Showing Up Imperfectly

And some actions you can take right now

First of all, this:

(More on that later on.)

Sometimes, to get things done, I have to lower the bar for myself. I give myself permission to give only 80% (or 70%, 60%) on a day when I am tired, overwhelmed, or in grief over what is happening to our beautiful, miraculous planet.

It would be easy to succumb to hopelessness and stay in my comfort zone, where at least life is quiet and predictable. However, in this pivotal time in history, I am not sure anyone can afford that. If I care about a community, a garden, a park, a body of water, or a child in my life who will inherit this mess, how can I sit back and not at least try to help?

It is admittedly a balancing act. I know how important it is to take care of myself, to tend to my grief, to practice mindfulness and other healing practices. One of these practices is finding the right balance with regard to keeping up with the news. I need to be informed, but it is very easy to slip into a cycle of doomscrolling. Alternatively, it is tempting to live in a state of blissful ignorance by turning my back on the world. Okay for a day maybe, but not the best way to live all the time.

I have found the remedy for this conundrum and that is taking some kind of action, even if it is scary, or energy-consuming, or it is difficult to figure out what kind of action to take.

The answer for me right now is taking action on the local and state levels. This administration has signaled not just a pull-back on addressing climate change but is actually going to war with the environment. This is where it is good that we live in a republic founded on a system of checks and balances, not just between branches of the federal government, but between that government and state governments.

From Extinction Rebellion US:

“Trump lost no time in declaring a national energy emergency. Mass firings are taking place at the EPA, which has been given one week to decide if it can abandon regulating climate pollution. The Army Corps of Engineers is reported to be creating a new class of emergency permits that could fast-track dangerous energy projects such as the Line 5 tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac, which would allow a dramatic increase in the flow of tar sands oil from the Athabasca tar sands region to eastern Canada, all while threatening one of the largest sources of fresh water on Earth.”

I live in Maryland, where fortunately, we have a governor, Wes Moore, who has signaled that his priority for the next four years is taking care of Maryland and resisting the efforts of this administration to hurt Marylanders. He will be fighting back against punitive and chaotic executive actions with his own executive orders and the help of the state attorney general using lawsuits as a tool.

However, we in Maryland, and elsewhere in the country face shrinking tax revenue and many more problems than any single government can meet. This is why local county and city governments are important, too. In my community, home prices surged in recent years. With the illegal “layoffs” taking place across the federal government, I fear the economy and housing market may collapse in this area, which will have ripple affects across the region and the country.

So what am I doing about all of this?

I am showing up imperfectly.

On Monday, I joined the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) in lobbying state lawmakers to support a battery of initiatives in Maryland, including the RENEW Act, The Better Buildings Act, and the Abundant and Affordable Clean Energy Act. Together, they offer a comprehensive effort to adapt our communities to face the increasing impacts of climate change, to continue to grow renewable energy in the state, and to make the biggest polluters pay what they owe to Marylanders after decades of profits earned at the expense of our health and the planet.

We are also fighting a bill called the Next Generation Energy Act HB1035/SB937. Buried in it, there is a provision to build a new gas-powered plant in Maryland.

Methane is 80 times more potent than CO2 when it comes to heating Earth’s atmosphere and the process of extracting, transporting, and converting it is riddled with problems leading to leaks. The greenhouse gas and particulate emissions that will be produced by a new gas plant will increase Maryland residents’ risks for pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases, asthma, strokes, and premature death. Worse, it is the most underserved populations in the state which will suffer the brunt of these impacts.

In a practical sense, new gas plants will not solve the issue of high utility bills because of the time it takes to get a new gas plant up and running. These fossil fuel-powered plants may take years before they are creating energy that can be distributed to the public, whereas clean energy alternatives like batteries or solar can be online much faster. If the goal is to lower energy bills in the state, a new gas plant is not the most effective strategy, especially if the use of gas has become redundant by the time it is built due to the expanding availability of renewables.

Anyone can submit testimony on bills, so I would encourage anyone living in Maryland to draft up a letter to submit on this or any other issue as they come up in the various committees. Here is a short guide on how to do that:

Written Testimony Instructions

First, make an account on the Maryland General Assembly website. Make sure you provide your name, contact information, and your organization (if applicable).

In the top right corner of the MGA website (mgaleg.maryland.gov), next to the search bar, there is a small icon that says “MyMGA.” Click on it, and on the left, click on “Witness Sign Up.”

You can search for the bill under the list for the chamber and committee the bill is in.

Select the bill with the check box, indicate your position (Unfavorable) and type of testimony ( Written). When you upload your written testimony, you must save it as a . PDF file and name it using these guidelines: “HBXX_UNFAV_Name of your Organization (if applicable) or your Last Name.”

Click OK once you upload the files from your computer, double-check that the correct bill is selected, and make sure to press “Save” at the top of the page to successfully submit your testimony. Then verify, it has been submitted successfully by clicking “Signed Up Items”.

I plan to submit my letter today and join CCAN for a rally in Annapolis tomorrow. Afterward, we will be staying for the hearing on the bill.

“Be afraid. But do it anyway.”

This week, I learned a lot about my state government. I showed up feeling awkward and ignorant. I often do, but I’ve learned that is okay. I can survive feeling awkward and nervous for a few hours. I heard someone say once, “Be afraid. But do it anyway.”

Most importantly, I learned who my representatives are and where to find them.

I am grateful that organizations like CCAN exist, who are doing the tedious and difficult work of combing through proposed legislation to find sneaky little giveaways to the fossil fuel industry. I had to really dig around in that bill myself to find it.

I highly recommend finding out what is happening in your community and taking action in a similar way. A funny thing happens — where before I was tired and discouraged, I came away from our lobbying effort with more optimism and more energy. It amazes me how energy spent like that can charge my batteries.

Here is something else you can do tomorrow if you are wondering what you can do to put the brakes on this administration’s attack on the rule of law, the environment, and the many programs on which Americans everywhere depend.

Join me and millions of others to hit the pause button for 24 hours on this economy. The billionaires who control it and who are currently ransacking the government we all paid for believe they are entitled to the massive profits and wealth they have gained from the rest of us. I think they need to be reminded we are the ones they took that money from.

How are YOU going to show up imperfectly right now?