An Anthem of Climate Action and Hope

This inspirational music video from 1 Million Women, calling women from around the world to speak up about climate change and hope, is out-of-this-world amazing!

As we all look over the Paris Agreement, adopted just two days ago at COP21, and consider the message of hope it brings, this anthem is being spread around the world, creating sparks and starting discussions about how climate policies can be created and enhanced—a critical message as countries decide whether to ratify the Agreement.

You can read more about 1 Million Women’s anthem and movement here.

Yesterday, the Save the Peaks Coalition and supporters from Arizona and California gathered for a prayer vigil in San Francisco, while the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral argument in their case to protect the holy San Francisco Peaks.

The Peaks, which rise to 12,000 feet above Flagstaff, Arizona, at the Western edge of Navajo lands, are sacred to thirteen tribes – including the Navajo, for whom the Peaks represent a central locus of spiritual power. Presently, for tribes throughout the Colorado Plateau, the Peaks are threatened by a proposal to use 1.5 million gallons daily of reclaimed wastewater as artificial snow in order to increase the moutain’s ski resort’s annual skiable days.

Yesterday, a three judge panel heard oral arguments on a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) question: whether the Forest Service failed to properly review the potential environmental and public health risks associated with the use of artificial snow. The judge’s questions focused both on procedural and substantive matters, and attorney for the Coalition Howard Shanker skillfully presented arguments on the Forest Service’s failure to adequately consider the range of potential environmental and human health impacts from the project. You can listen to the hearing audio here.

Click here for a clip of Jeneda Benally, a plaintiff to the case, inspiring the gathering of supporters in front of the Ninth Circuit courthouse.

A large group of supporters gathered in the morning to pray, march, and attend the hearing. Listen to a KPFA report from the morning’s events here.

On Sunday evening, the night before the hearing, supporters gathered to share a meal and make prayers for the success of the hearing. At the dinner, Berta Benally, a plaintiff to the case and a grandmother who traveled to California for the hearing, said “it is deplorable that the United States Forest Service would allow known endocrine disruptors to come into contact with our children. At one point DDT, BPA and asbestos were all considered safe. Years later, after many people suffered, we now sadly know that they created a health hazard."

Stay tuned for more information and updates about the outcomes of the case.

Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons via Sierra Club, Caitlin Sislin

Nadiatu and Victoria improve access to water in Ghana

Nadiatu and Victoria are proof that Global Women's Water Initiative’s (GWWI) lessons and impact reach far beyond the realm of water technology.  These women left the structured environment of the GWWI training not only with technical knowledge, but also with the confidence and enthusiasm necessary to successfully implement water technologies in their own community.  The two women were able to educate their village about the harmful bacteria in their current water supply and, although they did not utilize the exact water collection systems learned at the GWWI training, they were able to extend the knowledge to formulate a water system that was best suited to their village specifically.  Nadiatu and Victoria turned their pipe project into a grassroots undertaking that incorporated the entire village, further demonstrating the positive impact that educating women can have on a community as a whole.  Through the use of FlipCams, the women were able to capture the construction process as well as the community celebration that followed.  Nadiatu and Victoria are compelling examples of the life-changing impact of the GWWI as well as the force educated women leaders present in developing communities.

Raising Our Voices: Women farmers share their accounts

A heart to heart conversation with women farmers in the desert state of Rajasthan, who share their first-hand experiences with climate change and water issues and the solutions that women need to creatively solve their problems using local knowledge and appropriate technologies. This meeting was facilitated by CECOEDICON, a grassroots organization that works to advance the rights, livelihoods and dignity of rural communities.

Interviewed by: Rucha Chitnis

Video! 2010 West Africa Women and Water Training

2010 West African Women & Water Training Program from Unseen Pictures on Vimeo.