Climate justice is part of the resistance
It was gratifying to see the Valley News coverage of the No Kings event in Lebanon included the wise words of Chuck Wooster, who reminds all of us that addressing the climate crisis is an acutely local concern. Advocating for protection of our water and air is common sense (to quote Thomas Paine), but the current corrupt administration’s implementation of Project 2025 has put the removal of safety standards and protection of agriculture as a priority.
But this is 2026, and the resistance embodied by No Kings will continue to grow. Climate justice is part of this, and advocates for the care of the earth have recently been experiencing political success and renewed hope that community efforts can matter. Only weeks ago, bipartisan legislation passed by the U.S. House and Senate funding the Environmental Protection Agency for 2026 was signed into law. The EPA is in turmoil, but securing nearly full funding, a political rebuke for the Trump administration, will keep the framework for a rebuilt EPA when the winds of change come.
A broad coalition advocated for this funding, and this included the Concord-based Climate Hope Affiliates, a faith-based group for people of conscience. Policy folks in Washington said it was good to see communities of faith advocating for the public good.
The Concord group’s message to all of us is that climate hope can be an important part of the resistance. Stay tuned for an Upper Valley chapter of Climate Hope Affiliates!