By AshEl Eldridge, Educator – ACE. Cross-posted from the ACE Blog.

I just returned from Missouri Power Shift and I can report that the movement for clean energy, green jobs and climate justice is alive and well amongst the students of the “Show Me State.”

Missouri, though home of the headquarters of Peabody Coal, is also is home to Rockport, MO — one of the first towns in the U.S that is %100 powered by wind energy! Plus, organizations like Greening Missouri Youth are focusing their newly acquired stimulus money on green training programs for 18-24 year olds. They are expanding to include training for displaced workers from the automotive and coal industry in the wind power industry.

I’m a Green For All Academy Fellow and Hip Hop artist — and I was able to present and perform as an ACE rep at the event. I arrived early last week, visited several MO high schools and presented to students about climate science and the upcoming event. With the support of EAC, we teamed up and ensured high school youth feel included in this movement.

One senior from the ACE/Power Shift workshop talked about how she previously felt alone in her school, up against her own administration in trying to get water bottles banned in her school. She left feeling inspired that there were many other high-schoolers that have not only changed their schools, but their communities.

The St. Louis youth are smart, passionate and unstoppable. They understand we are up against the mighty forces of the oil and mining companies and their multi-million dollar lobbies. Workshops were filled with students who understand that time is running out for us to drastically reduce our carbon output, as already, global warming is causing floods, deserts and climate refugees.

They also understand that many Americans have been left out of the pollution-based economy and want to make sure that the green economy is truly inclusive. Their activism is focused on encouraging their representative, Senator McCaskill to help pass a strong clean energy jobs bill.

Check out ACE’s Flickr page for more pictures!

Hey y’all — we just exploded past 4,000 events registered in 170 countries (come on Andorra!) for this Saturday’s 350 International Day of Climate Action. Check out this piece by Tim Kingston at Alternet that gets into the philosophy, style and chaotic-creative nature of the campaign … meanwhile, I’ll be trying to keep my head on straight as emails keep coming in from Cambodia, Mongolia, Oman, Chile and more.

What started out a couple of years ago as a idea promoted by author/climate-change activist Bill McKibben and a few students at Vermont’s Middlebury College has morphed into the biggest environmental, and possibly the most extensive worldwide protest, ever.

On Oct. 24, tens of thousands of people will be in the streets and on mountains, rivers and glaciers around the world demanding action to reduce CO2 emissions to 350 parts per million (ppm).

With just five days to go, 3,422 [make that 4,000!] events are planned or under way in 160 [make that 170!] nations on every continent, including Antarctica. More are coming online daily at 350.org, a small (seven staffers) organization based in Berkeley, Calif., that is coordinating the international day of action.

Continue reading ‘Alternet: Will you join the largest day of climate action ever?’

Seven arrested at WV Gov. Manchin’s office today during a peaceful sit-in protesting the destruction of Coal River Mountain by Massey Energy.  Check out Jeff Biggers’ blog detailing today’s activities.

Coal River Valley Residents Declare State of Emergency, Meet with Governor Joe Manchin; Seven Sit-In at Governor’s Office

Coal River Valley residents and supporters associated with Mountain Justice and Climate Ground Zero delivered a letter to Governor’s Manchin’s office in the State Capitol building at 12:15 p.m. today. The statement from Coal River Valley residents calls on Manchin to use his executive powers to halt mountaintop removal mining operations on Coal River Mountain, one of the last intact mountains remaining in the Coal River Valley area.

Governor Manchin met the letter deliverers in the antechamber of his office and spoke with Lorelei Scarbro of Rock Creek and Chuck Nelson of Glen Daniel. As of 2:30 p.m. seven young people are sitting in the antechamber, refusing to leave until Manchin moves to halt MTR on Coal River Mountain or they are forcibly removed. Security guards conveyed to them that they have permission to remain until the close of normal business hours at 5 p.m..

“We are delivering this letter to our governor with residents of the Coal River Valley,” said Miranda Miller and Angela Wiley of Morgantown, W.Va., two of the seven sitters, “We are West Virginia citizens standing in solidarity with the people who submitted comments for this letter, voicing their concerns on the dangers of blasting on Coal River Mountain.

For years, local residents have expressed their concerns over the long-term health effects of their proximity to coal mining and processing operations, while scientists have stated that it devastates local ecosystems and contaminates groundwater with carcinogens and heavy metals. One of the most imminent dangers associated with the proposed Coal River Mountain operation Continue reading ‘Update from Coal River Mountain Action in West Virginia’

Originally posted at WattHead.org – Energy News and Commentary

[Updated with video from press event below...]

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reversed their position on climate change policy this morning, throwing their full support behind Congressional climate legislation.

Citing overwhelming scientific consensus that climate change poses dire risks to human societies and will be unquestionably “bad for business,” the Chamber released a press statement and held a briefing at the Washington D.C. Press Club to announce the group’s new position:

“There is only one sound way to do business: that’s to support a strong climate-change bill quickly, so that this December in Copenhagen, President Obama can lead the entire business world in ensuring our long-term prosperity. … The Kerry-Boxer Bill is a good start to a strong climate bill, and the Chamber will work with Senators Kerry and Boxer to strengthen it”

Does this about face from the previously staunchly anti-climate bill Chamber sound too good to be true? It is.

Only a few minutes into the event at the Press Club, a Chamber of Commerce spokesperson showed up to confront “the Chamber of Commerce spokesperson” at the podium as a hoax. A flurry of calls to reporters later, and the Chamber had strongly reiterated the not-so-leading business group’s true position on Congressional climate policy:

“An actual Chamber spokesman, J.P. Fielder, said the group remains as staunchly opposed as ever to the climate bill,” reports a Wall Street Journal blog. Phew, good to know the Chamber remains “staunchly opposed” to any real proposals for Congressional climate legislation.

As the WSJ makes clear:

“[Chamber President Tom] Donohue has been vociferous in his opposition “cap and trade” legislation favored by the White House that would make industries pay for carbon emissions. That position has resulted in the defection of big chamber members including Exelon Corp., PNM Resources, Pacific Gas & Electric and Apple Inc. Others, including Xerox, Lockheed Martin and Caterpillar, are under pressure from environmentalists and shareholder activists to do the same.”

[Update: Here's video of the "real" Chamber of Commerce representative confronting the prankster Chamber of Commerce representative. Will the real Chamber please stand up?!]

Continue reading ‘US Chamber of Commerce: We Remain “As Staunchly Opposed As Ever” to Climate Bill’

Update: Two Coal River Residents meet with Gov. Manchin at his office; Seven sitting in until Manchin acts to save Coal River Mountain.

Coal River Valley Residents Demand Prevention of Blasting Coal River Mountain

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – At noon seven people will deliver a letter of concerns and personal statements regarding Massey Energy’s imminent mountaintop removal coal mining on Coal River Mountain to Joe Manchin at the West Virginia Governor’s Mansion. The deliverers have stated that they will refuse to leave until the letter is received and Manchin agrees to the community’s demands. The letter is signed by 13 residents of the Coal River Valley, at least four of whom will be present at today’s event.

The seven citizens to deliver the document are associated with Mountain Justice and Climate Ground Zero. In addition to Manchin, Coal River Valley residents are sending the document to the Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Surface Mining, Mining Safety and Health Administation, WV Department of Environmental Protection, Post-mine Land Use Committee of the W.Va. State Government, Representative Nick Rahall, Senator Jay Rockefeller, Senator Robert Byrd and President Obama. Continue reading ‘Coal River Valley Residents Demand Prevention of Blasting Coal River Mountain’

Starting off the work week is always miserable, but we’re going to make this the worst Monday ever for the anti-climate PR machine at the US Chamber of Commerce. Actions are planned throughout the week, so let’s kick it off right for our side with a mass phone/email jam.

The Action Factory is taking the Chamber full on.  Last week we confronted the head of Shell oil about ties to the Chamber, and this week we have even more stuff planned.

The Chamber is among the largest and most powerful corporate lobbying blocs in Washington. Despite recent defections by member companies like Apple over the Chamber’s reactionary anti-science, anti-regulation agenda, the campaign to undermine progress on climate recovery and transition to a sustainable energy economy continues. The Chamber of Commerce PR machine has got to stop…
– Denying climate science; calling for a “Scopes-Monkey trial” of established climate findings.
– Amplifying the fossil fuel agenda; promoting “clean coal” and other false solutions.
– Lobbying against US climate legislation essential to global consensus in Copenhagen.

WHAT’S THE PLAN?

Who? You and yours and thousands of climate advocates across the US.

What? Call the numbers below and many times as you can and email the addresses below to demand that Chamber of Commerce PR people stop the lies and get real about climate change.
Continue reading ‘Chamber of Commerce: We’re Calling You Out’

Rising Tide North America and Carbon Trade Watch would like you to join us on the October 24^th day of global climate action to spread the word about the biggest financial scam in history – Carbon Trading.

In order to stabilize the climate before billions of people around the world suffer the consequences, it is imperative that carbon-trading schemes are stopped and real, democratically determined solutions are implemented.

We cannot afford to waste any more valuable time and resources relying on such market-driven strategies to deliver science-based goals (such as 350 ppm of CO2) when so many lives and livelihoods are at stake. If we truly wish to protect people and planet, then we must put climate justice before corporate profits.

However, first and foremost, we need to dispel the misguided notion that carbon trading has anything at all to do with climate change mitigation, or the present and future wellbeing of our communities.

We are proud to announce the launch of www.350reasons.org – a website presenting 350 reasons why carbon trading will not serve to stabilize the climate. You can submit your own reasons for opposing carbon trading via a web-form on this site. We will release the full 350 reasons next week. Continue reading ‘Coming Soon! 350 Reasons Carbon Trading Won’t Work’

Check out this guest post from Matt over at Brighter Planet:

Over the last two years Brighter Planet has heard from thousands of individuals and community organizations about their efforts to build a 21st century low carbon economy. To support this work, we recently launched the Project Fund: a monthly micro-grant program that seeks to foster local leadership and seed worthy community projects that will help people fight or adapt to climate change. If you’re looking to fund a project on your campus or in your community, this could be your opportunity; next month we’re giving up to $5,000.

Here’s how it works: Complete the short application at the Project Fund homepage and make a case for how your project will fight climate change. We’ll put it on our site, and members of the Brighter Planet community will vote on projects they like. The project(s) with the most votes will receive funding.

The deadline for the November voting period is October 27th. Want to weatherize the old buildings at your school? Want to invite a climate leader to speak in your community? We know you have the ideas; let’s make them happen.

Cross-posted from Grist.

As an activist who has been arrested for civil disobedience, organized national climate mobilizations, protested outside of coal plants and worked for Greenpeace, I am calling on my friends and colleagues to fight for the Kerry-Boxer “Clean Energy Jobs Act” and a strong global treaty in Copenhagen. On Monday Senator Barbara Boxer and Energy Secretary Steven Chu said there is a chance of passing a climate bill in Congress before the international talks in Copenhagen this December. Many of us have spent the better part of a decade preparing for this moment. While supporters of the Kerry-Boxer legislation fend off well-financed attacks by the fossil fuel industry, they simultaneously face opposition from progressive voices within the climate movement.

It’s time for radicals and moderates to come together around what are for. Being right isn’t enough. Each of us must be loud and strong and boisterous in defense of our cause. Oppose offsets and giveaways to the fossil fuel industry. But let us fight hardest for what we believe in – a strong climate bill and a stronger global treaty – than what we fear.

In November 2000 I had the privilege to be one of 200 young people from the U.S. and Africa invited by Greenpeace to lobby delegates at the UN Climate Negotiations in The Hague, Netherlands. We stood below a stage listening to four middle-aged Inuit women, who had traveled outside of their homeland for the first time. They were coming from Alaska, a place where winter temperatures had increased 6 degrees since 1950. Fighting back tears we listened as the women told us of men falling through melting ice while traversing age-old caribou hunting routes. They spoke of dwindling food supplies from altered seasons and seeing mosquitoes in a region that had never known such things. They felt the climate crisis first-hand and were reaching out to us in partnership.

Instead of leaving us in fear, the women joined together in a traditional dance. At that moment we knew what we were fighting for: a strong global climate treaty – to preserve hope, love, community, tradition. The lesson for me: in a crisis, fight hardest for what you believe in, not what you fear. While we should never be afraid to oppose weaknesses and flaws in a policy, they should not rule our agenda or define our movement.

Continue reading ‘Calling all radicals: unite for Kerry-Boxer’