward Living Museum. It takes you through the history of the neighborhood that has always come last.

(The museum is in a house. Check out the neighbor’s sign on the right)

This has been another reminder of how climate, race, class, and health are so intertwined.

Thank you for all your work. More coming in 2016.

[earth4president]

Building Pathways (Report on FCNL’s Annual Meeting)

This weekend I made my way to Washington DC for FCNL’s Annual Meeting and Quaker Public Policy Institute. The focus of lobbying efforts on Friday for the 300+ attenders was Peacebuilding— specifically promoting Ben Cardin’s upcoming legislation supporting the Atrocities Prevention Board.

(Photo: FCNL)

As an Advocacy Corps organizer I was also there to do more important work on climate action. I joined the Pennsylvania delegation for a meeting with Senator Toomey’s legislative correspondent about peace, and also met later in the day with another staffer about climate.

The first meeting was very powerful— 16 of us met and many shared stories of significant weight that I think really affected the staffer. I was really impressed with all of the constituents who lobbied for peace. One storyteller in particular offered a metaphor that really stuck with me, and that I hope sticks with the staffer: if you’re a homeowner, and your roof is broken, you can’t avoid fixing your roof. Even if it feels like you’re too busy, or it’s too expensive— you make the time, and you find the money or get a loan, because if you don’t fix your roof, the next storm that comes will destroy your whole home.

This image of the necessity of preventative action applies to so many issues, and I used the same one in my meeting about climate. We can’t wait to fix the roof. We can’t wait to support the actions laid out in the Clean Power Plan. We can’t wait to transition Pennsylvania from coal to renewables “eventually”— NO, the time is now.

It often feels like dragging my feet and some blindfolded dogs through molasses when I’m trying convey the urgency I feel to act on climate. A friend shared another really helpful image with me this weekend: a huge ship takes incredible energy to move across an ocean. The ship creates a vacuum behind it as it moves, and to turn the ship even one degree in its course, it needs to stop and wait for the vacuum draft its created to shift to it can move the tiniest bit. But if you look at a map, one degree difference carried out miles and miles makes a huge difference in where you end up.

Our government is like a giant ship. I’m learning patience. …and how to get my feet wet.

I am so grateful to Tyler, the staffer in Senator Toomey’s office who listens patiently to my (sometimes very passionate) call for action on climate. I think that he hears me, and it inspires me to know that he has the ear of the Senator, and even if we’re moving slowly, I think we are moving.

(Thank you for all your support, those who have participated in any part of FCNL! For more info, check out www.fcnl.org)

(Photo: Me with FCNL’s Policy Associate on Sustainable Energy & Environment, Emily, one of my incredible resources)

[earth4president]

Lobbying Champs, or Dear Toomey

I am blown away by our lobby visit today. I just have to say-- everyone there brought something so valuable to the table and I’m so proud of all of us.

Here’s what happened and how I feel about it.

Five of us (one missing from picture) met with Senator Toomey’s staffer today to talk about climate change.

We introduced ourselves, thanked Phil for his time, shared stories, and engaged in a genuinely open discussion about how we’re all affected by climate change.

I also learned something: Yes there are some antiquated Senators who will not admit that climate change is real and humans contribute to it-- and Senator Toomey is not one of them.

HUZZAH. Wait. Why did I not know this? Oh right, because I can’t find anything on the internet that verifies it.

So we said to our friend Phil, “That’s great! Can we see that statement on the Senator’s website, and a public statement in a press release or social media?”

Well, it’s pretty tricky, because like any organization, that kind of thing has to go through a communications team and other committees to get finalized etc etc. I get that. It takes time. But also-- The Time is Now!!

It is incredible to me that a political leader-- who’s running for re-election at that-- in 2015, would not have the words “Climate Change” on their website once. It’s the most important issue to people under 30, and it’s not on there at all.

You’re hurting yourself, Pat!

Stop hurting yourself. Help yourself, help your campaign, help the communities of Pennsylvania. Your leadership in the form of bipartisan actions has been impressive-- update your politics, update the internet! Let us know that you’re an ally of Pennsylvanians in the face of climate change. Support us and help us support you.

That kind of turned into a letter. So,

Sincerely,

Joey Hartmann-Dow Human (Philadelphia, PA)

[earth4president]

Lobbying 101

Thanks so much to the folks who came out to the lobby training workshop last night!

Here’s a summary of what we talked about and some lobbying tips:

• What is Lobbying?

   - Lobbying is a conversation. You (the constituent) are asking your member of congress or their staffer (who represent you!) to do something.

• Where do I start?

    - Make an appointment with the office. They prefer this by email. You can also call to introduce yourself and get the correct email address.

Once you have an appointment (which can take weeks):

• Be prepared.

   - Know your “ask” and stay focused on it.

    (This is our specific ask: “Will (Senator Toomey) make a statement calling for bipartisan congressional action acknowledging the science and reality of climate change?”)

   - Do your research, but know that you don’t need to be an expert. If you don’t know the answer to a question, say “I don’t know but I will definitely email you that information”.

   - Bring a fact-sheet to leave behind.

   - Designate roles for everyone attending the meeting (this includes who will Introduce the ask for the first time, who will share a personal story, who will repeat the ask, who will say thank you, and who will take notes)

   - Be flexible. You may arrive at the meeting and be told that the representative or staffer only has 5 minutes to meet with you.

• What do I wear?

   - I think it’s classist to require anyone to wear business casual clothes to a meeting, but keep in mind that feeling professional and confident will help you present your position professionally and confidently. Wear whatever makes you feel comfortable meeting with someone who will be in business casual clothes, without feeling distracted by what everyone there is wearing.

• During the meeting

   - Begin by thanking the member of congress or staffer for meeting with you, and thank them for any work they’ve already done for your concern.

   - Introduce everyone in the group, say your name, where you live, and your connection to a local community (student, religious group, local organization, etc)

   - Introduce the ask

   - Tell a personal story related to your concern

   (For example, if somebody in your group is a grandparent, they might share their fear for the future of their grandchildren; or a personal story of how someone’s business has been affected by the effects of climate change)

   - Repeat the ask, and add “How can we support you/the Senator to move forward with this?”

  - Thank them again and tell them we’ll be following up.

• After the meeting

   - FOLLOW UP. This is critical. It’s so important to build a relationship with the staffer or member of congress so you can move forward together.

A group of us will be lobbying at Senator Toomey’s Philadelphia office this afternoon (!) and I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes.