Today, volunteers with Third Act MD wrote over 300 postcards to voters. Thanks to @ministryofbrewing.bsky.social for hosting us in their heavenly cathedral to beer. We're writing postcards all summer. Go to thirdact.org/maryland/events to find a postcard party near you. @thirdactorg.bsky.social

“Some people think we can wait and, when it gets too bad, then we reduce emissions and things will get better again. People don’t realise that we can’t make it get better again. We can only prevent it from getting much worse.”

‘We can’t make it better again’: what Europe’s wildfires tell us about the climate crisis

In this week’s newsletter: As France and Spain battle huge fires in this summer of relentless heat, will it be enough to spur us to take action?

theguardian.com

"What we’re seeing is a clear sign of the escalating impacts of [human-caused] warming.” "all countries must move faster from fossil fuels to renewables and protect people from worsening climate impacts, from wildfires, to megastorms and floods, to droughts hitting food production.”

‘Extremely scary findings’ show climate crisis is supercharging Europe’s wildfire weather

Latest study says global heating has made hot, dry and windy conditions in Spain at least 20 times more likely

theguardian.com

"the bill comes due" - Maddow Tesla Takedown, Avelo, and mega prison camps noted as other examples of "the bill comes due" At timestamp ~2:45 of video, Maddow showed a 4-photo collage; lower left photo is from our 7/19 Bluesky post (below). Thanks for showing up! www.facebook.com/reel/1594207...

Third Act Maryland@thirdactmd.bsky.social · 3w ago

Some good news. Showing up matters! Here, at Citizens in Rockville, MD in early June.

."the most bipartisan issue since beer"

Are Data Centers Really That Bad?

YouTube video by Robert Reich

youtu.be

"The smoke is here to stay." "there’s nothing we can do to stop wildfire smoke from blanketing cities for a few days every summer — and it’s going to continue for decades to come." "Toronto and other cities are going to have to start preparing for smoke like a regular weather event"

Our smoke-filled future: How Canada must prepare for bigger wildfires, every summer — for the rest of our lives

The wildfires will get bigger, stronger and more frequent — but that’s not to say there’s nothing we can do.

thestar.com

Missed it? Here's the recording: tinyurl.com/mwarbby7

Third Act Maryland@thirdactmd.bsky.social · 3w ago

Third Act Actions Lab, w/ Ruskin Hartley of Dark Sky International (darksky.org) Topic: overpopulation of space with commercial satellites Tuesday 7/21, 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT Register: tinyurl.com/3rp2ytfp

Data Centers & Regulation, July 29, 2 pm PT / 6 pm ET Register: tinyurl.com/ymxrssvn @thirdactorg.bsky.social

#TeslaTakedown Rockville, MD today, we remember all the victims of ICE. From Alex Pretti's mother, on the 6-mo anniversary of his death: "Please never forget Alex and what he believed in ~ equality and peace for all. ... Continue this fight. Never give up ... spend time with those you love”

“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not [on the original planet] anymore!” "climate breakdown is triggering more frequent and more extreme weather events, evaporating soils and waterways, fueling wildfires and leading to thousands of excess deaths. Europe is heating at about twice the global average rate."

More than 200,000 people flee or lock down as wildfires sweep France and Spain

‘Highly unpredictable’ blaze forces evacuation of Cap Ferret on French coast and Spain declares national emergency

theguardian.com

"part of why data centers are so hated is they are externalizing so many costs onto people — from increased public health risks, to higher costs of living, to dangerous pollution" "The fight over AI infrastructure sits at the nexus of ... affordability, democratic resilience [and] climate"

The data center fight is going global

As local communities around the world unite around a shared enemy — AI data centers — a powerful new direction for climate action is emerging.

wagingnonviolence.org

Missed it? Here's the recording: tinyurl.com/s5sv2wsv

Power Democracy GA PSC July 22

This is "Power Democracy GA PSC July 22" by Third Act on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

click.actionnetwork.org

Third Act Maryland@thirdactmd.bsky.social · 3w ago

Power Democracy Webinar July 22, 2026, 6:00 pm ET / 3:00 pm PT "Who really powers democracy? The rules for your power bill, the grid, and clean energy are set by people you've probably never voted for." thirdact.org/events/power...

The disconnect of humans from nature that they are a part of and depend on is the fundamental reason for much of the problems that "modern" society has, including, of course, the climate crisis. We need more, not less, of these invaluable, preserved lands.

National Monuments Petition | Grand Canyon Trust

Sign the petition to show your support for all national monuments and for protecting monuments from mining and drilling.

grandcanyontrust.org

Webinar exploring how Public Utility Commissions shape many of the key decisions surrounding data center development and how communities can have a voice in the process. Wed., July 22, 12 noon - 1 pm EDT Register: luma.com/hhn-wy1n

Public Utility Commissions 101: Understanding Utility Regulation & How It Fits Into Your Data Center Fight · Zoom · Luma

As data centers place growing demands on our electric grid, many of the biggest decisions about who pays for new infrastructure, how much energy is needed,…

luma.com

“It’s the entirety of the federal grant-making process. Healthcare, education, social services, environmental protections – it’s way, way beyond just research.”

Rightardia@rightardia.bsky.social · 2w ago

"Trump’s OMB quietly proposed a more than 400-page overhaul of the federal grant-making process . . . 'The proposal would put nearly $1tn in grant-making into the hands of political appointees by October."

“This report clearly shows that instead of delivering promised safety improvements, pipe replacement programs are driving rate hikes and locking customers into polluting fossil fuel infrastructure for decades to come.” - @emilyscarr.bsky.social, Maryland PIRG static1.squarespace.com/static/66709...

Bulldozing America's Front Yard, virtual Park Talk Tues., July 21, 7:00 pm ET RSVP: tinyurl.com/mvvkf4nf

“Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a fine initial act of insurrection." - Rebecca Solnit, Hope in the Dark

“Ode to Joy”

A Reason To Smile

open.substack.com

Some good news. Showing up matters! Here, at Citizens in Rockville, MD in early June.

Raider@iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social · 3w ago

Citizens Bank to cut ties with CoreCivic and GEO after a fierce public pressure campaign

Through the smoke darkly? Perhaps, but definitely making trouble--the good kind--at #TeslaTakedown Rockville, MD this morning. AQI was up there in the red, but folks still showed up--most w/ masks. As one of them said, "bad air is the least of my concerns."

“the climate-driven smoke deaths result in economic damages that exceed existing estimates of climate-driven damages from all other causes combined in the U.S.A” "what other tail risks and airborne surprises, ... what else we don’t know enough about to ask"

David Roberts@volts.wtf · 3w ago

We didn't previously integrate wildfire-smoke costs into the supposed cost of climate change for the US, and it turns out to be bigger than all those other costs combined. Oops! Gosh I wonder if we're underestimating anything else. Probably shoulda done something about this. Ah well.

It’s smokey in Bmore & across MD today. Wildfires in Canada are sending clouds of smoke our way. Trees are going up in flames. And animals are dying and losing habitat. All this can make you feel hopeless about climate change. We create hope through action. Join us! thirdact.org/maryland/join

"While ... carbon sequestration projects could be secondary tools to help contain global warming, ... main focus must be on urgent and deep cuts to fossil fuels" "risks of carbon storage include earthquakes, water table contamination and potentially deadly carbon leaks"

‘Huge wave’ of carbon storage projects causes alarm in small-town USA as oil firms eye billions in subsidies

Dozens of projects are in development across US despite concerns over environmental and health risks

theguardian.com

"While overall area burned is the climate-linked trend, who breathes the smoke on a given week in July is mostly driven by the weather."

Canada's boreal wildfires aren't just bad forest management

Higher fire season temperatures are strongly correlated with increased area burned

open.substack.com

Mass firings. Exposed personal data. Critical agencies gutted. Life-saving international aid cut. DOGE wasn’t efficient - it was reckless. 🚨Tell lawmakers to investigate and hold them accountable. #InvestigateDOGE Take action: tinyurl.com/3mvk84n4

Power Democracy Webinar July 22, 2026, 6:00 pm ET / 3:00 pm PT "Who really powers democracy? The rules for your power bill, the grid, and clean energy are set by people you've probably never voted for." thirdact.org/events/power...

"Maryland's Plug-In Solar Law lets any residential electricity customer install one portable solar energy generating system per meter, up to 1,200 watts, that plugs into a standard 120-volt outlet ..."

"water use, electricity demand and carbon emissions are tightly linked. Optimizing one often means worsening the other. And almost no one outside of the companies has enough information to assess the impacts — because the industry rarely shares details about its processes."

AI’s no-win choice: Using huge amounts of water or energy

Tech companies face a fundamental choice with no winning answer for keeping data centers cool.

eenews.net