Issue 16 — Elder Climate Activists
Issue 16 — Elder Climate Activists
An interview with B. Fulkerson — Third Act’s national organizer
Shortly after I sent my last newsletter, one that was bleaker than usual, I interviewed B Fulkerson, a 63-year-old climate activist. Our conversation, which was originally published in Waging Nonviolence and an excerpt of which has been included below, was optimistic yet realistic and I could see both B's heartache about the climate emergency and their unwavering commitment to make a difference. It was the kind of interview that buoyed me. I hope you enjoy it as well.
In a win for climate justice, the Biden administration announced a pause last week on the approval of new liquefied natural gas, or LNG, terminals in the United States. Long touted as a climate solution by the fossil fuel industry, LNG is better known among activists as “fossil gas,” given its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Although existing LNG facilities remain in operation, most new gas terminals were slated to be built in the Gulf region, where communities of color already bear the costs of environmental racism. While the decision has been listed as one of the Biden administration’s climate accomplishments, it is a huge win for the activists, communities and grassroots organizations that have been organizing and agitating for such an outcome with the #StopLNG campaign.
Among those organizations is Third Act. Founded in 2021 by journalist and environmental activist Bill McKibben, Third Act organizes Americans over 60 years of age in climate and democracy actions. There are 24 location-specific working groups across the U.S. with more in formation — and five affinity groups to harness the talents of lawyers or creatives, for example. For the past several months, Third Act has been involved in the #StopLNG campaign, and were scheduled to undertake three days of nonviolent civil disobedience at the Department of Energy in early February. In light of the Biden administration’s decision, the action has been canceled, but their organizing — especially for the upcoming election — continues.
I spoke with B Fulkerson, Third Act’s national organizer. A fifth-generation Nevadan and a lifelong activist, Fulkerson — now 63-years-old — began volunteering with Third Act in the wake of the Caldor and Dixie fires in 2021. We discussed the organizing that led to this decision, the power of nonviolent direct action, and why it’s important to stop and celebrate success.
Given that the decision arrived before the planned actions in D.C., how has that impacted Third Act’s #StopLNG campaign?
Well, what we’re going to do now is pivot. Our nonviolent direct action trainers are still going to do a deep nonviolent civil disobedience training for our Third Act community in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia areas, where there is some really strong interest. Then we’re going to hold two additional trainings across the country. The idea is to use nonviolent direct action as a key strategy and a tactic in the fight to reduce carbon emissions — and to take on the fossil fuel industry whether that’s Citi Bank or other enemies. Frankly, I’m a little bit disappointed, as it would have been my third time getting arrested in D.C. But you know, what? It’s a good problem to have. Sometimes, as Bill says, the best actions are the ones you don’t have to have.
Prior to the #StopLNG campaign, was civil disobedience part of Third Act’s strategy?
I wouldn’t have come to Third Act if nonviolent direct action was not part of our DNA, and it’s something that we’ve been talking about and knowing we need to have in our quiver for a long time. However, we’re only two and a half years old, so this was going to be the first time we were going to do it as an organization. We also don’t want to suggest that unless you’re getting arrested, you’re not really a climate activist — making phone calls and knocking on doors is just as important. But we know that this is an essential tactic and strategy that we’ll have to employ going forward.
How does Third Act take time to celebrate, reflect or learn from a win like this?
Last night, we had a call with hundreds of our Third Actors and Gulf region frontline leaders. It was pretty emotional and pretty telling about how this is a moment for the Third Act to be in service. There was celebration and there was some debrief involved. On Tuesday, we had our first team meeting since the decision came down and we spent a long time going around talking about what this means and celebrating. We’ve all been part of those groups where it’s like, “okay, we did the thing, let’s move on.” We don’t stop to take a breath, let alone, say “hey, what was the meaning of that experience we had together? Let’s harvest that.” But again, we’re old, we have to stop, we have to rest, we have to look back. At Third Act, we slow down.
Third Act collaborates, backs-up and supports youth-led climate initiatives. How is organizing alongside youth different from organizing those over 60 years of age?
One of our working principles is to be humble and that’s really essential when geezers and boomers come into spaces with youth, especially Gen Z, who are primarily Black, Indigenous and people of color. We carry all our power, privilege, unconscious biases and our unearned advantage of those spaces and want to run the show, but it just does not work. You do a lot more listening when you work with youth, a hell of a lot more listening.
With our Third Actors, people are dying and they’re taking care of their loved ones who are dying. I have hundreds of calls a month, several of them canceled because a loved one has died, or they have to take care of a loved one or go to hospital. It’s a really tender moment in our lives. We don’t have time to waste. There’s a volunteer from Texas who encapsulated it really well. He said, “I just want to go out right.” We know that we’re closer to the exit than the entrance — and not that that makes us any more virtuous than young people, no way, but we don’t want to make any more mistakes. We want to get this shit right before we go.
Read the full Q&A at Waging Nonviolence
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