S/O Climate change: being an activist

[Innisfree]

Okay, I want to do something. I've already joined a group, and volunteered to do the standard texting and phoning politicians jobs. Not much is happening locally, what with a pandemic and all.

A couple of weeks ago my cousin told me her friend was involved in a group protesting a pipeline. It was completely peaceful resistance, but they all ended up getting arrested, as they had expected.

What impact does that sort of arrest record have on a middle-aged, middle-class person's life? If you've been involved in anything like that and want to talk about it, what was it like? Would you do it again? Does it cause problems if you want to get a job? Any travel complications?

What else do you know people doing? I'm thinking not so much individual changes, but efforts to make broader changes.

[Carrie12345]

I have no experience, but I’ve always told my kids that we’re privileged enough to always have access to bail money. Showing up for good or fighting against bad... do whatcha gotta do; we’ve got your back.

I’ve had different rules for myself because I always had small kids at home and a spouse that can’t always be there, but I should really re-examine now that the youngest ones aren’t helpless on their own.

I might expect complications with certain work sectors, but not most.

I would not want to be arrested during COVID.

[Innisfree]

51 minutes ago, Carrie12345 said:

I would not want to be arrested during COVID.

This is a good point.

 

[Faith-manor]

Due to covid, super crowded protests are right now off limits to us since we have a medically fragile grandmother we could infect.

I do a lot of phone call, email, etc. I raised cain at county Commissioner meetings when they were going to make some REALLY bad environmentally devastating decisions in order to make a few dollars for the county. In the end, we were able to thwart that. In my region, there aren't any national groups that are active. But one thing I have been involved with is Great Lakes conservation and care. That has included clean up days at beaches, rivers, creeks picking up trash, particularly plastic, and supporting Senator Stabenow's efforts to get the feds on board. I'd like to go smack industries in Cleveland who have once again, made another stab at killing Lake Stir with their dumping. How many times does this have to happen before Ohio decides.beat the financial cap out of these companies???? The Great Lakes are 22% of the world's fresh water so just maybe they ought not be destroyed!

Enbridge can kiss my a$$! I will absolutely protest at the Mackinac Bridge over this. I just have to find a way to not bring covid home to my mother in law.

I am all ears. I would like to find a way to advocate for more investment in rail.

[Happy2BaMom]

I focus on helping protect the natural world at this point, which means we give a fair amount of money to conservation organizations and to some pretty radical environmental activist groups (Honor The Earth, Deep Green Resistance) which are actively working to stop (a few) destructive developments from taking place. I may start giving money to Greenpeace, even though I haven't been a fan previously, because I recently read that they are throwing boulders in the open ocean to stop bottom trawling (which, if you don't know already, basically strips the entire ocean floor & sea life in a particular area).

I honestly don't believe open, mass destruction (which is the most profitable for corporations) will be stopped any other way.

 

ETA: On an individual level, ripping out lawns, learning/practicing permaculture, restoring soil life, etc. can all be both beneficial for wildlife (lawns might as well be concrete as far as birds/wildlife are concerned) as well as personal/familial resilience.

Edited August 10, 2021 by Happy2BaMom