Welcome to Truth and Reckoning, a newsletter and podcast from the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF). We are organizers, lawyers, and revolutionaries who educate and agitate to confront systemic injustice and restore humanity’s relationship with the Earth.
For more than 30 years, we’ve helped communities resist corporate power, reject regulatory false promises, and assert their right to self-governance grounded in ecological balance.
The Porcupine Mountains on the shores of Lake Superior are home to the largest old-growth forest east of the Mississippi, a haven for wildlife. Tom explains, “There’s no good place for a mine, but this location should certainly be at the bottom of the list.” The urgency of this mission has sparked a grassroots encampment aimed at resisting a proposed copper mine that threatens not only the forest but the very ecosystem it supports.
We’ve covered this story previously in detail with a lengthy interview. We won’t recap all the details from that episode. Instead, this conversation focuses on the new camp and how people can get involved.
The proposed mining project is spearheaded by an inexperienced Canadian company, which has already clear-cut over 100 acres and destroyed wetlands in their quest for profit. Despite the Michigan government’s repeated denials of funding for the project, the mining company is now seeking a $250 million loan from the Export-Import Bank of the United States.
In response, mine opponents have set up an encampment right next to the mine site, inviting community members and allies from local tribes to join the fight. “The encampment has been great because it invites people to see firsthand why this area deserves protection,” Tom shares.
With the encampment standing as a physical presence against the mining interests, Tom emphasizes the importance of community and connection at the camp. As Tom notes, “Capitalism is a collusion between industry and government.”
Activists are encouraged to join the encampment every weekend.
If you’re new here, this is Truth and Reckoning, a newsletter from the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF). We are organizers, lawyers, and revolutionaries who educate and agitate to confront systemic injustice and restore humanity’s relationship with the Earth.
For more than 30 years, we’ve helped communities resist corporate power, reject regulatory false promises, and assert their right to self-governance grounded in ecological balance.
In this show, we learn from front-line organizers and communities fighting against environmental destruction. We explore different perspectives and innovative strategies for movement building, the potency and potential of rights of nature, and effective action in defense of our communities. And, we share inspiring stories of people working towards right relationship with the land and each other. The show is hosted by CELDF Community Resistance and Resilience Program Co-Director Max Wilbert.
You can find the show on:
And anywhere else you get your podcasts (click here to find this podcast via your preferred app)
CELDF is a nationwide community of organizers, lawyers, and partners who educate, agitate, and organize to confront systemic injustice and restore humanity’s reciprocal relationship with the Earth. For over 30 years, we’ve helped communities resist corporate exploitation, reject regulatory false promises, and assert their right to self-govern through systems grounded in ecological balance and collective power.
Curious to know more?
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.