Dogs, dancing, and people power: I made it to the #EnergyExodus after all

Yesterday, I ended up finding the energy to make it to the concluding rally of the Energy Exodus. Due to some last-minute Facebook connecting, I even managed to find a ride.

And I’m so glad I did.

As David Roberts says in his brilliant essay, Hope and Fellowship (which deserves its own post):

When we ask for hope, then, I think we’re just asking for fellowship. The weight of climate change, like any weight, is easier to bear with others. And if there’s anything I’ve learned in these last 10 years, it’s that there are many, many others. They are out there, men and women of extraordinary imagination, courage, and perseverance, pouring themselves into this fight for a better future.

And that’s exactly what I got from the Energy Exodus. Hope, in the form of fellowship with everyone from children to grandmothers. Hope, in the form of dancing.

There was even a dog. Not a golden retriever, but still pretty cute.

Musical interlude: climate justice inspirations

Last night, I went to a climate justice benefit concert with Melodeego, School for Robots, and the Great Whiskey Rebellion.

The Great Whiskey Rebellion–who played a high-energy, incredibly danceable combination of traditional folk tunes, Klezmer, and rock–was by far the stand-out band. If you’re in the Boston or Worcester areas, I highly recommend checking them out!

One of my favorites moments of the evening was when Melodeego played the “Digging Us a Hole,” the powerful and haunting song that they wrote for an anti-tar-sands action in March:

We all sung along, our arms around each other.

Shea, a local climate activist, also performed this amazing rap that he had written for Bill McKibben’s Do the Math tour:

Before the concert, I did some poking around on the internet to find other climate-action-inspiring music. Here are a few of the best songs I found: