It’s Getting Hot In Here

2007 Convergence for Climate Action at proposed Bradwood LNG site. The weeklong event, organized by Rising Tide with local communities was a critical moment for movement building.

By Nick Engelfried & Monica Vaughan.

After a five yearlong organizing effort by a diverse and passionate coalition of Oregonians and Southern Washingtonians, the grassroots No LNG coalition triumphed over Bradwood LNG.

Monday afternoon, the fight for the Pacific Northwest’s clean energy future achieved a long-awaited major milestone: the backer of the proposed Bradwood Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal announced suspension of their application for the project.  This renders Bradwood LNG essentially dead.  In a part of the country where there are new coal plants proposed (and where such projects are unlikely to be proposed anytime soon) LNG represents the cutting edge of the fossil fuel industry’s expansion.  Bradwood LNG’s defeat is a victory that should send a warning to fossil fuel projects across the region.

At word of the news, community members wept with joy and phones rang continuously to share the news. At a press conference, coalition members reflected on the complex and significant meaning of such a victory over the fossil fuel industry. As community leader and dedicated volunteer Cheryl Johnson put it, “They have money, but we have heart. In the end, heart always wins”.

Continue reading ‘Victory: High-Carbon LNG Project Suspended, Company files Bankruptcy’

This is the second post of a series highlighting the global impacts of LNG, which strongly resemble the global impacts of oil production. Is LNG going to be “the new Foreign Fossil Fuel”? n the Pacific Northwest, NW Natural Gas claims that the Palomar pipeline and Bradwood Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal will bring “clean” fuel to the United States. But the truth is the real impacts of LNG importation are enormous, and extend far beyond the Pacific Northwest.

LNG in the Peruvian Amazon, by Nick Engelfried.

When a violent police crackdown on non-violent indigenous rights activists in Peru left around 100 people dead, the human rights abuses of government-backed corporate ventures in the Amazon exploded into the concsiousness of the international community. Many factors – most notably implementation of the US-Peru Free Trade Agreement – contributed to the impasse which prompted 30,000 indigenous Peruvians to take non-violent direct action against seizure of their traditional lands for private profit. Yet when Peruvian police fired on protesters outside the city of Bagua, it was in some ways the predictable result of an economic model which has long shunted human rights and environmental concerns to the side while paving the way for industrial projects like LNG.

While the “Bagua massacre” cannot be linked directly to the LNG industry, what’s clear is that pro-industry policies in Peru have consistently put the needs of local people in the backseat while extracting the natural wealth of the Amazon for private gain. Oil, timber, and gas companies have all taken their toll on the Peruvian Amazon and its inhabitants, yet the situation is poised to get even worse. If companies like Northwest Natural get their way, LNG from the Peruvian Amazon could soon be headed by tanker straight for the Oregon coast – the fruit of industrial practices that are systematically destroying one of the most biologically and culturally diverse areas on the globe. Continue reading ‘Is LNG the new foreign Oil? Part 2: Peruvian Amazon’

LNG Sources, Part 1: Russia’s Sakhalin Island

In the Pacific Northwest, NW Natural Gas claims that the Palomar pipeline and Bradwood Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal will bring “clean” fuel to the United States. But the truth is the real impacts of LNG importation are enormous, and extend far beyond the Pacific Northwest. LNG threatens to harm Oregon’s economy and environment and the impacts of LNG are huge even before the fuel reaches Oregon’s shores. Far from being “clean”, the environmental and social impacts of the full LNG supply chain show LNG is a dirty, costly fuel. This is the first post of a series highlighting the global impacts of LNG, which strongly resemble the global impacts of oil production. Is LNG going to be “the new Foreign Fossil Fuel”?

Take action: Click here to tell NW Natural “Global injustice is not a fair trade for their profit!”

Tell your friends in Oregon what’s up: Click here to make this movement the most effective, share this article with a friend on the West coast.

In January of 2005, representatives of local indigenous groups on Sakhalin Island, Russia, were so outraged by the damage to their community and their fishery caused by pipelines for LNG exports, they blockaded construction sites. Their outrage was directed at the Sakhalin II LNG export project, a potential source of LNG for proposed LNG import terminals in Oregon. Continue reading ‘Is LNG the New Foreign Oil?’

One of many large rallies in Oregon against NG.

Corporations, some politicians and even environmental orgs  have been calling natural gas a solution to climate change. Lets talk about that.

Although natural gas burns a bit cleaner on-site. That is not the whole story.

There are currently dozens of proposals for Liquefied Natural Gas importation terminals in the US, along with proposed natural gas power plants and thousands of miles of pipelines proposed from coast-to-coast.  This introduction of a new generation of fossil fuels directly competes with the energy future we need to be building.

Putting tons of money, energy and political leverage into building new fossil fuel infrastructure directly competes with the renewable energy movement. Continue reading ‘Naughty Nancy: Natural Gas Ain’t Clean.’

Tree-sit at Oregon Capitol holding strong for 4 days.

In the early hours of November 11th Jasmine Zimmer-Stucky, a University of Oregon senior and member of Eugene Rising Tide, climbed up a tree in a park across from Governor Kulongowski’s office in Salem, Oregon. Jasmine plans to sit in the tree until a rally of rural and urban Oregonians join her on the Capitol steps on Friday to pressure Kulongowski to reject a Bush Administration logging plan.

“In terms of carbon per acre, carbon storage in the Pacific Northwest forests is among the highest in the world,” according to Mark Harmon, Professor and Richardson Chair of Forest Science at Oregon State University.

If Kulongowski wants to be a leader in climate policy, he needs to stand up and protect natural carbon sinks by saying no to the WOPR.

Continue reading ‘Climate Activists aim to help protect Natural Carbon Sinks with Urban Tree-sit’

While politicians in the Pacific Northwest have painted themselves as leaders on climate policy, young people are still pushing for action on two key fronts: protecting old-growth forests and stopping dirty energy proposals (LNG).

Banner Held up at State-Level Election Rally on Nov. 3rd

From the incumbent Governor to hopeful state and city-level candidates, politicians across the state have made global warming and renewable energy rhetoric key aspects of speeches and town hall meetings this political season. Students and community members out of Eugene have followed Senate, State Treasurer, Secretary of State and Attorney General hope-fulls for the last month – - to make sure these future key leaders know exactly what fighting climate change means.

While Eugene is known as being one of the greenest cities in the country and Oregon is known as a beacon for environmentalists we are currently faced with dirty energy project proposals for liquefied natural gas (which would emit almost as much greenhouse gass as coal) and a deforestation plan that threatens to clearcut ancient carbon-sequestering old-growth forests.

Here in Eugene, youth from Rising Tide and Power Vote combined forces to bring these important issues to the forefront of candidates’ attention, educate them about the issues, ask tough questions at public events, and make personal face-to-face promises that we WE WILL NOT BE LETTING THE PRESSURE OFF ANYTIME SOON!
Continue reading ‘While Oregon Politicians Talk, Youth Act’

State-wide and regional networks across the country provide opportunities for cross-campus and organizational partnerships, as well as large power bases available for quick mobilization. As these networks grow, they also come with growing pains. The Cascade Climate Network (CCN) hopes that by sharing our stories and models, networks can learn from each other.

Last Spring the Cascade Climate Network (CCN) worked hard on developing a communication and decision-making model while focusing on network development and building our power base. This year we are using that structure and flexing our muscles with new campaigns and projects. Most recently we enjoyed two big internal projects: our fall retreat and the release of our first internal newsletter.

I urge the interested to view our newsletter here: ccnnewsletteroctober

And, I would love to direct everyone to enjoy page 5, which includes a visual representation of our organizing model, a.k.a. “Covalent Bonding in Activist Networks”. Continue reading ‘Covalent Bonding in Activist Networks’

From July 28 – Aug. 4th over 400 people gathered on a pesticide-free farm in Coburg, Oregon to learn, share, organize and network. Workshops and keynotes covered issues from the I-5 bridge expansion (Columbia River Crossing) to growing vegtables year-around. The week highlighted fossil fuel development projects throughout the West, and then created a space for people to learn the skills needed to fight them.

River's Turn Farm: Location of the Convergence; Model of Sustainability

The phrase direct action has been invoked in many ways for many movements. Often, in the climate movement it is used to describe non-violent civil disobedience that directly confront and seek to physically halt fossil fuel development projects, such as lock-downs to equipment and road blockades. At this year’s West Coast Convergence for Climate Action, we spoke of direct action as not only taking action against dirty fossil fuel projects, but also taking action for community solutions and sustainability!

Continue reading ‘Report Back: West Coast Climate Convergence; Canning and trainings and glitter, oh my!’

The controversy over the I-5 expansion project known as the Columbia River Crossing took a theatrical turn on Wednesday, as politically charged street performance took center stage outside a packed city hall. Meeting attendees were greeted with a fake check point just past an area marked off by “Global Warming Crime Scene” tape.

Decked out in a Men-in-Black style uniform marked with the insignia of the “Oil Enforcement Agency”, an actress known as Agent Burns was busily preparing a ticket for a bemused member of the Portland Business Alliance on his way to the meeting. “This is your final warning sir, if you’re intent on testifying in favor of the bridge, we’re going to have to write you up for abuse of a foreign fossil fuel,” chided the agent. Continue reading ‘Oil Enforcement Agency busts oil worshiping cult at hearing on I-5 expansion’

Thomas Friedman, the author and NY Times columnist, was invited to Brown University to give a keynote speech on Earth Day, before a packed auditorium. His talk, titled “Green is the new Red, White and Blue” was about how corporate environmentalism (based on putting a price on the atmosphere, and investing in agrofuels and techno-fixes) can restore America to its “natural place in the global order.” This outrageous neoliberal capitalist propaganda was interrupted with a surprise visit from the Greenwash Guerrillas. After splattering him with two green cream pies, leaflets were thrown to the crowd, stating:

Thomas Friedman deserves a pie in the face…

* because of his sickeningly cheery applaud for free market capitalism’s conquest of the planet

* for telling the world that the free market and techno fixes can save us from climate change. From carbon trading to biofuels, these distractions are dangerous in and of themselves, while encouraging inaction with respect to the true problems at hand.

* for helping turn environmentalism into a fake plastic consumer product for the privileged

* for his pure arrogance.

* as the only way to compensate for the ridiculousness of having this fool speak on Earth Day.

On behalf of the earth and all true environmentalists — we, the Greenwash Guerrillas, declare Thomas Friedman’s “Green” as fake and toxic to human and planetary health as the cool-whip covering his face.

In the spirit of true debate and free speech – the Greenwash Guerrillas have challenged Thomas Friedman and all other green capitalists – to a debate duel.

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