By Lindsay Beebe
Spring 2021 saw another successful Intermountain Sustainability Summit, organized by Weber State University. For a second year in a row, the ISS was held virtually because of the pandemic. Nonetheless, virtual participants enjoyed an array of workshops that explored topics such as: municipal water conservation, zero net energy buildings, carbon sequestration through biodiversity, debunking endless growth mythology, engaging rural communities, detoxifying urban gardens, and deconstructing "throwaway culture."
Amidst the curiosity and wonkiness, an impassioned call to action emerged, led by Esther Meroño Baro of the Peoples Energy Movement, Olivia Juarez of SUWA, and Lindsay Beebe of the Utah Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign. Their workshop, "Building Community is Radical Activism," led participants on a deep dive into the systemic inequities of an American environmental movement rooted in an inequitable, hyper-capitalistic society and culture, one that perpetuates racial and class-based injustice.
The slide presentation opened with a quote from Angela Davis: "Radical simply means grasping things at the root." We chose this recitation to begin a conversation about employing ‘radical’ action to make change. The session directed participants to explore “activism” so as to better understand the term environmental activist, and how such a role functions in the context of racial, social, and environmental justice. Within this framework of intersectional justice, the workshop detailed both strategic tools to analyze power dynamics and to plan campaigns. It emphasized some core lessons from movement scholar, Adrienne Maree Brown’s 2019 book, Pleasure Activism. The combined resources provide nourishment for the inquisitive mind and map our course for change, as they energize the often beleaguered spirit that sustains our motivation to act.
"Ultimately, pleasure activism is us learning to make justice and liberation the most pleasurable experiences we can have on this planet." - adrienne maree brown, Pleasure Activism, 2019
The workshop culminated in a Call to Community, an invitation to join the People’s Energy Movement. The Movement’s purpose is to develop a base of knowledge and skills, along with the vital community relationships that will help power outcomes rooted in justice. The resulting workshop series and Community of Practice will launch this spring. Details can be found on the website here. Applications to join the community of practice are open, and all ‘radical’ activists who seek to build local power by investing in their own communities are welcome to engage.