#the war being johnny's meat suit

[writingpoorly]

Recently reread Paranatural and I'm chewing the bars of my enclosure. There's not enough fan-content.

[survivemiddleearth]

Episode #3: “Nabbed by a man in a party city cow suit” -Nick

I CANNOT FUCKING BELIEVE THAT I JUST GOT NABBED BY A MAN IN A FUCKING PARTY CITY COW SUIT, IM FUCKING KILLING MYSELF IN THIS STUPID FARMERS FEILD

Remember when i said i felt secure in this game? Yeah me neither, and now with a tribe swap (:

I’m so sad???? I don’t even know the names of my old tribe to mourn them. AHHHH I DONT WANNA SWAP YET cri cri. Well fresh start cept Stephan is here so semi fresh. Hopefully he won’t screw me over jajdjdw

a tribe swap huh... I'm really curious to see how the Idolhunt works, and if the clue for a 2nd Idol on 1 tribe (?!?!?!) is actually transferrable.

Its a tribe swap and yay! I’m with the two people I’ve actually talked strategy with, Dennis and Sammy. However, I am with Vi, who is not my favourite person, i’ll try for the clean slate and all that is my philosophy but she has a history of being a snake, if an ineffective, goat-esque snake.

BLESS THE RAINS Ok I'm actually sad about Jayden - was a cool guy but I couldn't try and dictate another vote so soon and he WAS on the outer :/ BUT NOW I GET TO BE CHAOTIC YEE HA! im throwing my old tribe under the bus so fast cuz im messy and i want to be that bitch (patent pending) johnny will assume i'll take his side probs but like, I might, but I'm not gonna give up this opportunity to play middleman my inner kass is gleaming caw-caw am coming!

Yay! I love my new tribe. I have had good experiences with all these players, so I feel that my options are available and I can go to whoever I want for an alliance.

I HAVE FOUND. EVERY SINGLE. FUCKING. IDOL LOCATION. ALL THREE. AND THEY'RE ALL. FOUND. IM GONNA. SCREAM. IM. MAD.

Ok lost post but I haven’t confessed since the swap so: ok so the tribe swap has me shook. Thank Zeus that I’m still with Jay and Ford. Zach and JG are also on this tribe but I don’t think they like me. I messaged Zach and he responded with ‘👀’ which was funny asf but also. how do I respond to that. Drew and nick both had conversations with me so I don’t feel completely rejected. Jay and I have been sharing idol hunt stories and we’re pretty sure that all idols have been found so I’m scared to idol hunt, all I’ll find is disadvantages and I don’t want that. The word search comp was a lot of fun ?? I didn’t know any of the words so it was really panicky but I think I did okay. I really hope that we win this comp because. I hate tribal?? I’ve only lived 2 tribals ever because I’m a dumbass so.

This tribe is...interesting. Zach and Dylan R, despite being my sons, are a lil snakey. I see their rat boy sides, respectfully. Dylan just never lets me live tbh. But Zach and I were talking about the tribe and he mentioned wanting to blindside Drew at some point, and I was like Yeah Makes Sense and he goes "so if you could convince people to do that it would be great!" BINCH. I'm not your minion yet, don't give me tasks. So I have to keep him around to throw under the bus at some point lol. I think I'll try to get Bodhi out first since everyone else on the tribe I think I can work with.

Ayyy. Lets go guys. I found an idol. The first time I ever found one in a survivor game. Lets see how long I can hold onto it, before i either get blindsided or waste it out of paranoia. Imagine how nutty it would be if I had 2 idols by now. DARN YOU STEPHEN!!!

I’d love to get crow on board to work with my old tribe mates, none of the others really talk to me much. Thats not to say if a better offer comes up I wont take it, I’m considering tryig a less loyal game plan.

So far Dennis is my closest ally in this game, but I’ve been working hard to make sure I dont stand out as a player and an alliance maker. I also have talked to Crow a lot and really like him, would love to work with him. Dennis wants to work with Roxy and Sammy which I am cautious about, but now isn’t the time to play the game too hard. I’ll work with them for now while getting closer to others and then make my move, theres a lot of players in this group I have to make sure I’m not left behind or blindsided.

Nick sweetie I like you but 2 hours omg im beyond shook. I don’t want him going so that’s chill but I would be lying if I said I didn’t laugh omg. I’m.... kinda glad we lost? In a way?? The other tribe has a 4-3-1 where as our tribe is 3-3-2 so. In a way this is better?? I’ll probably be eating these words when I get evicted tomorrow but oh well. 

Drew is really nice and we have great conversations !! But I know his history so of course I’m wary talking with him. He’s good at grilling for info while also being guarded, so talking with him about the vote worries me. If I say the wrong thing I feel like he could turn the votes against me. I thought this vote would be easy but Drew telling me that him and the red team aren’t close worries me because I know that they’re in an alliance. Drew is still really cool & nice but paranoia is a bitch !!!

I did the math, because I’m a nerd, and Zach needed a score of 16 minutes in order to tie. Honestly not the dudes fault ,,, we woulda lost anyway even if he did well. Just thought I’d say that 

I'm really glad our tribe won. We ended up bonding a lot over a long discussion in the tribe chat, and I want to build with that with the people who I had most in common with, like sammy. I feel I need to socialize more because no one really approached me in a bit. I know we aren't a tribal but I feel like I should be approached anyway.

FINALLY I'm headed to tribal! I really need to go to at least one tribal pre-merge just so I can see where the heads are at and how people act under pressure. So far I've learned that Zach is the most Rat Boy person I've ever met. ZACH, I TOLD YOU AFTER KALOKAIRI THAT YOU NEED TO LEARN TO TONE IT DOWN. TONE IT DOWN. Dylan R too, to be honest. They're both just WAY TOO STRATEGIC. Like learn some subtlety, kiddos. Dylan R literally said 'we really need to get out Bodhi' to me and Zach asked 'Why doesn't Bodhi like you?' unprompted and is also roasting Drew every .4 seconds. I mean yes it's refreshing since I'm so used to playing with crusted over community people like.....myself. But also, I'm tired. I don't want to play the game as a rat herder, trying to stop Rat Zach and Rat Drew from biting each other's heads off. (If you're reading this post-season, just know I view you all as very strong players, and I bestow the title of rat lovingly, as I myself am 100% a rat). On the plus side, there are LOTS of juicy meat shields in this game. As annoying as it's going to be to deal with the inevitable Zach vs. Drew ego war, at least I know their conflict is going to keep me out of the spotlight hopefully long enough to make late merge. I need to stay as UTR as possible as long as possible, and this cast might make that easy for me. I'm just thankful I have JG. He's one of my best friends, and I know we can trust each other going forward.

Oh god I went so hard my last game and now this game i’ve Idol searched once and confessed once lmao. Ummm...not a very interesting game so far. No one’s flipped. No ine’s Been shady. Very clean cut. I’m playing with some Kalokairi peeps so that’s fun and fresh, but other than that there hasn’t been much. That’s probably why I haven’t confessed at all 😂.

I thought that this vote was gonna be easy but talk of an idol has sent people into a frenzy. Personally, if an idol gets played it won’t be the end of the world for me so I’m not... too scared ? Inb4 I get blindsided but it should be either bodhi or nick going.

Welp, the vote has flipped to Nick. Usually that would make me scramble to get it back where I want it, but this game I'm not strongarming any players, and I'm going with the "anyone but me" strategy. So whatever! If everyone can unanimously vote against an inactive player, that works.

This might be me being cocky. But I can not believe that 12 minutes was actually the fastest time. I am happy that I am not going to Tribal council. And I'd like to keep it that way as long as possible, but still... 12 minutes? Mhm.. Maybe the other tribe threw on purpose to get certain players out... who knows!

Welp I really wanted Nick gone because of that score, sorry bud but it is about tribe strength but everyone was saying let's vote Bodhi. Being/feeling on the bottom even though I have some relationships with  people like Dylan, Drew, and Jay , I still did not feel secure in my position in this game. During the afternoon, I realized it was extremely stupid to target and get rid of Bodhi who would most likely be loyal to me and have my back over some of these other folks. So I talked to Jay and planted the seeds of actually voting out Nick instead of Bodhi. I went to Bodhi saying that we could potentially flip this and told him who needed to talk and and who to target to save himself which was obviously Nick. I wanted Nick out the moment those results came out and if he goes home, I will take claim to this for pulling this off, this will potentially really keep Bodhi as a number for myself and not rock too many boats.

wow shook i didn’t do the worst at the word search....why do all of my friends gotta be in the game w me. Potentially I would like to work with Johnny and Roxy even tho I know a lot of times ppl target roxy for being crazy and I don’t know who i can trust yet. I like crow as well. My predictions for tonight is that bodhi might go home because he really wasn’t active on our old tribe but only time will tellllll

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 23 July 2018

Quick Bits:

A Walk Through Hell #3 showcases several times just how good Goran Sudžuka is an artist. His character reactions and facial expressions are among the best in the industry, achieving so much with a brevity of line. Amazing work.

| Published by AfterShock

Amazing Spider-Man #2 continues to set up the new/old status quo for Peter and his supporting cast. I think, ultimately, I like this issue more than the first due to there not being all of the contrived loss this time around, instead working more to build the new in Peter’s life. Great art form Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, and Laura Martin.

| Published by Marvel

Bedtime Games #2 gets more into the meat of the story, transforming from a simple childhood excursion into more outright horror and supernatural territory. I love how Nick Keller and Conor Nolan are presenting the manipulation and manifestation of a kid’s dreams and nightmares, with his spiel meaning one thing to a child, whereas it would likely be interpreted entirely differently to adults. Great art from Nolan and Kelly Fitzpatrick.

| Published by Dark Horse

Blackwood #3 deals with the fallout of Dennis’ death as the faculty and students of Blackwood continue to try to piece together what’s put them in this mess. Great art from Veronica and Andy Fish.

| Published by Dark Horse

Bone Parish #1 is the incredible debut of this new crime/horror series from Cullen Bunn, Jonas Scharf, and Alex Guimaráes. It’s an interesting hook of voodoo and drugs, creating a product from the bones of the dead that causes you to apparently experience the memories of the dead. Bunn crafts some interesting characters here in the Winters family, and Scharf and Guimaráes’ is spot on darkness and mood bringing this world to life. This is a really good fix.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Britannia: Lost Eagles of Rome #1 returns with the beginning of a new mystery, with Robert Gill, José Villarrubia, and Diego Rodriguez taking over the art chores while Peter Milligan continues the story. I like the set up, with three legions ambushed and their standards stolen, clues being hinted at an inside job pointing at a possible plot against the Emperor, Nero, or just a means to greedy ends of former Legionaries now in Egypt.

| Published by Valiant

Descender #32 is a beautiful end to this series, bittersweet as all machine life is taken...somewhere, setting up part of the premise as the story will continue into the new Ascender series next year. Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen pretty much have a masterpiece on their hands here, gorgeous artwork and a heartwrenching story.

| Published by Image

Dungeons & Dragons: Evil at Baldur’s Gate #3 is worth it just for the modrons. This issue features some beautiful artwork from Harvey Tolibao and Juan Manuel Rodriquez, as Jim Zub focuses this issue on Delina and her quest to rid herself of her wild magic. This is probably my favourite of these character pieces so far, both for the art and for how it deals with growing Delina in a more positive direction, reconciling that a chaotic temperament isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Also, modrons.

| Published by IDW

Hack/Slash: Resurrection #9 is another fun issue guest-starring Vampirella as we discover more of Cassie’s family’s history. The mix of humour and horror is wonderful.

| Published by Image

Harbinger Wars 2 #3 features one of the moments we’ve been waiting for since Harbinger Renegade #5. Though I can’t say it ends in the fashion that we’d necessarily expect or have hoped for, but there’s still a level of satisfaction. Also, the art from Tomás Giorello, Renato Guedes, and Diego Rodriguez is incredible. The design for the Livewire-augmented Bloodshot is just amazing.

| Published by Valiant

Hit-Girl #6 is worth it for Eduardo Risso and Patricia Mulvihill’s artwork alone, perfectly fitting the gritty and violent world that Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. created with Kick-Ass. Jeff Lemire is still an odd fit for this world, as irreverence and violence like this aren’t usually within his standard themes and narrative characteristics, (even when you consider Animal Man or Moon Knight), but he’s doing a great job here. Amidst the violence, there’s a tie to family and some very nice utilization of hallucinations and fever dreams that add depth to the story.

| Published by Image

Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor #3 rushes towards a conclusion as the X-women take on Viper’s femme fatales. I like the story, especially as Jim Zub has been delving into the characters’ past with Logan, mining Domino’s fling of sex and violence here. Can’t say I really like Thony Silas’ art, though. While many of the characters are indistinguishable again apart from their clothes, it feels like the art has been rushed. I liked Silas’ art in Royals, so I’m not sure what happened here.

| Published by Marvel

Infinity Wars Prime #1 has some really nice artwork from Mike Deodato Jr. and Frank Martin, well-suited to the somewhat disjointed, patchwork narrative that Gerry Duggan and others have been putting together since the beginning of Infinity Countdown and now continuing here. It’s not exactly what you’d expect, with some interesting ideas from Loki regarding how reality and stories have been rewritten, and makes me wonder what’s to come throughout the rest of this event.

| Published by Marvel

The Long Con #1 is an interesting beginning from Dylan Meconis, Ben Coleman, EA Denich, and M. Victoria Robado. It’s a decidedly different take on a post-apocalyptic tale, with a localized destruction zone, and an interesting hook by placing the epicentre of survivors within a pop culture convention. The art from Denich and Robado is a real draw. Denich has a style that reminds me a bit of Jim Mahfood and Phil Hester, perfectly fitting the mix of humour and the wasteland.

| Published by Oni Press

Lucy Dreaming #5 is the conclusion to what has been a highly imaginative, lushly illustrated series from Max Bemis and Michael Dialynas. There’s a very interesting theme of male versus female fantasies running throughout the book, but it also works as a surface level coming-of-age adventure.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Marvel Two-in-One #8 takes a step back from the action of recent issues and takes a moment to reflect, as Ben and Johnny deal with being stranded on a strange world ruled by a deranged Spider-Man without their powers. Chip Zdarsky plays with our heartstrings as the two come to terms with their situation.

| Published by Marvel

Mr. & Mrs. X #1 is a continuation of the character arc that began in the recent Rogue & Gambit mini-series, flowed through X-Men Gold #30, and now winds up here with this new ongoing series from Kelly Thompson, Oscar Bazaldua, and Frank D’Armata. This issue takes us back through a more elaborate version of events leading up to the wedding proper, allowing for deeper and fairly humorous character moments, before taking off to the honeymoon. The dialogue is full of Thompson’s welcome sense of humour and the art from Bazaldua and D’Armata is perfect. As I’ve said before, I don’t really care for the Remy & Rogue pairing, but Thompson makes it work and be highly entertaining.

| Published by Marvel

Multiple Man #2 is even more insane than the first issue, with Matthew Rosenberg devising a pretzel of a time travel plot that maybe makes sense to Madrox, but doesn’t to anyone else. It’s a blend of dupes, humour, and a bit of continuity with some truly excellent art from Andy MacDonald and Tamra Bonvillain.

| Published by Marvel

The New World #1 reminds me a bit of Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons’ Martha Washington, but with a decidedly modern bent that takes the patriotism and post-apocalyptic society and turns it into a state run version of Cops with the people voting on whether or not criminals get executed. It’s full of interesting socio-political ideas like any Aleš Kot book, and clean and compelling art from Tradd and Heather Moore.

There’s also a back-up story, wholly unrelated to the main narrative, from a pair of new creators, Aaron Stewart-Ahn and Susando C, that almost overshadows the main book in its quality. It’s a nicely creepy haunted hotel room story that reminds me of Joyce Carol Oates by way of David Lynch.

| Published by Image

Pathfinder: Spiral of Bones #5 is the excellent conclusion to this series, with some interesting and unexpected twists as Crystal Frasier, Tom Garcia, and Morgan Hickman give us Valeros’ final battle with Zeladar. I love the action sequences from Garcia.

| Published by Dynamite

Pestilence: A Story of Satan #3 somehow takes an even darker turn even as a little bit of hope creeps into the story. Frank Tieri, Oleg Okunev, Rob Schwager, and Mark Englert are keeping this ticking along nicely, with some interesting revelations this issue and the introduction to another potential threat. 

| Published by AfterShock

The Punisher #228 brings to an end this particular chapter of Frank’s war against crime. It makes me wonder where Matthew Rosenberg is going to take the next act when he and Szymon Kudranski launch the new Punisher series, whether we’ll still see some Black Widow and Winter Soldier, and if there’ll be some resolution to the Hydra arc. Either way, this arc from Rosenberg, Guiu Vilanova, and Lee Loughridge concludes nicely, with a somewhat surprising resolution.

| Published by Marvel

Punks Not Dead #6 rounds out the first arc, fleshing out a bit of what we already found out in the Black Crown Quarterly flashback story and bringing the disparate elements circling around Fergie’s life down on his head. It is very, very good, capturing some of the spirit of old Vertigo supernatural stories, but doing something decidedly new with it. David Barnett and Martin Simmonds are telling a great tale here and, again, I really can’t say enough about Simmonds’ art (with flats from Dee Cunniffe). The layouts are among the most visually interesting out there right now.

| Published by IDW / Black Crown

Redneck #13 brings up back from the trade break, with Bartlett on the run and a whole new mess in drug-running vampires from his past. Great art as always from Lisandro Estherren and Dee Cunniffe. 

| Published by Image / Skybound

The Sentry #2 works to upend the new status quo created in the first issue, with everything seemingly going wrong for Bob and his simulated world that holds the Sentry. Like with his Moon Knight run, there are some very interesting questions that Jeff Lemire raises here about identity and the possibilities of where this is leading is intriguing. Also, stunning artwork from Kim Jacinto, Joshua Cassara, and Rain Beredo.

| Published by Marvel

Shanghai Red #2 continues the high level of quality set by the first issue as Jack/Red/Molly seeks revenge. This story is compelling and propulsive, sucking you in and refusing to let go. Christopher Sebela and Joshua Hixson have a real hit on their hands here.

| Published by Image

StarCraft: Scavengers #1 is very good, even if you know absolutely nothing about the video game. Jody Houser and Gabriel Guzmán set a tone and story more akin to a horror sci-fi like Alien, setting up the titular scavengers to potentially find terror on a derelict alien ship. When you add the undercurrent of a boyhood crush and a hint of political subterfuge as a side plot, you wind up with a well-rounded beginning here.

| Published by Dark Horse

TMNT #84 concludes the Rat King arc in a fairly inventive way that brings together the Turtles’ journey through strange places and what’s been going on in the city. Again, I have to sing the praises of Dave Wachter and Ronda Pattison. The artwork for this entire arc has just been phenomenal and this issue keeps up that level of quality.

| Published by IDW

Transformers: Lost Light #21 is a little surprising in its pacing, given how quickened the speed of plotlines crashing together and being resolved has been over the past few issues. This one’s more about building and building to the grand reveal on the final page. It works, and it’s very welcome. James Roberts, Jack Lawrence, and Joana Lafuente do a wonderful job with this issue.

| Published by IDW

Transformers: Unicron #2 brings back a number of lost, missing, or presumed dead characters as Starscream makes his play for prominence in the battle to stop Unicron. I like how John Barber has been bringing together the disparate threads, here and in Optimus Prime, as the universe begins to draw to a close. It’s also interesting to see how ROM’s mythology has been woven through the fabric, changing perspective on both his world and here the Dire Wraiths. Also, stunning artwork from Alex Milne and Sebastian Cheng. They’re really making this story feel epic.

| Published by IDW

Venom #4 is an epic revisioning of history, introducing the god of the symbiotes and their true origin to us. It’s great. I’m still amazed by Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, and Frank Martin’s artwork as it seems to get better and better with subsequent issues, raising the bar for the insane story that they’re telling with Donny Cates. This is great world building within the Marvel Universe, while also telling a highly entertaining overall story.

| Published by Marvel

X-23 #2 is another entertaining issue. Although I do miss Tom Taylor, I think that Mariko Tamaki has perfectly nailed the voice and character for Laura and Gabby. The slightly offbeat humour is still present, but a little muted from the All-New Wolverine run, which allows for the eerie and disturbing parts of the story to take prominence a bit more. It’s good, especially the astonishing artwork from Juann Cabal and Nolan Woodard.

| Published by Marvel

Other Highlights: Barbarella #8, Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack #11, Blackwood #3, Brothers Dracul #4, Charlie’s Angels #2, Dark Souls: Age of Fire #3, Deadpool: Assassin #4, Deep Roots #3, Gasolina #10, Green Hornet #5, Hillbilly #12, Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: Coronation #5, Joe Hill’s The Cape: Fallen #2, Judge Dredd: Under Siege #3, KINO #8, Lumberjanes #52, Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer #2, Modern Fantasy #2, Moon Knight #197, Moonshine #12, Night’s Dominion: Season Three #1, Old Man Logan #44, The Realm #8, Rick & Morty #40, Royal City #13, Saga #54, Songs for the Dead #4, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #22, Star Wars: Lando - Double or Nothing #3, Star Wars Adventures #12, Wayward #27, We Are Danger #2, X-Men: Grand Design - Second Genesis #1, X-Men: Wakanda Forever #1, X-Men Blue #32, X-O Manowar #17

Recommended Collections: Alien Bounty Hunter, Daredevil - Volume 6: Mayor Fisk, Incidentals - Volume 2: Balance of Power, Rasputin: The Voice of the Dragon, Regression - Volume 2: Disciples, SHIELD: Human Machine, Transformers vs. Visionaries, Venomized, Warframe - Volume 1, X-Men - Volume 4: Cry Havoc, Zojaqan

d. emerson eddy was not there on the evening of the 24th of May, 1954 in the rain.

[melbynews-blog]

Earth Day: Conflict over the Future of the Planet | Global Research

Neuer Beitrag veröffentlicht bei https://melby.de/earth-day-conflict-over-the-future-of-the-planet-global-research/

Earth Day: Conflict over the Future of the Planet | Global Research

Featured image: Photograph from climate march in Washington, DC, Union of Concerned Scientists.

On this Earth Day, it is difficult to look at the state of the planet and the current political leadership and see much hope. In “Junk Planet”, Robert Burrowes writes a comprehensive description of the degradation of the atmosphere, oceans, waterways, groundwater, and soil as well as the modern pollution of antibiotic waste, genetic engineering, nanowaste, space junk, military waste and nuclear, a description of a planet degraded by pollution impacting our bodies and health as well as the planet’s future.

Burrowes includes another form of waste, junk information, that denies reality, e.g. climate change, the dangers of extreme energy extraction and food polluted by genetic engineering, pesticides, and depleted soils. This false reporting results in policies that create a risk of ecosystem collapse.

Political and economic elites want people to believe these problems do not exist. Those in power seek to protect profits from dirty energy rather than transition to 100 percent clean energy. They seek to protect agribusiness food, pesticides, and genetically modified foods rather than transform food to organic, locally grown foods using regenerative agriculture. They deny the reality of environmental racism rather than correct decades of racism and provide reparations. They seek to put profits ahead of the health and necessities of people as well as ahead of protecting and restoring the planet.

Despite this, a growing portion of the public understands these realities and is taking action to challenge the system. People know, for example, as activist Steven Norris writes, that they should be concerned about the impact of carbon infrastructure on their communities and the planet.

Last week, David Buckel, a nationally known advocate for gay rights and the environment, died in a self-immolation suicide as a wake-up call to save the planet. He wrote in a note,

 “Pollution ravages our planet, oozing inhabitability via air, soil, water and weather. Most humans on the planet now breathe air made unhealthy by fossil fuels, and many die early deaths as a result – my early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves.”

The undertow being created by organized resistance is growing, and so is the push back against it. In order for this conflict to be resolved, the conflict must be heightened as is occurring now.

Tree-Sit Protest Of Mountain Valley Pipeline from West Virginia (Metro News)

People Power Escalates

As we write this, tree-sits are growing in West Virginia where people are putting their bodies on the line to prevent the destruction of trees and habitat to build the Mountain Valley pipeline for fracked gas. In Virginia, Red Terry started a tree-sit on Easter weekend to protect her land from destruction. She remains, despite the company with law enforcement support denying her food and water — something illegal against prisoners or during war. As trees are felled she remains, as do protesters in Pennsylvania, who are also doing tree-sits. Their stubborn courageous should encourage each of us.

In Louisiana, a water protector locked herself into a cement-filled barrel placed in the trench of a horizontal directional drill to block construction of the Bayou Bridge Pipeline. Eleanor Goldfield reports this is part of the Battle of the Bayou, a coalition of groups and individuals standing against the destruction of a fragile environment, facing arrest and creating a future together.

In Maryland, people blocked construction then escalated to a tractor blockade to prevent the construction of a compressor station that will bring fracked gas from the Mid-Atlantic to the Dominion export terminal in southern Maryland. People who fought the export terminal for years are now joining with neighboring counties fighting gas infrastructure and mounting a campaign against the Maryland Department of the Environment as Governor Hogan pushes $100 million in gas infrastructure.

People are taking protests to corporate offices as a busload of Lancaster, PA people did when they brought a 12 foot stretch of pipeline to a meeting room, singing songs and chanting, asking “How does it feel to be invaded?” In Bellevue Washington, protesters constructed a small longhouse blocking the main entrance to the corporate headquarters of an energy company.

California’s Governor��Jerry Brown was protested when he came to speak at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Hundreds of people protested Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania over his pro-fracking policies. More politicians will be held accountable in this election year by angry constituents.

The industry recognizes that pipeline protesters are having an impact.  Canada is having a hard time moving tar sands and fracked gas because protests are stopping pipeline investment. Oil companies are successfully being pressured to examine the risks to the environment and human rights from their actions. Washington activists defeated the largest oil-train terminal in the nation.

Protests are successfully resulting in cities divesting from banks who fund fossil fuel projects. Europe’s largest bank, HSBC just announced it will no longer fund oil or gas projects in the Arctic, tar sands projects, or most coal projects. Corporations realize they are investing in stranded assets that may not pay off and they may be held legally accountable for causing climate change.

Exxon Knew protest. Photo by Johnny Silvercloud.

Litigation Raises Risks

Corporations and the federal government are facing lawsuits from individuals, organizations and state and local governments over climate change and environmental degradation. Protesters are using the courts to underscore the urgent necessity for action by using a climate necessity defense. Courts are beginning to accept it, but protesters willingly understand they risk incarceration.

ExxonMobil is facing a raft of litigation arguing the company was aware of climate risks but continued to mislead the public and to pollute. State and local governments are seeking damages and calling for a federal criminal investigation. Litigation highlights the science of climate change and demonstrates how oil giants made immense profits while billions of dollars of cost from climate change, e.g. immense storms and sea level rise, are borne by individuals and governments. Most suits were brought by coastal communities but recently Colorado communities are suing oil corporations over climate change-caused droughts and fires.

ExxonMobil tried to stop state investigations in Massachusetts, New York, and Texas over misleading investors for years about climate change risks. The judge issued a sharp rebuke with prejudice preventing an appeal and allowing the investigations to continue. Oil companies are no doubt behind new legislation in states to give severe penalties to people protesting “critical infrastructure”.

Future generations from Our Children’s Trust have brought eight suits against the federal government over the destruction of the environment claiming a public trust over the atmosphere. A suit filed by 21 youth in Washington has overcome government efforts to dismiss the case and will be going to trial after both the trial court and Ninth Circuit rejected the government.

Environmental racism is also being challenged. Recently a court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency violated the Civil Rights Act for decades of inaction over complaints filed by residents of Flint, MI. Hundreds of complaints about environmental racism have been made to the EPA. An ultimate case of racism is coming up in the Supreme Court when it considers whether the United States must abide by treaties made with Indigenous Peoples. The long history of racism from the founding of the US by colonizing land inhabited by millions, followed by ethnic cleansing of the Indigenous who lived there is on trial. If treaties are law, as they should be, this will empower Indigenous People more.

Change Is Being Created, Transformation Is Coming

The undertow of protest is having an impact. Corporations fear they will be held accountable for the damage they have done. Governments and elected officials are aware the people are angry and their careers can end with the new political culture created by people power.

The beginning of change always begins with education and changing ourselves. While we know, systemic change is necessary, people are also educating themselves about their own own lifestyles. Thirty-six-year-old Daniel Webb was conscious of the dangers of plastic and decided to keep all of his plastic for a year gathering 4,490 items, 93% were single-use plastic, and just 8 were biodegradable. He made a mural of his plastic to educate others.

The US uses 500 million plastic straws every day. Whenever we order a drink, we rquest no straws and share this fact. This consciousness has permeated the culture, now many restaurants only bring straws when asked, and people are organizing “Don’t Suck”  and “Be Straw Free” campaigns to eliminate plastic straws.

More people spend their money consciously using it to buy organic and local, eating less meat and boycotting factory farm foods. We have more power with our dollar than with our vote in a manipulated “democracy” disguised as an oligarchy.

People are also making changes at the community level. Edmonston, a working-class town with a median income of $19,000 in Maryland took  small steps to going green. In the early 2000s to ameliorate stormwater flooding, they gradually remade their town into a green town, empty lots turned into community gardens and  rain barrels were added. Now they have permeable pavement, solar panels, fruit trees for food and native plant landscapes with leaves collected by the city and composted.

In Brooklyn, people began reclaiming land with a vacant lot turned into a nearly 2-acre community space with garden beds, an outdoor movie screening area, a pumpkin patch, and an educational production and research farm. They then got data on vacant lots in the city and put bi-lingual signs on them that said: “This land is your land” and told people how to get control of the area, linking them to a website to help. Since 2011, communities have transformed over 200 sites. Municipalization, or fearless cities, may be a key for creating change toward socializing energy into a public service resulting in transformative cities. These changes are not only about the environment and climate justice but are also about economic, racial and social justice.

Despite the government continuing to invest in dirty energy, clean energy is growing. Wind farming is creating jobs in red states like Texas. The Solar Foundation mapped solar jobs by congressional district as solar is the fastest growing source of new energy. Research has been developed on a state-by-state basis to make the United States 100% renewable by 2050, with a national mobilization it could happen more quickly.

There are many challenges at the national level with corrupt federal agencies tied to polluting industries, but people pressure is still having an impact. The Federal Energy Regulatory System (FERC) which has been in bed with the oil, gas, and nuclear industries since its founding, indeed it is funded by those industries, has been the focus of a more than four-year pressure campaign by Beyond Extreme Energy. This June 23-25 they will be holding a Crack the FERC protest campaign to escalate pressure. The protest coincides with the Poor People’s Campaign as addressing the environmental crisis is linked to economic inequality, racism, and other issues.

The environmental crisis and the mishandling of climate change are issues that are going to make the 2020s a decade of transformational change. In order for people to create transformative changes, we need a well-educated activist community.

The Popular Resistance School will begin on May 1 and will be an eight-week course on how movements grow, build power and succeed as well as examine the role you can play in the movement. Sign up to be part of this school so you can participate in small group discussions about how to build a powerful, transformational movement.

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Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers are co-directors of Popular Resistance where this article was originally published.

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