A2 (Anthropocene Alliance)

Flooding can destroy lives, yet most people whose homes flood aren't aware of the risks. Listen to "Why Flood Disclosure Matters" on America Adapts.

"Marked by a single stoplight and a community unwelcoming to improvement." Ms Jackie Jones, leader of Reidsville GA Community Floods, shares her experiences of the chronic flooding in her Georgia community. Ms Jackie is a member of A2 (Anthropocene Alliance). Thank you to our partners, Rob Moore, Joel Scata, Anna Weber at Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and of course, America Adapts Media.

Calling all frontline groups! We're establishing a national network of democratically governed State Organizing Committees (SOCs) for environmental protection. This is a map of the first ones, and A2 would love you to join. Each committee constitutes frontline groups tasked with “building a base” i.e. increasing resident involvement through door-to-door knocking, phone calls and small events. The groups may be involved with youth engagement, voting rights, women’s health, and habitat and wildlife protection; and under varied auspices: church and faith organizations, unions, radio stations, local and tribal governments, watershed groups, community development corporations, and land trusts. We're conducting training, hiring community organizers and setting up satellite offices for five SOCs, and we have enough interest to start another eight. All SOCs are being supported with research and policy, digital communications, financial management, and grant writing. A2 has 400 members, join us in building power! Questions and thoughts? email Harriet@AnthropoceneAlliance.org

“You can’t possibly solve a problem until you can articulate it, so it (EJScreen) was an important source of data for articulating the problem,” said Harriet Festing, executive director of the nonprofit group Anthropocene Alliance."

“There was a couple who lived with their grandchildren in a beautiful brick house along the creek,” Liley said. A couple of years ago, their grandson had an asthma attack at the Thanksgiving table. The doctor told the boy he could no longer live with Grandma and Grandpa — too much mold in their flooded house. The couple accepted a buyout last year and moved to a new home above the floodplain. In December, the whole family celebrated the holidays together, high and dry."

"“We are going to have people die. We are going to have young people die, older people die, and people who have chronic illness die,” Yvonka Hall, the executive director of NEOBHC said. Over the course of her career, Hall has had the opportunity to be on the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, giving Ohioan’s environmental justice issues a spotlight on the national stage. The Environmental Justice Advisory Council will most likely be eliminated with these cuts." Thank you to Yvonka M. Hall, MPA, a member of A2.

Ditto flood, tornado, earthquakes and hurricane relief, and of course toxic contamination.

Protests are occurring across the country against the dismantling of environmental protections. If you're involved but are scared to post the photos on LinkedIn, please email them to A2, along with the date and place and we'll post them for you, without giving your name. Send emails to Info@AnthropoceneAlliance.org

The recent shifts in administration policies are creating a dynamic landscape for many organizations and communities. At Anthropocene Alliance, we're hearing from our members about a range of emerging challenges. We're interested in understanding the broader impact. Are you and your organization experiencing direct or indirect effects from these changes? Please participate in our poll below and share your insights in comments.

In the latest issue of The A2 Times, we're highlighting two inspiring stories of community-based groups—Cherokee Concerned Citizens in Mississippi and the The Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition in South Carolina—who took on the federal government and won. Learn how these groups successfully fought for environmental justice and protected their communities. This newsletter is a powerful reminder of the impact of grassroots organizing and the importance of standing together. Read on for more. #communityorganizing #