Generating Energy For Change - FCAC Updates for July 2023
Summer’s peak is upon us, and in its frenetic energy, our coalition has kept a powerful momentum, with action after action building a powerful current that energizes our work. We started our summer with a celebration of our wins and demands for more at the Rally for Renewables at the GVEA annual meeting, where we expressed gratitude for the steps GVEA has taken and voiced our demands for the next steps needed to achieve a future of renewable energy and climate justice. Our community has faced moments of deep frustration, like when the majority of our elected borough leaders failed to pass a robust and ambitious climate action and adaptation plan, despite a momentous outcry from their constituents. But we’ve also seen the deep joy and power of storytelling, as FCAC’s Interfaith Working Group and Native Movement collaborated on the Faith in Action film series from Deenaadàį' Productions, exploring how spirituality is called upon to motivate action around climate change, food insecurity, and threats to cultural traditions. Most recently, our community showed up as a powerful force for change, when we partnered with Alaska Public Interest Research Group to rally and fill the courtroom at the Alaska Supreme Court in Anchorage, supporting the city of Valdez, and demonstrating to the justices that Alaskans have a vested interest in whether or not Hilcorp has the financial ability to manage BP’s assets.
Our celebrations have reminded us of the optimism we hold and amplify our vision for the future. Recent moments of frustration have fed our passion, the stories we heard inspired us and grounded us, and our actions demonstrated our power.
It’s time to rejoice in how far we’ve come! We are delighted to take this time to joyfully celebrate with you! We hope you’ll join us for the FCAC Summer Celebration, Sun Jam!
On July 15th, we'll be celebrating all things renewable energy... Especially the big wins and big community organizing work from the FCAC Renewable Energy Working Group! Join us at Griffin Park from 2 to 5 where we'll have live music, games, food, raffle prizes, and lots of information on renewable energy!
Call for Volunteers!
We do need some help making the event happen- we're looking for volunteers to set-up, clean-up, run the grill, etc. If you're available, feel free to add your name to our volunteer sign-up here. Email our member organizer, Sarah Furman if you have any questions at sarah@fbxclimateaction.org
We're going to have BBQ staples, but we're also asking our community to show up potluck style for side dishes if they can! We invite you to add your name to our potluck sign-up! Even if you don't sign up, feel free to bring a dish. The sign up just helps ensure a little bit of diversity.
If you haven't done so already, please RSVP on the Facebook Event and invite your friends, or give us a boost on Instagram by liking, commenting, or share one of our posts about the event on your Instagram stories!
Hilcorp Rally Recap
On June 28th, Alaskans made history as over seventy individuals spent the day holding corporations and regulators accountable as the Alaska Supreme Court heard oral arguments in City of Valdez v. Regulatory Commission of Alaska. Staff and volunteers from FCAC, along with our partners at Alaska Public Interest Research Group (AKPIRG), worked for months on a campaign that educated the public on the complex case between Valdez, the RCA, and some of the world’s most wealthy and powerful oil companies, culminating in a powerful rally outside the courthouse in Anchorage, that featured the sharing of stories and experiences in this fight.
In the courtroom, the legal representation for The Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA), a state agency, teamed up with oil industry lawyers representing Hilcorp and BP, who all maintained that keeping all Hilcorp assets confidential is simply normal procedure. The Justices must call out the RCA’s decision to keep this information private, and make a precedent-setting decision that makes it transparent who pays for the decaying fossil fuel infrastructure in the state. Robin Brena, legal counsel for Valdez, summed up the key issue, “the courts don’t know, I don’t know, we don’t know as the public…there has never been a transfer of assets of this scale, and Alaskans do not know if Hilcorp, a Texas-based private company, has even $1000 in its bank account.
AKPIRG and FCAC now look to the court to hold the RCA, Hilcorp, and BP accountable to Alaskans and set the precedent that decisions regarding the energy future of Alaska must be transparent. Whilst we await the judges' decisions, we ask that our members keep fighting for an equitable future that doesn't rely on extractive industries.
If you haven’t done so already, please sign the petition to ensure Hilcorp pays their share of taxes and to end fossil fuel subsidies in Alaska!
Exciting Developments in our Interfaith Work!
Since the beginning, FCAC’s Interfaith Working Group has been doing critical work in our community of bringing healing into our movement for climate justice. Over the last few years, we’ve had the opportunity to expand upon this work through funding from Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) in order to use mini-grants to help faith communities undertake earth and community stewardship projects, and to help create a series of filmed interviews showcasing Fairbanks area faith leaders and how their faith informs their work.
Now, we have an opportunity to expand upon this work in some really exciting ways, since we’ve been selected as one of 32 grant recipients nationwide of the Healing Starts Here initiative. We are so excited to be a part of a nationwide network of other groups bringing healing into our communities, and we can’t wait to invite you along for all the next steps that come with this opportunity. Read our recent blog post to learn more about where we’ve been, and where we’re planning to go next.
Welcome the newest members of our staff!
Emma Sulczynski (she/her)
Policy & Politics Organizer
Emma was born and raised on Denai’ina lands in Homer, Alaska, where she spent most of her time hiking, reading, and exploring. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s in Political Science at UAF with a hope to get involved in policy and climate advocacy as a career in the future. Before joining FCAC in Fairbanks, Emma had experience with climate justice and advocacy through Alaska Youth for Environmental Action, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Resilience and Security Advisory Commission, and the Alaska Association of Student Governments. She is passionate about environmental stewardship, sustainable practices, upholding Indigenous sovereignty, and building a just, equitable future for all. When not in school or working, you can find her out on the trails, doing yoga, or working on her latest knitting project.
Nels Christensen (he/they)
Regenerative Economies Organizer
Shared position with Tlaa Delendel Community Group
Nels was born on Kumeyaay Lands in San Diego, CA where they resided for several years before permanently moving home to Fairbanks, known as Tanan in the Gwich’in language.
He began volunteering with FCAC’s Keep It IN The Ground working group in the spring of 2022 before joining forces with Tlaa Delendel Community Group in Nenana to create a learning center based on sustainable agriculture and traditional ecological knowledge. He seeks to coordinate conversations around food security and Indigenous sovereignty with the intent of establishing food hubs across the state to provide affordable and healthy produce to rural and urban areas.
Nels is Denaakk’e and Gwich’in Athabascan with ancestral ties to the village of Gwichyaa Zhee, formerly known as Fort Yukon.
nels@fbxclimateaction.org
Sarah Furman (she/her)
Member Organizer
Sarah grew up in the northeast on Wampanoag and Lunape lands. She moved to Lower Tanana Dene Lands in 2011 and fell in love with the land and people here. Spending several years organizing around economic justice issues in the labor movement and climate issues with the KING working group, she brings a drive for building collective power to dismantle oppressive systems. Sarah is passionate about fostering community and is looking forward to expanding spaces for members to heal and connect. She values her relationship to the land, which she explores through hiking, skiing, gardening and making plant medicines. Other than that, Sarah spends her time studying Ayurvedic medicine, cooking and adventuring with her two sweet, fluffy sled dogs.
sarah@fbxclimateaction.org
