Moving Forward Together: Day 24
March 24: Riki Ott, the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill & the Crone’s Call to Protect the Earth
Photo credit: By NatalieMaynor - Flickr: Lunch at Mimi's, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23150389
Disaster is never just about what happens in a moment—it’s about what is ignored, denied, and covered up afterward. When the Exxon Valdez oil tanker spilled over 11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound, Alaska on March 24, 1989, the world watched in horror. The oil coated coastlines, choked marine life, and devastated communities dependent on the sea.
But as the headlines faded, one woman refused to let the story end. Riki Ott, a marine biologist and commercial fisher, became the voice of the people and ecosystems left behind. She transformed personal devastation into a lifelong campaign for justice, accountability, and environmental repair.
The Exxon Valdez disaster is often cited as one of the worst environmental catastrophes in U.S. history. It killed hundreds of thousands of seabirds, seals, otters, and fish, and the damage lingered in the ecosystem for decades.
At the time, Riki Ott lived in Cordova, Alaska, where she worked as both a fisheries scientist and a fisher. She saw her livelihood vanish overnight—and with it, the health of her community. But what began as grief and outrage soon became a movement.
Ott emerged as a fierce advocate for environmental reform, refusing to let Exxon or the U.S. government wash away the consequences.
Ott’s work has focused on:
🔹 Corporate accountability – Exposing how Exxon used legal and financial tactics to avoid paying damages, and how corporations manipulate environmental narratives.
🔹 Policy change – Playing a key role in the creation of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which increased industry liability and improved spill response measures.
🔹 Health advocacy – Bringing attention to the toxic effects of chemical dispersants used in oil spill cleanups, which often cause long-term harm to workers and communities.
🔹 Storytelling and education – Writing Sound Truth and Corporate Myth$ (2005) and Not One Drop (2008) to blend science, activism, and lived experience in ways that empower others.
🔹 Climate justice – Working at the grassroots level to build resilience in frontline communities, push for clean energy, and hold polluters accountable.
Ott has never backed down from naming names, speaking truth to power, or standing in the storm. She is a modern-day Crone—rooted in wisdom, forged by fire, and unafraid to challenge powerful forces to protect what’s sacred.
The Crone is not separate from the land—she is its memory keeper, its voice, its fierce defender. She knows that what happens to the earth happens to us all, and she calls out those who poison the soil, darken the waters, and deny the damage they cause.
Like Riki Ott, the Crone doesn’t accept disaster as fate—she demands accountability, repair, and transformation. She speaks not just for today, but for the generations that will live with the consequences of our choices.
To walk the Crone’s path is to stand for the healing of the earth—to say:
Not one drop more.
Not one lie more.
Not one future sacrificed for profit.
A Spell for Environmental Protection & Corporate Accountability
This spell is for those who feel the weight of climate grief, who are tired of watching corporations exploit the planet, and who want to channel their power into protecting the earth and demanding justice.
What You’ll Need:
A black or green candle (for protection and grounding)
A bowl of water mixed with salt (representing the polluted sea and cleansing)
A small rock or shell (symbolizing the Earth’s resilience)
A slip of paper (to write your environmental commitment or demand)
The Ritual:
1. Light the Flame of Earth Protection
Light the black or green candle, saying:
"This flame burns for the wounded earth.
For the waters darkened, the air poisoned, the life lost.
Let it light the path to healing and justice."
2. Cleanse & Call for Accountability
Dip your fingers in the salted water and sprinkle a few drops around your candle or altar space. Say:
"Salt of the sea, truth of the tide,
Cleanse the lies, expose what hides.
No more silence, no more delay—
Let justice rise like waves in the bay."
3. Write Your Commitment or Demand
On the slip of paper, write a promise to act—whether that’s reducing your fossil fuel use, supporting clean energy, speaking out, or voting for environmental justice. Or write a direct demand:
“Corporate polluters must pay.”
“The earth is not for sale.”
Place the paper under the rock or shell, anchoring your words with the strength of the land and sea.
4. Seal & Carry the Spell Forward
Let the candle burn for a while longer, then snuff it out. Keep the rock or shell as a talisman to remind you:
🌍 The Earth is sacred.
🛡️ Your voice is a shield.
🔥 You are not powerless.
Riki Ott’s fight didn’t end when the oil spill disappeared from the news cycle—and neither should ours. The Crone’s wisdom tells us:
There is no justice without accountability. No future without action.
We move forward together—rooted in history, fueled by resistance, and weaving the future with our own hands.