"Our Future Depends on our Actions Today"

Backbone has had a busy 2 weeks - light projections in 14 cities around the Climate Strike, imagery in multiple cities, a beautiful and successful gala fundraiser, Awards Presentations to some of the best Change Agents in the country, and work on Solutionary Rail, Backbone's project to decarbonize energy and transportation.

Check out this fun video highlighting Backbone's coast to coast actions the week of the Climate Strike!

Awards Dinner & Solutionary Gala

Deep gratitude to the 120 guests who attended Saturday's Solutionary Gala at the Palace Ballroom, as well as all the donors that made the evening a resounding success for staffing up our Solutionary Rail project. We were honored to present Backbone Awards to Dr. David McLanahan (Lifetime Achievement Award), Michelle Seidelman (Protecting the Sacred), Alessandra Mondolfi (Virtuosic Artful Activism), and Phil Ateto (Free Speech Champion), as well as Pramila Jayapal (Our Champion, Leading with Vision) and AG Bob Ferguson ("First Line of Defense"). 

A report on the evening and thank yous to everyone who made it possible is forthcoming! 

If you missed the event and would like to make a contribution to fuel more bold artful activism as well as Backbone's "Yes" Campaign of Solutionary Rail, please donate HERE.  

Solutionary Rail

Rail Bite #5 - SR will cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Our Solutionary Rail Team has compiled Rail Bite 5 on "Solutionary Rail as a solution to Greenhouse Gas Emissions." Rail Bites are easy to digest morsels of info for busy policymakers, educating them on different aspects of electrified freight rail.

Please share this with your elected officials and policymakers working on transportation, energy, and climate - and don't forget to SHARE on social media. Sign up to be a SR Ambassador and keep the momentum building!

On Friday we'll have an Organizing Call - so if you've wanted to jump onboard this exciting visionary project, the time is NOW. RSVP here.

Upcoming Events in Washington State

Saturday, October 12 - JUUstice Summit, a UU Action Network Summit in Olympia.

This year's theme is Intersectionality; Backbone is presenting Artful Activism Tools during the Morning Justice Fair. Check out the brochure HERE.  Register today (online registration closes Oct 5th)

Tuesday, October 15 - NW Power Planning Council Meeting, Seattle. 

Show up to give input on the urgency of breaching the 4 Lower Snake Dams. Help deploy our giant orca and salmon, and get some hands on light projection training, to light up downtown Seattle with messages to Remove the Deadbeat, Salmon Choking Dams.

Thursday, October 17 - The Hate U Give + Poetry Performance, Vashon Island

Join Backbone and the Vashon Island School District and Vashon SURJ for this incredible evening of poetry by Jacqueline Ware and Nakeya Isabell and the film "The Hate U Give".

Saturday, November 16 - Fellowship of Reconciliation Western Washington Retreat, Olympia

All are welcome to attend this gathering, featuring keynote speaker Dahr Jamail (a past Backbone Award Recipient for his work documenting US atrocities in Iraq).  The theme is "Facing Climate and Nuclear Catastrophes: Acting to Protect Life on Earth".  Mark your Calendar and plan to meet Backbone there.