The Connecticut River Defenders is a grassroots group of environmental and social justice activists dedicated to protecting the Connecticut River ecosystem. 🌊 They specifically focus on opposing the Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Station, which they argue harms fish and forces the river to run backward to generate profit for corporations. 🚫 In the business world, they act as a vocal accountability force—they demand that utility companies like FirstLight are not granted long-term licenses and pressure regulatory agencies to stop "entanglements" with big energy. ✊ Instead of traditional deals, they advocate for "Land Back" initiatives, pushing to return river lands to Indigenous peoples like the Western Abenaki and Nipmuc to ensure a healing and sustainable future for the water. 🦅✨