Terry Tempest Williams is up next. She's talking about Wyoming, as she did at the reception earlier downstairs. Wyoming is an open-wound, she says, and would be the 3rd largest coal-producing nation if it were a nation. Water wells are contaminated with benzine. Air can't be breathed. There's too much cancer and not enough chemotherapy. Wendell Berry, who hasn't spoken yet, spoke briefly downstairs too and said that we would be in horrible shape without climate change. There is resistance in Wyoming by Hopi and others who have shut down a coal company. Downstairs earlier someone invited me to an action to close a coal plant in Charlotte, NC, this April 20th: go here! Can direct action spread? Can it be effective? Can it save the climate and social justice and peace and democracy? Not much else makes me even fantasize about such results. Williams described some victories. Very inspiring. Very democratic in the best sense of the word. (STANDING OVATION!)
McKibben is now talking about our old friend Granny D. who is turning 99, and who held a banner with him years ago in the Capitol Rotunda saying "Stop Global Warming!" and who said on that occasion "I'm 93 and this is my first time being arrested. I should have started a long time ago."
Mike Tidwell is asking everyone to write little notes to senators on slips of paper (and asking for money for the movement along with them). Someone shouted that DC has no senators, and he said to then write to Pelosi to say that DC wants voting representation. Another movement we can all agree on. Every movement that gets organized helps all the others.
McKibben is introducing Wendell Berry and says it's impossible to read him and not to some extent want to move to Kentucky and become a farmer. Exactly right. Amazing to see an author and a creative thinker who's helped shape our culture for decades as part of a movement maturing and feeling its own strength. (Isn't America supposed to get along without intellectuals?)
Berry says that we'll have to get to economics, beyond politics, to succeed, and that it will be slow and hard. We'll have to start living by standards imposed by local adaptation.
Berry told a joke and read a lovely poem, with the whole room hanging on every word. And everyone rose and cheered. And yet it was a dark poem of danger and gloom.
"Here's to the Long Haul" gave us some music to roll on out of here.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
