Is Civil Disobedience the Only Way Left To Fight Climate Change? 

It sure seems that there is more civil disobedience re: climate change happening every month.  You might want to Google the subject (see link above) and review some of the 607,000 articles online.

I’m not saying that this can all be done with impunity, but it does appear that the justice system is not without some sympathy for those involved.  I was both delighted and amused to come across this earlier today: 

Maeve McBride: “Marisa and I and another team of folks were able to drop a line over a railroad bridge this afternoon and stop mainline traffic and an oil train that was heading from essentially western New York down. We just got our arraignment, and the last thing the judge said to us when we left was ‘Thanks for coming out.'”

On a related note, let me mention my friend Bruce Wilson, whom I met in kindergarten one mid-September morning in 1960 at the William Penn Charter, a Quaker school in Philadelphia. When we graduated 13 years later, we lost touch with one another until just a few years ago, when Bruce came across an article I had written for the “PC” newspaper.

Given our upbringing in the Quaker tradition, best known for its philosophy of contemplation and nonviolence, it’s no surprise that Bruce chose a career in sustainable building construction; nor is it surprising that he’s quite active politically,  advocating for policies of peace, equality, and environmental stewardship.

Regarding a piece I wrote on civil disobedience a few years ago, Bruce sent me this touching note:

Hi Craig.  My wife was an anti-nuke protester when I met her practicing civil disobedience. Her views helped to change my views of the world and caused me to become more of an activist for peace and the environment. In fact the only time she ever posted bail was the week before we got married so she could come home and marry me.

Awww.