Portraits to be published beginning April 22 2014 (Earth Day)

Tomorrow is Earth Day. For the past few years, I shrugged my shoulders at Earth Day, because it seemed like a futile cause, a green-washed celebration. But after reading several headlines last week about courageous individuals who are fighting with their lives for environmental protection, I realized this attitude of defeat is a reckless and cowardly surrender.  Shame on me.  

So, today, I’m putting aside my cynicism and partisanship for a moment to start a hopeful project.

A lot of people around the world are working to defend the natural resources of our planet at extreme personal risk for themselves and their families. I have started this blog and facebook page to celebrate a handful of the people who have been killed defending the land and oceans over the past decade. Starting tomorrow, I will post the story of one activist a day for 30 days, along with a portrait of each.  

These portraits are likely to be unfinished, hastily written and full of broken facts, due to time constraints. But you could help make them better. I would love for other people to add to these stories. So, I’m soliciting all of you talented and passionate people to add to the project. Seeking writing, art or film contributions, as well as advice and fact-checking from activists. Why? To learn about the people who have died. To tell their stories and see the connections between their sacrifice and our own livelihood here in the U.S. Because “issues” are remote, but people and their stories are harder to ignore. Together we can shine a small light that will grow into a larger awareness and more pressure against abuses of land and water.

This isn't a political issue that should only matter to hippies and liberals.  This is not a project for fringe radicals. This affects any person who has children, who likes clean air and water, who has “liked” a picture of a sea turtle, mountain vista or cute baby, who enjoys seafood and who cares at all about the dignity of all forms of life.

Here are a few of the individuals I will be profiling:

Jose de Silva, Joire Mora, Chut Wutty, Doc Ortega and many others.

Know of someone else that should included? Please email me or leave a comment. 

If interested in contributing a story or portrait, or to ask any questions, please contact Liz Peterson at sundewstudio@gmail.com