Dear Friend of the Journal,

Around this time last year, I made a commitment to readers of this newsletter to keep publishing and defending the truth. I wrote:

“Autocrats thrive on fear and exhaustion. If we give in now, they win. We’ve fought too hard for too long to throw in the towel. We owe it to ourselves and our fellow beings to keep moving forward, to continue watchdogging those in power, even when the future seems bleak.”

A year later, I’m heartened by how, despite being anxious and exhausted, people have stood firm in the face of threats to their communities. In Tucson, Arizona, locals rallied to block a new data center from guzzling their water. In Chicago, Illinois, people equipped with nothing more than whistles faced down armed, masked federal agents stalking their neighborhoods. In South Dakota, Native American tribes and environmental groups came together to fight yet another mining boom. People kept moving forward despite their fear.

As people resist authoritarianism, we need independent publications like Earth Island Journal that amplify their voices — that don’t shy away from speaking up against bullies, be they presidents or corporations. Can we count on your help to keep at it?

This year, we reaffirm our commitment to stand up for people and the planet in 2026 and beyond. Here’s how:

• We will publish and defend the truth: Our job is to marshal the facts to make a passionate argument for defending Earth. Truth is fundamental to a democratic society, even more so when bad actors flood the airwaves with propaganda.

• Putting people first: Environmental and social justice issues cannot be untangled from one another. The Journal will continue to go the extra mile to show how real people are standing up to defend their communities from the sprawling threats of climate disruption, pollution, authoritarianism, and more — while shedding light on how these challenges intersect.

• Our stories help you find your lane: The fight for the planet has many opportunities for action, from taking to the streets to writing your representatives to pushing for change at the local level. We’ll keep bringing you inspiring stories and avenues for engagement from across the global environmental movement, so you can decide where you can have the biggest impact.

Quality journalism is getting harder and harder to access even as our lives get more and more media-saturated. Meanwhile, instead of supporting community discourse and an informed populace, oligarchs are buying well-respected media outlets like The Washington Post and CBS News and seeking to turn them into pricey megaphones for the rich and powerful.

Unlike those publications, we don’t gatekeep access to information. On our website, people can access the fact-based, trustworthy journalism they need, regardless of their ability to pay for a subscription. As a mission-driven journalism nonprofit, we publish our articles without a paywall.

This would not be possible without donations from generous readers like you.

Thank you for supporting independent, people-powered journalism. Enjoy some rest as the year comes to a close. Take care of yourself and the people you trust. We need each other.

Regards,