Activism nowadays in the United States comes in huge battles, always surrounded by legions of cops. Black Lives Matter, #metoo, Standing Rock, Abortion Rights. The Times only writes about protests they can see from their windows on Times Square.

Local activism is covered (if at all) by social media and that most sophisticated media of all: the talking and listening of people. But here is the question for activists who are trying to get the carcinogen Glyphosate out of the spraying program of a local park… what did we contribute when we're marching with 300,000 tweeners shouting Greta! Greta! when the young Swede greeted us at NYC’s city hall.

Our work centers in a weekly secular gathering called The Earth Church. It’s an unrented bank branch given to us temporarily by a East Village realtor. The main room fits about 80 of the faithful. Our address is near the chain-sawing of 700 trees by big money forces in Lower Manhattan, the killing of East River Park. Coveted by investors in luxury towers, with those river views, the corrupted city politicians adopted “climate mitigation” by cutting down a forest (what?) and plan to erect a ridiculous (and hopeless) sea wall.

As we defend our trees with singing, testifying and tree-hugging every time a chainsaw wielding macho man approaches, we always have under our arm “The Hidden Life of Trees, what they feel, how they communicate”.

We are arrested every few weeks but the jail is on the same street as the church and we go back and forth and back, a cycle that we have become accustomed to: SING TREES JAIL SING TREES JAIL SING…

Our modest-scaled efforts are over-shadowed by the anticipated arrival of the fire and flood of the 6th Extinction. It is clear to us that the Earth will turn culture upside-down and inside-out. The present domination by self-dealing elites will not survive long. We discuss this as we talk with the trees.

In parting, here are the lyrics from one of the songs we have sung to the doomed trees along the river. I don’t know if they find these words a comfort or not. The song is called “Death Makes the Sun Rise”

Extinction is real. Extinction is here.
We better say I love you before we disappear

Extinction number six. One two three four five.
Do something to remember if someone does survive

Oh - our hearts are beating. Now I know why
On the living earth, there is no goodbye…

Let go of the myth. Extinction will surprise.
Now we can really love. Death makes the sun rise

Death makes the sun rise!
Death makes the sun rise!

The Earth Church, with the 30-voice Stop Shopping Choir and Rev Billy, holds forth each Sunday at 5 pm, at 36 Avenue C & East 3rd St, northeast corner - in lower Manhattan's East Village.