It’s Getting Hot In Here

9 days of training, service and action
for environmental justice in the coal fields
9 more nails in the coffin of dirty coal!

In less than five weeks, you’ll have a chance to get totally plugged into the growing movement to end mountaintop removal and bring justice to the coal fields. Come to Eastern Tennessee, March 7-15 for Mountain Justice Spring Break, where we will share the skills and knowledge needed to fight back against dirty coal. This will be an amazing opportunity to meet and join the good people who make up Mountain Justice, gain grassroots organizing skills, and learn the dirty truth about coal, with your own eyes. Stand up and take action at the site of the TVA coal ash disaster and stand in solidarity with the impacted communities.

You can visit mjsb.org right now and register for what is bound to be a life-changing experience.

Continue reading ‘Mountain Justice Spring Break 2009!’

On March 2nd, people from all over the country will converge on the Capitol Power Plant in Washington D.C. for the largest mass civil disobedience against global warming in U.S. history. The Capitol Climate Action will be the loudest call for a clean energy revolution ever made.

But what about those people who can’t make it to D.C. that day?

Well, Greenpeace is asking people to host house parties on February 12th in support of this historic event. It’s a great way for those who can’t make it to D.C. to get involved. Here’s what will be happening at the events:

1. People will join an exclusive conference call with Mike Clark, interim executive director of Greenpeace USA, and Matt Leonard, Capitol Climate Action coordinator, to get the inside scoop on the action itself.
2. People will find out how to get more people from your community involved.
3. And people create personalized pinwheels, symbolizing clean power, for use on March 2nd.

You can sign up here to host or attend a house party on February 12th in your community.

Let’s make History!

Por fin, un líder norteamericano que no solo dice que el medio ambiente es una prioridad, pero que está mostrándolo también. Obama ya ha empezado, o tratado, de deshacer las actividades negligentes de su predecesor en los pocos días como presidente. Pues el vecino de los EEUU, Canadá recién tuvo elecciones también. Entonces poseemos una pregunta: ¿Los canadienses pueden esperar cambios progresivos también?

¿Por qué no? No es como el gobierno canadiense nunca siga el gobierno estadounidense…a ver, sí el gobierno canadiense casi siempre siga el gobierno estadounidense. Los EEUU no respetan este acuerdo internacional—pues, no lo respetemos tampoco o Los EEUU no protegen este especie—pues, no lo protejamos tampoco o Los EEUU no quieren regular su emisiones de carbón—entonces no tenemos que regular las emisiones nuestras tampoco. ¿En serio? Como una canadiense, estoy avergonzada que a veces no puedo diferenciar entre las dos administraciones.

Pero…regresando al tema… Continue reading ‘Cambios Climáticos y Cambios Políticos’

*** UPDATE: Check out the amendment here via TalkingPointsMemo.com *** 

 The Senate version of the stimulus bill was already heading in the wrong direction when “nuclear happy” representatives snuck in $50 billion in loan guarantees for dirty energy projects, but the upcoming Nelson/Collins amendment is the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

In addition to lavishly cutting spending on essential projects, it is expected to maintain tax cuts intact, essentially inverting the cuts-spending ratio established in the house bill.
Continue reading ‘Strip the Nails from the Stimulus Coffin’

Congressman Ed Markey, Chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, and the new chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment, contributed some thoughts to the National Teach-In press release, and enthusiastically supported student and youth efforts to have a say in Congress’s energy decisions this year:

“Now is the time for student leaders to speak up in the fight against global warming. Congress is poised to write climate legislation that will grow our economy, create millions of green jobs and protect our planet for generations –the National Teach-In gives students around the country a seat at the table.”

However, we did NOT expect this:

Other videos by Senator John Kerry, Senator Herb Kohl, and Representative Mike Doyle are HERE.

Welcome to my new office: The Hub Halifax. I’ve been here three days.

It’s a cooperative, open-concept, office space – a concept originating in the UK, and taking root in Halifax, Nova Scotia because of four dedicated individuals: Sera Thompson, Tracy Boyer, Joanne Macrae and Rob MacArthur.

The Hub is being built hour-by-hour and day-by-day, but not without careful thought and planning to have as light an impact on the earth as possible. Materials were run by the ideal criteria before purchased: Reused, made of recycled content, recyclable or biodegradable, made or sold locally, design and function.

Continue reading ‘I can eat the floor tiles at work’

Alright Folks, as you know, it’s 2009 and it’s GO-TIME. We need all hands on deck, we need as many of you out there as possible doing whatever we can all over the world. I know what you’re saying, “but John, I work and I barely have time for this!”

You’re in luck! What if activism wasn’t just a volunteer option, what if it was how you worked? THEN you would have LOTS of time for it. Well, one of the leading organizations in the fight to save the climate is Greenpeace and they are HIRING! I currently work as a field organizer, and we’re looking for more.

Check out the job description here: http://members.greenpeace.org/survey/start/113

Join Greenpeace in stopping global warming!
This is a great opportunity to keep building our movement!

The Capitol Climate Action on March 2 in Washington D.C. is looking good these days, really good. It’s the mass direct action being organized by Rainforest Action Network, Greenpeace, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, the Ruckus Society and many others in Washington D.C. at the Capitol Coal Plant.

Momentum has been building and we’re seriously seeing the effects of our organizing and outreach take root. We have organizers in communities and on campuses all over the country working to bring people to Washington D.C. to participate in this historic event. Non-violence and peace-keeper trainings are happening from coast to coast. Phone-banking, emailing, social networking and just good old pounding the pavement are being utilized to make this the most kick ass mass global warming direct action in U.S. history.

Some hightlights from our recent work:

• Media. Yesterday, the Capitol Climate Action’s first press release went out with a statement by climatologist James Hanson. Lots of major media are taking great interest in this story. Watch for more, it’s only going to get better.
• Blogosphere. The blogosphere has heated up with Capitol Climate Action. It’s popped up on Wall St. Journal blog, Watthead, Huffington Post, Daily Kos, SF Chronicle and Treehugger.
• Facebook Day of Action. On February 3, we had the Capitol Climate Facebook Day of Action that resulted in 42,000+ invitations being sent and quadrupling the number of “Yes” and “Maybe” responses to attending the action. During the course of the Day of Action, we broke Facebook. We ARE that HOT.
• Global Exchange’s Train. Our organizing partners at Global Exchange have decided to travel to the Capitol Climate Action via train. Both to emphasize the kind of transportation grid we should be using and to reconnect and connect with friends, old and new. They are also going to be preparing for the action.
• New Website. Our website has new images and resources to better promote the Capitol Climate Action and provide organizing resources. Go to it and get involved. NOW.
• More and more endorsers. Over 55 organizations have now endorsed. Our coalition is diverse. It includes Appalachian and southwest coalfield groups, faith groups, big, mid-size and small enviros, groups fighting coalplants in their backyards, student groups, peace groups, radical environmentalists, social justice and lots more. There’s also an ever growing list of individuals endorsers as well. Check out the full list here.

Like I said the Capitol Climate Action is Hot Hot Hot! We’re going to make history with the largest civil disobedience on global warming in U.S. history. want to get involved? It’s not too late. Go to http://capitolclimateaction.org or just show up to Spirit of Justice Park in Washington D.C. at 1pm on March 2.

Okay, okay, maybe one is a little weightier than the other, but here are two documents you should definitely check out:

1. The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Chaired by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), released this document identifying principles for global warming legislation today. “We know that we have to act, and we intend to act,” Boxer said at a press conference announcing the principles.

2. The organizing team for Focus the Nation put the finishing touches on our Town Hall organizing guide, a comprehensive guide to take you from start to finish organizing a Focus the Nation town hall event this April, to complement the 2009 event model.

I spent the first few days of this week meeting with staffers on both sides of the aisle about participating in Focus the Nation town hall events April 18^th, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Continue reading ‘Dems Release Climate Bill Principles, FTN Releases Organizing Guide’

This rough week for coal continued yesterday, as Rising Tide Boston (RTB) acted in solidarity with those who took a stand at Coal River Mountain, earlier that day. Steve Leer, CEO of Arch Coal, the second largest coal supplier in the U.S., attempted to deliver a public lecture on “clean coal technology” at Harvard University last night. Not only was the crowd less than receptive to the coal baron’s sad defense of coal, the final word was delivered by members of RT Boston.

Continue reading ‘Arch Coal CEO talks up “clean coal” at Harvard lecture: Epic Fail’