Activist Survives Two Weeks Without Food During Quest for a Stable Climate

The following commentary was submitted by Ted Glick. 

I’ve done a lot of fasting since my first long one in 1971, 34 days on liquids while in federal prison for draft resistance to the Vietnam war. My latest, 14 days concluded last week on November 21st, was on water only, with salt, potassium and vitamin C to decrease my chances of getting sick or dehydrated.

Like the one prior to this month’s, an 18 day fast on water only in the early fall of 2015, I was outside for much of it, on every work day. In 2015 it was in front of FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in Washington, DC. This year it was in front of the State House and Governor’s office in Trenton, NJ.

I lost 25 pounds on this fast. It wasn’t easy; I was weak from day two and had to be very conscious about how I was feeling, if I was getting light-headed, or if I needed to stop and sit down to regain some strength. My mouth often felt dry, I had digestive discomfort a lot of the time after the first week, and it became harder and harder to drink water; it just didn’t taste good, so it became more like grudgingly-taken medicine than the life-giver that it is.

Being outside made it harder, but it also made it more interesting and likely more effective. We gave out over 2,000 leaflets over the 10 days in Trenton and talked with hundreds of people, most of whom were supportive. This ranged from young, unemployed black men to state police to men-in-suits to young students to government employees to many, many more.

It was good to have that direct, face-to-face connection to this cross-section of the NJ population.

We would often reference the fast when trying to get people to take our leaflet: “We’re on day (whatever) of a two week fast, would you like to know why?” It didn’t always work, but often it did, and you could see in people’s eyes a “you’re doing what?” look.

A sister fast on the same issue, the climate crisis, was also concluded on November 21st, in Asheville, NC.

For me, as an activist, an organizer, a believer in nonviolence, and a person who takes the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth and many other principled revolutionaries down through history seriously, I’ve believed for a long time that fasting, and civil disobedience, are tactics particularly appropriate to the climate crisis issue. It’s an urgent issue that is getting more urgent with every year that passes. I wish, I deeply wish, I pray that these tactics will grow and spread like wildfire very, very soon.

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