Dr. James Hansen calls for Civil Disobedience at the Capitol March 2nd

Today Climate Scientist Dr. James Hansen released a public service announcement calling on all of us to join the Capitol Climate Action (CCA) on March 2nd. If you haven’t heard, it will be the largest protest on Global Warming in U.S. history.

“It’s time to take a stand on global warming,” Dr. Hansen says in the video. “We want to send a message to Congress and the President that we want them to take the actions that are needed to preserve climate for young people and future generations and all life on earth.”

Dr. Hansen is a world renowned-scientist more accustomed to the lab and the library than the picket line. When he sees a problem so urgent that he is willing to take to the streets in protest, we can be sure it means that the government must act.

Some 2,000 people from across the country are expected to join Dr. Hansen at Congress’s own coal-fired power plant in Southeast Washington, D.C. Over 70 public health, faith-based, labor, racial and environmental justice, and climate groups has endorsed the action along with such leaders and figures as Vandana Shiva, Tom Goldtooth, Daryl Hannah, Michael Franti, Bill McKibben, Gus Speth, Reverend Lennox Yearwood, Noam Chomsky, Rabbi Michael Lerner, Paul Hawken, Adrienne Maree Brown, and Wendell Berry. Grammy Award-winning country singer Kathy Mattea will also join the protest and perform.

Coal-fired power plants are largest source of global warming pollution in the country, and the Capitol plant is widely regarded as a symbol of the country’s dangerous reliance on the fossil fuel. Burning coal also cuts short at least 24,000 lives in the U.S. annually, inflicts catastrophic damage to the landscape and water supplies and jeopardizes the lives of coal miners. Furthermore, coal leads to approximately $167 billion in healthcare costs annually and diverts scarce resources away from energy efficiency and clean energy, which create more than twice as many jobs per dollar as money for coal.

RSVP to be a part of CCA and make history now!

5 Responses to “Dr. James Hansen calls for Civil Disobedience at the Capitol March 2nd”


  1. 1 A Fellow Spec Mar 2nd, 2009 at 11:26 am

    Dr. James Hansen, If we were to put your life under a microscope to see how you are preserving the environment in your personal life would you be a hypocrite? You need to critique yourself by asking is is this fear mongering truthful, is this rhetoric of mine more of a religion than a science. Ask yourself is man realy in charge of the elements: water, earth, wind, fire, air, the temperature of the
    earth? Hopfully the majority of man can see you for what you are, and arrogant egotistical punie insignificant little spec on this Gods green earth. The race of man needs to come down off its high horse and humbly recognise we are all creatures dwelling on this earth under the good graces of God not man.

  1. 1 Dr. James Hansen calls for Civil Disobedience at the Capitol March 2nd « praxis makes perfect. Trackback on Feb 18th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
  2. 2 NASA’s Hansen Pushes Capitol Coal Protest - Dot Earth Blog - NYTimes.com Trackback on Feb 18th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
  3. 3 The Understory » Dr. James Hansen calls for Civil Disobedience at the Capitol March 2nd « It’s Getting Hot In Here Trackback on Feb 19th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
  4. 4 RAN needs your help! | ebioant Trackback on Feb 22nd, 2009 at 10:02 am

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About Joshua Kahn Russell


Joshua Kahn Russell is an organizer working to bridge movements for environmental sanity and racial justice. He currently works as Rainforest Action Network’s Grassroots Actions Manager, campaigning to end our addiction to coal and oil. Josh is a strategy and non-violent direct action trainer with the Ruckus Society. He serves on the steering committee of the Energy Action Coalition. Joshua has contributed chapters to several books and is a regular writer for Znet, WireTap, and It's Getting Hot In Here, and his articles have appeared in Yes! Magazine, Left Turn Magazine, Peacework Magazine, Upping the Anti, and Grist Magazine, among others.

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Power Shift '09 ©Robert vanWaarden

Power Shift '09 ©Robert vanWaarden

Power Shift '09 Robert vanWaarden

Power Shift 09 Rally

Power Shift 09 Rally

Power Shift 09 Rally

Power Shift 09 Rally

Power Shift 09 Rally

Power Shift 09 Rally

Power Shift 09 Rally

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