For Pictures go to http://www.risingtidenorthamerica.org
Asheville, NC Today Asheville Rising Tide’s billionaire bloc descended on Bank of America’s regional headquarters to demand that BoA continue to invest their money in coal. The Billionaires for Coal carried signs reading “More Profit, Less Mountains” and sipped on dirty (coal) martinis to applaud BoA for its funding of mountaintop removal coal mining as well as the new generation of dirty coal plants. The Asheville Police Department did an excellent job of blocking access to the bank entrance and the ATM surely scaring off a number of bank customers.
Two days before, activists with Croatan Earth First! visited three Bank of America branches in Raleigh and Chapel Hill. The activist entered the banks raising a ruckus and handing out fliers to customers until being forced to leave. The motley crew of billionaires then proceeded to demonstrate outside and informing the public of BoA’s dirty deeds. A few weeks before several activists were detained by police in Charlotte, NC (BoA’s hometown) for hanging anti-coal poster’s in the neighborhoods of several BoA executives homes. After intensive interrogation, they were let go without charge (remember kids, never talk to cops).
Bank of America is guilty of funding such notorious human rights abusers and ecological destroyers as Massey Energy, Arch Coal, and Peabody Energy. They have recently handed over heaps of cash to companies such as Duke Energy that is currently building the 800 MW Cliffside coal plant in Cliffside, NC.
I have had BofA checking and Visa accounts for 20 years. I am closing ALL of my BofA accounts this month. I am so excited to see momentum build towards a truly green economy that I am no longer willing to do business with companies slowing the move to a green economy. I will spend my money only with those companies willing to lead the way.
Any company that finances or otherwise assists the coal industry WILL NOT GET ANY OF MY BUSINESS. This is my small part to shift the tide from an economic standpoint.
Oh, yeah. I’m installing solar PV panels on my house to show my local utility company where I want my money spent! I am sizing my new solar array to accommodate the plug-in electric (or possibly hybrid) car that I’ll be purchasing in 2010. Let’s see if the US car companies decide to get in on the green economy…
Go Green!
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