Another Victory - Michigan Power Vote - 2 Fossil Fuel Greenwashers

Travel log- Day 1 of the Michigan Campus Wind Storm Tour

The Boss brought a crowd of Obama supporters, young and old, to Eastern Michigan University on Monday. Amidst the sea of Obama canvassers, pin and t-shirt venders, union members, the Michigan Power Vote campaign spread our truly hopeful message of green jobs and climate justice. We however, were not the only energy activists on the scene. After an hour of wildly successful Power Voting, who should show up but the Trojan Horse of greenwash - American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity.

There we were, clad in green hard hats, having conversations about green jobs for a sustainable Michigan economy, reinventing our traditional leadership in manufacturing and industry from the polluting, unsustainable industries that have so destabalized the Michigan economy and damaged our job market, to a stable economy of skilled labor in the new energy economy. And then, farther down the line we hear “Free t-shirts! Come learn about clean coal - everyone is talking about it!” Yeah, everyone is talking about what an oxymoron and bad idea it is.

It was a conundrum. On one hand we had our clearly positive message to spread, pledges to get. On the other, the misinformation campaign had arrived, we couldn’t just ignore them and go on our happy green way. It wasn’t calculated or planned, but a synthesis emerged. I walked with the clean coal group, kindly telling each person hearing their message “This is an industry front group. Clean coal is a dangerous oxymoron, we need real renewable energy solutions, not the same old dirty energy with a new name.” It worked, no one took their shirts or hats. Behind me and the clean coal group came the power voters, gathering pledges left and right from the energized crowd, thanking us for taking a stand. Seeing that we weren’t going to allow this greenwash to go ahead as planned, they retreated to the event parking lot. Sorry clean coal canvassers, nothing personal, but as long as the Michigan Power Vote team is around, there is no getting away with greenwash.

We followed and formed a triangle around the clean coal group so as to ensure that all people passing them had first received a “No Coal” sticker, been alerted to the danger of the coal lobby’s new greenwashing, and heard the Power Vote platform. Following a brief debate on “clean” (dirty) coal vs. investment in immediate and long term renewable energy development infront of a small crowd of concert goers, the clean coal crew fled the scene. Using improvised, positive direct action tactics, we effectively derailed this prong of the coal industry’s misinformation campaign. Be prepared, you never know when they will show up.

Lastly, a word to the wise. Next time you bring the youth climate movement to a big event, have a green jobs and clean energy fact sheet ready to distribute. The ACCCE had an effective “fact” sheet rife with half truths that used the messaging of protecting the environment and more jobs. As we know, coal is the sure fire way to acheive neither of these ends, but in the industry’s dieing gasps, this is what they are saying. Make a fact sheet with the real deal on it. Y’all know what to do.

peace from Michigan

Andrew

(Maryland. Y’all are going down.)