“We are being shot in the streets during the day. Our homes are being raided at night. We have made the global apparel brands huge profits with our bare hands over the years, the very least they should do right now is ensure we are not fired simply for wishing not to live under a military dictatorship. Amidst such an undisputed human rights travesty, their silence thus far is appalling." 

-Ma Moe Sandar Myint 
General Workers of Myanmar (FGWM)

Many people in Myanmar are being silenced. Demonstrating their control, "the military has partially stopped communications to the outside world. For the past 17 days, internet access in Myanmar has been blocked at night. Days after the coup began, Facebook was blocked nationwide and remains blocked by most internet service providers."

According to The Guardian, "1,000 workers were trapped inside (the GY Sen factory that supplies Primark to prevent them from protesting). Workers said they were able to break free after several hours."

Majority of Myanmar’s 700,000 garment workers remain unorganized. However, unions have played a significant role in improving their working conditions. “Mass strikes and union demands led to the establishment of a minimum wage in 2015,” stated NY Times.

Organizations to Support:
https://standnow.org/
https://www.gm4md.org/

Sign the petition actionnetwork.org/petitions/adidas-zara-and-lidl-support-the-civil-disobedience-movement-cdm-in-myanmar 

List of brands made by union organizer - Andrew Tillett-Saks:
https://twitter.com/andrewtsaks/status/1362429942458277899?s=21&fbclid=IwAR1wB85j6nPraEcxL9IA9cPdm01B98GLjpYTPO41NbD8BEWj6D4-prf5MWw

Read the responses from fashion brands in Vogue: https://www.voguebusiness.com/sustainability/myanmar-workers-support-civil-disobedience-movement-democracy 

More Articles to Read:
https://jacobinmag.com/2021/03/myanmar-burma-general-strike-coup
https://cleanclothes.org/news/2021/garment-brands-and-manufacturers-must-condemn-the-military-coup-and-support-workers-in-myanmar

In my interview with protesters from around the world including people from The Oromo Legacy, Leadership, and Advocacy Association (OLLAA), Oromo Protests, Oromo Youth in Charge (Toronto).

Gada Hunte said that:

“Historically, Oromos were subjugated and treated as second class citizens by subsequent Ethiopian regimes. Current government and its policy of power consolidation remind Oromos of the Emperors era. Power consolidation to form an authoritarian state was achieved violently. Back then, it was breast mutilation and other inhuman forms of torture was used to succumb Oromos. Today, we are experiencing parallel atrocities in the Oromia region. Abiy Ahmed (Ethiopian Prime Minister) continues arresting peaceful protesters, extrajudicial killings, suppressing decent, and eliminating Oromo political leaders and parties.”

“In order to resist this oppression, the Oromo people are fighting on multiple fronts. Imprisoned Oromo leaders Jawar Mohamed, Bekele Gerba, and many more are currently on hunger strike for more than a month. These Iconic leaders translate Dr. King's and Gandhi’s peaceful resistance into Oromo both in writing and action. From the darkness of their prison cells, They inspire the nation to not give in to govt oppression and fear but to keep fighting. The Government has denied them urgent medical care by their doctors. Here in diaspora Oromo are protesting Ethiopian govt and collectively calling on the world citizens to be a voice for these prisoners and Oromos at large.”
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Merertu Kitila said that the various forms of torture used by the government dates back to: 

“The Anole massacre in the 1880s by Emperor Menelik II, in which thousands were mutilated (in addition to many thousands of killings) including cutting off the right breast of women and right hand of men, as well as castrations. We refer to this tragic event (in our language) as Harmaaf Harka Muraa Aanolee or simply, "Anole Massacre." Aside from this historial event though, torture in various forms has continued into present day including (current day) brutal torture of political prisoners and brutal torture of civilians in the streets, killings in their homes, etc.”

Climate change is the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a place. It is causing more intense and frequent extreme weather events: hurricanes, floods, drought. Human trafficking, "is often described as a modern day form of slavery, typically though sexual exploitation or forced labour."
But how are they linked? Globally, 21 million people are victims of human trafficking globally and climate change will only worsen that by displacing millions according to this study from the Columbia Law School.  Displacement can occur by: extreme flooding, and water shortages and desertification that threaten food supplies. According to the study:

• 162 million people are at risk of displacement by sea-level rise by 2050. 
  
• 50 million at risk, from droughts and other climate change events.

When people are displaced from their homes they become vulnerable to human trafficking. Sadly, Bangladesh, one of the most populated countries in the world is highly at risk to the effects of climate change. A 3ft rise in sea levels would sub-merge and displace more than 30 million people.
A drought in India affected 330 million people in 2016. many migrated from rural areas in search of water, food and jobs. Women, children and elderly were left behind and at greater risk of being trafficked.
But who is to blame for climate change and how can we solve this? The answer is complex. But the next time you are feeling guilty for a small mistake you made, just know, "100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions. ExxonMobil, Shell, BP and Chevron are identified as among the highest emitting investor-owned companies since 1988."

I absolutely adore this movie! It's about how a cute little garbage compacter named WALL-E and his friends discover that life on earth is still possible. It's honestly a pretty realistic prediction of our future if we continue to pollute and accumulate waste. I love the story of friendship in love told through actions rather than words and the music really warms your heart!

P.s. I really hope we won't get to the point where we're slurping burgers out of plastic cups oe any cups lol it does not sound appetizing!
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Probably one of my favorite movies of all time! Hayao Miyazaki's movies are a must watch. This movie is about a family and two sister who just moved into a village. They meet all sorts of cute creatures when they explore the area and some very fluffy ones too! Totoro the big guy in the poster is a friendly spirit that can only be seen by children. It's a great story about family and helping one another! I love the scenes where they literally grow a forest! 

​The theme song is literally stuck in my head right now!

Now I feel like the song they put was a little too similar to Let It Go but I loved it regardless! Finally some representation in Disney, it's been too long! Anyways Moana is a story about a girl well named Moana, she's unlocks her secret past of her families history and how they sailed across the ocean. Her people's island was dying and the fish were depleted. The story of mother nature and friendship is truly beautiful in this movie and we are very lucky to learn a little about the Polynesian culture.
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I've probably watched this movie a thousand times! It's one of the first times I got to see a strong female main character. Spirited Away is a beautiful story about a girl named Chihiro who moves with her family to a new place. They end up taking a little road trip to an empty village with a huge bath house.  Her parents show how greedy humans can be and end up turning into pigs leaving Chihiro to fend for herself in this new world filled with spirits but she meets some amazing friends along the way. The story also shows themes of pollution caused by humans.

Definitely my favorite movie of all time!

I think this movie is adorable! It's a bit more abstract in the art but it's very beautiful. Ponyo is a goldfish who becomes human and befriends a little boy in the seaside village. This imbalance caused a tsunami to wash over the village. It shows themes or pollution and friendship but also to respect nature. 

"I am the Lorax and I speak for the trees" that saying will always be ingrained in my head! If you love trees and Dr. Seuss I would definitely recommend this movies and the book. It's about standing up for those who cannot speak and in this case it would be the trees and protecting them from deforestation. This movie will always remind me of when my high school physics teacher would recite the whole entire book for memory on stage at our school summer camp right before the new school year! 
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This movie is filled with magical fairies that live peacefully in a beautiful forest called FernGully. One day Crysta, the fairy decides to venture outside the protected land and end up meeting all sorts of creatures they've never seen before like bats and even humans! It's an old movie but definitely worth a watch! Heavy deforestation themes here.
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This movie is hilarious! It tells a fun story from the perspective of the suburban wildlife and how they survive by stealing food from the humans. I mean technically the animals were there first! They plan a food raid and try to escape from the exterminators. In the end they learn what it means to be a family. 
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Save the owls! This movie is about how a group of kids stumble upon an owl's home. Later they learn that construction workers were going to tear it up so they team up to save the owls habitat!
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Who doesn't love penguins?! This movie takes you on a musical journey of the Emperor Penguins. They sing, dance and talk! They run into a ton of trouble along the way from predators to plastic rings, to overfishing which depleted their food resource. Catch Happy Feet and their cuddly but fierce journey of survival! 

What's your favorite environmental kids movie? 

Climate change will affect every single one of us but who will be affected the most? Studies have found that people of color are the most vulnerable to the climate crisis. What is racial justice? It is the fair treatment of people of all races and its about changing the system to make that happen. 

Here are a some facts that you should know:

• "Hispanics, Asians, American Indians/Alaska Natives and especially African Americans experience higher risks of harm (including premature death) from air pollution. "
• Almost 80 million people of color live in an area that has at least 1 failing grade for ozone pollution. That is more than half! While there are 38% of whites living in these areas.
• "2019 was the Earth’s second-hottest year on record. African Americans are disproportionately exposed to extreme heat."
• In 2019 flooding and hurricanes cost $20 billion in damages and many lost their lives. 
• "Over 80% of the homes that were lost belonged to Black people and Black people made up over half of total fatalities."
• During Hurricane Katrina many Black people could not evacuate because they did not have access to a car. In fact more than 30% of Black Residents in New Orleans did not own a car.

So who’s protecting people of color from the climate crisis? A study by the Green Diversity Initiative found that, "people of color made up about 12 percent of staff members and leadership at nongovernmental environmental organizations and foundations." We need more leaders in the environmental movement to protect those who are the most vulnerable.

Here are 6 Environmental Organizations Led by POC that you can support:

1. WE ACT
2. OUTDOOR AFRO
3. GOT GREEN SEATTLE
4. URBAN SPROUTS
5. COMMUNITIES FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT
6. INDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK

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Here's to a more inclusive movement!

​We know about climate change and its effects on the environment. But how will climate change affect our health? Today I want to show you just how dangerous our climate crisis is to all of us. 

Here are 5 ways that climate change will affect our health:

1. Climate change is expected to cause 250,000 additional deaths per year, between 2030 and 2050. That is quite concerning and our leaders need to take our climate crisis seriously. People’s lives are literally at stake here.
2. The damages to our health will cost us between $2 - 4 billion by 2030. This even excludes the costs of sectors like water, agriculture and sanitation which are all important to our health. 
3. Extreme heat contributes directly to deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory disease. According to the World Health Organization, “in the heat wave of summer 2003 in Europe for example, more than 70,000 excess deaths were recorded.” Temperatures are continuing to rise and now we can see that more deaths are expected, 2003 feels like so long ago! 
4. The number of natural disasters have tripled since the 1960s. The World Health Organization stated that “every year, these disasters result in over 60,000 deaths, mainly in developing countries.” Some examples of natural disasters include: sea level rise, increased rainfall, floods, etc. An increase in respiratory illnesses due to more frequent wildfires and poor air quality. This is bad because in Boise, Idaho for example they have already been experiencing smoke levels that are unhealthy for children. Sadly these wildfires will continue to get worse if we don’t take action. 
5. Cases of insect related diseases will increase. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated on page 14 that, “Climate-related changes in habitats for disease carrying insects like the mosquito...that transmits West Nile virus and the blacklegged, or deer tick that transmits Lyme disease have been associated with higher rates of infection.” 

Hearing all these horrible affects is really scary but luckily there are some ways we can take action.

Here's what Biden plans to do about Climate Change. Biden wants to have, "net-zero emissions no later than 2050." He also wants to make a $1.7 Trillion federal investment in climate action and environmental justice in the next ten years. He plans to, "installation of 500 million solar panels and 60,000 onshore and offshore wind turbines." Biden will also have "500,000 electric vehicle charging stations" available. 

Biden has set goals for reducing carbon emissions in U.S. buildings stock by 50% by 2035. According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, "any successful climate protection strategy must consider residential and commercial buildings, which are responsible for almost 40 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. "

Another important part of Biden's plan is that he will make low-income community housing more energy efficient. Many low-income communities can't afford the energy efficient retrofits to cut their carbon emissions on their own. He also plans to place energy efficiency standards for household appliances. Clean drinking water is vital to everyone. Biden plans on improving water related infrastructure and put systems in place to monitor lead and other dangerous contaminants. 
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As the country shifts away from coal power Biden will ensure coal miners will still receive health benefits. According to Biden, coal companies have hired lawyers and doctors to work against coal miners and deny them of their benefits including the Black Lung Benefits Program. This program helps protect coal miners by providing medical coverage for lung related diseases such as pneumoconiosis which is common in the coal mining sector.  Even though I'm against coal mining I still think it's important to protect people and their health. Not everyone gets to choose what kind of work they go into. Many work to just pay the bills. We must protect the people.

Biden also acknowledges that communities of color and low-income communities do not equally benefit in well-paying jobs in the clean energy sector compared to whites. Sadly, "African Americans hold only 1% of energy jobs." As president, Biden has promised to make sure communities of color get preference in grant programs in clean energy. 

Election day is coming up guys! November 3rd will be a huge day in determining what our future will look like. Scary isn't it?  Funny how time flies. Just four year ago I bawled my eyes out when I found out that Trump actually won the US presidential election. I was truly scared for our future and I still am. 

I'm sure we all know by now that Trump doesn't care about the environment but what has he done specifically to destroy our planet and children's future?

Trump has repeatedly denied that climate change is real. He does not believe in science. This is dangerous because as the US presidential figure, you hold a lot of power and influence. He has publicly stated that he believes climate change is a "hoax."

As a president he has diminished the urgency and importance of our climate crises. He even appointed Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Trump also pulled out of the Paris Agreement as soon as he sat in office. The Paris Agreement is an important agreement to, "cut greenhouse gas emissions to keep global heating below 2C.”

Here are just three out of the 100 things that Trump has done to weaken environmental protection in the US. He cut out the Clean Power Plan which would have put limits to how much carbon emissions coal and gas plants are allowed to emit . He also made oil and gas corporations exempt from reporting how much methane they emitted. He even cut out Obama's order to cut "greenhouse gas emissions by 40% over 10 years."

One of the main reasons why Trump has went so hard on cutting out these regulations that protect the environment is because his campaign has been funded by big oil corporations. Oil pipeline billionaire Kelcy Warren raised $10m for the US president’s campaign. He donated $1.7 Million personally.

Sadly there are only 2 presidential candidates to choose from. It's either Trump or Biden.  To understand how the electoral college system works and why it's like this please watch: We're doing Elections Wrong on Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj (seriously an amazing show).

Here's what Biden is bringing to the table:

1. Put back limits on methane emissions for oil and gas.
2. Net-zero emissions by 2050.
3. Rejoin the Paris agreement.
4. Invest $400 billion in clean energy and innovation.
5. Address the issues surrounding environmental racism.
6. Create 10 million good-paying, middle-class, union jobs in clean energy.

We still have hope! Please vote by going to vote.gov. Here you can figure out when you need to register to vote and how you can vote in your state. Below are some key states that are going to really be the deciding states on what our future will look like. So please if you have friends and family there please explain to them why protecting the environment and our future is so important. Please encourage them to vote this November.