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M AY | J U N E 2 0 1 7 W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G N A T I O N A L N U R S E 17 Florida terrie weeks, rn, is a med/surg night shift nurse at Largo Med- ical Center, in Largo, Fla. Before that, she was an environmental educator and before that, she was a lawyer. It is perhaps no surprise that her legal, environmental, and medical knowledge have culmi- nated in another role to which she has risen: pipeline activist. "This is a huge public health issue," said Weeks of the Sabal Trail pipeline, a recently completed project that pumps natural gas from Alabama, across Georgia, to Florida, threatening the health of com- munities along the way. "The geology up there [along the pipeline route] is 'karst,' which is basically like Swiss cheese. Sink holes pop up all the time. If there was a leak, it would flow right through all that stuff and contaminate the aquifer." Weeks, who has also opposed the Keystone XL pipeline and taken part in other environmental justice campaigns over the years, found out on Facebook about the movement to fight the Sabal Trail pipeline. Feeling it was important to get involved, she spearheaded a nurses' contingent of her coworkers to stand in soli- darity. The nurses made several three-hour road trips to the Sacred Water Camp, near Live Oak, Fla., to drop off supplies to activists who had been taking a stand there. RNs have also rallied closer to home with activists in St. Petersburg. "I found out that NNU was involved at Standing Rock, and I said, 'Well, you know, we've got a pipeline right here,'" said Weeks, who has taken part in conference calls with NNU nurses around the country standing up for environmental justice. "I'm so proud to be part of a profession that cares about this." Weeks points out that in the movement to halt the Sabal Trail pipeline, people of all backgrounds came together as one to stand up for environmental justice. "Some people, you'd never expect to see them together," said Weeks, explaining that north Florida is fairly conser- vative, and some activists lean progressive. But with such a serious threat looming, people united across ideologies and party lines to "put earth first." Even though they were not able to block the Sabal Trail pipeline, Weeks continues to participate however she can and looks toward future divestment actions encouraging people to move their money out of the banks funding the pipeline. She hopes other nurses, and other citizens at large, will stand up, too, and fight for the planet's future, right in their home communities. "These pipelines are being built all over he country; if you do research, you'll find one in your area," said Weeks. "I encourage peo- ple to get informed and get involved because our very lives are at stake."