Networking for Climate Change
On Saturday June 3, 2017, the BHC of DRA had a visit from Kendall, Sara, & Julianna of 350.org. Members of our Community Energy Development (CED) Committee (Alan Anderson, Rick Bell, Don Kelly, and Sonny Rivers) plus neighbors Lynn & Steve Hammond met at the Bell's house to compare notes and to talk about what our mutual organizations are doing to fight climate change.
Their trip came primarily from their interest in opposing tar sands pipelines and the KXL in particular. They had just come from meetings in Pine Ridge and Henry Red Cloud's Lakota Solar Enterprises. We had a chance to talk about DRA, why we joined DRA, and why grassroots organizing with both native and non-native allies is so important.
We discussed why it is so critical to move away from energy production methods that rely on extractive technologies and how policy changes like avoided cost reform, net metering, the protection of PURPA, and Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) are so important. It quickly became apparent that renewable energy is the answer to so many issues, including how to counteract the negative impacts of fossil fuels and nuclear energy, etc. We especially liked their message to just "Leave it in the Ground."
Several video interviews were made with DRA members and we're looking forward to seeing them when completed.
For more information on Dakota Rural Action, Black Hills Chapter visit our blog at www.dakotaruralblackhills.org