I've been a member of my local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America for a few years, and this year we've been running a cooling center and organizing water drops to encampments of unhoused people in our city on days above 105F. It's a modest effort but feels good to take care of people in our community and build the organization on that.
Sara that’s awesome! It sounds like essential work. A college classmate of mine referred me recently to the Boston chapter of the DSA so I’ll be checking that out this weekend.
last year during a heatwave in LA, i was reading parable of a sower while lamenting that i felt like certain things couldn’t keep outside the fridge as long anymore. i went into a mini spiral wondering if we’d ever get to the point of having to keep everything consumable in a fridge.
this year, i read about a woman from monterrey, mexico share a story about how her fridge couldn’t compete with the record heat wave they just had in june. things are getting to a watershed moment.
Gah Eliyani I can relate to that :( so much of my summer produce goes bad so quickly in the summer. The thought of having the fridge break in the summer is a nightmare, especially if you can’t manage to replace the food or figure out how to eat on those days :/
as a disabled person I can't help but think of how many things other people think of as inconveniences straight up kill us. I'm coming off of an illness flare from wildfire smoke that nearly hispitalised me and I'm thinking how many people don't have the money for air filters, for cooling, who have to go outside in it. A lot of the abled climate activists I see, even if they are intersectional, seem to think climate change is only already killing those outside more privileged countries (if they even know that) , disabled climate activists being all to aware of not only the fact that we are dying but that it's largely unnoticed too, and it's wierd. it radicalises you very quickly I feel.
to your question, I'm homebound at the moment, so I can only do things that are accessible via online, but a thing that has been giving me a lot of hope recently are mask blocs. they are local free distributors of things like masks, COVID tests and stuff to mostly people who cannot otherwise afford them, essentially saying 'if the government won't protect you, we will'. some have even linked up with palestine protests to provide protection via donated masks. I was able to refer a high risk friend in a different country who was unable to get them otherwise to high quality masks because of the mask bloc network (kept alive via donations and volunteers) and was so relieved. We can keep us safe (sometimes). maskbloc.org has a directory if u want to try and find one in your area :)
SO lovely to find another Boston-based writer! I've been pondering so many of these questions too.
I'm thinking and feeling so much of what you write in this post--especially about community organizing. Do you know Garrett Bucks? He writes the White Pages, and he also runs community organizing trainings through an organization called Barnraisers. I'm planning on re-taking the training this fall. It feels more needed than ever.
As for Boston based orgs/communities, Warm Up Boston (also colloquially referred to as Cool Down Boston in these hot months) is a great one to get involved with that does mutual aid. I also recommend the Boston Area Craft Circle aka Scissor Siblings as a way to get more plugged into community here!
yep, I don't have the answers either but I know that if we keep going as we are it's all f***ed, if you pardon my French. I'm trying to come up with more and more little things I can introduce into my life and just stick with them. My boycott list is getting longer and longer and honestly it isn't hard. I don't miss any of the bastards.
I really enjoyed reading this reflection. It definitely feels like I all I have are questions, sometimes. Sparks of hope, then frustration, then questions.
I love this. It resonates so much during our side of the heat wave. Every year, instead of enjoying the new sunshine and blooms from spring, I sit in anxiety for our upcoming "fire season." Even just 10-12 years ago, fire season wasn't a thing but it is now and it's here and it's just awful.
Housing in the PNW is just not built for increasing temperatures. Few apartment buildings have AC. During the heat dome of 2021 (what a phrase), locals who could afford rented hotel rooms just to escape the heat in their own homes. It was a reprieve to go into the office where there was AC.
I absolutely loved this piece 🫶🏼 I myself am from Marseille so we usually haul ourselves to the beach day in and day out, but it’s so nice to open our eyes to different perspectives - thank you for writing this and letting me read it!
I've been a member of my local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America for a few years, and this year we've been running a cooling center and organizing water drops to encampments of unhoused people in our city on days above 105F. It's a modest effort but feels good to take care of people in our community and build the organization on that.
Sara that’s awesome! It sounds like essential work. A college classmate of mine referred me recently to the Boston chapter of the DSA so I’ll be checking that out this weekend.
wow! what a beautiful essay asking such important questions about ourselves and our relationship with our communities too
Thank you so much :)
❤️❤️❤️ stunning piece
Thank you Alicia!!
I so appreciate & relate to this reflection and these questions. Thank you for this 🙏🏻
Thank you Raechel <3
Thanks for this!
last year during a heatwave in LA, i was reading parable of a sower while lamenting that i felt like certain things couldn’t keep outside the fridge as long anymore. i went into a mini spiral wondering if we’d ever get to the point of having to keep everything consumable in a fridge.
this year, i read about a woman from monterrey, mexico share a story about how her fridge couldn’t compete with the record heat wave they just had in june. things are getting to a watershed moment.
Gah Eliyani I can relate to that :( so much of my summer produce goes bad so quickly in the summer. The thought of having the fridge break in the summer is a nightmare, especially if you can’t manage to replace the food or figure out how to eat on those days :/
as a disabled person I can't help but think of how many things other people think of as inconveniences straight up kill us. I'm coming off of an illness flare from wildfire smoke that nearly hispitalised me and I'm thinking how many people don't have the money for air filters, for cooling, who have to go outside in it. A lot of the abled climate activists I see, even if they are intersectional, seem to think climate change is only already killing those outside more privileged countries (if they even know that) , disabled climate activists being all to aware of not only the fact that we are dying but that it's largely unnoticed too, and it's wierd. it radicalises you very quickly I feel.
to your question, I'm homebound at the moment, so I can only do things that are accessible via online, but a thing that has been giving me a lot of hope recently are mask blocs. they are local free distributors of things like masks, COVID tests and stuff to mostly people who cannot otherwise afford them, essentially saying 'if the government won't protect you, we will'. some have even linked up with palestine protests to provide protection via donated masks. I was able to refer a high risk friend in a different country who was unable to get them otherwise to high quality masks because of the mask bloc network (kept alive via donations and volunteers) and was so relieved. We can keep us safe (sometimes). maskbloc.org has a directory if u want to try and find one in your area :)
SO lovely to find another Boston-based writer! I've been pondering so many of these questions too.
I'm thinking and feeling so much of what you write in this post--especially about community organizing. Do you know Garrett Bucks? He writes the White Pages, and he also runs community organizing trainings through an organization called Barnraisers. I'm planning on re-taking the training this fall. It feels more needed than ever.
As for Boston based orgs/communities, Warm Up Boston (also colloquially referred to as Cool Down Boston in these hot months) is a great one to get involved with that does mutual aid. I also recommend the Boston Area Craft Circle aka Scissor Siblings as a way to get more plugged into community here!
yep, I don't have the answers either but I know that if we keep going as we are it's all f***ed, if you pardon my French. I'm trying to come up with more and more little things I can introduce into my life and just stick with them. My boycott list is getting longer and longer and honestly it isn't hard. I don't miss any of the bastards.
This is amazing, Lala.
I'm still fuming about the CC vote on bike infrastructure. The death of those two are on their hands, and it sadly won't be the last.
I really enjoyed reading this reflection. It definitely feels like I all I have are questions, sometimes. Sparks of hope, then frustration, then questions.
I love this. It resonates so much during our side of the heat wave. Every year, instead of enjoying the new sunshine and blooms from spring, I sit in anxiety for our upcoming "fire season." Even just 10-12 years ago, fire season wasn't a thing but it is now and it's here and it's just awful.
Housing in the PNW is just not built for increasing temperatures. Few apartment buildings have AC. During the heat dome of 2021 (what a phrase), locals who could afford rented hotel rooms just to escape the heat in their own homes. It was a reprieve to go into the office where there was AC.
I absolutely loved this piece 🫶🏼 I myself am from Marseille so we usually haul ourselves to the beach day in and day out, but it’s so nice to open our eyes to different perspectives - thank you for writing this and letting me read it!
Congrats on getting a car! ❤️