skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina s congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Myorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

VA Environmental Group Utilizes Elder Activists' Strengths

play audio
Play

Tuesday, November 29, 2022   

This story is based on original reporting by Elizabeth McGowan for Energy News Network, and is part of the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Service Collaboration

An environmental advocacy group in Virginia has been working to bridge generational gaps. Third Act Virginia began as a group of elder climate activists who found the third act of their lives as part of the fight against climate change. Originally called Elderpower, the group merged with the national climate change advocacy group Third Act.

Bill Muth, co-coordinator of Third Act Virginia, has been fighting for a better environment for years. Recently, he has been working with kids from Open High School and finds empowerment from watching these kids turn their anger into activism.

"It's a very complicated emotional thing to move to activism," Muth said. "You have to first get in touch with your grief and your anger, and then you have to transform it somehow. And, we're not good at that. We're not good at emotions at all. And I'm not talking about kids, I'm talking about us, adults."

One of the core challenges has been making change happen. With the campaigns for banks to put funding toward climate programs, the group was not getting as many signatures as they thought they would. Another issue has been getting people to understand what climate change is, as some people feel it's such a broad topic. In spite of this, Third Act Virginia has been successful since they were one group that got the city of Richmond to declare a climate emergency.

Given his long experience with climate advocacy, Muth has found young people are not necessarily interested in advice from older generations. Instead, young climate activists just want to be heard.

"They want space and resources to be heard," Muth said. They want to be able to go into City Hall and be heard. They want to know when there's new construction happening in their neighborhoods well in advance so they can review the potential impacts."

He is proud of the work young activists are doing and regrets how the Covid-19 pandemic has slowed their work. But, as the world adjusts to life with COVID, he finds activists are working to make up for lost time. Muth added he does not feel he has to inspire younger activists, but he can find people willing to join their cause and help them find resources.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021