Dakota pipeline protest in Nashville

A note from Madelin. Your thoughts? Let us know if you plan to go. I think your documented participation might be worth at least a couple of runs. We do have one uncommitted class date remaining on our schedule, if enough of us wanted to go we could push our schedule back a day.

Dr. Oliver, 

I was surfing 350.org earlier, and there is a peaceful protest to be held in Nashville on Tuesday at 4:15 to protest the Dakota Access pipeline. I would love to be a part of it, and I was wondering if maybe that could be a class activity? I don't want to miss another class period, but if the schedule permits, it would be awesome if some of our classmates want to join the cause and make their voice heard. We could write about our experience and that take place of Tuesday's quiz. I could give a ride to whoever wants to join or whatever. Just a thought I'm throwing at you, let me know what you think. -Madelin

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A note from Bill McKibben:

Dear Friends

So, the question everyone’s asking me this week is: What now? 

I don’t have a great answer—the Trump saga will play out over time, and we’ll be learning how to resist as we go along. But resist we will.  

I do know that the election last Tuesday made this Tuesday’s demonstrations in support of Standing Rock even more important. We’ll be gathering in nearly two hundred cities to demand that the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Obama administration, do their jobs and reject the Dakota Access pipeline's final permit.

Will you join me on Nov 15th and take action to stop Dakota Access? Sign up for an action today—and if there isn't one on the map already, you can organize one where you live.

We don’t know if we can make President Obama act—so far he’s been noncommittal and vague. And we don’t know if Trump would simply overturn his actions if he took them. But we do know that now more than ever we have to stand by our allies, and make our battles loud and public.

The ugly side of the American psyche that’s propelled Trump to the presidency is nothing new to Indigenous people. It’s nothing new to people of color, to immigrants, to the vulnerable and the marginalized. This is a time for drawing together the many threads of our resistance—to fossil fuels, yes, but also and just as importantly to widespread hatred. 

Solidarity with Indigenous leadership—in Standing Rock and beyond—is more important today, not less. The original inhabitants of this continent have been pepper-sprayed and shot with rubber bullets, maced and attacked by guard dogs, all for peacefully standing up for their sovereign rights, and for the world around us. If we can’t rally in support of them—well, that would be shameful. 

Join me and thousands of others on the streets to show solidarity with Standing Rock on Nov 15th.

I wish I had some magic words to make the gobsmacked feeling go away. But I can tell you from experience that taking action, joining with others to protest, heals some of the sting.

And throughout history, movements like ours have been the ones to create lasting change—not a single individual or president. That's the work we'll get back to, together. 

See you on Tuesday!

Bill McKibben for the Fossil Free team

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Fossil Free is an international network of campuses and communities that are divesting from the fossil fuel companies that are causing the climate crisis. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for email updates on our homepage.