your help needed: crowdsourcing a disaster plan
stunned? overwhelmed? anxious af? look away from the news. i need a hand over here.
i got very, very caught up in shouting about the emerging trainwreck this morning.
IMPORTANT REMINDER!
ranting. is. not. helping.
when the red alert goes off on the u.s.s. enterprise, what do they do?
hint: they do not plug their ears and shout inaudibly to each other about how loud the sirens are.
sure, kirk indulges in the occasional one-word rant.
but then what? does he start pacing around the deck detailing what sucks so much about khan? does he take out his phone to look for updates on khan’s latest iniquities?
no. no he does not. he goes and kicks khan’s ass, and when khan kinda sorta wins post mortem, kirk takes care of his people. he takes. care. of. his. people.
let’s get real about what we’re losing
hopefully i don’t need to tell you what’s happening. if you don’t know the details, skim heather cox richardson’s column from last night. they have a plan. it’s called project 2025.
how about us?
guys! guys! what’s our plan?
this is where you come in. we’re going to crowdsource that shit.
remember: when we get distracted by the news and in-fighting, the bad guys win. look straight into my eyes while i say the next thing.
all this fear and rage and anxiety?
we are going to redirect that energy into positive action—starting now
i’m putting a few ideas below. please use the comments (or email me) to add yours. i’ll update this periodically—hopefully in a better designed, more digestible format. suggestions on format are also great! thank you in advance.
crowdsourced ideas for mutual aid & community resilience
contribute your ideas in the comments or via email. i’ll keep updating it.
general
given how climate change is already going, having a community resilience plan is just common sense. if you didn’t take it seriously before, consider this your chance.
got time? start or expand a mutual aid network in your neighborhood. make sure it doesn’t depend on the internet, or even on having electricity, to function.
got influence? spearhead the creation of a local resilience hub.
got wealth? start a philanthropic foundation that nonprofits can tap into in place of the federal grants they are likely to lose.
got organizing skills? lay the groundwork for an underground-railroad-style network for political fugitives (like people who are threatened with exile for speaking truth to power or are outed by coworkers for being or promoting “dei hires”).
clueless? read these posts by alex wilson about the fundamentals of community resilience. also these ten lessons learned from that winter when the texas grid went down.
food
migrant workers are the backbone of our food system. and the federal government funds many, many food programs targeted by project 2025.
got money? start funding or bump up your funding of local food banks and meal kitchens.
got time? host a food drive, donate meals, or volunteer to distribute food.
got land? establish a community garden. start now for the 2025 growing season.
got skills? teach people to grow their own food or cook meals from scratch.
got a farm? plant staple crops. adopt climate-smart practices.
clueless? borrow a library book about homesteading.
shelter & safety
federal programs that mitigate housing insecurity, fund affordable housing and similar projects, provide fuel assistance, and meet other basic needs are under attack.
got extra clothes, blankets, or tents? stop hoarding them! establish a neighborhood exchange or donate them to an effective local nonprofit.
got a spare room, apartment, or house? rent it out to local people instead of putting it on airbnb.
clueless? learn who is most vulnerable to climate-related hazards so you know where to start.
healthcare
the new administration has already blocked publication of cdc’s most recent work on bird flu and other reports “pending review.” don’t get me started on reproductive healthcare. do get yourself started on contributing more ideas to this list.
got money? stockpile ppe (masks, gloves, etc.), otc contraception (condoms, plan b, etc.), and other essential items for later use throughout your community.
got time? start up or expand the capacity of a free clinic for people without medical insurance.
got medical skills? learn how to provide medical care in the field and under the radar.
able to become pregnant? stop using period apps. stock up on plan b. learn fertility awareness methods and track your cycles with a pencil and paper.
this list is too short and also simultaneously overwhelming. we need to fix both problems. i’m counting on you and yours!
remember: we are in charge of the arc of the moral universe.
also remember: we need frivolity too! somebody send ideas for a frivolity list, ok? here’s some inspiration:
I think we've suffered this disaster in large part because many people think there's a safety net that will catch them, guard rails, gatekeepers who will keep the bad people out; all political decisions are aesthetic, all elections have no more lasting effect on society than a super bowl.
But things do go away. There is no more Rome, no more Byzantium. There are no more dodos, no more Neanderthals.
What I hope people will do is recognize the things they've assumed other people would take care of for them and start taking some of the responsibility on themselves, and I don't mean responsibility just for themselves but for the common good. Vaccinate your kids for the sake of other people's kids. Vote for other people's welfare. Be kind to others so we all can live in a kind society. Prove to others that you're trustworthy so we can rebuild the trust we have lost.
We need each other. Maybe the first step is to remind each other of that.
I think we are going to need our own microtransit. There is a LOT of need to get around and the public options are only getting worse. A few people with vans and a really good organizer could do a lot of transporting people to and from events, work, school, all the things.