Between the World and Me

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Between the World and Me

It does not matter if the agent of those forces is white or black - what matters is our condition, what matters is the system that makes your body breakable.
— Ta-Nehisi Coates

Difficult truths will crash upon you as you read Between the World and Me. Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote this novel as a letter to his son. Follow along in American history with Coates as he grows up in West Baltimore, attends college in Washington D.C., and has a child in New York. He paints a picture of his youth that is vivid and reveals some of the facets of growing up in this environment. He points out to his son the reality of school, his neighborhood, the streets, and his experience within them. Throughout the novel, Coates relates his experiences with the fact that black people in America lack the autonomy of their own bodies, a privilege many take for granted. He relates the disturbances in the community, his brawls, the culture of the streets, to his and other black peoples’ loss of control of their own bodies. Coates uses his experience to guide both readers of color and white readers into his reality. He is introspective and not pretentious as he carries the reader through his childhood and young adulthood.

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Ta-Nehisi Coates, American author and journalist

The book begins with his own son’s anguish, pain caused by the outcome of the shooting of Tamir Rice. A 12-year-old boy whose body was stolen for carrying a toy gun in Cleveland, OH in 2014. Coates’ son at this point in time is also 12. Rice’s killers were not indicted. This is the same year as the murder of Eric Garner, Tanisha Anderson, and Michael Brown (among many others), and less than 2 years after the murder of Treyvon Martin, another teenage black boy. His son grew up seeing this injustice, and Coates makes a point to connect these tragedies with the history of America and the systematic processes of racism that he himself has experienced. He connects these feelings with his own experiences growing up in Baltimore.

As Coates becomes a young man, he reflects to his son his own emotions about these systems and how his mindset has evolved to address these challenges. Coates attended Howard University. He calls it ‘The Mecca’ in the book as a place of knowledge and mental expansion. He talks about the women he met there, the friends he made, and the overall atmosphere of the campus. He also talks about leaving this bubble and his experiences in Northern Virginia. 

Howard University - A federally chartered, historically Black University in Washington D.C.

Howard University - A federally chartered, historically Black University in Washington D.C.

Like his son, Coates experienced the agony and confusion of the murder of his friend, Prince Jones in 2000. Jones was shot in the back 5 times by an out-of-uniform officer in Fairfax County. The officer had followed him from Prince George’s County. Neither county prosecuted the officer who later claimed a case of mistaken identity as the reason he ended Prince Jones’s life. Coates elaborates on Jone’s death and connects it with the community, families, and perspective of black bodies being taken without consequence. Coates illuminates hard to digest truths about American history. Affluent people, especially white people, have profited from the treatment of black people since the slavery era. This abuse has continued into the present-day systems. Coates emphasizes that the Dream, his own version of the American Dream, does not exist without racist injustice, as material prosperity here in America is inevitably tied to the exploitation of black bodies.

“To be black in the Baltimore of my youth was to be naked before the elements of the world, before all the guns, fists, knives, crack, rape, and disease. The nakedness is not an error, nor pathology. The nakedness is the correct and intended result of policy, the predictable upshot of people forced for centuries to live under fear.”

This is a book about American history. A touching and thought-provoking experience as every parent can attest to the love and best wishes for their own children. “Black people love their children with a kind of obsession. You are all we have, and you come to us endangered.” He wants his son to embrace the fears and realities of modern America. His son cannot forget the tragedy of the black experience which will allow him to remember and respect the past as to not drown within the Dream, a whitewashed experience of American culture. He, like all parents, wants to see a life for their child which is better than that of their own. 

Take your time reading this novel. While the vocabulary is not advanced, the message is introspective and requires time to reflect. White readers may feel uncomfortable, but just as edge zones of ecosystems host the widest variety of biodiversity and growth, so too do our ‘edge zones’ provide an environment to learn and grow. As a white reader, I took 10 pages in, then 2 minutes to reflect. It took me a while to actually get through the book. But this is a book that deserves your time. After its publication in 2015, the message of this book was seemingly ignored with the continuation of the disregard for black bodies. George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Antwon Rose Jr. (and many more), have all died at the hands of police in just this year alone. We can’t have an equitable system if we continue to disregard black bodies. Embracing diverse communities helps not only society but our environment. From Flint, MI to Cancer Alley, LA we can see the connections between the disregard for black bodies and the environment. We cannot leave behind neighborhoods and marginalized community members as we ‘Green Silicon Valley’. Read this book, reflect, discuss it with friends and family.


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Planet Walker

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Planet Walker

Dr. John Francis was coined the name 'Planet Walker' after spending several years walking across the United States to encourage others to find alternative modes of transportation to automobiles. His appreciation for the environment began in his childhood when he would spend his summers working at his uncles’ farm in Virginia without electricity. When Francis was in his 20’s, he witnessed an oil spill in the San Francisco Bay that led him to reconsider his relationship with the petroleum economy and the environment. He felt partly responsible for the oil spill and decided he would no longer use motorized transportation. Francis then began his journey on foot across the United States. 

During his journey Francis found himself arguing with people who disagreed with his decision to stop using motorized transportation. He decided to take a vow of silence for a day because he was worried he was losing his appreciation for differing points of view. After the first day he chose to continue his vow of silence because he realized he had not been truly listening to others and that he learned more without speaking. Throughout his journey Francis took lengthy detours to pursue higher education and received his bachelor's degree from Southern Oregon University, a master’s degree from the University of Montana, and a Ph.D. in land resources from the University of Wisconsin. One of the greatest things Francis learned as he traveled was the role humans played in the environment.

For me, the environment changed from just being about pollution, endangered species and climate change to human rights, civil rights, economic equity, gender equality and all the ways we related to each other. That’s what the environment is. It had to be everything.
— “This Environmentalist Didn't Speak for 17 Years to Learn How to Listen to His Opponents | CBC Radio.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 23 May 2019.
A young John Francis walking across the United States in the 1970s.

A young John Francis walking across the United States in the 1970s.

After 17 years, Francis ended his vow of silence to work with the US Coast Guard. Here he helped write the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 which established new standards for the maritime transportation of oil, contingency planning requirements, and increased penalties for polluters. Today Francis serves as the founder and program director of ‘Planetwalk’, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating environmental literacy curriculum for K-12 students. Francis is also a visiting associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he holds seminars on environmental studies. He also travels around the world to speak on a variety of topics like redefining the environment for the travel industry, and encouraging diversity and inclusivity within environmental organizations. Although he occasionally uses motorized transportation now, no one can question his dedication to fighting for a cleaner environment. In fact, the day after he ended his vow of silence he was hit by a car and convinced the ambulance crew to let him walk himself to the hospital!

Planetwalk’s core mission is the development and coordination of a global network of Planetwalkers.

Planetwalk’s core mission is the development and coordination of a global network of Planetwalkers.

Planetwalk is currently working to create a modular program called ‘Plantlines’ to encourage people of all ages to interact with their environment by going on walks and making observations. The goal of the program is to have people enter qualitative and quantitative observations into a GIS database that can be displayed on a map. Although the program is not finished yet, Francis encourages people to walk around their neighborhood and interact with their community so they can develop an appreciation for their environment and listening. 

To learn more about Dr. John Francis and Planetwalk visit planetwalk.org. If you are feeling inspired and would like to explore San Jose, there are several guided Tree Tours and Urban Scavenger Hunts under the “Other Programs, Home Activities” tab on our website as well!


Sources:

(1) “About John.” Planetwalk, 9 Nov. 2020. planetwalk.org/about-john/. 

(2) Chen, James. “Oil Pollution Act of 1990.” Investopedia, Investopedia, 28 Aug. 2020. www.investopedia.com/terms/o/oil-pollution-act-of-1990.asp. 

(3) National Geographic Society. “Planetwalker: Dr. John Francis.” National Geographic Society, 15 Oct. 2012. www.nationalgeographic.org/article/real-world-geography-dr-john-francis/. 

(4) Petersen, Melissa. “28 Black Environmentalists.” Medium, Medium, 18 June 2020. medium.com/@melpete94/black-history-month-environmentalists-69b16007da8f. 

(5) “This Environmentalist Didn't Speak for 17 Years to Learn How to Listen to His Opponents | CBC Radio.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 23 May 2019. www.cbc.ca/radio/outintheopen/breaking-silence-1.4526352/this-environmentalist-didn-t-speak-for-17-years-to-learn-how-to-listen-to-his-opponents-1.4527401.

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Climate Change Commits 'Treeson'

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Climate Change Commits 'Treeson'

There has recently been a lot of discussion on the impact planting trees can have to mitigate climate change, but have you ever wondered how climate change is affecting trees? Three critical aspects of climate change that are impacting trees are the rising concentration of carbon dioxide, warming temperatures, and the increase in extreme weather events. These factors impact a tree’s growth, health, and ultimately, its chance of survival. 

Plants rely on carbon dioxide (CO2) for photosynthesis, which is why one may think that an increase in its atmospheric levels will increase the productivity of trees. However, research shows that although rising CO2 concentrations may initially benefit plants, the benefits decrease past a certain threshold that results in reduced productivity. This threshold is reached once the rate of rising temperatures exceeds the rate of rising CO2 concentrations. This is important to note considering that current warm temperatures already cause adverse effects towards trees. 

A study conducted in Central Europe found that rising global temperatures have caused trees to experience longer growing seasons. Although these longer growing seasons are allowing trees to grow quicker, the wood is also becoming weaker. It was found that since 1870 the wood density of four tree species has decreased by 8-12% due to warming temperatures and changing nitrogen levels in the soil. Samples taken from these species also showed that their CO2 content decreased by 50%, further showing trees can only uptake a certain amount of CO2 past a certain threshold. Warming temperatures can also alter the seasonal life cycles of harmful insects and enable them to develop quicker and travel further to cause damage to trees as well. The weakening of wood caused by warming temperatures can also allow wood to break more easily and be susceptible to damage from extreme weather events like storms and fires. 

Warmer global temperatures cause a delayed fall - thus a longer growing season for trees (Harvard Magazine, 2019).

Warmer global temperatures cause a delayed fall - thus a longer growing season for trees (Harvard Magazine, 2019).

Extreme weather events like wildfires and floods have caused severe damage to trees in the past and are projected to continue to do so. In 2020 alone, 10.3 million acres of forest in the U.S. were consumed by wildfires. It is predicted that the intensity and frequency of wildfires, as well as storms and hurricanes, will only increase with climate change. This will result in the loss of more forests, as well as a subsequent increase in the amount of CO2 that is released into the atmosphere during wildfires and through decay of trees.Droughts can also increase the risk of wildfires and reduce a tree’s ability to produce sap which takes away its protection against harmful insects like pine beetles.

The 2014 megafires in Canada’s Northwest Territories scorched more than 7 million acres of spruce, pine, aspen and other evergreen trees, releasing 103 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere (NASA / Xanthe Walker, Center for Ecosystem Science an…

The 2014 megafires in Canada’s Northwest Territories scorched more than 7 million acres of spruce, pine, aspen and other evergreen trees, releasing 103 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere (NASA / Xanthe Walker, Center for Ecosystem Science and Society at Northern Arizona University).

While planting trees does help mitigate climate change, it is important to understand that just the action of planting trees alone will not reverse the effects of climate change.

Climate change has brought forth altered precipitation patterns as well as extreme weather events that can damage trees and put stress on them to adapt. Tree lines, which are determined by environmental conditions and represent the edge of a habitat where trees can grow, will change as a result of climate change. If trees can no longer thrive in the changed environment they will die. While planting trees does help mitigate climate change it is important to understand that just the action of planting trees alone will not reverse the effects of climate change. We need to all work towards living a more sustainable life and put pressure on corporations and the government to move towards a more sustainable future, not only for us, but also for the health of our trees.


Sources:

“Climate Impacts on Forests.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 22 Dec. 2016. 19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-forests_.html. 

“Facts + Statistics: Wildfires.” III, www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-wildfires. 

Grace, John, et al. “Impacts of Climate Change on the Tree Line.” Annals of Botany, Oxford University Press, Oct. 2002. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4240388/. 

Harvey, Chelsea. “Balance Between CO 2 and Warming Means Life or Death for Trees.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 28 Nov. 2019. www.scientificamerican.com/article/balance-between-co2-and-warming-means-life-or-death-for-trees/. 

Lakshmi SupriyaAug. 22, 2018, et al. “Climate Change Is Making Trees Bigger, but Weaker.” Science, 22 Aug. 2018. www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/08/climate-change-making-trees-bigger-weaker.



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