Rolling through California (and beyond)
Rolling through California (and beyond)
A call for wildfire action
August 25, 2021
Hello friends,
It has been a hot, dry summer in British Columbia, where I live, and in many other parts of the world. Perhaps you are experiencing similar concerns about drought, waking up to apocalyptic orange skies, breathing in wildfire smoke and ash.
In this issue of The Weekly we are taking a closer look at wildfires and how they are exacerbated by climate change.
Sift.
The world, or a pretty sizable chunk of it, is on fire. If you want to look beyond the headlines, here are some websites that focus on the global impact of wildfires and the science that explains them.
“The science connecting wildfires to climate change” (National Geographic, Alejandra Borunda, Sept. 17, 2020)
Shift.
Today, the fantastic Fantastic Negrito released a new, standalone single featuring another Oakland-based musician, Miko Marks. As he stated in an interview with American Songwriter, Fantastic Negrito is sending out a call:
a call for solidarity and collective action in the wake of drought, water management challenges, accelerating climate change, and the growing calamity of California’s annual fire season.
Lift.
Downloading a copy of “Rolling through California?” Fantastic Negrito will share the proceeds with Defy:Disaster to support firefighters, first responders, and communities impacted by wildfires throughout North America.
Established in 1942, Defy:Disaster is “dedicated to providing aid to survivors and communities affected by natural disasters to help them recover and rebuild.” How it does this is a little different than other disaster relief organizations:
Defy:Disaster is the entertainment community’s collective and immediate response to natural disasters.
To learn more about their campaigns, or to donate, please check out:
If you watched the video for “Rolling through California” you would have seen Fantastic Negrito’s nod to the Oakland Black Cowboy Association, “a not-for-profit organization, [that] has spent four and half decades enlightening children and adults with the contributions of people of color in the settling of the West.”
Visit the Oakland Black Cowboy Association to find out how you can support its work or attend the annual parade and festival.
Before you go
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Coming up next:
Sifting, shifting, and lifting with . . . artist Scott Aasman (August 29, 2021)
The Weekly (September 1, 2021)
Did you miss an issue?
Here are the links to the last two issues (just in case):
Sifting, shifting, and lifting with . . . animal chaplain and author Rev. Sarah Bowen (August 22, 2021)
Sift. Shift. Lift. feature Beyond the Oka crisis (August 20, 2021)