Marcellus Shale Earth First

Musings from Lauren early this morning. "As I lay here with security camped out in the road below me I think about all of the things that have culminated into ...me getting up here. It all seems like too much sometimes. As chainsaw crews hike up the hill past our tree sits, as I hear the roaring of chainsaws in the distance, what we're fighting for seems impossible, too out of reach. I've spent 27 days up in the tree canopy, sleeping on a too-hard surface and having to find creative ways to stretch my legs. Many will ask if all of this has been worth it. I'm afraid that I'm too pragmatic at times. When asked what I want to achieve by being up here my answers are sometimes too blunt. What if we fail? But what if we don't? I'm up here because the alternative is to be complacent in a world where millions of voices are not being heard. I'm up here because the cost of complacency is too much. I'm up here not only because I fear for the future but because I'm afraid of our present. Somebody tried to reason with me not to blame the workers that came up here to cut trees. "They're just doing their jobs." Fuck that. It's time that we stop being complicit about things we deem "somebody else's problem." We can't bypass blame by claiming that we're "just following orders." It's time that we stop expecting people to do the right thing. We must hold them accountable through our own words and actions. It's never going to happen if we keep playing by their rules and trying to ask nicely. It's time to stop asking. This is enough. It's too much. I'm sometimes overwhelmed with the realization of where I am. Why I'm here. As I lay here under the light of the security vehicle parked just down the hill and as today's events wash over me I think about how when we act out, when we don't fall in line, when we stop asking nicely and instead start making demands, they try everything in their power to extinguish that spark of resistance within us. I've witnessed this directly through their transparent "parades of power" as they stomp up the hill below me, chainsaws in hand. But when they show up with 7 police vehicles (including K-9 units) for only two peaceful protestors it also tells me that they're scared. If just 2 people can elicit such a response, imagine what 100 people could do. If you allow yourself to acknowledge the oppressive state we're living in then pretty soon that tug you feel to to resist will become a jerk, will become a pull. It will become impossible to ignore. Being complacent in this world comes at much too high a cost. Why do so many turn away or stop listening when they're confronted with these truths? It's hard to acknowledge these ugly parts of our society, but we can't turn away. We can't ignore what is happening. This world takes so much from us. We can't let it take away our compassion too. In these early morning hours as I lay here and listen to the sound of the forest coming alive, I vow not to ever become complacent. To become complacent is not an option. We may lose, yes. But we lose so much more if we fail to show up in the first place." Donate to support Lauren & resistance to the MVP: bit.ly/supportmvpresistance

This is an open call for all water protectors, kayaktivists, radical sailors and water going folk to join us on the frontlines as we fight the tail end of the D...akota Access Pipeline in the swamps of Louisiana. If you are interested in stopping the Bayou Bridge Pipeline, make plans to come to Louisiana NOW. Because of the urgency of the situation, we are pausing the application process to join Camp and instead are asking all protectors to come to Camp as soon as possible. Please EMAIL US at [email protected] with your name, phone number, why you want to come to camp, when you will be arriving and how long you plan on staying. We will respond with the directions to camp and what to bring. ** Please note that if show up to camp without emailing us first and without receiving an email invitation, you will not be allowed to enter camp. ** In the face of ETP's escalated tactics, for 31 consecutive days we have disrupted and stopped construction in the Atchafalaya Basin on the water, on the ground and in the air. The more protectors here on the ground, the more we can stop construction. Join us. #NoBayouBridge #StopETP #Resist

UPDATE on the Town of Mahwah vs. the Ramapough Lenape Nation. To date, the Ramapough are facing fines totaling $712,500 and 570 violations for use of their prop...erty and sacred objects such as the stone altar, sweat lodge, and big house. To support the Ramapough in their fight to take the case to federal court, please donate here https://fundly.com/ramapough-freedom-campaign-federal-court See more

The Township of Mahwah in New Jersey is continuing it's long history of racism by threatening to criminalize folks spirituality at The Split Rock Sweetwater Prayer Camp.

Day 17: Treesitter is safe. Please help us keep them that way and donate to our fundly: https://fundly.com/support-the-campaign-against-the-valley-

***Share Widely*** Day 8: The One Week Anniversary of the First Treesit in the Hudson Valley: Our brave treesitter has been staying warm despite a week of snow ...storms and harsh cold. They are in good spirits and warm. There is no place we would rather be than here, putting up a stand against corporate greed. The workers and state police? They're scrambling for a way out. The workers, police, along with private security company, Atlas Security, have been harassing local residents, making them feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods. The state police called on local fire departments to try and extract the sitter, but had no idea how to handle it and our sitter is still in the tree. In addition, we have a report that Millennium Pipeline Company workers have tied the sitter's climbline to another tree, leaving them unable to quickly leave the tree in case of emergency. This coupled with working as close as 20 ft from the sit, shows a complete disregard for human life. This Monday(12/18) at 10am, we will be holding a rally at Millennium Pipeline Co.'s local office - 2927 US 6 Slate Hill NY. Show up in solidarity with the Earth, the eagles, and the treesit. We must hold the company accountable, because the government has shown us they will not. Please donate to our fundly to help us maintain the sit or handle any legal costs resulting from it: https://fundly.com/support-the-campaign-against-the-valley- Contact Info: [email protected] (845)670-5149

UPDATE on the Town of Mahwah vs. the Ramapough Lenape Nation. To date, the Ramapough are facing fines totaling $712,500 and 570 violations for use of their prop...erty and sacred objects such as the stone altar, sweat lodge, and big house. To support the Ramapough in their fight to take the case to federal court, please donate here https://fundly.com/ramapough-freedom-campaign-federal-court See more

The Township of Mahwah in New Jersey is continuing it's long history of racism by threatening to criminalize folks spirituality at The Split Rock Sweetwater Prayer Camp.

For a fee of 12.6 million, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Wolf Administration have decided to sacrifice our safety and clean water to Energy Transfer Partners.

Hudson Valley Earth First! Ends Treesit on Their Own Terms WAWAYANDA, New York-The New year- Hudson Valley Earth First! has decided to end the tree sit against ...the Valley Lateral Pipeline. The tree sit lasted a full 23 days, and was effective in causing the pipeline company to reroute their project around the protest. The brave individual(s) in the tree has decided to leave the sit, with no one was arrested. Too often these types of protests have no timeline other than when the forces of repression deign to intervene. By keeping our comrades warm and free, we can ensure that they can be effective in the continued fight to defend the wild. Our goal has not been to fight an arrest in court as if this is a civil rights or civil disobedience issue. We already know the law and the court system does not side with the health of every day people, the wild, or this planet. Millennium pipeline, FERC, and New York State have already proven this. This project has a 6 month timeline, there is still forest and other habitats to be defended, and things are heating up(metaphorically) here in the North as this fight continues. Email us @ [email protected] if you would like to attend our upcoming action camp and climb training or plug in more generally. See more

Day 17: Treesitter is safe. Please help us keep them that way and donate to our fundly: https://fundly.com/support-the-campaign-against-the-valley-