It’s Getting Hot In Here

DC Rising Tide came out swinging at the Coal-to-Liquids conference in Washington D.C. today. 

Coal to liquid is a false solution being promoted by the coal industry as a alternative to gasoline.  The industry’s argument is that we need to get off of foreign oil and here’s how.  Unfortunately what they don’t mention is that the carbon intensity is twice that of gasoline and would lead to more destructive extraction.

Check pics here.

Check video here.

Activists expose coal-to-liquids as a false solution
DC Rising Tide disrupt and denounce coal conference

Washington, DC. – Local activists with DC Rising Tide and their allies interrupted a coal industry conference today to denounce coal-to-liquids as a corporate scam that would continue the destructive path of the fossil fuel industry.

“ We have had enough of corporations trying to keep us hooked on polluting fossil fuels. They seek to profit from climate change and the destruction of Appalachia.” said  Amanda Duzak of Rising Tide. Continue reading ‘DC Rising Tide Disrupts Coal-to-Liquids Conference’

Well, the roller coaster to end mountaintop removal has yet to end.  Tuesday afternoon, the media exploded with the news that the EPA was putting a freeze on new valley fill permits — then a few hours later we learned they were only looking at the permits.  Which, as other have said,  is still a point for celebration — even if it is pathetic we have to celebrate the fact that the government is going to start thinking about maybe following the law regarding mountaintop removal.  

This didn’t stop the coal industry from dissolving into a quivering mass of hysteria,  which included grandstanding from politicans, inspired some impressive  yellow journalism and of course the industry threatened to lay off every miner and everyone who ever thought about mining and practically eveyone who  has an “m” in their job title for good measure.  

It also inspired some very helpful and inspiring writing – noting that this decision isn’t a threat to Appalachia, it’s an opportunity to re-build and diversify our economy with safe green jobs — with 60,000 new jobs in Appalachia from energy efficiency alone!

And the excitement continues: Yesterday a Senate equivalent of the Clean Water Protection Act was introduced — wonderful news–and thanks to all the lobbyists at the End Mountaintop Removal Week in Washington last week.  Stay tuned for updates.  Press release and full bill below. 

Continue reading ‘US Senate Takes On Mountaintop Removal’

Media Alert by Earthlust

In the past weeks, Chester residents have been actively engaged in protesting environmental justice abuses in the city, focusing on the removal of fluoride from city water, increased government attention to air pollution, and the importance of soil remediation, particularly in former industrial zones. On Saturday, March 14th a coalition of Chester students, activists, and residents marched from the Chester YMCA to the Chester Water Authority with signs saying “Take It Out”. They marched to protest the fluoride that is added to Chester’s water supply. Fluoridated water poses health risks; it increases lead absorption which is linked to learning disorders and causes brain damage especially in infants. One week later, on Saturday, March 21st residents marched again, this time to “Keep Them Honest.” The purpose was to demand a Public Air Monitoring Program. The final Day of Action will take place on March 28th. Residents will march from 10am-11am to “Clean It Up,” which refers to soil contamination at the site of the Soccer Stadium.

Residents interested in joining in the March 28th event and future campaigns around issues of environmental justice in Chester are invited to attend an informational meeting on Thursday, March 26th from 6-7 p.m. at the YWCA in Chester, located at 2 East 7th Street. Light refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact the Delco Alliance for Environmental Justice at delcoalliance@gmail.com

Guest post from Mark Kimbrell, Southeast organizer for Focus the Nation energy town halls

Three weeks ago at the Capital Climate Action, one chant continued to give me goose bumps:  ”The people united will never be defeated.”  Over the last few years, I have heard this chant at multiple protests and direct actions opposing the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, the immigration crack downs, and polluting industries.   What makes it so applicable to all progressive movements is the truth it expresses.  For a movement to be successful at changing the structure of society, it must incorporate the different voices of the population and unify them.  The climate movement, which encompasses so many others, must continue to take this lesson to heart.   We are mobilizing around an issue that has the ability to incorporate every population, and almost every progressive social movement from anti-war to women’s rights to social justice.  What an advantage! Continue reading ‘Lessons from the FTN Campaign: Collaboration is Key!’

Great Article written by Power Shift Attendee Chris Maggio for the The Chimes: The Student Newspaper of Capital University

My original intent in attending Power Shift ’09, the largest youth conference on climate change in our nation’s history, was to take an inexpensive trip to Washington D.C., learn a few things, and then resume my life as it had been before spring break.

I soon discovered that as the first two parts of this plan succeeded, the last part had to fail. Thanks to the kindness of numerous students from four different colleges, I was able to travel to Washington. I learned about Power Shift through a friend, the president of Marshall University’s Student Sierra Coalition.

Realizing that the conference ran during my spring break, I expressed interest in attending Power Shift. I knew of no other students from Capital who were attending, so she helped me to get in contact with students from La Roche College and Ohio State University who could provide a ride. Continue reading ‘Power Shift, or how I spent my spring break’

From what I’ve heard, going to bed in the early morning during spring break is a regular occurrence – but on the Climate Hero Tour, students woke up before 7 am to begin preparation for day two.  Students were busy making media calls, practicing press statements, and loading materials into cars.

The first stop of the day was the State Capitol Building in Sacramento.  Secretary Linda Adams of the California EPA accepted a “Climate Super Hero Award” for her work negotiating the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.  Having recently returned from Washington, D.C., Secretary Adams expressed her gratitude that students are organizing all over the country to pass national legislation that cuts global warming pollution.  She described her discussions with President Obama as extremely positive on the issue of climate change – with enough pressure from the grassroots, we will have a climate bill that auctions 100% of carbon permits.

The Climate Hero Tour is only the first step for students in California that are continuing the Power Shift.  This afternoon, a group of students began writing Letters to the Editor  that will be sent to the San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Ventura County Star, and the Los Angeles Times. By Friday, students from the eleven districts represented on this trip will invite their Congressional representatives for an in-district meetings during the April Recess. Continuing the Power Shift, by building relationships with “climate heroes” and pressuring fence-sitters, is indispensable to pass comprehensive climate legislation before the UN Climate Talks in Copenhagen in December.

One tactic we are utilizing is generating media hits in every city we visit.  Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has expressed interest in joining the Climate Hero Tour (which would create tons of media).  But we need your help to get him to our event at Los Angeles City Hall on Friday morning.  Join his Facebook fan page and ask him to join the Climate Hero Tour!

More updates (and video) tomorrow!

It saddens me to post a correction here — the AP stories and hundreds of news stories were overstating the victory against mountaintop removal yesterday. And they still are this morning, actually.  What really happened is the EPA took action to put on hold two valley fill permits and indicated that hundreds of other pending applications would come under much more strict review.

That’s right, “review” not “moratorium.” 

The confusion is so big the EPA put out this grumpy little press release–here’s a depressing clip for you:

EPA will take a close look at other permits that have been held back because of the 4th Circuit litigation. We fully anticipate that the bulk of these pending permit applications will not raise environmental concerns. 

You can still call the White House and leave a message thanking President Obama for taking this important first step and then ask for a real moratorium on these permits.   202-456-1111

Today’s announced decision by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to put a hold on review all new mountaintop removal (MTR) coal mining permits is a welcome change shift to the coal industry’s “rape and pillage” approach to Appalachia.  Since the 1970′s, almost 500 Appalachian Mountains have been destroyed, hundreds of miles of streams and rivers buried and numerous communities harmed by mountaintop removal. The environmental and community destruction caused by mountaintop removal needs to be stopped.

Does this decision truly signal the beginning of the end for mountaintop removal?

Here’s what we do know, and what we can do to help speed along MTR’s long overdue demise.

Making Coal Risky Business

The EPA’s decision elevates the risk of doing business with Big Coal, but also illustrates how the coal industry is becoming persona non grata in many political and economic sectors.  Appalachian communities and environmentalists have effectively been turning these companies into pariahs so that investors, utilities and politicians stay away from them.

Last December, Bank of America reacted, after being tied too closely to mining companies, with a public policy about mountaintop removal.  Their statement included: “Bank of America is particularly concerned about surface mining conducted through mountaintop removal in locations such as central Appalachia. We therefore will phase out financing of companies whose predominant method of extracting coal is through mountaintop removal.”  Anti-mining advocates effectively transformed companies like Massey Energy into the “poster children of mountaintop removal.” The bank, already caught in an economic public relations nightmare, distanced their public image far from the practice.

Now the Obama administration is distancing itself from the coal industry as well.  We need to continue elevating the risk of doing business with public-image minded corporations as well as politicians.

Continue reading ‘Coal’s Funeral Procession’

Call the White House and say thanks! They need your support! 1 (202)-456-1111 The coal thugs will be angry.

Amazing news for people whose homes were facing mountaintop removal mining — and a big win for those following the Coal River Wind Project.

As you may know, the 4rth Circuit Court made a horrible decision back in February and opened up hundreds of permits and over 200 miles of streams for destruction from mountaintop removal. Well, after a month of citizens lobbying them, the EPA has told the Army Corps to back off our streams — for now. Read on, my friends.

EPA halts hundreds of mountaintop mining permits

By DINA CAPPIELLOWASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is putting on hold hundreds of mountaintop coal-mining permits until it can evaluate the projects’ impacts on streams and wetlands.

The decision was announced Tuesday by EPA administrator Lisa Jackson. It targets a controversial practice by coal mining companies that dump waste from mountaintop mining into streams and wetlands.

It could delay more than a hundred permits being sought by companies wanting to begin blasting mountaintops to access coal.

Continue reading ‘EPA Puts Halt on Mountaintop Removal Permits’

If the Capitol Climate Action, the string of civil disobediences in the Coal River Valley, and Mountain Justice Spring Break’s concluding march and die-in at TVA’s  headquarters are any indication, we are at the beginning of a new stage in our movement. This is an exciting and necessary development. If we are to build a movement that conveys the urgency of climate destabilization and current conditions in front line communities, we must physically stand in the path of the fossil fuel empire and the laws that justify it, just as readily as we lobby for its regulation and create innovative alternatives. This post is meant to spark dialogue about civil disobedience in our movement – what it is, its place in a greater strategy, and what it means for those of us who choose to engage in it.

Continue reading ‘Civil Disobedience for Climate Justice’