Good morning everyone and happy Friday! This will be a quick, personal post because I have decided to dedicate my platform today to the issue of climate change and the Global Climate Strike. Take a moment to open and watch the video embedded in the tweet below:
Next, take a moment to read about the work done by Greta Thunberg and Fridays for Future, a non-profit campaign that is dedicated to the climate struggle, which is a transformative justice process that strives to return political power to the people. This is about climate now, but it is a concept that can spread to so much more.
Fridays for Future describes the problem as one that is facilitated by corporations and governments that are dominated by “affluent, white, heterosexual cis-males, [that] have exercised their power, gained through colonialism, capitalism, patriarchy, white supremacy and exploitation, to destroy the earth and its occupants with no remorse.”
This organization goes on to say that those in control “deliberately sacrifice the Global South’s ecosystems and peoples for the sake of their so-called ‘development and everlasting ‘economic growth.’ Meanwhile, the working class is used as tools to build the very system that is destroying them.” I could not agree more.
The Fridays for Future demand is simple: no more loans, but a commitment to follow through on the demands from Indigenous, black, anti-patriarchal, and diverse marginalized communities to get their lands back; give resources that have been taken to increase personal and government wealth back to the most affected communities for their own adaptation and to compensate for the losses caused; and redistribute wealth, technology, information, and political power both from the north to the south and from top to bottom.
You can read more about Greta Thunberg and her amazing activism here and you can read more about Fridays for Future here. You can also go to Greta’s Twitter page here to see all of the amazing strikes going on all over the world today.
Because there is no place to directly donate on the Fridays for Future website (they focus on ACTION), I have made another plan for you to make a quick contribution. I am asking you to watch the video above and to go to this website to see how you might get involved. I would also ask that you spread the video above across all of your social media platforms to help raise awareness. I understand that some people may want to help, but have very little extra time. For that reason, I am making the following pledge: for every person who creates a new, paid SHERO subscription today, Saturday and Sunday, I will donate 100% of those proceeds to help.
I love California. I am tired of all the talking and none of the action regarding climate change. I decided to do something about it today. Thank you for your time. Special thanks to Flexghost, who is an amazingly patient tech teacher.
-Amee
Amee Vanderpool writes the SHERO Newsletter, is an attorney, published author, contributor to newspapers and magazines, and an analyst for BBC radio. She can be reached at avanderpool@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @girlsreallyrule.
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BRAVO, Amee!! A subject near and dear to my heart although I may never get to Cali. Might I also suggest that those interested in the Climate Emergency we're facing follow Emily Atkin's excellent newsletter? You can find HEATED here on substack, where all the most TALENTED writers are found!