This is a big week for fossil fuel resistance! The frontlines fighting Line 3 and Keystone XL pipelines and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge need your support. Read on about different ways to plug into solidarity work this week and beyond.
Defend the Arctic: Actions December 7 – January 6
For thousands of years, Gwich’in and Inupiat peoples have lived in relationship to the Sacred birthing grounds of the porcupine caribou herd, Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit, or “The Sacred Place Where Life Begins.” Despite Congress granting federal protection for these lands sixty years ago, the Trump administration is rushing lease sales on the coastal plain, threatening the sacred lifeways of Indigenous communities.
On December 7, Indigenous leaders and allies launched 30 days of action with banner drops across North America. From now until the day of the lease sale on January 6, 2021, allies are asked to mobilize in defense of the Arctic Refuge. Can you organize an action in your community? Find everything you need to know HERE, in addition to this list of ways to get involved.
- Share on social media with this Social Media Toolkit
- Take the pledge to defend sacred Alaska
- Make a banner with this artwork
- Write a public comment to the Bureau of Land Management by Dec 17
- Follow Defend the Sacred Alaska, Native Movement, Gwich’in Steering Committee, and SILA
Digital Rally to Stop Line 3: December 9
Just last week, Minnesota’s Democrat governor, Tim Walz, granted the final state permit needed to begin construction on the proposed Line 3 tar sands pipeline, despite outstanding legal challenges, spiking COVID-19 rates and ongoing resistance. But the fight is far from over. Keep the pressure up at the National Mobilization & Digital Rally to Stop Line 3 on December 9 at 5pm PT/8pm ET. Hear from Winona LaDuke of Honor the Earth; Tara Houska of Giniw Cllective; Bill McKibben of 350.org; Mahyar Sorour of Sierra Club and many more powerful speakers. REGISTER HERE and help spread the word with this toolkit. Sign this 350.org petition telling president-elect Joe Biden to stop Line 3 on day one of his presidency.
To learn more about ways to show solidarity, check out this Actions & Resources List from the Prepare to Care webinar during Harvest the Power, hosted by UU Service Commission and Minnesota UU Social Justice Alliance (MUUSJA). The list includes a recording of the event and several groups to follow and support.
National Day of Action to Defund Line 3 and KXL: December 11
Both the Line 3 and Keystone XL pipelines rely on bank funding to get built: right now, TC Energy, the company behind Keystone XL, is trying to secure a $4 billion loan it needs to build the pipeline. In March 2021, Enbridge Energy, the corporation behind Line 3, has a $2.1 billion loan that is due for renewal. Thanks to years of activist pressure, several banks have stopped funding the fossil fuel industry – and these projects could be next to lose momentum with enough public pressure.
That’s where you come in: SIGN UP for the National Day of Action on Friday, December 11, organized by Stop the Money Pipeline. Deliver a letter to bank branch, insurance office or asset manager office near you, demanding these institutions withdraw their support for these dangerous projects. Participants will deliver the Indigenous Women’s Tar Sands letter, which has been signed by more than forty Indigenous women who are organizing to stop tar sands in their communities, and 158 organizations, including UU Ministry for Earth. Read the full letter here. Once you sign up, Stop the Money Pipeline will provide a set of COVID-Safe Action Agreements and tips, resources and support to create a successful action.