February 25, 2021 was an amazing day for water and for Waterspirit! We have three great pieces of news to share:
First, a full, permanent ban on fracking in the Delaware River Basin was put in place yesterday. This is historic, and it is a cause for celebration! Please join in celebrating water with your family today at 4PM with Clean Ocean Action’s 37th birthday followed by Delaware Riverkeeper’s Watershed (Fracking Ban) Happy Hour at 6PM!
All the water that exists on Mother Earth has always been here and will always be in one form or another. Water is both the precursor for life and necessary for sustenance and survival. In this way, those of us living today are all connected to our ancestors in our relationship with water. Water is-- as the first peoples share-- the first medicine. Water is life.
Resulting from the tireless efforts of people who care for this part of creation, Mother Earth prevailed. This consistent demonstration of courage and storytelling on the part of Water Protectors for the past 10 years was impassioned and personal. Today, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) demonstrated courage, too. Thank you to Governor Phil Murphy, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Governor John Carney and Governor Tom Wolf and the Army Corps of Engineers representative for President Biden!
I am proud to have been part of the group that descended on Delaware to educate citizenry and bird dog then New Jersey Governor Christie, alumnus of University of Delaware, conveniently speaking there before the vote nobody knew about a week prior. 10 years later I am finally capable of delivering to my children the absolute goal of a full fracking ban which came from a focused and unrelenting coalition.
Second, crucial water protections were introduced at the federal level yesterday. The 2021 People’s Water Project Coalition backed Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity and Reliability (WATER) Act was introduced in both the House and the Senate. This legislation would:
· Provide $35 billion a year to drinking water and wastewater improvements;
· Create up to nearly 1 million jobs across the economy and protect American workers;
· Prioritize disadvantaged communities with grants and additional support;
· Expand technical assistance to small, rural and indigenous communities;
· Dedicate and increase grants for indigenous communities;
· Fund projects to address water contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS);
· Help homeowners replace lead service lines;
· Provide more than $1 billion a year to update water infrastructure in public schools;
· Upgrade household wells and septic systems; and
· Promote safe, affordable, publicly controlled water for all.
Waterspirit is proud to be a founding member of the People’s Water Project, and we are eager to continue our effort to ensure clean, safe water for all through measures like the WATER Act.
Finally, the United Nations featured WATERSPIRIT’s eco-anxiety support groups among their Climate Action Stories. These groups promote climate resilience and education while strengthening our capacity for effective advocacy. Processing feelings and making meaningful action together in group is formative toward personal resilience. Knowledge is power. WATERSPIRIT’s next offering of a 10-Step Eco-Anxiety support group begins with a virtual informational session March 2, 2021. Register here to learn more.
Water can be our greatest connector if we allow ourselves the ability to enact preventative policies. Onwards!
By: Rachel Dawn Davis, Public Policy and Justice Organizer