Author Archives: Ed Fallon

Steyer, COP25, and DAPL

Posted on by

Regardless of who you’re supporting for president, check out my interview with Tom Steyer. It’s encouraging that Steyer’s top priority is climate change and that he’s had a strong track record over the past decade working to mobilize Americans to take action.

My second guest on this week’s program is Thomas Linzey with the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund. More and more cities are passing local ordinances protecting their communities and natural resources against polluters. But what happened in Florida recently is the first time a political party has adopted a resolution protecting the “rights of nature.” Continue Reading →

Climate Crisis Parade challenges mainstream media

Posted on by

A coalition of 37 organizations just announced a major climate initiative, to be held a couple days prior to the Iowa Caucuses. Scheduled for Saturday, February 1 at 12:00 noon, the Climate Crisis Parade calls out the mainstream media for ignoring the urgency of the climate crisis.

Here are three things you can do:
1. Join the effort on Facebook and share it with others.
2. Sign-up to participate through Eventbrite and we’ll keep you posted with updates.
3. If you’re with a group that would like to join the coalition, email communications@climatemarch.org or call 858-35-MARCH (858-356-2724). Continue Reading →

Court fails to understand urgency of climate crisis

Posted on by

Last week, a Polk County District judge ruled against the Climate Defenders Five, finding us guilty of misdemeanor trespass in our protest against President Trump’s abject denial of climate science during the president’s visit to West Des Moines in June.

With all due respect, the Court completely failed to understand the growing urgency of the climate emergency, and thus the necessity justification of our defense. My fellow defendants, Channing Dutton (our attorney), and I feel pretty strongly that the Court erred. Will we be filing an appeal? Hell yes! Stay tuned. Continue Reading →

Did a climate champion emerge from last night’s “debate?”

Posted on by

During the fifth Democratic “debate,” Big Media again reminded us why it is culpable in enabling humanity’s blind rush toward climate chaos. As was the case in the previous three debates, climate got short shrift.

Despite that, several candidates found opportunities to highlight the urgency of the crisis, inserting it into non-climate questions. Continue Reading →

Paradise, CA one year after the fire

Posted on by

Kendra Walters is a friend from western Iowa who has spent many summers in Paradise with her family. A year ago, the worst wildfire in California history devastated Paradise. Kendra has shared with me her family’s perspective on that trauma, and regularly updates me. Here’s a bit of what she’s shared:

“‘Then traffic stopped. The fire was so bad that both sides of the road were fully ablaze and covering the road with flames. I touched my window and the glass was so hot it burned my fingers. I called my boyfriend in case it was the last time I heard him talk. He tried to keep me calm, but I could hear he was scared, too. I screamed for traffic to move and honked and begged the drivers to start moving. I sobbed as I sat in the flames and realized I might not make it out. Continue Reading →

Sheila Knoploh-Odole for City Council

Posted on by

A whole lot of fine candidates have thrown their hats into the ring. But one candidate stands out: Sheila Knoploh-Odole. 

Why Sheila? She’s the only candidate laser-beam focused on creating local strategies for climate resilience. You’ll hear a lot of talk from candidates about potholes, and sure, that’s important. But potholes aren’t a threat to human existence. Sheila discusses potholes, water, housing, immigration, and mental health — but she connects these issues to the existential threat of climate change. Continue Reading →

Understanding the Syrian conflict

Posted on by

No foreign policy morass is more complicated, nor more tragic, than Syria. Michel Younadam, a good friend from Homs, Syria, joins us on this week’s Forum to discuss the state of affairs in his homeland.

According to a United Nations report, “5,000 people flee Syria every day, and 28% of its population has now been driven from their homes. There are now 9 million Syrians who have fled, and 6.5 million who have been displaced but stay in the country.” Continue Reading →

Alaska’s inaction on climate taken to court

Posted on by

On this week’s Fallon Forum, I interview Kat Haber and Bob Shavelson. Kat was a participant in the 2014 Great March for Climate Action, and remains vocal and active on a number of climate fronts. Bob is an attorney, and his two daughters are plaintiffs in the Sinnok v. State of Alaska lawsuit.

The suit was filed by sixteen young Alaskans against the State of Alaska, Governor Dunleavy, and five state agencies. The lead plaintiff, Esau Sinnok, lives in Shishmaref, a small coastal community that has seen extreme erosion in recent years due to climate-induced ice melt. Continue Reading →

Iowa Climate Defenders Five go to trial

Posted on by

“Given the absolute urgency of the climate crisis and our concern about a million species that will soon be extinct if we don’t act to reverse this crisis immediately, we felt totally justified to be there and to confront Republican donors and the president himself to take action to address climate change, before it’s too late,” said Miriam Kashia of 100 Grannies for a Livable Future, one of the five arrested. Continue Reading →