So what am I doing to address the climate crisis? How far will I go to defend the earth? What price am I willing to pay for climate justice?
Since 2014, hundreds of people have been arrested while engaging in non-violent civil disobedience to protest the "TMX" Trans Mountain pipeline project. Standing on High Ground: Civil Disobedience on Burnaby Mountain includes twenty-five stories of people who put themselves on the line for climate justice. While some of those arrested were longtime activists, others felt compelled to act for the first time in their lives. Editors Rosemary Cornell, Adrienne Drobnies, and Tim Bray showcase the profiles of Indigenous leaders, academics, faith leaders, political leaders, engineers, artists and writers, scientists, physicians, and ordinary folk from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Their reflections on the protests and their arrests explore our moral duty to future generations, government's collusion with corporate power, the violation of Indigenous Law, and unsustainable worldviews. Climate activists in protest movements such as the one against the TMX pipeline are critical in the existential fight for a sustainable future and habitable planet. They show us that we can all take a stand. Standing on High Ground: Civil Disobedience on Burnaby Mountain includes twenty-five stories of people who put themselves on the line for climate justice.
"While the TMX project may sadly be complete, the movement to block its construction will be remembered as historic. This book provides an important record of what was a transformative struggle, both for the hundreds bravely arrested and for the thousands more for whom this project lays bare the lengths to which the fossil fuel industry and its political defenders will go to force this deadly infrastructure down our throats."
"This collection of essays by two dozen brave and dedicated citizens recounts one of the most significant environmental battles in the history of the West Coast. These pages speak for tens of thousands of people who participated over the years, many of them risking, and enduring, arrest, among many other hardships. Even if the short-term outcome failed to vindicate them, history most certainly will."
"I started reading Standing on High Ground out of a sense of duty but soon found I was feeling a sense of delight-at the creativity, modesty, devotion, and good humour that so many have brought to this fight against the powers that be. I found it incredibly comforting to be reminded how many good people there are, and I'm confident these testimonies will convince many more to follow their hearts and act in defence of creation and in the spirit of human solidarity."
"Standing on High Ground powerfully captures the spirit and resilience of those who stood up for the land, water, and climate against a toxic pipeline the planet can't afford. This anthology is a testament to the bravery and commitment of the many individuals who put their lives on the line and is a stirring reminder that when we stand together, fueled by love and a fierce dedication to our planet, we can challenge even the most daunting of adversaries."
"Standing on High Ground is an important read for many reasons. The succinct history of the struggle against TMX at Burnaby Mountain (with timeline and maps) is very useful. The resisters' powerful stories provide important insight into how people become land defenders motivated enough to undertake civil disobedience and get arrested. Their courage and the creativity of their actions is inspiring."
"These moving and powerful stories of resistance, civil disobedience, and incarceration are infused with a passionate love for the earth and a desire to take this world to a better place. These resisters, Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike, are truth tellers: their courage and sacrifice are inspiring. Their activism is a challenge to those who are indifferent to th
