#Environmental grassroots movement

[townpostin]

Jamshedpur's Air Quality Crisis Tackled by Community Initiative

Vayu Veer program empowers marginalized groups to combat pollution through citizen science Innovative citizen-led air monitoring in Jamshedpur reveals alarming pollution levels, spurring grassroots action for cleaner air through the Vayu Veer program. JAMSHEDPUR – Clean Air Jharkhand has implemented the innovative Vayu Veer program, which involves the participation of youth and women from…

[wachinyeya]

How one neighborhood in Colombia is tackling climate change at the community level https://one.npr.org/i/1228839451:1228839452

In Colombia's second-largest city, rainy season floods and dry season fires are now a fact of life. As reporter Jorge Valencia found, local residents are grappling with those and other effects of climate change by taking matters into their own hands.

[dailyanarchistposts]

Let us learn from our past struggles, in the USA and in Malaysia. May Day should be an occasion to reflect not jubilate, to engage not agonize, to demand not relent, and to organise, not complain. We need systemic change that can guarantee equality, fraternity, self-management and socialisation of the commonwealth, guided by a bottom–up approach to decision making. We need a labour movement that is multicultural and international, feminist, active in urban and rural struggles, and that prizes reason over superstition, justice over hierarchy, self-management over state power, international solidarity over nationalism. We need to fight for a universal human community, not parochialism and separatism. The organisational power and strategic location of the Malaysian union movement provides an excellent point of departure for building this counter-movement. This is our appeal and message as we celebrate this May Day, on the eve of dark days in which the storm clouds gather over humanity – but in which the light of hope of a better future can break through, if we arm ourselves with the correct ideas and approaches. May Day began as an example of globalisation-from-below. Let us rally to it. Let us take back its original vision: liberty, equality, unity.

May Day, popularly known as international workers day, started with a historic fight for decent working hours that culminated in the execution of four trade unionists in Chicago, United States, in November 1887. This was a decisive moment in the struggle for a just society through militant trade unionism. May Day was globalised from 1889 by the workers’ movement, being held in China from 1919, and in Malaysia from 1921. Today it remains a key day of reference – but its roots and aims are often forgotten.

May Day commemorations can be a platform to harness the power of the working class and poor into a counter-movement for social protection and changed society. Ordinary people worldwide face ecological problems, economic crisis, massive unemployment, low wages, denials of right to freedom of association, vulnerable, informal work and sub-contracting, suffering as immigrants– all in the context of destructive market competition and the rule of self-serving politicians and bosses.

Solutions do not lie in reformed capitalism or in the free market: the problems humanity faces have gotten worse. Capitalism adversely affects working class communities and their livelihoods; states act to enforce these horrors with laws and guns.

In Malaysia, this destruction is manifested in an ecological crisis expressed in disasters such as flooding that displaces tens of thousands, police brutality against picketing workers (like the National Union of Tobacco Industry), and a massive gap between rich and poor, powerful and powerless. Unions need to be central to the fight to win social protection floors, decent conditions and a better future for the Malaysian working family.

This article draws attention to the alternative: the “anarchist” ethos of firstly, building a working and poor people’s counter-culture to unravel the dominant class culture in society; and secondly, building a counter-power from below, that draws its energy from the trade unions and workers, the unemployed, the poor and the peasantry (small farmers), to fight to change the world for the better.

Let us start by looking at what the “Chicago Martyrs” died for – and then at the historical role and the future potential of Malaysian trade unions in the fight for justice and equality.

[beingjellybeans]

Our Power, Our Planet: Earth Day 2025 Calls for a Renewable Energy Revolution

As Earth Day 2025 approaches, it’s not just another day to celebrate our planet. This year, it’s a rallying cry for a global shift to renewable energy. EARTHDAY.ORG (EDO), the driving force behind Earth Day, has announced the theme for its 55th anniversary: “Our Power, Our Planet.” The theme is more than just a slogan; it’s a call to action for all of us to embrace renewable energy and work…

[delicatelysublimeforester]

In the Footsteps of the Trees: Uplifting Youth, Sustaining Nature

[felixwylde]

What's better to admire than money?

I mean, why money? Money’s just a symbol of power; it’s not the power itself. We kinda rely on it, but we’re still around even when we’re broke.The weird thing about money worship is that it’s not really about what you can buy; it’s treated like some sort of deity.If money were a god, what would it offer? Would it give us fame, fortune, happiness, or just some peace of mind?Are rich folks…

[laloward]

[ID 1: a reddit post in r/democrats with the title "Logic?" and an attached image of a cartoon scene of an adult talking to three children huddled around a fire, with the caption "Yeah the planet got destroyed, but Biden really wasn't doing enough about Gaza for me."

ID 2: The same cartoon, but with the caption "Yes, the planet got destroyed. But for a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of value for shareholders."

End ID]

Just Dems casually trivialising genocide.

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of Punk

The philosophy of punk is a distinctive blend of cultural rebellion, DIY ethos, and anti-establishment attitudes. Emerging from the punk rock music scene in the 1970s, punk philosophy has since evolved into a broader subcultural movement that encompasses music, fashion, art, and social commentary. Here's an exploration of the core tenets and influences of punk philosophy:

1. DIY Ethic

At the heart of punk philosophy is the "Do It Yourself" (DIY) ethic. Punk advocates self-sufficiency and creativity without reliance on mainstream institutions or commercial interests. This ethos encourages individuals to create their own music, art, and fashion, often using limited resources. It fosters a sense of empowerment and community, as punks produce and distribute their own records, zines, and merchandise.

2. Anti-Establishment and Rebellion

Punk philosophy is deeply rooted in anti-establishment sentiments. It rejects conventional norms, authority, and societal expectations. Punk often criticizes political systems, corporate greed, and social inequalities. This rebellious stance is reflected in the raw and confrontational style of punk music and the provocative nature of punk fashion, which frequently includes ripped clothing, bold hairstyles, and symbolic accessories like safety pins and leather jackets.

3. Individualism and Authenticity

Punk values individualism and authenticity, championing the idea of being true to oneself. It opposes conformity and encourages people to express their unique identities and beliefs. This focus on personal authenticity often translates into a rejection of polished, commercialized aesthetics in favor of raw, unfiltered expression.

4. Anarchy and Libertarianism

Many punk subcultures are influenced by anarchist and libertarian ideologies. Punk philosophy often promotes the idea of a society without hierarchical structures or authoritarian control. Anarcho-punk, a subgenre of punk, explicitly incorporates anarchist principles, advocating for direct action, mutual aid, and community-based alternatives to state power.

5. Social and Political Activism

Punk philosophy is not only about music and fashion but also about activism and social change. Punk bands and communities frequently address issues such as anti-racism, gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and environmentalism. Punk's activist spirit is evident in its support for grassroots movements, protests, and various forms of direct action.

6. Cultural Innovation and Subversion

Punk is known for its cultural innovation and subversion. It challenges mainstream cultural standards and pushes the boundaries of artistic expression. Punk art, music, and literature often employ satire, irony, and shock value to critique societal norms and provoke thought.

The philosophy of punk is a multifaceted and dynamic ideology that encompasses a wide range of attitudes and practices. At its core, punk is about rejecting conformity, embracing individuality, and striving for authenticity. It promotes a DIY ethic, challenges authority, and seeks to create a more just and equitable society through activism and direct action. Punk's enduring influence can be seen in various cultural and social movements, making it a vital and vibrant part of contemporary philosophy and culture.

[screamingfromuz]

Hi Guys! standing together are encouraging people abroad to become friends of the movement! You will be receive zoom invitation to events and get information on global events!

Bonus: you get to hang out with a bunch of leftists

I have been talking about the movement a bit, so my global friends, here is your time to join in!

Who we are?

Standing Together is a grassroots movement mobilizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel in pursuit of peace, equality, and social and climate justice. While the minority who benefit from the status quo of occupation and economic inequality seek to keep us divided, we know that we — the majority — have far more in common than that which sets us apart. When we stand together, we are strong enough to fundamentally alter the existing socio-political reality. The future that we want — peace and independence for Israelis and Palestinians, full equality for all citizens, and true social, economic, and environmental justice — is possible. Because where there is struggle, there is hope

Links

Become our friend:

our English Instagram:

Shirts:

[markruffalo]

Gloria Walton and I are honored to be recognized by the inaugural TIME CO2 Earth Awards! We are grateful that they see the work The Solutions Project and our grantee partners are doing to create a more equitable and sustainable world. This award is for all the frontline leaders, organizers, movement builders, and the power that the grassroots has been building for decades.

Please join us in celebrating the other honorees: Vanessa Nakate, Former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres!

Physical copies of the magazine will be on newsstands April 28!

[marveltrumpshate]

Environment & Natural Disasters

As we've all noticed with increasing alarm, natural disasters are occurring with more violence and regularity. The following organizations focus on responding to the climate crisis and protecting the planet as well as groups impacted by climate issues.

For more information on donation methods and accepted currencies, please refer to our list of organizations page.

Clean Air Task Force

As we've seen for a long time now but especially this year with constant natural disasters and alarming news from all over the world, climate change is real and we need to do something about it. Over the past 25 years, CATF, a group of climate and energy experts who think outside the box to solve the climate crisis, has pushed for technology innovations, legal advocacy, research, and policy changes. Their goal is to achieve a zero-emissions, high-energy planet at an affordable cost.

Coalition for Rainforest Nations

Boasting a voluntary membership of over 50 rainforest nations, CORN provides a single voice to countries that didn’t cause the climate emergency but nevertheless feel the brunt of it daily. CORN originated the global conservation mechanism Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) to stop deforestation. REDD+ was successfully mandated in the Paris Climate Agreement (2015) and covers 90% of the world’s tropical rainforests.  

Good Food Institute 

Environmental advocates have long said that the use of animal proteins is one of the least sustainable parts of our food system and mass meat production and consumption put a large burden on the planet. GFI works to create sustainable food sources worldwide, specifically alternative protein sources such as plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-derived meats. Through their innovation, scientific research, policy advocacy, and public and corporate education, they aim to mitigate the environmental impact of our food system, decrease the risk of zoonotic disease, and ultimately feed more people with fewer resources. 

International Rescue Committee 

Founded in 1933, the IRC is a long-standing trusted partner in supporting those whose lives have been upended by sudden violence, political or natural. They are no stranger to areas of disaster and conflict throughout the world as they currently work in 40 countries. The IRC provides emergency aid and long-term assistance, including refugee settlement, and focuses on health, education, economic well-being, empowerment, and safety. 

Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

Odds are you’ve heard of MSF, the global organization that sends trained medical professionals to the places they’re needed most. MSF has been working globally for over 50 years, providing medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare—no matter what. They’re guided by principles of independence, impartiality, and neutrality to global political policies or movements. 

Oceana

Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization for ocean conservation. To protect and restore the world’s oceans, they campaign globally for policies that stop overfishing and plastic pollution, protect habitats and the climate, and increase biodiversity. Oceana conducts its own scientific research and expeditions, is engaged in grassroots activism, and is involved in recommending and supporting policies and litigation.

Waterkeeper Alliance

In 1966, this movement was started by a band of blue-collar fishermen pushing back against industrial polluters, and their tough spirit remains intact through the 300+ local community groups that make up the global Waterkeeper Alliance today. The Alliance works to ensure, preserve, and protect clean and abundant water for all people and creatures. Their programs are diverse, spanning from patrolling waterways against polluters to advocating for environmental laws in courtrooms and town halls and educating in classrooms.

World Central Kitchen

Started by Chef José Andrés, WCK makes sure that people are fed in the wake of humanitarian, climate, and community crises. Their programs advance human and environmental health, offer access to professional culinary training, create jobs, and improve food security. WCK also teaches food safety and cooking classes to native people who live where disasters have occurred, so they may open restaurants and support the local economy more permanently. You can follow where WCK is currently on the ground assisting and feeding people affected by natural and man-made crises here.

[cognitivejustice]

Meet the 2024 Goldman Environmental Prize Winners

Alok Shukla from India, Andrea Vidaurre from the U.S., Marcel Gomes from Brazil, Murrawah Maroochy Johnson from Australia, Teresa Vicente from Spain, and Nonhle Mbuthuma and Sinegugu Zukulu from South Africa.

This year’s winners include two Indigenous activists who stopped destructive seismic testing for oil and gas off the Eastern Cape in Africa, an activist who protected a forest in India from coal mining, an organizer who changed California’s transportation regulations, a journalist who exposed links between beef and deforestation in Brazil, an activist who blocked development of a coal mine in Australia, a professor of philosophy of law who led a campaign that resulted in legal rights to an ecosystem in Spain.

“There is no shortage of those who are doing the hard work, selflessly. These seven leaders refused to be complacent amidst adversity, or to be cowed by powerful corporations and governments,” John Goldman, president of the Goldman Environmental Foundation, said in a statement. “Alone, their achievements across the world are impressive. Together, they are a collective force—and a growing global movement—that is breathtaking and full of hope.

[dailyanarchistposts]

CONCLUSION: WORKING CLASS POWER FOR A BETTER WORLD

The organisational power and strategic location of the Malaysian union movement provides an excellent point of departure for building a counter-movement. The strength of the Malaysian working class, both in white and blue collar jobs, can and should be translated into a viable political and social movement that has a clear agenda for change – and provide an alternative to the current, ruinous state system. A movement that should exemplify a counter-culture, counter-power and practice that is bottom-up, democratic, based on solidarity, participation and accountability, that refuses to rely on politicians and leaders and that fights for a world that goes beyond both capitalism and neo-liberalism and statism and parliaments.

To struggle to fix the current state system would be an exercise in futility: even the best politicians are powerless to change the state. We dare not tinker with reform that always fails. Rather, we need systemic change that can guarantee equality, fraternity, self-management and socialisation of the commonwealth, guided by a bottom–up approach to decision making. We need a labour movement that is multicultural and international, feminist, active in urban and rural struggles, and that prizes reason over superstition, justice over hierarchy, self-management over state power, international solidarity over nationalism. We need to fight for a universal human community, not parochialism and separatism.

This is our appeal and message as we celebrate this May Day, on the eve of dark days in which the storm clouds gather over humanity – but in which the light of hope of a better future can break through, if we arm ourselves with the correct ideas and approaches.

May Day began as an example of globalisation-from-below. And it continues to be a rallying point for workers everywhere, 120 years on. Let us rally to it. Let us take back its original vision: liberty, equality, unity.

Hence, May Day should be an occasion to reflect not jubilate, to engage not agonize, to demand not relent, and to organise, not complain.

REFERENCES

On Malaysian anarchist history: Datuk Khoo Kay Kim and Ranjit Singh Malhl, “Malaysia: Chinese anarchists started trade unions”, ‘The Sunday Star,’ 12 September 1993.

[notwiselybuttoowell]

Outgoing special rapporteur David Boyd says ‘there’s something wrong with our brains that we can’t understand how grave this is’

The race to save the planet is being impeded by a global economy that is contingent on the exploitation of people and nature, according to the UN’s outgoing leading environment and human rights expert.

David Boyd, who served as UN special rapporteur on human rights and the environment from 2018 to April 2024, told the Guardian that states failing to take meaningful climate action and regulating polluting industries could soon face a slew of lawsuits.

Boyd said: “I started out six years ago talking about the right to a healthy environment having the capacity to bring about systemic and transformative changes. But this powerful human right is up against an even more powerful force in the global economy, a system that is absolutely based on the exploitation of people and nature. And unless we change that fundamental system, then we’re just re-shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic.”

The right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment was finally recognised as a fundamental human right by the United Nations in 2021-22. Some countries, notably the US, the world’s worst historic polluter, argue that UN resolutions are legally influential but not binding. The right to a healthy environment is also enshrined into law by 161 countries with the UK, US and Russia among notable exceptions.

Boyd, a Canadian environmental law professor, said: “Human rights come with legally enforceable obligations on the side of states, so I believe that this absolutely should be a game-changer – and that’s why states have resisted it for so long.

Boyd said: "By bringing human rights into the equation, we now have institutions, processes and courts that can say to governments this isn’t an option for you to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions and phase out fossil fuels. These are obligations which include regulating businesses, to make sure that businesses respect the climate, the environment and human rights."

Over the course of his six-year mandate, Boyd met thousands of people directly affected by rising sea levels, extreme heat, plastic waste, toxic air, and dwindling food and water supplies, while undertaking fact-finding missions to Fiji, Norway, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Portugal, Slovenia, Chile, Botswana and Maldives.

“Powerful interconnected business and political elites – the diesel mafia – are still becoming wealthy from the existing system. Dislodging this requires a huge grassroots movement using tools like human rights and public protest and every other tool in the arsenal of change-makers.”

On his first trip as special rapporteur to Fiji, Boyd met with community members from Vunidogoloa, a coastal village left uninhabitable by rising sea water, who were forced to relocate to higher ground. Last year in Botswana, he met with Indigenous people from the Kalahari desert no longer able to handle the worsening heat and water scarcity.

Over the past 30 years, the world has pinned its hopes on international treaties - particularly the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris accords – to curtail global heating. Yet they do not include mechanisms for holding states accountable to their commitments, and despite some progress, greenhouse-gas emissions have continued to rise and climate breakdown is accelerating.

It’s not just taxpayer subsidies propping up polluting industries and delaying climate action. The same multinationals are involved in negotiating – or at least influencing – climate policy, with a record number of fossil-fuel lobbyists given access to the UN Cop28 climate talks last year.

Boyd said: “There’s no place in the climate negotiations for fossil-fuel companies. There is no place in the plastic negotiations for plastic manufacturers. It just absolutely boggles my mind that anybody thinks they have a legitimate seat at the table.

“It has driven me crazy in the past six years that governments are just oblivious to history. We know that the tobacco industry lied through their teeth for decades. The lead industry did the same. The asbestos industry did the same. The plastics industry has done the same. The pesticide industry has done the same.”

In his final interview before handing over the special rapporteur mandate, Boyd said he struggles to makes sense of the world’s collective indifference to the suffering being caused by preventable environmental harms.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Earth Island Journal:

Growing up in a remote village in Puerto Rico, Ricardo Levins Morales had no access to drawing materials other than pencil and paper. Since supplies were hard to come by, his mother provided a new piece of paper only when he had filled every inch of both sides of the last sheet. His artworks reflect that need for economy to this day.

“Most of my art is essentially black-and-white art ... If you made the color disappear, you wouldn’t lose the meaning,” he says of his signature style, which is strongly influenced by Latin American printmaking and children’s book illustrations. His block and screen prints — largely a mix of imagery and words that express solidarity with and reflections on various socioeconomic and environmental movements — have been widely used for decades by labor organizers and other grassroots movements across the Americas.

Morales’ parents, both radical leftists, moved to Puerto Rico from New York before he was born to join the country’s Communist Party. His life there shaped his politics and activism, as well as the deep connection with nature that infuses his art.

Mentorship, for instance, depicts two women, one resembling an elder oak tree and the other, a younger fern, with their roots tangling together. The Cycle of Cooperation, which shows workers nurturing a fruit tree that in turn shades and feeds them, draws a clear connection between environment and labor. “Most contamination starts at the workplace and ripples out into the environment,” Morales says, “so all issues are environmental issues.”

Morales’ family moved to Chicago in 1967. Four years later, at age 15, he quit high school, taking manual jobs in various industries, which led him to labor organizing and soon extended to other civil rights struggles.

The art followed later, because Morales — who calls himself an “artist by trade, a healer by temperament, and a troublemaker by necessity” — had decided at age 11 that he would never be an artist. He associated the profession with paintings locked away in rich folks’ homes. But printmaking, affordable and accessible to people whose stories could be “reflected in the art,” changed his mind.

Morales considers his work a “medicinal practice” that supports “individual and collective healing from the injuries of oppression.” That extends from worker solidarity into the natural world and environmental struggles. The stories he tells all have roots, he says, “in the inherent resilience of living things in the face of oppression.”

[delicatelysublimeforester]

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