Sustaining with Shana

Shana sat down recently with her good friend and colleague Lowell Bliss. Lowell is the director of Eden Vigil, an environmental missions organization now part of the Ralph Winter Launch Lab at Frontier Ventures. In addition, Lowell is the co-director of the Christian Climate Observers Program (CCOP), which provides an immersive, curated, and discipled experience of a UN COP climate summit for emerging climate leaders. He is also the author of Environmental Missions: Planting Churches and Trees and People, Trees, and Poverty and chaired the writing team of the Lausanne Creation Care Call to Action. Together Shana and Lowell talked about their shared experiences of previous COPs like COP25 in Madrid, Spain, in 2019 and COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, that wrapped up just a few weeks ago. Their enriched conversation dove into the complexities of the UN climate summits and why this year was a critical one. The result of COP26 was the formation of the Glasglow Climate Pact. They also discussed the vital role faith communities play in the process of these negotiations, especially during the COPs.

In the second half of this special two-part series, Shana sat down with Diana Martin. The Rodale Institute’s Director of Communications & Marketing. In this episode, they dove more into what regenerative agriculture is. Together, they discussed the comprehensive white paper that Rodale published in September 2020 titled “Regenerative Agriculture and the Soil Carbon Solution. The report assessed how the agricultural industry is a part of the problem and solution of the climate crisis. As mentioned in the report, Diana explains how carbon sequestration (the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere) can be a vital tool. Shana also explored more about the concept of regenerative agriculture with Diana. Diana explained the differences and similarities it has to organic farming and how regenerative agriculture is a new and popular way to approach agriculture. An approach that we hope is here to stay. If you would like to learn more about the special study that was done on Regenerative Agriculture, you can visit Rodale’s Educational Resources Tab. You can learn more about Rodale by visiting them at RodaleInstitute.org. You can also follow Rodale on Facebook and Instagram. To follow all the latest developments, you can sign up for Rodale's Newsletter on their website.

In this special two-part series, Shana sat down with Diana Martin. Diana is the Director of Communications & Marketing at the Rodale Institute. Since beginning her role at Rodale Institute, Diana career achievements include starting Organic Farmers Association (focused on representing organic farmers on policy issues in DC), launching the Regenerative Organic Certification with other partners, expanding Rodale Institute to 7 locations in 4 states, beginning a new longterm research trial & consumer education on farming and clean water, and helping to create Rodale Institute’s farmer consulting program. Diana is also a tenth generation Lancaster Countian, an area with rich farmland that is a hot spot for organic agriculture in Pennsylvania. In this episode, Shana and Diana dive into what is the Rodale Institute. Rodale is a nonprofit located outside of Kutztown, PA. Together they discussed the ins and outs of the organization, from how the institute got its start with J.I. Rodale to the vital research they are currently conducting. Rodale's research focuses on areas like no-till organic farming, regenerative agriculture, and more!  They are also committed to growing the organic movement through farmer training and consumer education. Rodale has been called the founders of the modern organic farming movement in the United States and is widely considered the global leader in regenerative organic agriculture. Despite Rodale's significant impact on the organic and regenerative farming movements, the institute remains largely unknown.  The Rodale Institute has been researching the best practices of organic agriculture and sharing findings with farmers, scientists, and consumers throughout the world since 1947. Learn more about this amazing organization at RodaleInstitute.org. You can also follow Rodale on Facebook and Instagram. To follow all the latest developments you can sign up for Rodale's Newsletter on their website. Tune in next week for the second half of our discussion.

In this special episode, Shana sat down with Flora Cardoni. Flora is PennEnvironment's Field Director, in this role, she oversees much of PennEnvironment’s climate and grassroots organizing work, directing staff and mobilizing volunteers around the state to fight climate change and promote clean energy, clean up our air and water, eliminate single-use plastics, and hold big polluters accountable in Pennsylvania. Together, over these last few years, Shana and Flora have also worked together organizing around climate change and key environmental issues here in Southeastern, Pennsylvania, and other parts of the state.  This week, Shana talked with Flora about what climate and environmental policy looks like here in Pennsylvania and the complex issues surrounding them. They also talked about how hydraulic fracturing aka fracking has plagued our state not just by destroying our land but also infiltrating into our commonwealth's political structure. Flora and Shana discussed how the fossil fuel industry has been behind politicians producing bad bills that cost taxers money, jobs, and a healthy environment. Flora reviewed some of the pro-environmental bills that PennEnvironment has advocated for these last few years. She also gave an update on how these bills, along with other pro-environmental bills are doing in the Pennsylvania legislature.  Later on, in the episode, they shifted gears to talk about climate policy at the national and international scale. Shana and Flora discussed the current state of our nation's climate policies and the possible implications of this week's presidential election could have on legislation going forward. Shana also expressed how this election critically plays a role in the fate of the United States' role in the Paris Climate Agreement, because as of this Wednesday, November 4, 2020, the US will officially leave the accord. It is possible with another presidential administration that the US could rejoin the agreement without any disruptions to the negotiations.  We all need to vote in this very important election on November 3rd, TOMORROW! Here in Pennsylvania, polls will be open on November 3rd, from 7 am-8 pm. If you still intend to vote by mail, your ballot MUST be deposited into an official ballot drop box ASAP. If you need more information about the election here in Pennsylvania, please visit the website votespa.com.

This week Shana sat down with Noel Rivera. Noel is the Green Party candidate for the 127th Pennsylvania House District. The district includes parts of the City of Reading and Kenhorst. Noel is originally from Lebanon, PA, and is an Air Force Veteran. He served and was deployed to Bagram AB, Afghanistan, and was awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal for volunteerism and excellence in service. After the military, he moved to Reading, PA, and earned a B.S. in Accounting in 2019 and an MBA focusing on community engagement and economic development in 2020.  Currently, he works in the Accounting Department of a company in the Reading area. Throughout his work and experiences, he knew that he always wanted to get involved in the community and politics. Throughout their discussion, Noel talked about some important issues that are of key interest to him. One of them, is developing Reading into an Ecodistrict and finding creative ways to bring the city into an up and coming green and sustainable city! If elected, he hopes to work with other elected officials in Harrisburg to develop a network of Ecodistricts across Pennsylvania. Shana and Noel talked about other issues that he is concerned about and what influenced him to run. One of the key issues is passenger rail being brought back to Reading. Together they talked about how crucially important it is for the service to come back to Reading and it also should be implemented in a fair and just way for all of the city’s residents. To find out more about Noel’s campaign please visit his website or Facebook page. We all need to vote in this very important election on November 3rd! Here in Pennsylvania, you have the choice of voting early, by mail-in paper ballot, and in person. Your mail-in ballot MUST be postmarked before November 3rd to count. Don’t forget if you decide to vote in person, Election Day is November 3rd. Polls in Pennsylvania are open from 7 am-8 pm. If you are a Pennsylvania voter and would need any necessary voter information, please go to votespa.com.

This week Shana sat down with Malinda Clatterbach and Tim Spiese, founding members of Lancaster Against Pipelines. Lancaster Against Pipelines (LAP) is a grassroots coalition of county residents in Lancaster, Pennsylvania opposing the Atlantic Sunrise Project. Despite their efforts, the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline was successfully built and was up and running by September 2018. During that time LAP did anything they could within their power to stop the production of the pipeline. During their conversation, Shana talked with Tim and Malinda about how LAP brought together the residents across Lancaster County and the region to fight the production of the pipeline. Malinda described how this was largely the first time rural Lancaster Countians experienced any kind of environmental injustice in their community because the pipeline runs through pristine farmland along the western edge of the county. During the four years of production, the community rallied together to do whatever they could to prevent this pipeline from destroying their community and others downstream. Both Malinda and Tim recall of protests and vigils the community would have on the construction site. They also discussed with Shana how the diverse religious community provided unique challenges and benefits in their efforts to try and stop this pipeline from coming into their community. Despite their hard work the pipeline was still installed. Today LAP has turned their efforts to help other grassroots organizations in Pennsylvania fighting to ban fracking. Together Malinda, Tim, and Shana also talked about how critically important this election is. They discussed why it is important that we elect leaders that see environmental injustice happening in rural communities as well as urban and minority communities. We all need to vote in this very important election on November 3rd! Here in Pennsylvania, you have until October 19th to register to vote. October 27th is the last day to request your mail-in ballot and must be postmarked before November 3rd to count. Don’t forget if you decide to vote in person, Election Day is November 3rd. Polls in Pennsylvania are open from 7 am-8 pm. If you would like to register to vote or request your mail-in ballot, please go to votespa.com.

This week Shana sat down with Michelle Siegel. Michelle is a candidate for Pennsylvania State Senate District 27. She was raised in Selinsgrove, PA, and still resides there with her family. She attended Susquehanna University and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in Earth and Environmental Sciences. Together Shana talked with Michelle about her concerns for her community’s environment and how corporate greed and negligence can harm hardworking people. She recalled, as a child her grandmother took her for a walk in the woods, where she showed Michelle the unlined ash dam pit that had poisoned their family’s well. The water contamination caused her uncle to develop ulcerative colitis, which progressed to colon cancer because he was unable to afford treatment and passed away at a young age. These experiences set her on a path towards studying Environmental Science and Climate Change. Michelle stressed that as a state senator she will be a staunch defender of our state’s constitutional guarantee of clean air, soil, and water as stated Article 1 Section 27.  She also expressed other issues in her region like high unemployment and healthcare costs must be addressed. For Michelle, she believes we need to pass the Rural Bill of Rights (RBR) now. Together Michelle and Shana discuss how transformative the RBR could be to rural communities like hers to access public transportation, clean air, water, and a healthy environment, reinvesting family-owned farms, and more! We all need to vote in this very important election on November 3rd! Here in Pennsylvania, you have until October 19th to register to vote, October 27th is the last day to request your mail-in ballot and must be postmarked before November 3rd to count. Don’t forget if you decide to vote in person, Election Day is November 3rd. Polls in Pennsylvania are open from 7 am-8 pm. If you would like to register to vote or request your mail-in ballot, please go to votespa.com.

Shana sat down this week with Cole Goodman. Cole is a community activist and local elected official from Dauphin County. Cole currently serves as an elected member of the Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee representing Dauphin County. Goodman serves as one of the youngest members of the Executive Board of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party and is also the political director of the Digital Consulting group, Unmasked Media. Cole specializes in civic engagement and youth activism to bring structural change to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the United States. This week Shana talked with Cole Goodman about the inextricable connection between climate change and racism. Together they talked about how climate change and environmental issues systematically affect poor, black, and brown communities the most. This can be seen in coastal communities in places like Louisiana, where Cole grew up. Together, Cole and Shana discussed how systematic racism has helped to exacerbate climate change throughout our society around the world in countries like Kiribati already underwater to the Marshall Islands written off during key international treaties like the Paris Agreement. We all need to vote in this very important election on November 3rd! Here in Pennsylvania, you have until October 19th to register to vote, October 27th is the last day to request your mail-in ballot and must be postmarked before November 3rd to count. Don’t forget if you decide to vote in person, Election Day is November 3rd. Polls in Pennsylvania are open from 7 am-8 pm. If you would like to register to vote or request your mail-in ballot, please go to votespa.com.

Shana sat down this week with Karen Feridun. Karen is the founder of Berks Gas Truth and the co-founder of The Better Path Coalition. She has been working for the last 10 years fighting for a better future and a healthy environment for all Pennsylvanians against the fracking also know as the gas drilling industry. During that time she has worked with a breadth of environmental organization here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, across the Mid-Atlantic region, and beyond! Karen has also organized major campaigns and demonstrations like Stop the Frack Attack, which has attracted the attention of key environmentalists of our time. Environmental figures and champions like Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org and actor Mark Ruffalo. Together Shana and Karen had a very informative discussion about hydraulic fracturing or fracking, which is an unconventional form of gas drilling here in Pennsylvania. Karen dove into great detail about the complexities of fracking. She emphasized how Pennsylvania’s history, geography, and politics are all key factors in the existence of this dirty destructive industry here. Karen paints the picture of how our Commonwealth's political leadership from both parties continuously puts the economy and their own self-interests above the health and safety of all of its citizens and the environment. Shana also discussed with Karen why this upcoming election is crucially important not just here in Pennsylvania but across the country, especially when so much is at stake with the wellbeing of the climate and the environment. If you would like to learn more about the work Berks Gas Truth (BGT) and The Better Path Coalition (BPC) are doing you can visit their websites. You can also like and follow BGT and BPC on Facebook. We all need to vote in this very important election on November 3rd! Here in Pennsylvania, you have until October 19th to register to vote, October 27th is the last day to request your mail-in ballot and must be postmarked before November 3rd to count. Don’t forget if you decide to vote in person, Election Day is November 3rd. Polls in Pennsylvania are open from 7 am-8 pm. If you would like to register to vote or request your mail-in ballot, please go to votespa.com.

Shana sat down this week with Tara Zrinski. Tara was born and raised in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. In 2017 she was elected to Northampton County Council and now she is setting her sights on making bigger waves of change in Pennsylvania’s legislature. Currently, she is running for Pennsylvania’s 138th House District, a community that is ravaged by the Penn East Pipeline. Over the last few years, she has fought for her constituents against corporations and big polluters lurking in her own backyard. Unfortunately, as a County Councilwoman, she has limited power and impact on environmental issues facing her community. If elected as a State Representative, she is determined to fight for her constituents and all Pennsylvanians. In addition to her career in politics, Tara has been a fierce advocate for clean energy and sustainability within our local communities, while working as a Solar Energy Consultant for SunPulse Solar, and supplementing her adjunct teaching career that she has held since 2019. Tara has taught Philosophy at Northampton Community College, Lehigh County Community College, and Lehigh University. Shana and Tara had a lively discussion about her campaign and what inspired her to run for office. Issues like hydraulic fracturing, sewage sludge aka biosolids, and pipeline production were the main topics of their conversation and influences of her campaign. On September 7th, Labor Day Tara’s campaign is hosting a virtual concert series Eco Jam at 6-8 pm EST. If you care about climate change, love live music, and want to support Tara’s campaign, this is the event for you!! To get your tickets, go to her campaign’s Act Blue account. If you would like to find out more about her campaign, donate or volunteer please visit her website (vote4zrinski.org), Instagram, and Facebook pages.