Redwood Summer, 1990

For this year’s Earth Day, we take a look back to the year 1990, when thousands of activists congregated in various bases throughout California’s redwood forests as part of the large scale anti-deforestation protest known as Redwood Summer. The event involved various forms of nonviolent protest and civil disobedience, including protesters sitting in front of bulldozers or chaining themselves to trees as well as legal motions for court injunctions against the logging of old growth forests. Redwood Summer sparked conflict with local logging communities, who felt that their livelihood was under attack and showed up with counter-demonstrations. This tension between the protesters and loggers is the focus of Jay April’s piece “Redwood Forest,” which was shot for the award-winning series THE 90’s.

Although Redwood Summer helped raise awareness and had some small victories, logging in California’s redwood forests continues to this day, and many activists have since refocused on expanding and unifying the national parks to help preserve what few forests they can. Unfortunately, the local logging communities also suffered in the years following Redwood Summer as the profitability of timber logging declined. Today, less than 4% of the original redwood forests remain.  

Jay April continues to produce provocative and passionate programming as President and CEO of Akakū Community Television in Maui.

Watch the full THE 90’s episode “The Environment and Our Oceans” at Media Burn Archive.

For more about the 1990 protests, check out “Redwood Summer: Where the 90′s Begin” by Mary Liz Thomson and Tim Pearson, also shown on THE 90’s. The piece includes footage of Earth First! member Judi Bari, who was injured during Redwood Summer when a bomb under the seat of her car exploded. You can watch the episode at: http://mediaburn.org/video/the-90s-episode-206-the-earth-and-the-environment/

Next week is national preservation week! Learn how to take care of your own archive through this free webinar offered by the American Library Association:

Personal Digital Archiving
April 24, 2013
1-2pm Central time.

Increase your understanding of common digital files – digital photos, recordings, video, documents, and others – and learn what it takes to preserve them. Technology changes rapidly. If you don’t actively care for your digital possessions you may lose access to them as some technologies become obsolete. Learn about the nature of the problem and hear about some simple, practical tips and tools to help you preserve your digital stuff.

Presenter: Mike Ashenfelder, Digital Preservation Project Coordinator, has worked for the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program at the Library of Congress since 2003. Mike has a Bachelors degree in Music Education from the Berklee College of Music and a Masters in Music History from San Francisco State University.

For additional information and access to registration link, please go to the following website:

http://www.ala.org/alcts/confevents/upcoming/webinar/pres/042413